C. L. Fornari's Blog
I Love Pineapple Mint ~ Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’
Name: Pineapple mint aka Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’ Type of Plant: A pretty herb with white and green leaves. This mint grows quickly, so it’s...
I Love Smokebush, Cotinus x ‘Grace’
Name: Cotinus x ‘Grace’ aka Grace smoke bush Type of Plant: A large shrub that has colorful foliage and delicate “smoke-like” flowers. Why I...
I Love King Richard Leeks
Name: King Richard Leeks aka Allium porrum ‘King Richard’ Type of Plant: Leeks are a hardy biennial that we grow as an annual vegetable in the...
I Love Callicarpa Purple Pearls
Name: Callicarpa Purple Pearls® aka Callicarpa x 'NCCX1' USPP 26,000 aka purple pearls beautyberry. Type of Plant: This is a beautyberry that is a...
I Love Variegated Boxwood
Name: Buxus sempervirens 'Variegata' aka variegated boxwood. Type of Plant: A slow growing evergreen shrub that does well in full sun to part...
Harvesting and Preserving Garden Leeks
That row of leeks we planted in June is now chock full of large plants that are ready to harvest. And I'm happy to cut many of them in mid-October,...
I Love Salvia Elegans ‘Golden Delicious’
Name: Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’ Type of Plant: This is an annual herb in my area, but a perennial in zones 8-11. Grow this plant in full...
I Love Verbena Bonariensis
Name: Verbena bonariensis aka tall verbena. Type of Plant: On the Cape and Islands this is a self-seeding tender perennial. In slightly colder...
Mountain Magic Tomatoes…Great For Gardens and Pizza
I've long loved the Mountain Magic variety of tomato because it's the most early blight resistant tomato that I've grown, and believe me, I've tried...
I Love Cucamelons…Melothria scabra
Name: Melothria scabra aka Mexican sour gherkins, miniature watermelons, or cucamelons. Type of Plant: A delicate vine that’s grown for the tiny,...
I Love Rosa Rugosa…in the right location
Name: Rosa rugosa aka the beach rose, Type of Plant: This thorny rose is well known in this area for being tough, having fragrant flowers in the...
I Love Justicia carnea aka Brazilian plume flower.
Name: Justicia carnea aka Brazilian plume flower. Type of Plant: This is a shrub in tropical climates but an annual container plant for those who...
Elevate Marigolds – An Annual Plant That Makes Me Happy
Name: Elevate Orange Marigold Hybrid Type of Plant: An annual marigold with huge, round flowers. Easy to grow from seed, and tall enough to make a...
I Love the Sugar Shack Buttonbush
Looking for a shrub that's fun, attracts butterflies and bees, and tolerates wet areas? Have I got a plant for you! Name: Cephalanthus occidentalis...
Calling All Garden Speakers, Writers, Photographers, Broadcasters and Podcasters
There is still time to sign up for the GardenComm meeting in Salt Lake City! Tour private gardens, attend the trade show and learn about new plants...
I’m Loving Monotropa Uniflora… aka Indian Pipe or Ghost Plant
Today, I’m loving a plant that you can’t buy. But if it appears in your garden, you can enjoy its fleeting beauty. Name: Monotropa uniflora aka...
How Do I Love These Lobelia cardinalis…let me count the ways
Name: Lobelia cardinalis aka cardinal flower Type of Plant: A perennial native to North America that grows between 2 and 4 feet tall. This plant is...
I Love Pantheon Squash
Name: Pantheon F1 Squash Type of Plant: A Costata Romanesco type squash with a more contained, upright plant, fewer prickly spines and earlier,...