Yes, these cherries are sour. No, you don’t want to eat them fresh. Yes, you still want to grow them in your garden.
Columbine Flower (Aquilegia spp.)
Known also as Granny’s Bonnet (because your granny still wears one?), Columbines are a diverse group of perennial flowers that are sought after due to their unique flower shape and the ability to have multi-colored blooms.
California Lilac (Ceanothus spp.)
One of the things missing from so many modern cultivars of plants is the one thing we keep sticking our noses into them for: fragrance. Yes, looks are good, but why not have both?
Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare var. hirtum)
No self-respecting Greek will return home from Greece without a large stash of dried Greek Oregano in their luggage. Try explaining that one to a customs officer.
Continue reading Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare var. hirtum)
Sweet Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Any plant that can multitask is a plant I want in my garden. Sweet Fennel lives up to this expectation very well as most of the plant is edible, as well as attractive. Oh yeah, pollinators like bees and butterflies love it, too!
What a Show!
A few days ago we experienced this weird phenomena called “rain in May”. It even looks like this oddity may repeat itself sometime today. I’m not complaining! Continue reading What a Show!
Narrow Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)
Usually when a plant has the word “weed” as part of it’s name, it doesn’t immediately attract itself to the typical gardener as a good candidate for their landscape. But this is one of those that should be given a second look.
Continue reading Narrow Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)
Sibling Rivalry
Mention the phrase “sibling rivalry” and images of kids fighting over toys or the best seat in the car emerge. But did you ever think about what your pets go through whenever you bring a new one home?
Lithodora diffusa
Imagine a carpet of the most intensely blue flowers polka-dotting a mat of deep green foliage and what you’re really seeing is Lithodora. This lovely ground cover plant brings in pollinators throughout much of the year, too.
Fresh Spinach & Tomato Pasta Sauce
A while ago, I had purchased a rather large quantity of spinach. Even though I often grow my own, spinach is pretty picky about not liking my hot summer temperatures and I don’t always get around to growing it when it will thrive. Thank goodness for grocery stores!
