C. L. Fornari's Blog
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...
Homemade Rabbit Repellent
This is a repellent to spray on plants to keep rabbits from eating them. It is only for ornamental plants, not for edibles. (Do not use this on your...
10 Reasons I Hate Leyland Cypress
Imagine: “We need some screening plants, so we’re buying Leyland cypress,” she said. “Why Leyland cypress?” I asked. “Because they grow quickly,”...
I Love Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart
Imagine: “I need plants that will make me smile,” my friend said. “No problem,” I replied. “Let’s start with bleeding heart.” Name: Lamprocapnos...
I Love Garden Rhubarb
Imagine: She wanted to serve a special meal to celebrate the spring season. Fresh asparagus, of course, and a salad of spring greens accented with...
I Love Weigela florida ‘Variegata’
Name: Weigela florida ‘Variegata’ aka the variegated weigela. Type of Plant: Weigelas are easy to grow, low maintenance shrubs for full sun. Note...
In Praise of Chopped Salad
I love a chopped salad. There are any number of ingredients you can use to create a side dish or a main meal. And with a few staples in the freezer,...
A Plant For Gardening Large
Imagine: Having a garden where large, mauve flowers blow in the breeze and butterflies flit among the blooms. Going native? Go big. Name: Eupatorium...
Google’s Plant-to-English Translation Service
It has been well known that plants communicate with each other through the release of volatile organic compounds, along with various chemicals and...
Chard: Many Reasons to Love
Imagine: “Spinach doesn’t grow well for me,” he said. “No matter,” she responded, “there’s a better vegetable we can grow." “Yes?” he asked,...
I Love Philadelphus x virginalis aka mock orange
Imagine: You’re sitting under the arbor, surrounded by potted plants. It’s a mild June evening, and as you relax into your chair you catch a sweet...
I Love Supertunia® Picasso in Blue®
Imagine: “I’m in the mood for something different in our window boxes this year,” he said. “Purple, lime green and white,” she said. “You can never...
I Love A “Delicious Monster” Plant
Imagine: You can tell that Monstera deliciosa is a hot plant right now...not many houseplants have their own hashtags. Perhaps this is a signal that...
DIY Wedding Flowers
I had a conversation with someone today who needed options for a DIY wedding. I told her about my book on the topic of garden weddings, of course,...
Garden Destination: Pittsburgh, PA
I had never been in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators held their annual meeting there in 2014. But I'm...
Must-See Garden Destinations
Going through my photo library recently I realized that I've gone to some absolutely thrilling garden destinations in the past few years, and want...
I Love California Poppies
Imagine: She said, “The gravel driveway and path are fine, but couldn’t there be something green and growing here? Why can’t there also be flowers?”...