How to Identify and Control Tent Caterpillars

If you look up during the winter, when all the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, you might spot something still growing up there, tucked in the bare branches.It might be mistletoe, that beautiful parasite that we smooc

I remember the first time I had a bit of real wasabi. Unlike the neon green stuff I was so familiar with, it had an herbal complexity that I was totally unprepared for. It was, as they say, a revelation.If you’ve never tasted real wasabi before,

The cattleya orchid is known for being a bit of a show-off. If your interior design scheme is sleek, spare, and modern, these might not be your cup of tea.But if you can imagine yourself spinning down the mi

When I told my husband I was planting purslane in the garden, I suspect he thought I’d lost my mind.No doubt he was thinking back to the years whe

Finding flowers in your food isn’t as surprising as it used to be. Marigolds and pansies are a pretty common sight in salads, and candied rose petals and violets decorate all kinds of desserts.But I have yet to order a dish at a restaurant and find fuchsia flowers –

Blueberries are popular with home gardeners because, let’s face it, they’re delicious. But while the berries get most of the attention, the bushes are beautiful plants in their own right.Blueberry plants bloom during mid- to late spring – t

Listen, I adore roses, but even I can admit that categorizing these plants has gotten a little bit, shall we say, confusing.I mean, a “shrub” is a group classification, but al

After battling finicky allium, ramp, and delphinium seeds this year, I was thrilled when it was time to turn my eye to planting borage.Borage is one of those plants th

If you’ve ever checked out the roses at your local nursery, I’m sure you’ve noticed that some appear to grow small and have petite blossoms, while others are big and bushy, with blossoms that look like they must have a thousand petals. Maybe you’ve heard of wild or tea roses, but you’re wondering w

Believe it or not, there’s a right way and a wrong way to buy a rose to plant in the garden.I know. It seems like you just go to the store, ch

Mention rose rosette disease or that your prize specimen has an unusual witches’-broom growing on it to another rose lover, and you’ll likely see a look of horror.Just the mere mention of this disease or its common symptoms i

Some plants are often regarded as short-lived wonders in North American gardens, sticking around for a good time but not a long one. And chrysanthemums are one of those plants.We buy them by the bushelful i