About 12,000 years ago, human beings started making the long transition from gathering wild plants for food to growing those plants. As more humans turned to practicing agriculture, they probably began to do what is now known as “selective breeding”—choosing plants that were bigger, or bore tastier fruits—and sowing the seeds of those plants in … Read more
Sadly, the poinsettia plants that many of us purchased over the holiday period have given their all, lost their colorful bracts, and been consigned to the curb, the compost pile, or that neglected spot among the unloved houseplants where seasonal specimens go to die. Now, with holiday decorations stowed, and spring still far off, many … Read more
I have a weakness for British gardening magazines, and it gets me in trouble all the time. So many beautiful gardens, so many interesting plants, and so many great ideas. The ideas are not out of reach, nor are the gardens—if I decided to take a trip across the pond—but many of the plants are … Read more
I am a romantic at heart, so I never could have imagined that I would fall madly in love with a plant that sounds like a fairy tale/throat infection mash-up. The plant in question—and the object of my current crush—is Streptocarpella ‘Dancing Doves’. The affair is so successful that I rooted a cutting from the … Read more
Someday I am going to create a new series for PBS. It will be an adaptation of the much-loved BBC series, “Call the Midwife.” My version will, of course, be somewhat altered to suit American tastes and interests. I will rename it, “Call the Landscaper”, and it will feature stories about suburban landscapes, some nine … Read more
