Artemesia for the Garden
Karen Artemesia is a genus of woody and herbaceous perennials and includes several well known plants such as tarragon, sagebrush, mugwort, and wormwood. It is a member of the aster family,…
Plants of Williamsburg: Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor aka Poterium sanguisorba)
Salad burnet is a herbaceous perennial and member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherry, pyracantha, and lady’s mantle. It is native to Europe, northern Africa, western Asia…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Plantian
Common plantain,(Plantago major) is an herbaceous perennial native to Europe and northern and central Asia but naturalized in the US beginning in the time of the Puritans. It thrives in…
Plants of Colonial Williamsburg: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Balm, is a herbaceous perennial and member of the mint family, Labiatae, that also includes basil, rosemary, and ajuga. It is native to the Mediterranean area, North Africa and central…
Plant Profile: Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
Also known as absinthe, this wood-based subshrub is native to Mediterranean Europe, temperate regions of Asia, and northern Africa where it grows in dry open areas, often on rocky slopes.…
Gardening at Sissinghurst
Tony Lord’s book, Gardening at Sissinghurst offers readers a chance to learn how this amazing garden was created, maintaine and enhanced. Using the personal writings of Vita Sackville-West and Harold…
Edible Flowers: Cowslip (Primula veris)
Cowslip is an evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial native to Europe and Asia. It is a member of the primrose family (Primulaceae) along with shooting star (Dodecatheon maedia), oxslip (Primula elatior)…
Book Review: Eat your Drink
The phrase “farm-to-table” is familiar to everyone who enjoys fine dining but how about “farm-to-glass”? In his book, Eat Your Drink, author and mixologist, Matthew Biancaniello, shares his experience in…
Edible Flowers: English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
Although known as English lavender this strongly aromatic shrub is not native to England but to the western Mediterranean especially the Pyrenees and northern mountains of Spain. It is a…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Parsley
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a biennial native to the Mediterranean area. It grows wild from Sardinia east to Lebanon but is cultivated throughout the temperate zones. It belong to the…