If you are a passionate gardener and want the outdoor areas surrounding the premises of your home to be maintained in a proper condition, you might need to have at your disposal quite a vast array of equipment. For the […]
How to grow Aster
From the Greek aster, star, describing the flower shape (Compositae). Michaelmas daisy. Among the most useful herbaceous perennials, most of the asters flower in late summer right into the autumn and are extremely hardy and easy to grow. They increase […]
Gentiana – Perennial Plant, How to grow
How to grow Gentiana Gentiana (jen-te-a-na) Named after Gentius, King of Illyria who first used the plant medicinally (Gentianaceae). Gentian. A large genus of hardy perennials. Most of those in cultivation are dwarf plants suitable for the rock garden, but […]
Dipsacus – Perennial Plant, How to grow
How to grow Dipsacus (dip-sa-kus) From the Greek dipsao, to thirst, a reference to the water-holding cavity formed by the leaves united round the stem (Dipsaceae). Teasel. Biennial or perennial herbs, stiff, erect, rough plants with spiny or prickly stems […]
FRESH ROSES – Gardening
There are some people for whom a rose is a rose. I am not one of them. There are some people who get tired of taking care of roses. I am not one of them either. I think it is […]
Thalictrum – Perennial Plant, How to grow
How to Grow Thalictrum Thalictrum (thal-ik-trum) From the Greek thaliktron, a name used to describe a plant with divided leaves, possibly of the same family (Ranuncalaceae). Meadow rue. A genus of 150 species of hardy perennials, herbaceous plants, mainly […]
LONG TALL SALIX
The fact is, I am short. Not extremely short, but short enough so that I require the assistance of a step stool or an obliging tall person to reach high shelves. If I were a garden plant, I would be […]
FAUX FINISHES
Trend spotters undoubtedly know it already, but I have just discovered a new and immutable truth—there’s gold in rust. Of course, I am familiar with rust—the shed at our summer cottage is full of rusty implements from my grandfather’s time.We […]
FRESH VEGGIES – Gardening
When I was growing up, my father’s friend, Richard Pastecki, grew lots of eggplant. He did not eat them grilled or in salads, and it would never have occurred to him to use them in something as unfamiliar as ratatouille. […]
Mixed Blessings
Common sense would dictate that I do not need any more garden beds to care for. This does not stop me, addict that I am, from having an insatiable desire to create new planting schemes. In fact, my affliction is […]