Swollen Blooms

yellow flowers

Lately I have been fascinated by plants with ugly names—a few weeks ago it was streptocarpus, better and more euphoniously known as Cape primrose. Right now, as my snapdragons prepare to bloom, it is their plant family, known as the “figwort” family, or Scrophulariaceae. Gardeners have long celebrated members of this family, which includes summer … Read more

Giant Mullein

A friend of mine gardens in a community plot and noticed a very large, yellow-flowered plant sprouting on his allotment.  He asked if I could identify it from a description, which turned out to be an easy task.  At this time of the year, a plant that is three to six feet tall, with yellow … Read more