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Mystified by Latin plant names? We hear you, and we’re here to help. Once deciphered, those tongue-twisters can actually tell us a lot. For example:Lavandula angustifoliaThis classic species charms both the optical and olfactory senses. Even before the eye spies it, the nose knows lavender lurks nearby. While it comprises familiar favorites like ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’, it’s also home to some exciting newcomers. But first, what can its name tell us? Simple: angustifolia is Latin for “narrow lea

We know. It’s hard to conjure April showers and May flowers while December frost and January sleet lurk just below the nearer horizon. But dates on the calendar are like objects in the side-view mirror: Closer than they look. Spring sales are really not so far away. Now’s the time to do the kitchen prep for two early risers that will be key ingredients in your future inventory. Phlox subulata “Moss phlox” One of spring’s earliest harbingers, tough, colorful and cheerful. If it wer

Many a gardener treasures their earthly creation as a little piece of heaven, and we wouldn’t dream of arguing with them. Why not take things a step farther and offer them some of our favorite “heavenly” cultivars?Dianthus “Pinks”This Greek-derived genus name literally means “Divine flower” or “Flower of Zeus.” It’s a mashup of “Di,” deity, and “anthos,” flower.We don’t know exactly what heavenly members of the carnation clan the ancient Greeks were admiring, but we’re pretty confident it wasn’t

How sweet the sight! This lovely bicolor's namesake hymn, widely associated with the Civil War, was actually written before the Revolution by an English slave-trader turned abolitionist and minister. Among the world’s most recognized tunes, it’s sung an estimated 10,000,000 times a year!Phlox subulata ‘Amazing Grace’ “Moss phlox”How sweet the sight! This lovely bicolor’s namesake hymn, widely associated with the Civil War, was actually written before the Revolution by an English slave-tra

Many gardeners believe their earthly creation is a little piece of heaven, and we wouldn’t dream of arguing with them. Why not take things a step farther and offer them some of our favorite “heavenly” cultivars? Nepeta Neptune (‘Bokratune’ PP29556) “Catmint” Aside from phonics, the Roman god of the sea isn’t exactly a natural fit for a plant famous for attracting cats, who are famously averse to getting wet. But when you see the sky blue flowers floating above a sea of blue-green foli