C. L. Fornari's Blog
I Love Iris Reticulata
Name: Iris reticulata Type of Plant: This is one of the first spring bulbs to bloom, often in flower at the same time as crocus but just before...
Getting Rid of Moss in The Lawn And Garden
In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day I’m going to post about one of the greenest plants in the landscape: moss. On both radio shows I get frequent calls...
An Election Year Garden Flowchart
I Love Gomphrena Pink Zazzle
Name: Gomphrena Pink Zazzle (aka: Gomphrena hybrid USPPAF) Type of Plant: This is an annual plant in colder climates that’s fairly new to the...
I Love Bidens ferulifolia Goldilocks Rocks
Name: Bidens ferulifolia Goldilocks Rocks Type of Plant: An annual in northern climates that does best in full sun. You’ll find this plant...
Hairy Balls and Pollinators…You Can Grow That!
Has anyone ever told you to "grow a pair?" Well...why stop at just two? When it comes to balls, you can grow several and they can be hairy! And at...
Like A New Box of Crayons
Every spring as I contemplate what will be planted in Annual Alley this season, it's like getting a new box of crayons. Which colors to use? Should...
In Praise of Seasonal Flowers
In Northern America we live in a time when we so often can ignore the seasons. The grocery stores sell strawberries, apples and asparagus twelve...
I Love Marble Queen Pothos
Name: In part of the world this plant is called Scindapsus aureus. In North America it’s either Epipremnum pinnatum or Epipremnum aureus. Most of...
The Tallest Poppy
I am a fan of John Sandford's novels, and am currently reading Rough Country (A Virgil Flowers Novel) . In this book Weather Davenport says, "Well,...
What If This Plant Dies?
Plants Dying? It’s Part of The Adventure
If everything you did was a sure thing, how satisfying would that be? Isn't part of the fun in trying new pursuits and activities not knowing how...
Roasted Roots
I love roasted veggies, and this particular combination is easy, versatile and satisfying. Serve this plain as a side dish, or toss with tofu or...
Oatmeal Walnut Blueberry Bars
When Awesome Bars stopped making their apricot walnut bar I was heartbroken. So I decided to do an oatmeal/walnut bar of my own. I used blueberries...
Hearts-a-Bustin’
There's a plant for every holiday, and for Valentine's Day I'm especially fond of Euonymus americanus. With a common name like hearts-a-bustin',...
I Love Hydrangea Pinky Winky
Name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Dvppinky’ aka Pinky Winky Hydrangea Type of Plant: This is a very hardy shrub that flowers in mid-to-late summer and...
I Love Verbascum Chaixii
Name: Verbascum chaixii aka nettle-leaved mullein Type of Plant: A biennial that sometimes only lasts a year and other times might live three...