As with fashion, floriculture also has its trends. Dutch botanist Jacqueline van der Kloet signals two color trends. “First we see a tone-on-tone preference; combinations of the same color tone such as bright yellow combined with dark yellow.” One of Jacqueline’s […]
Bigger is Better
Recently I went to see a big garden—seven acres to be exact. It was located on some of the priciest real estate anywhere, and it was gorgeous. It took a big crew to maintain it and a big chipper shredder […]
Seed Starting at home – Seedy Beginnings
A giant invasive plant known as “Millennium Madness” sprouted worldwide last year. It was particularly bad in the United States and positively egregious in the New York metropolitan area. And, as if Millennium Madness was not bad enough all by […]
Potted Shrub Roses for Instant Color
Do you have small space to plant or little time to garden? Then look no further than a shrub rose. A potted Star® Landscape Shrub Rose blooms from spring well into fall frost with little care for year-round color and […]
THE POWER OF MYTH
A friend called not long ago, and she sounded desperate. “I am going to join the N.R.A,” she said in a tone that suggested she had just committed herself to scrubbing the floor of Grand Central Station with a toothbrush. […]
Bulb Blues
Not long ago, I was talking to a gardening friend. The subject was spring bulbs, and her lament was that she just didn’t have the time to get them in the ground. “I’ve given up buying bulbs,” she said, “because […]
Using Herbs in the kitchen
Many years ago herbs were considered invaluable; they cost dearly to buy and were very difficult to find. Yet now, herb plants can be grown by seed offered by mail order, plants can be purchased practically everywhere and fresh-cut and […]
Halloween Horticulture
What would Halloween be without pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns and decorations? Although this is the plant most often associated with Halloween today, it may surprise you to know that in the past, other fruits and vegetables had strong connections to this […]
Why don’t my plants flower?
Why don’t my plants flower? Probably this plaintive question is raised oftener than any other that has to do with gardening. As likely as not, too, the complaining gardener will go on to say that he gives considerable attention to […]
Latin Garden Names – Species Plantarum
In the long history of plant science, no name is more famous than that of Linnaeus and no book is more highly regarded than his “Species Plantarum,” published in 1753. Who was Linnaeus? To what does he owe his fame? […]