CL Fornari

I Love Physocarpus Sweet Cherry Tea

Jun 10, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Physocarpus Sweet Cherry Tea Type of Plant: A type of ninebark shrub that has dark purple-to-bronze foliage and pinkish/white flowers in early June. Why I Love This Plant: There are SO many reasons to love this shrub! First of all, the Physocarpus are native...

Clam Baskets In The Garden

Jun 7, 2022 | Projects/Crafts

I originally published some of these decorated clam basket photos on my former blog at CoffeeForRoses.com. I thought to revisit this today when I used some of the baskets I embellished long ago to protect my young plants from the oh so curious, young and dumb red...

I Love Cuphea Vermillionaire or ‘David Verity’ aka cigar plant

Jun 4, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Cuphea Vermillionaire or ‘David Verity’ aka cigar plant Type of Plant: Annuals in the Northeast, that are hummingbird magnets. Why I Love This Plant: This annual adds a dash of orange that makes mixed containers (no matter the flower colors) come alive,...

I Love Aquilegia vulgaris aka Columbine

May 27, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Aquilegia vulgaris aka Columbine Type of Plant: A short-lived perennial native to Europe that becomes naturalized in gardens and wild areas. Why I Love This Plant: This is a plant for people who can appreciate it for what it is. It’s not long-lived, it...

I Love Erigeron pulchellus ‘Meadow Muffin’

May 20, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Erigeron pulchellus ‘Meadow Muffin’ aka meadow muffin Robin’s plantain Type of Plant: This is a perennial plant that has low, grounding hugging foliage and flower stems that are about a foot tall in May. Why I Love This Plant: I love that this perennial has...

That Dead Tree Is Important

May 17, 2022 | Gardens

Human beings are an interesting species. We tend to screw things up, and then get busy trying to help creatively repair the damage. Next, we pat ourselves on the back for our efforts, ignoring the fact that had we done things differently, our attempts to save the...

Malus x ‘Snowdrift’ aka Snowdrift Crabapple

May 13, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Malus x ‘Snowdrift’ aka Snowdrift Crabapple Type of Plant: A small tree (up to 20 feet) that’s hardy in Zone 4-8. Why I Love This Plant: This crabapple has pink buds that open into white flowers. The blooming process is fun to watch over three to...

Recipe Inspirations – Chickpea Pancake from Bon Appétit Magazine

May 10, 2022 | Food

From Milk Street Cooking Magazine to Bon Appétit Magazine, I love cooking publications. Hard copies, that provide recipes and photos, that you can page through at breakfast or with a cup of tea in the late afternoon. Yes, you can search for recipes online, but so many...

May 6, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Rhododendron ‘Calsap’ Type of Plant: A Rhododendron that was a cross between ‘Catalgla’ and ‘Sappho’ which produced a plant that’s hardy to Zone 5. Why I Love This Plant: Are you looking for a Rhododendron that doesn’t grow huge but has stunning flowers in...

I Love Mandevilla, the Plant Artist Formerly Known as Dipladenia

Apr 29, 2022 | Love This!

Name: Mandevilla cultivars and hybrids, especially the shorter varieties formerly known as Dipladenia Type of Plant: Back in the day, there were the vining Mandevilla and the bushy, but otherwise very similar Dipladenia. Now that plants are able to grouped according...