In the 1970's my mother-in-law, Misa Fornari, lived on Long Island. A friend of hers was a rep for various artists and crafts people, and at some point she gave Misa a very small painting of a zucchini. It was a sample she had shown...
Name: Cosmos sulphureus 'Bright Lights' aka sulphur cosmos. Type of Plant: Summer-flowering annual for full sun. Why I Love/Hate this plant It’s no secret that I love a good splash of orange in the summer garden, especially when it’s combined with blue, pink and purple. And I also...
One of the gifts that the pandemic brought to my house is the return to making our own sushi rolls. In the early months of not shopping much I found nori wrappers, pickled ginger and a tube of wasabi in our pantry, and knew we...
Sometime ago I put up the graphic posted below, about how I came to be a garden communicator. Although I've always loved plants and gardens, it wasn't my intention of being a professional in that area until we moved to Cape Cod in 1993. It...
In this area the garlic is commonly pulled from the garden in early July. We bundle ours up and hang it in our shed for two to three weeks to cure, keeping the shed doors and windows open to allow good air circulation. After the heads...
Name: Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ragra' aka Cityline® Rio Type of Plant: This mophead hydrangea is a shorter-growing plant that stays under 3 feet tall and grows about 3 feet wide. Why I Love/Hate this plant How do I love this hydrangea? Let me count the ways. I love that it...
Name: Soiree Kawaii Catharanthus Type of Plant: Catharanthus is more commonly known as flowering vinca, although this is confusing since there are other perennial groundcovers and common window box greenery known by the same name. Could we all just agree to call the annual Catharanthus and...
Name: Rosa 'ZLEMarianne Yoshida' aka Oso Easy Petit Pink landscape rose. Type of Plant: A shrub rose that stays under 4 feet and is repeat flowering and disease resistant. This rose has bubblegum pink flowers that are small but numerous. Why I Love/Hate this plant This spring was...
After some uncertainty this spring, it's with great pleasure that I tell you that the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival is opening on Friday, July 10th. In a normal year, we'd start with a kick-off party at Cape Cod Beer. You'd hear about all the businesses...
Name: Eryngium x zabelii ‘Big Blue’ aka big blue sea holly Type of Plant: A striking perennial for full sun and well-drained soil. Hardy in Zones 5 to 9. Why I Love/Hate this plant Big blue sea holly is an upright variety of a perennial plant with...
