What do you get when you cross Fatsia with Hedera? Fatshedera of course! This resulting hybrid of two genera has been named a ‘botanical wonder’ after it’s entry into the world in 1910 at a nursery in France. It is wondrous with 6-8″ wide glossy, gleaming evergreen leaves. The leaves are what first caught my attention; shiny with a camouflage of greens. Fatshedera can … Continue reading xFatshedera lizei Tree or Aralia Ivy
This diminutive delight was growing in the woods last spring. What is it? For native plant enthusiasts, name all the plants/leaves that also appear in this photo. Genus species, of course! Continue reading What am I?
This new Japanese Forest Grass might cause a ‘snowstorm’ sensation in your garden. ‘Fubuki’ means snowstorm in Japanese. The leaves contrast white and green, with pink appearing in the fall. Propagated at Briggs Nursery, this clumping grass is more compact than ‘Aureola’ from which it is a sport. Hakonechloa is a slow growing deciduous grass with graceful arching leaves. Native to Japan it grows on … Continue reading New Plant! Hakonechloa macra ‘Fubuki’
Now. Now on a Saturday. Now in January. Now in the winter of the year two thousand and eleven. What catches your eye now? Not that beautiful stranger or that creamy chocolate cupcake, botanical interests only please. With your outside eye, which plants fascinate and enrich during this time of dark-cold? The birch is one. With the absence of leafy green, the bark is ‘appealing’ … Continue reading Betula jacquemontii Whitebarked Himalayan Birch Tree
I’ve enjoyed this great magazine for a long time. It’s always loaded with advice on growing vegetables and plants and has helped me become a better gardener. What is organic gardening? Not using synthetic products for pesticides and fertilizers. Focusing on soil building and natural pest control. It’s all about compost and ladybugs! Here is Organic Gardening’s top ten list from the 2010 test gardens, … Continue reading Best of the Test Garden, from Organic Gardening Magazine
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