hardy hibiscus

Mallow Time

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It is late summertime, when thoughts turn to back-to-school, shorter days, and, for some people, the imminent return of pumpkin spice-everything.  For me, it is mallow time. The mallow or Malvaceae family is large, containing nearly 250 genera, over 4,000 individual species and even more cultivated varieties.  If the words “malva” and “Malvaceae” mean nothing … Read more

Bigger Than Your Head

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I saw a woman at the Farmer’s Market last week with a bouquet of huge dahlias.  They weren’t quite dinner plate-size, but they would put the average butter plate to shame.  It occurred to me then that mid-summer is no time for subtlety.  The big, bright colors and shapes of zinnias, cannas, Mexican sunflowers and, … Read more