C. L. Fornari's Blog

I Love Spotted Wintergreen aka Chimaphila maculata

Name:  Spotted Wintergreen aka Chimaphila maculata  Type of Plant: First of all we need to sort through the common names which are Striped Prince's Pine, Spotted Wintergreen, Pipsissewa, Spotted Pipsissewa, Ratsbane, Rheumatism Root, and Striped Wintergreen. Yikes!...

I Love Camellia Species and Hybrids

Name:  Camellia species and hybrids Type of Plant: Evergreen shrubs that flower in the fall, winter or early spring. Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua are most common species and there are now many hybrids available. If you live in northern areas as I do, look...

I Love Jasminum Polyanthum aka Pink Jasmine, White Jasmine or Winter Jasmine

 Name: Jasminum polyanthum aka pink jasmine, white jasmine or winter jasmine Type of Plant:  A fast growing vine or climbing plant that flowers in December or January and is hardy in zones 8-10, but is sold as a greenhouse or seasonal houseplant in colder areas. Why I...
A Postcard From Peonies

A Postcard From Peonies

If your peonies routinely get botrytis mold in the spring, it's likely that your weather is often cool and damp. In this case, you might want to spray the emerging foliage and buds with an organic fungicide every year...

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Wild Rice Kale Cakes

Wild Rice Kale Cakes

I had two cups of leftover wild rice last week, and in using it up I created some cakes that I will be sure to make again. In fact, I realized that...

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Early Blight on Tomatoes

Early Blight on Tomatoes

I've often compared the garden to a party. We are blessed when we're not depending on our landscape to provide all of our winter food, so why not...

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Is This Poison Ivy

Is This Poison Ivy

We're all familiar with the saying, "Leaves of three, let it be." But the reality is that there are many plants with sets of three leaves that we...

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I Love Hydrangea Bobo

I Love Hydrangea Bobo

Name:  Hydrangea paniculata Bobo (aka Hydrangea paniculata 'Ilvobo') Type of Plant: This is a dwarf Hydrangea paniculata, a shrub we’ve all been...

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Zucchini Noodles With Pesto

Zucchini Noodles With Pesto

I was shopping in Whole Foods and saw some noodle-cut veggies. The zucchini called to me. I quickly cooked these in about 3" of boiling water that...

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Baked Cauliflower Cutlets

Baked Cauliflower Cutlets

Cauliflower is a versatile veggie that can go in any ethnic direction for flavoring, and can be used to create vegetarian main or side dishes. It...

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Knowing What Plants Do

I got a call yesterday from someone who was puzzled about some shrubs that weren't doing well. She called them "cherry laurels" (Prunus...

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