Succulents, especially the rose-form echeverias, have been in vogue for the last fifteen years. They have flirted with the public in botanical institutions, teased onlookers from the tops of show house coffee tables, and beguiled shoppers in garden centers. Sometimes, especially in winter, they seem to be everywhere. Though I am prone to falling in … Read more
“Streptocarpus” is an awful plant name, suggestive of sore throats and other maladies that can only be cured by antibiotics. In reality, if a plant lover is infected with a yen for streptocarpus, the malady may prove to be long-lasting and pleasant. Streptocarpus is commonly known as “Cape primrose”, a much better name that invokes … Read more
The stores went into holiday mode right after Halloween, but I am not ready to put up the wreaths, adorn the house with poinsettias, or hang greens from the mantelpiece. I don’t like to rush the December holiday season, because if I do, it will be Valentine’s Day on January 1. I do, however, need … Read more
I live near a small botanical garden that houses an amazing array of ornamental plants, including a significant collection of rhododendrons. The majority of those plants are grown with great deliberation and care, but one of the most amazing seems to have sprouted of its own volition near a boundary fence. Over the course of … Read more
As I bring some of the geraniums inside, and consign others to death at the hands of the Frost God, I have to stop and consider the miraculous nature of these ubiquitous plants. The bright, fluffy-headed, tender perennials that we call “geraniums” are actually members of the Pelargonium species. When we fill our window boxes … Read more
