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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

A good mixed perennial garden contains a trip around the world – or at least across a continent or two. Today’s tour guides: a native that sounds exactly like where it came from, and an immigrant whose name bears echoes from long ago and far away. Aster novae-angliae “New England Aster” Here’s a case where Latin and common names mean precisely the same thing. This fall-flowering plant was first collected in the original northeastern American Colonies and shipped home to Europe, where th

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

Welcome to 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.Echinacea: This popular native genus is so named because its spiky central seed cone reminded a botanist of the echidna, a.k.a. the spiny anteater. A quirky animal from Down Under, the echidna has spikes like a porcupine and lays eggs like a bird.That critter’s namesake perennial, a.k.a. coneflower, has burst out in in a stagger