All iris have a particular flower shape. While a daisy has all the petals the same shape radiating from the center like a pinwheel, an iris flower has a distinct top and bottom. The flower petals that stand up like flags are called the standards (an old word for flag,…
Honeysuckles are a large group of species and there are quite a few different kinds in Delaware County, as well as throughout Europe and Asia. The 180 species of honeysuckle form the genus Lonicera. Over half the species are from China; there are only 20 species native to North America. Most…
All azaleas are rhododendrons, but not all rhodies are azaleas. And not all small leaved rhodies are azaleas either. Rhododendron is a huge genus (group of species) that has over a thousand species in the wild, and there are also thousands of varieties developed by horticulturalists. Many of these species are tropical…
Spring is here and gardeners all over Delaware County are very busy. Here at Root to Shoot we’ve been enjoying the beautiful weather as we work, and I’ve been waiting for a rainy day to do a blog post. The weather has not cooperated until now, and with so many…
This is a picture of Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose. Here in Delaware County, it might better be called the Easter Rose. It blooms later here because we have more severe winters. The Hellebore is in the Ranunculus family, or Ranunculaceae (botanists use the suffix –aceae to express a family relationship)…
The first flower of spring, the Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis (pictured left), is a welcome sight at this time of year. But it is more than just a pretty plant with great timing! It also has a history of medicinal use, and someone you know might be benefiting from it right now… In…
Last week, I began forcing some twigs. In the few days since my last post, they have continued to develop. The cherry twigs have young leaves (pictured below, first) and their flower buds are starting to lengthen (pictured above and below, middle). The hawthorn twigs (pictured below, last) are swelling and developing color. I will continue to…
Last week, I was suffering from a bad case of the winter blahs, so I decided to force the issue and bring a little bit of early spring into my house. I walked into my garden and snipped twigs from all sorts of trees and shrubs; I stuck them in…
In last week’s post I discussed plant defenses against Delaware County winters such as wilting. Plant cells are little chemical factories and produce many complex substances, some of which are used here in Delaware County by plants for protection from winter conditions. In addition to plant anti-freeze, which I discussed in a…
With last week’s January thaw, I have come out of my winter dormancy. I’ve been walking about my garden, thinking about how our garden plants survive Delaware County winters. Actively growing plant tissues, such as leaves, need water to carry on their metabolic business. In the winter, plants are subject…
