HIBISCUS “Help me!” said my husband’s friend. “My hibiscus is on life support!” It always makes me feel sad to hear tales of horticultural woe from people who love their plants, want to do right by them, but can’t seem to stop them from terminal decline. The hibiscus problem is a perfect case … Read more
KIKU In September and October chrysanthemums dot the suburban landscape, and no house, apartment or condo is without at least one pot of mums somewhere on the premises. Gardeners also plug them into the borders to replace the washed-up summer annuals. Generally treated as annuals, millions of mums sacrifice their lives each year … Read more
SPIDER PLANT What is it about plants with the word “spider” in their common names? There are several of them, including: “spiderwort” or Tradescantia virginiana; cleome, with its big, colorful spidery flowers; and that old household favorite, spider plant or Chlorophytum comosum. The common theme–other than a plant, leaf or flower form that looks … Read more
JAPANESE ANEMONE Every year I wait for the arrival of the monarch butterflies. For much of the second half of the summer, one or two monarchs a day float through the yard, especially when the butterfly bushes are at their peak. But every year around this time, the numbers increase as the butterflies gear … Read more
