After spending 28 years as a teacher and librarian, Gwen Bruno is now a full-time freelance writer residing in suburban Chicago. As a preschooler, she lovingly tended a small patch of weeds in her backyard. Luckily, her parents supported her budding horticultural endeavors, and she's been gardening ever since.
Want to add some green to a room, but afraid you have a brown thumb? Read More
One of the most important autumn tasks of the colonial American housewife was candle dipping. Probably few candles were as pleasant to work with as those made from bayberry wax. Read More
Sweet woodruff, or Galium odoratum (formerly classified as Asperula odorata), is a low-maintenance perennial long cultivated in shady gardens. The "sweet" part of this delicate-looking beauty's name refers to the refreshing hay-like scent of its leaves and flowers. Read More
The cornucopia, a horn brimming over with fruits of the harvest, is a symbol of abundance indelibly linked, at least in American minds, with Thanksgiving. It is far more ancient than the Pilgrims, however, and dates back to the 5th century B.C. Read More
I'm a deadheader. Are you? No, not a hardcore fan of a certain rock band, but rather a person who simply can't resist tidying plants. Read More
As its regal name suggests, the giant Solomon's seal is one of the most handsome and imposing of all shade perennials. Read More
A glint of green, a flash of red. The ruby-throated hummingbird is a perpetual motion machine, gathering nectar from morning 'til night. The "humming" sound this bird makes comes not from its throat but from the vibration of its wings. Read More
Reliable, adaptable and superbly hardy, pachysandra qualifies as one of the best shade perennials ever. Properly cared for in a site to its liking, pachysandra transforms into a living tapestry that remains green or semi-evergreen all year long. Read More
If you have a backyard feeding station, you undoubtedly receive visits from the mourning dove, the most abundant of our native doves. Unlike its extinct cousin, the passenger pigeon, the mourning dove is a highly successful species. It's also the most frequently hunted bird in North America. Read More
Lilies are the most versatile of bulbs. You can choose from a variety of sizes and blooming times, and a rainbow of colors. Read More
The American robin is one of the most common, and commonly recognized, songbirds. Residents in northern parts of the country cherish the springtime return of these busy birds as a herald of longer days and warmer weather. Read More
Just as every state in the U.S.A. claims a state flower, each of Canada's ten provinces and three territories have adopted an official "floral emblem." Read More
Few song birds command attention quite like the blue jay. With its handsome blue-gray feathers and striking markings, this fearless, noisy marauder catches both the eye and the ear. Read More
That the northern mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas attests to its popularity. Read More
If your knowledge of carnivorous plants derives entirely from the satirical comedy "Little Shop of Horrors," in which a blood-thirsty plant threatens to take over the world, you might think species like the Venus flytrap are dangerous. Read More
Is your shade garden begging for some light? If so, consider brightening it with Hakonechloa macra, or Japanese forest grass. Unlike most other ornamental grasses, this variety not only tolerates, but actually thrives in shade. Read More
Around the turn of the 20th century, the majority of Chicago's Christmas trees arrived not overland but by water. Read More
Romantic and elegant, ivy is one of America's most popular houseplants. Growers can choose from hundreds of cultivars offering a wide variety of leaf shapes, sizes and colors. Read More
British horticulturist Ellen Willmott knew she was a gardener from an early age. "I had a passion for sowing seeds and was very proud when I found out the difference between beads and seeds and gave up sowing the former." She would eventually create one of the most celebrated gardens in England. Read More
Try supplementing a modest arrangement from your own yard with a few dollars? worth of flowers from the grocery store or florist. The resulting bouquet is practically guaranteed to elicit admiration and the question, ?Are those from your garden?? How you answer the question is up to you! Read More
