Monarda Oswego Tea Bee Balm: A Bee-friendly Choice?
This old plant in English gardens has been treasured as a valuable and striking feature for the herbaceous border and for moist positions elsewhere. The writer’s garden grows in light
Landscape
Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum: A Must-Try Plant?
My affection for the annual Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, a native of California’s shoreline from central California south into Baja California and especially abundant on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, was deepened
Can Poison Ivy Be Controlled?
Every summer, poison ivy causes much suffering, yet it can be controlled. The rash is caused by a volatile oil produced by the plant leaves. It is said that Indians
For Fragrance’s Sake, Add Brown Flowers
Brown flowers subdue and chasten the flames of the garden; they tame the cerise and magenta; they mollify the madder and vermilion. But, although their beauty is retiring and gentle,
Propagating By Constant Mist
You may make your green thumb even greener by rooting many of your cuttings under a new propagation system called constant mist. In this system, cuttings are bathed continuously in
Busy as a Bee
Many flowering plants produce seeds naturally with the help of the wind or living creatures such as bees, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, and others. When man transfers the pollen from the
Do Beach Plums Have Untapped Potential?
The wild beach plum deserves much more attention than it is now given. Prunus Maritima, in scientific terminology, is a three to 6’ foot-high bush, thin and limping when young,
Good Mixers In The Garden Border
So many plants scorn nearby association with others because of color, size, or general incompatibility that some more amiable subject must be found to maintain harmony and subtle balance of
What Is The False Foxglove?
Years ago, when riding through the woods, my husband caught sight of an unusual wildflower not known to us — the downy, false foxglove, Gerardia flare. Transferring a plant or
Two Flowering Trees Worth Growing
More and more, homeowners are searching for small-scale flowering trees since space on most suburban lots today is limited, and there is little room for oaks, beeches, and maples. Cornus