I Love Helleborus niger ‘Jacob’ et al, aka The Christmas Rose
Name: Helleborus niger ‘Jacob’ et al, aka the white Christmas rose Type of Plant: White flowering hellebores in the species niger, are commonly called the Christmas rose, although they aren’t roses. ‘Jacob’ is a variety that is often sold at this time of...
I Love Princettia® Poinsettias From Suntory Flowers.
Name: Princettia® poinsettias from Suntory Flowers. Princettia® is a new style of poinsettia with vibrant bract colors including the whitest white, best pinks, and a beautiful cranberry red. Type of Plant: A holiday plant that will bring color to your house and...
I Love Ilex Vertilcillata ‘Winter Gold’ aka Golden Winterberry
Name: Ilex vertilcillata ‘Winter Gold’ aka golden winterberry Type of Plant: A large, deciduous shrub, hardy in Zones 3-9, that has peach to orange berries in fall and early winter. Why I Love this Plant: There’s so much to love about this plant! First of all is...
I Love Chionanthus virginicus – aka Fringe Tree
Name: Chionanthus virginicus aka fringe tree or old man’s beard. Type of Plant: A large shrub or small tree, native to the Eastern US, growing 15 to 30 feet tall and wide. Why I Love this Plant: If you’ve been to Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich during the...
I Love Abies concolor aka Concolor Fir
Type of Plant: A blue needled evergreen tree that’s hardy in ones 3 – 7 Why I Love this Plant: I fell in love with this plant 25 years ago when I did a consultation for a woman in Yarmouth. I looked across her backyard and saw a blue needled evergreen that...
I Love Baby Pak Choi aka Brassica rapa var. chinensis
Name: Baby Pak Choi aka Brassica rapa var. chinensis Type of Plant: A vegetable that grows well in cool weather. This small pak choi usually grows to 6 to 8 inches tall. Why I Love this Plant: Since this plant grows quickly and thrives in cool temperatures, it’s...
Bringing Houseplants Back Inside
It’s time for my houseplants to come home from summer camp. Like most campers, they are happy to be home, but arrive needing a shower and perhaps a change of clothing. Here’s my routine: I clip off any browned leaves before the plant comes in. While...
I Love Helenium autumnale aka common sneezeweed or Helen’s flower.
Name: Helenium autumnale aka common sneezeweed or Helen’s flower. Type of Plant: This summer to fall flowering perennial is native to much of North America. Hardy in zones 3-8, there are many named cultivars of different sizes and a range of colors in oranges and...
I Love Ceratostigma plumbagionoides aka blue leadwort or plumbago.
Name: Ceratostigma plumbagionoides aka blue leadwort or hardy plumbago. Type of Plant: a low-growing, perennial ground cover hardy in zones 6-9. Dies to the ground in the winter. Why I Love this Plant: First of all, this perennial is later to emerge in the spring,...