A Tree That Flowers in Fall

A Tree That Flowers in Fall

Name: Franklinia alatamaha – aka the Franklin tree Type of Plant: Small tree or multi-stemmed large shrub that’s hardy in zone 5 – 8. This plant grows 8 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 15 feet wide depending on climate and location. This is a great full sun to part-sun plant...
A Small Vine For The Edible Landscape

A Small Vine For The Edible Landscape

Name: Basella rubra aka Malabar spinach Type of Plant: A tropical vine that can grow to about 6 feet tall in one growing season. Although this is not really a spinach, it has leaves that taste and cook up like that leafy vegetable, hence the common name. Why I love...
Oh Happy Day…the Tomato, Not The Song

Oh Happy Day…the Tomato, Not The Song

Name: Oh Happy Day Hybrid Tomato from Burpee Type of Plant: A “junior beefstake” type tomato. Indeterminate, 4-5 oz fruit (in other words, medium size – perfect for two sandwiches etc.) Good flavor and heavy production. Why I love this: As those who grow tomatoes in...
Why Isn’t My Moonflower Blooming?

Why Isn’t My Moonflower Blooming?

Like many others, I plant moonflower (Ipomoea alba) in the early summer to fill a small trellis with a quickly growing annual vine. I anticipate the large, round and fragrant flowers, but most of the summer goes by without any sign of a bloom. I’m not alone. I...
A Plant That Plays Well With Others

A Plant That Plays Well With Others

Name: Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’ aka quilled petal black-eyed Susan Type of Plant: This is a perennial that’s native to the USA. This named cultivar was found growing in the wild in Illinois and it typically grows 3 to 5 feet tall. Why I love this: I’m fond...
A Perennial for Pollinators, Butterflies and Bouquets

A Perennial for Pollinators, Butterflies and Bouquets

Imagine:  Emma gazed out over the field in front of their new house. “Honey, wouldn’t it be great to plant a butterfly meadow out there?” she asked. Rob turned to look at what was now a huge expanse of lawn. “If it means that we don’t...
Wonderful Sambucus aka Elderberry

Wonderful Sambucus aka Elderberry

Imagine: This week’s story is true. Yesterday I went up to the large elderberry bush at the top of our cutting garden. This year’s berry production was particularly large, and I wanted to take advantage of this so that Ellen Zachos and I could use the...
Not A Plant For Control Freaks…

Not A Plant For Control Freaks…

Imagine: Fran loved her purple angelica. When it came into flower in mid summer and the bees crowded into the blooms, she smiled. But her husband, Bob, wasn’t charmed. “What is this plant doing here?” he’d say when the Angelica stricta seeded in random places between...
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