We traveled to Tuscon, Arizona for some late-winter (March) hiking and exploring in the Sonoran Desert hills and canyons. We encountered many wildflowers and flowering shrubs beside the trails (featured on A Wildflower Journal), but we also visited a number … Continue reading →
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a cool-weather perennial herb that emerges in spring, provides a mild onion-flavoring for meals, and deters pests in the vegetable garden. They can easily be grown from seed or from dividing the root mass. They do … Continue reading →
We stayed in Tuscon to hike trails in late winter. We saw many flowering plants along the trails at lower elevations in the Sonoran Desert canyons and foothills. We also visited some botanical gardens in the area and the … Continue reading →
Decades ago we planted creeping thyme (Thymus spp.) in the garden. Over the years it has multiplied and we have taken a number of rooting sections each year and have planted them in various spots in the yard, particularly … Continue reading →
We stayed in the Tucson area at the end of winter and hiked trails every day, but we also visited some gardens in the area, with a focus on flowering plants of the Sonoran Desert and others suitable for home … Continue reading →
Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) is an evergreen shrub native to our area. It is not often seen in home gardens, but it is a good candidate for natural spots on slopes. We have a number of hard-to-get-to sloped areas … Continue reading →
We stayed on Mayne Island in early fall to hike, paddle, and explore. On one of these days, we raveled across the island to Dinner Bay and visited the Mayne Island Japanese Gardens. The gardens were built to commemorate … Continue reading →
In spring we plant cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) seeds in a row in the “greens” garden early. If it is the same spot as last year, there are often some volunteers nearby from seed dispersed late summer. I try to choose … Continue reading →
When we travel, we try to visit botanical gardens and take the time to observe, enjoy, and photograph flowering plants. Whenever we visit the west side of Vancouver, we walk the trails in the UBC Botanical Gardens. It is the … Continue reading →
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is an annual herb in the Asteracaea family. It readily grows from seed and usually reseeds in abundance. These low-growing plants can be attractive in masses when flowering but look more weedy later in the season. … Continue reading →
