C. L. Fornari's Blog

A Postcard From Butterfly Support Plants

Some random tips for supporting butterflies: Don’t use pesticides unless you really have to. Ignore clusters aphids and other insects that are on ornamentals and aren’t eating your food. Don’t spray wholesale tick and mosquito killers. Leave native wild cherry trees –...

Postcard From August Petunias

If your petunias aren't looking as flower-filled and bushy as they did early in the summer, you can trim them back by 1/3 to 1/2 (sometimes more!), water them well and then give them a dose of a synthetic fertilizer. (Organic fertilizers take too long at this time of...

A Postcard From Daylilies

Perennial gardens need some mid-summer tending. Pulling weeds, of course. But also deadheading and editing. Pull plants that want to take over the garden...some perennials need the controlling hand of the gardener.  Plants that have flowered in the spring or early...
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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A Well Mannered Violet

A Well Mannered Violet

In past posts I've made it clear that I don't want common violets (Viola odorata) on Poison Ivy Acres. I will periodically spot a flowering plant or...

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Naming A Property

Naming A Property

Martha Stewart's house in Maine is called Skylands, Oprah Winfrey calls her California property Promised Land, and the late Roald Dahl lived in...

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What We Treasure

What We Treasure

When I was going into the 7th grade my family moved from Muncie, Indiana to Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Instead of the one-day drive north, however,...

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Words To Live By

Words To Live By

There are times when we need to speak up, be bold, suggest new approaches and plant differently. It's not always appreciated, welcomed or accepted....

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