I Love the Breadseed Poppy, Papaver somniferum
Name: Papaver somniferum aka the breadseed poppy or the opium poppy. Of the two common names, beadseed poppy is the most accurate for gardeners since we are growing this plant for its ornamental value, not for the latex that drug companies value. Type of Plant: An...
I Love Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’ aka weeping blue atlas cedar
Name: Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’ aka the weeping blue atlas cedar Type of Plant: An evergreen, horizontal/weeping tree with bluish needles that’s often trained into an upright or serpentine form. Why I Love/Hate this plant: This is a great plant to...
I Love Salvia officianalis aka Common Sage
Name: Salvia officianalis aka common or culinary sage Type of Plant: This herb is a perennial in zones 4 to 8. It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. This sage is semi-evergreen and flowers in early summer in most regions. Why I Love/Hate this plant: What’s...Sign Up to See How To Bee
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I Love Rudbeckia hirta
Name: Rudbeckia hirta aka black eyed Susans Type of Plant: Biennial that is sometimes grown as an annual. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall, often self-hybridizing and appearing with a variety of flower colors and sizes. Why I Love/Hate this plant: I love annuals that gently...
How To Grow Anthuriums Indoors
Name: Anthurium species and varieties, aka flamingo flower (or so I read…everyone I know just calls them “Anthuriums.”) Type of Plant: Herbaceous epiphytes that grow in tropical areas from Central to South America. The heart-shaped spathe that we call the flower is...
A New Year’s Television Detour
If you’re only here for the plants and gardening, skip this post. But on this New Year’s Day I’m looking at the offerings on selected television stations and thinking about what they are telling us about 2020. I’m looking at some listings for...
I Love The Long-Blooming Patrinia scabiosifolia
Name: Patrinia scabiosifolia aka patrinia Type of Plant: Long blooming perennial with upright flower stems that grow to about four feet tall. The flowers and their calyxes are a bright yellow. Why I Love/Hate this plant: I love patrinia because it’s easy to grow and...
Expectations and Mail Order Plants
(This piece was originally posted ten years ago on my first blog, Whole Life Gardening.) My first experience with mail order was in the mid-1950’s. In the back of my mother’s magazines I saw a small ad that read, “100 Dolls for $1.00!” A hundred dolls for only a...