C. L. Fornari's Blog
I Love the ‘Leccino’ Olive Tree
I usually feature plants that people in the Northeast can grow. But since I just returned from Italy, this tree is on my mind. Name: Olea europaea...
I Love Ostrich Fern
Name: Matteuccia struthiopteris aka ostrich fern, or fiddlehead fern Type of Plant: This fern is native to several parts of the world including...
Native Groundcover For Wet Areas
Name: Chrysogonum virginianum ~ aka goldenstar, or green and gold Type of Plant: Low growing perennial for part shade to full shade that flowers...
I Love Ornamental Cabbages and Kales
Name: Ornamental Cabbages and Kales Type of Plant: Annuals for planting in the fall that will last and be colorful (in most areas) into January. Why...
I Love The Brown Turkey Fig
Name: Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey Type of Plant: This fig tree is one of the hardiest but it best grown in pots in the Northeast if you want to...
A Thornless Blackberry For Trellises, Arbors and Buildings
Imagine: A trellis or arbor filled with long canes filled with small, pinkish white flowers in June…but the fun doesn’t stop with the flowers – in...
A Fantastic Angelonia For Gardens And Containers
Imagine: Call me picky, but when I plant an annual in late May I want it to still be looking good in September…maybe even into October. I’m willing...
Shoot For The Moon by Growing Moonflowers
Name: Ipomoea alba, aka moonflower Type of Plant: A fast growing annual vine for sun and part-sun. Why I Love/Hate this plant: If you want an annual...
A Splendid September Self-Seeder
As I walked through the gardens with my coffee this morning, what caught my eye were tall Gomphocarpus physocarpus plants in the cutting garden....
Plants and Morning Coffee: Variegated Sea Hibiscus
It is often my habit to take my morning coffee outside in the morning and see what catches my eye. Today, it was Hibiscus tiliaceus variegata, aka...
Is A Beautiful Garden Only For the Wealthy?
This question was recently posted on the Cape Cod Gardening Group page, and I thought it was a great query. “Curious: have seen many beautiful...
I Love Euphorbia Diamond Mountain
Imagine: She wondered why all the plants in the garden center seemed to be getting shorter every year. Annuals that used to grow three or four feet...
Basil Dying? Downy Mildew? You Need Amazel
Imagine: “The basil has turned yellow again,” he said. “I know,” she answered, “I asked about it at the garden center and they told me it’s a...
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 Concia di zucchine!
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...