YARROW… lovely, wispy and fern-like, the Yarrow has quite an interesting origin. Achillea is the Yarrow’s botanical name, coming from one legend that when Greek hero Achilles was born, his mother held him by his heel and dipped him in Yarrow-infused water to protect him from harm.  The Yarrow was believed to be a sacred herb that kept evil and [...]

The PETUNIA… the lovely, colorful trumpet-shaped Petunia has a rather interesting origin, being botanically related to the family Solanaceae of tobacco, tomato and potato fame.  Solanaceae derives from the Latin solari, meaning to soothe, so it is not surprising that the most lovely symbol of the Petunia is its soothing-ness. (On the contrary side, the Petunia has also gained the rather [...]

The Rhododendron… with its profusion of large, glorious flowers, the Rhododendron has found its way into cultivated landscapes as bushes, thickets and trees, but it also grows in the wild. Rhododendron derives from the Greek rhodon and dendron, meaning rose tree.  An obsolete form of the word Rhododendron is Rhododaphne… which certainly sounds lovely, too. Rhododendrons are often used as [...]

The WISTERIA, also spelled Wistaria… named for American anatomist Caspar Wistar (1761 -1818). Wisteria is a luxuriant climber, known for its playfulness and adventure.  And oh, how Wisteria climbs!  The vine of the Wisteria engages itself in playful attachment to just about anything it finds… trellises, fences, buildings, columns and poles. The sturdy Wisteria vine travels steadily, wrapping itself both [...]

The PHLOX… Greek for flame, the Phlox, with its flaming clusters of flowers, give great character and color to gardens. Phlox colors are vivid violets, blues, pinks, yellows and whites.  Some Phlox grow upright, but many are used as lush ground cover or ornamental blooms in rock gardens.  The Phlox is a food source for animals such as rabbits and [...]

The BUTTERCUP… its butter-yellow cup-shaped flower beckons kids of all ages as it brightens both meadows and marshes and even ball fields!  The Buttercup blooms in April and May, and in some places throughout the entire summer. The name Buttercup is most likely a version of the older names Butterflowers, Gold-cups, Gold-knops and Kings-cups.  Butterflower derives from the German Butterblume. [...]

The AZALEA… the hardy plant with gloriously colorful and profuse blossoms, its name derived from the Greek azaleos, meaning dry.  The Azalea both flourishes in dry soil and is known for its dry, brittle wood. Makes sense! The Azalea is a member of the Rhododendron family and is used as an ornamental shrub in gardens and hedges. Blooming in Spring, [...]

The LILY OF THE VALLEY… the most delicate white bell-shaped flowers swathed within the warmth and safety of bountiful green leaves, the Lily of the Valley is known for Return of Happiness.  Legend tells us that the Lily of the Valley lures the nightingale from its nest in search of a mate when the flower blooms in May… and in [...]

The VIOLET… the sweet-smelling purplish-blue, mauve, pale yellow or white bloom that heralds the approach of summer.  The Violet is known for its wonderful modesty and watchfulness as it shyly nestles in long grass or rests along a rocky nest. The Violet both grows wild and is cultivated as an ornamental garden flower, particularly suited as a border flower.  Legend [...]

The *FOXGLOVE… a whimsical, colorful, long stalk of bell-shaped flowers whose name derives from the Old English foxes glofa, meaning foxes gloves.  The glove of bells may be pink, purple, yellow or white. The fox reference is not clear, but glove refers to the shape and position of the flowers of the Foxglove plant.  It’s easy to stick fingers into [...]