Noel Kingsbury in his splendid encyclopedia [I call it that!] of plants Garden Flora has several pages devoted to the Iris. He says, "Iris growing is largely a connoisseur's hobby, although in the appropriate climate, a group that requires much…
In mid March of 2020 I was at the Boston Flower and Garden Show. I had volunteered for the New England Hosta Society exhibit. I had to answer quretions of visitors who showed interest in the wonderful plant we all…
What I like about gladioli is that they are tall and showy. Brent Elliott writes about them in his book Flora: An Illustrated History of the Garden Flower. He says, "The first South African gladioli were introduced into England by…
We have the need to bring order to everything. We are sense-making creatures. When we confront the plant world, things are no different. That is why for centuries certain people have struggled with their desire to find an order among…
[Above] Tulips in all their glory appeared in James Vick's October 1879 issue of his magazine Vick's Illustrated Monthly. ________________________________________________________________________ It seems hard to think of plants as a commodity. But that is what they have been for centuries. During…