potentilla

Cinqfoil

by

Shrubby cinquefoil or Potentilla fruticosa is the rose’s often-overlooked relative.  It boasts so many conspicuous virtues—hardiness, varmint-resistance, a repeat-blooming habit and beauty—but somehow it lacks the flash of the eternally beloved rose. I am, of course, addicted to roses, but not long ago I finally bought a pink-flowered potentilla and now I wonder why I … Read more

Lemoine Legacy

by

Back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth, before plant breeding was the domain of huge conglomerates, the breeding and nursery business often ran in families.  The Lemoine family of Nancy, France was one of those multi-generational concerns, breeding and selling plants from 1849 through 1960. Victor Lemoine, his wife, Marie Louise, their son, … Read more