C. L. Fornari's Blog
I Love Phlox ‘Jeana’
Name: Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ aka phlox Jeana Type of Plant: A perennial that grows about four feet tall and has pink flowers from mid-August into...
I Love Nicotiana
Name: Nicotiana hybrids and species. AKA flowering tobacco. Type of Plant: An annual plant that self-seeds when it’s happy. Tubular flowers attract...
I Love This Weed, I Hate This Weed
Imagine: “Where did this weed come from?” she asked. “It’s everywhere!” “It’s the wild portulaca, also called purslane,” he said. “It’s one of the...
What to do With Too Many Zucchini – Make Concha!
The summer my husband and I moved to New York my in-laws introduced me to several delicious Italian dishes. They would arrive at our house bearing...
A Dramatic Shrub for Shade
Imagine: Sometimes we can get into a rut when it comes to shade plants. Hosta and ferns, hosta and ferns. Yet there are many plants that we overlook...
Growing Bells of Ireland
Imagine: I walked into Soares Flower Garden Nursery a couple of years ago, and stopped in my tracks. There they were, six packs of bells of Ireland...
Do You Speak, Blog, Write About, or Photograph Gardens?
If so, thank you. In the day and age when people feel increasingly out of touch with the natural world, you do important work. In these times when...
A Green Flower For Cutting
Name: Alchemilla mollis aka lady’s mantle Type of Plant: A low growing perennial with lime green flowers in May, June and early July. Why I Love...
A Hardy Impatiens For Shade Gardens
Imagine: A perennial for shade that isn’t a hosta or a fern! Can you imagine? After growing this hardy impatiens, we can say that it isn’t necessary...
The Pleasures of Pulling Weeds
All my GardenLine and Plantrama listeners would love an easy way to rid their gardens of weeds. And frankly, if there were a product, tool or magic...
What Can I Plant For Fragrance?
Imagine: You walk through your landscape from late-June through mid-July and you’re greeted by sweet perfume. When you drink your morning coffee...
I Love White Thyme
Imagine: You need a groundcover for a sunny slope or similar dry area. You want it to be very low, fast growing but not invasive. Impossible? Not at...
A Weed Smothering, Elegant, Drought Tolerant Perennial for Shade
Imagine: I can’t do a consultation for someone with a shade garden without the following plant name coming out of my mouth: Epimedium. Followed...
Top 10 Reasons To Come to Ithaca for the Solstice 2018
Top 10 Reasons for Garden Communicators to Celebrate The Solstice in Ithaca NY In reverse order, David Letterman style: #10 It’s the end of June!...
An Easy, Tall Blue Flower For Late Spring: Camassia
Imagine: You say you want a cutting garden with plants that come up every year? You can grow that! But be sure to plant Camassia… Name: Camassia...
I Love The Kanzan (aka Kwanzan) Cherry Tree
Imagine: Pink clouds have descended from the heavens and upholstered the trees with flowers. Bubblegum pink. And the foliage, in celebration, takes...
To The Person Who Stole Plants From My Yard
Here’s what I think: You are a person who likes plants and gardens. What you took from me has no resale value, so you undoubtedly stole these plants...
What Plant Will Grow In A Stone Wall?
Imagine: “These are difficult places to grow plants,” he said. “This path and wall are hot in the summer. There isn’t much root room in this...