The tomatillo is a warm-weather crop. Tomatillos are easy to grow and bear fruit all summer long. Tomatillo fruit is used to make sauces and salads and is very popular in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. The tomatillo has a sweet-sharp flavor recognizable in the green sauce used on chicken enchiladas and fresh green salsa for […] More
The watermelon is a tender, warm-weather annual. Watermelons along with muskmelons and cantaloupes are sometimes called summer melons. They thrive in hot weather. Watermelons are easy to grow. They need plenty of sun, nutrient-rich soil, and plenty of water. Get watermelon started in the home garden after all danger of frost has passed and your […] More
Parsnips are cool-weather biennials grown as an annual. Parsnips taste best if brought to harvest in cool weather. The parsnip is a creamy white root that grows from 4 to 9 inches (10-22cm) long, similar to a carrot in appearance and tasty like a celery heart. The parsnip is a biennial grown as an annual. […] More
Trollius bears large, rounded blooms, thus the common name globeflower. Blooms range from pale cream to orange. Flowers are commonly 2 inches (5cm) across. Trollius grows in full sun or partial shade. It does not like heat or drought so avoid planting it where afternoons are sunny and hot. Trollius will thrive around pond edges […] More
Stachys–commonly called lamb’s ears–is a small perennial evergreen most often chosen for its foliage and not its flowers. Stachys produce downy, silvery gray foliage and spikes of small usually mauve-pink flowers in summer. Stachys is a good choice for a sunny bed or path. Stachys must be planted in well-drained soil. Plants often die out […] More
Rhubarb is grown for its leaf stems (called petioles) which are thick and fleshy. The stems are colorful—cherry-red to deep red and sometimes green–and tart. They are used in jams and pies—with plenty of sugar added—and are often matched with the sweetness of strawberries. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that requires a dedicated growing spot […] More
Pulsatilla–commonly called pasque flower–bears nodding, cup-shaped flowers in shades of purple, red, pink, or white in spring. Flowers are followed by silky seed heads. Pulsatilla is a clump-forming perennial with feathery light green leaves that are silky when young. Grow Pulsatilla in rock garden and scree beds where the flowers and fluffy seed heads will […] More
Lupinus–commonly called Lupine-bears pea-like blooms in early summer. Lupine forms clumps of divided dark green leaves. Lupine is needs plenty of moisture. It is wind- and cold-tolerant. Lupines are a large group of wildflowers native to western North America. Lupinus is a genus of annuals and perennials, sometimes shrubs, of the Pea Family. They are […] More
Crambe is a tall perennial that produces mounds of dark green leaves below clouds of tiny white fragrant flowers. The wispy blooms are nearly see-through. Crambe is a member of the cabbage family; leafy mounds have a cabbage-like appearance. Crambe is much branched; blooms appear in clusters and are honey-scented. Set Crambe at the front […] More
Primula vulgaris–commonly called English primrose–bears clusters of 3 to 25 often fragrant flowers in spring. Primula vulgaris is native to England and is widely distributed throughout Europe. Primula vulgaris flowers are salverform, meaning they form a narrow tube with petals abruptly bent outwards at right angles. flowers are commonly yellow, but there are many colors. […] More
Lunaria bears showy racemes of purple or white four-petaled, cross-shaped flowers from late spring to summer. The flowers are followed by sprays of round, flat, translucent seedpods. The seedpods are often used in dried flower arrangements. Lunaria flowers resemble wild mustard flowers but are purple or white, not yellow. These biennials or herbaceous perennials are […] More
Corydalis–commonly called Fumewort–has irregular yellow, blue, purple, or rose flowers that resemble those of the bleeding heart. Fumewort is easy to grow in ordinary garden soil. Corydalis produces mounds of delicate-looking ferny foliage. Tubular and spurred flowers appear on racemes. Perennial varieties grow from rhizomes or tubers. Most Corydalis do not like being transplanted. They […] More
Stephen Albert