This week: Carolina Silverbell, a Tree with Fall and Winter Appeal
Hello! Autumn isn’t only for leaves but also for seed pods, too. One of my favorite seed pods hangs from the Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia carolina or H....
This week: Fall Garden Checklist
Hello, While the autumnal equinox was way back in September, the temperature and the trees agree that fall is finally here! And with that, a slew of garden...
This week: Fall Seed Collecting
Hello! While the varying bloom periods of flower species mean that you can collect seeds beginning in the spring and throughout the summer, fall is a time of...
This week: Fall Seed Collecting
Hello! While the varying bloom periods of flower species mean that you can collect seeds beginning in the spring and throughout the summer, fall is a time of...
This week: Uncommon Snowberry
Hello! Though I’ve been a student of native plants for years, I recently encountered a northeastern native shrub that was totally new to me: Common Snowberry...
This week: Grow Your Own Pawpaws
Hello, It’s Pawpaw season! This relatively unknown fruit has a big claim to fame: it is the largest fruit native to North America. September and October are...
This week: A Great Many Uses for Great Blue Lobelia
Hello! Hold onto your hat—we’re discussing a plant with many uses by wishful thinkers: Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). Sprouting from the same...
This week: 3 Volunteer White-Flowered Asters
Hello! While walking my dog the other day, I passed three varieties of little white asters blooming along the street. All three were volunteer plants (or...
This week: A Turtle Lookalike in the Garden?
Hello! Do you have a shady spot in your garden that needs a late summer highlight? Or maybe you’re aiming for a classic cottage garden vibe. Chelone lyonii,...
This week: Goldenrod for the Garden
Hello! Sometimes, there are native plants I don’t like. For example, I rarely recommend Goldenrod—a well-regarded Keystone species—to clients. However,...
This week: Silver-Spotted Skippers Prefer Pink
Hello, First, thanks to everyone who visited the Swissvale Farmer’s Market. It was lovely meeting you and talking plants! Now, to the main event: a...
This week: Sweetgum Trees, My Favorite Nuisance
Hello! Read all the way to the end for a fun announcement if you live in the Pittsburgh area! Now, onto the regularly scheduled newsletter. Sweetgum...
This week: Jerusalem Artichoke, a Super-Spreader
Hello! This week, I discovered I’m growing Helianthus tuberosus, or Jerusalem Artichokes, in the “I’ve been given this seedling” section of my garden. While...
This week: A Round of Coralbells for the Garden
Hello! This week, we’re reaching back into the mailbag to answer a reader question: Why do some Coralbells look lackluster by mid-summer while others are...
This week: Keeping Track of Your Perennials + Digital Freebie
Hello! Do you lose track of what you planted in the garden? I do. So, whenever I bring a new plant home, I pull the tag off and chuck it into a gallon-sized...
This week: Nuts for American Hazelnut
Hello! Blame it on Nutella, but I imagined all edible hazelnuts came from Europe. Little did I know there was a species native to the eastern half of the...
This week: Garden Phlox, a Cottage Garden Star
Hello! Did you know that there is a whole flock of native phlox? Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) and P. divaricata (Woodland Phlox) are spring bloomers, but P....
This week: Container Gardening with Native Plants
Hello! I’m working on a project for a client who wants to grow native plants in a large planter instead of a typical annual display. Her house is directly on...
This week: Spacecraft or Flower?
This week, I noticed that Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) had begun blooming. While unfortunately underused, this native shrub greatly benefits...
This week: A Different Purple Coneflower
Hello! If you thought the only purple coneflower game in town was the classic Echinacea purpurea, think again! Pale Purple Coneflower, or Echinacea pallida,...