What is the meaning of Flava? Flava Flav and his infamous clock. I joke… And also, I am probably giving away my age.  Botanical Latin for Yellow But seriously, now that we have done red (remember red = Coccinea) and blue (blue = Caerulea), we are rounding out the primary colors with yellow. F is for Flava  — Flava is Botanical Latin, meaning yellow. You might also see it with a different suffix – such as flavus, or flavum – but they all refer to the third primary color.  Other words that indicate yellow in the lexicon of botanical Latin include luteus (or lutea) and citrinu ..read more

It is fall in New England, harvest time. Make sure you prepare your Sacred Rosemary Syrup before it freezes! Or otherwise, bring your rosemary plants indoors – they will grow in a sunny window. Well actuall, in my experience, it will grow for a little while then it will get leggy and stressed by spring. But that is why you ought to bring it in in the fall (before it freezes), give it a good haircut and make use of all those amazing oils in the leaves while you can. Then enjoy these classic new england cocktails. The Gatekeeper- a seasonal cocktail by joy flanigan featuring the classic New Engl ..read more

In the world of trees, there’s a modern-day Johnny Appleseed whose mission goes beyond planting apple orchards. His name is David Milarch, a man with a remarkable vision and an even more extraordinary mission. To resurrect the giants of the forest, the ancient trees that have witnessed centuries of history. Through the Archangel Ancient Tree Project, David Milarch and his team are on a quest to propagate and preserve the genetics of these living legends. It is a mission that not only hopes to protect the planet’s biodiversity but also has the power to restore ecosystems and combat climate chan ..read more

Have you noticed that vegetable gardening is hip again? I love this trend that Americans of all ages are experimenting with growing their own food. Whether their vegetables and fruit are being grown to supplement food from the grocery store or if the intent is to eat mostly from the garden, vegetable gardening (and horticulture) is having its day in the sun. Some may argue that this is not true ornamental gardening, while I will counter, “Hello! This is what we have been waiting for!” Grow your own is climbing in popularity as the next generation of gardeners wants to see where their food come ..read more

The Disruptor series started in the print pages of P+V.  The first interview was with David Milarch, who is saving and restoring old-growth forests and champion trees through cloning.  Meeting and talking to people who I admire and who inspire the kind of work I value serves many purposes. It helps me to continue to thrive. I need to hear their stories, see their struggles, and learn about how they did ‘it’ – whatever’ it’ is. I also hope it helps to cheer them on, and I hope it inspires you. Fellow garden writer Debra Prinzing has started a movement and a nationwide conversation aro ..read more

Over the past couple of weeks, the garden staff of Coastal Maine Botanical Garden has been getting together to walk around and critique each other’s garden spaces. This has been a great exercise for the gardeners and horticulturalists to look back over the year and see what worked and what needs to be improved. It has been wonderful for me as I am still learning the gardens, the plants, and how each person gardens in their area. A cute dog poses with a pretty yellow Bartzella Peony by F. D. Richards We can have some rather lengthy discussions on what should be done next. If you are a gardener ..read more

Rosemary holiday wreaths – strung together in a garland Charming, simple, and smelling perfectly delicious – I thought you might love this idea as much as I do. It couldn’t get any more simple – and the materials needed for these Rosemary holiday wreaths are available at the grocery store. The DIY tutorial for this mini rosemary wreath garland includes using a whole bunch of little embroidery hoops. I have no intention of buying them and doing that – I think it will work just as well with some stiff wire that I happen to have at hand. If that doesn’t work, I’ll trim the grape vine off the per ..read more

Rhus typhina, commonly known as Staghorn Sumac, is a genus of plants known for their striking foliage and resilience. Within this diverse genus, one newer gem that truly stands out is Rhus Typhina ‘Tiger Eyes’. Renowned for its exceptional qualities, this cultivar features vivid golden foliage that seems to glow throughout the seasons. Staghorn Sumac tree, in general, is celebrated for its remarkable ability to thrive in various conditions and its capacity to add drama to the landscape. ‘Tiger Eyes,’ in particular, takes this natural charm to another level with its eye-catching leaves, making ..read more

I’ve never forgotten my first Kirengeshoma palmata or Yellow Wax bells sighting in an actual garden. It was back when I was a garden design student making regular trips to Kew Gardens near London to learn about garden plants.  That day, I rounded a corner in a shady woodland garden area and was utterly confronted with the most luscious plant I’d ever seen.  At first, it seemed like it must be a shrub given its size (3-4 feet tall) and shape (upright stems create an upright mound with palmate maple-like leaves that defi ..read more

Hopefully, the title of this post has piqued your interest. What exactly do these three things have to do with one another, you ask? Today, we started planting 23,000 bulbs at Coastal Maine for a wonderful spring display.  This is the biggest number of bulbs that we have ever planted in the fall. At the end of today, we estimated that we had planted close to 9,000 bulbs. Have you ever planted bulbs for more than 4 hours? After several hours, your knees, back, shoulders, and wrists start to hurt. I have decided that after the age of 40, Aleve should be a free medication. That or red w ..read more