Amaryllis are exploding all over my dining room plant area. The enormous bulb that I bought back in November now boasts two flower stalks with a total of eight huge white blooms and another four-bloom stalk on the way. A second pot features a brilliant red-flowered variety, its dramatic coloration enhanced by the giant white … Read more
So often in botanical circles plants with lovely common names, like shooting stars or Peruvian lilies, have absolutely awful-sounding botanical names. Cape primrose is a case in point. Botanically speaking, it is known as Streptocarpus, which sounds dangerously close to streptococcus, the bacteria that causes strep throat. Some streptocarpus is so beautiful that it will … Read more
I am a plant lover with a dirty little secret—my houseplants are dying of neglect. At the moment my foyer and dining room look like a horticultural ICU, with patients that include a collection of geraniums, cacti, African violets, orchids and amaryllis. Most spent last summer outside, happy and healthy. The majority of the geraniums … Read more
