Everyone should have a ribbon bush
Everyone should have a ribbon bush. The ribbon bush (Hypoestes aristata) grows into a 3-foot sphere that is completely covered with mauve flowers during the months of October and November. It ...
October is the Time to Plant
We are in the golden days of the fall planting season. Now is the time to plant groundcover and every other flowering perennial, shrub, tree and bulb. For the next six weeks, root growth proce...
Orange you glad autumn is here?
Note: Ken Roberts took accompanying photo of cape honeysuckle with hummingbird The heat of this past summer may have finally given way to cooler autumn days, yet two plants continue to make a determ...
Texas Ranger Thrives on Being Ignored
Texas Rangers belong to that category of plants that thrive on being ignored. The reason you do not see more Texas Ranger plants, despite their spectacular autumn bloom, is because of improper...
My Favorite Ground Covers
“All the ground covers I plant either die after a year or two or become so invasive, like ivy, that I can never get rid of them. What are your favorite ground covers?” Patricia Hagopian, Arleta The ...
Garden Paradigm for the 21st Century
When you replace a lawn with water-thrifty plants, you save money by significantly reducing water use, by eliminating application of lawn fertilizer and weed control products, by eliminating the need...
Each of us is given what he needs . . .
From an upper story bedroom window, Michael Kappel looks down on his garden. It is a soothing sight for someone who lives in constant and excruciating pain, the result of a spinal cord injury sustai...
Botanical gardens filled with surprising gifts
I visit botanical gardens because the surprises I find there are agreeable to me. As you grow older, you become increasingly dependent on what is familiar and would rather not be surprised, if you ...
Gold Discovered in Lantana
The heat of this past summer may have finally given way to cooler autumn days, yet two plants continue to make a determined display of blazing orange flowers, reminiscent of the sun. In fact, ...
What to Plant Near a Pond
Q: We have a small backyard with a small pond in one corner. When we had the yard landscaped, we ended up with two Melaleucas near the pond. Bottom line, the roots from the Melaleucas have taken over...
