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WHERE IN THE WORLD DID WE GET THIS PLANT?Geography Lessons in the Garden, Part 3A good mixed perennial garden can be a trip around the world or, in this case, across a continent or two. Today we’ll meet a couple of immigrants from the Old Country.Campanula carpaticaOur favorite “bellflower” hails from the Carpathian mountains, which arc through seven nations in central and eastern Europe. The Carpathians are also home to brown bears, wolves and lynxes. We’re not suggesting you invite those speci

WHERE IN THE WORLD DID WE GET THIS PLANT?Geography Lessons in the Garden, Part 2A good mixed perennial garden can be a trip around the world or, in this case, around a continent. Today we’ll meet a couple of denizens of eastern North America.Andropogon virginicus “Broom sedge”If a specific epithet sounds like the name of a state or a country, it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s native there. This one means “from Virginia,” where it was first collected. But “broom sedge” is native to much of eastern

WHERE IN THE WORLD DID WE GET THIS PLANT?Geography Lessons in the Garden, Part 1A good mixed perennial border is like a trip around the globe. Let’s start up north and work our way south, as wise migratory birds and human snowbirds do before winter sets in. This particular migration takes us from the world’s largest island to the USA.Polemonium boreale ‘Heavenly Habit’The specific epithet is the ticket. “Boreal” is Latin for north, as in the Aurora borealis, a.k.a. the northern lights, a common

Don’t look now, but critters have taken root in your garden. Relax, they’re friendly – and they’re animals in name only.  Let’s meet one... heck, make it two – in a single species!Ordinarily, pigs and rabbits are two of the absolute worst visitors one could imagine in the garden. The rabbits will polish off everything above ground, while the pigs will root, root, root for what’s left.We think you’ll be glad you made an exception for two of our favorite floral fauna. Miniature Fountain Gras

Flights of Fancy in the Backyard Zoo! Don’t look now, but critters have taken root in your garden. Relax, they’re friendly – and they’re animals in name only. Let’s meet one... heck, make it two – in one plant!Aquilegia: Bird of prey, or bird of peace? The genus name comes from the Latin for eagle (aquila), because the long petal spurs reminded Linnaeus of an eagle’s talons. But the common name, columbine, is from the Latin for dove (columba), because someone else thought the flower resembl