By Ralph E. Mitchell Of all of the holiday plants available, amaryllis bulbs often appear first and are now for sale in many local garden centers – in fact, I just bought one! With flowers up to twelve… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell While there are many “tried and true” flowering shrubs for our area, there is one that stands out as an almost “foolproof” selection. The shrub/small tree known as Jatropha integerrima, or just plain Jatropha… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell When I was a child, I remember buying a tiny three-inch tall plant selected from a tray of succulents at a five-and-dime store – circa 1970. I was thrilled with this new and exotic… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell A plant called Mecardonia or Baby Jump Up is in my sights this week. My wife and I spotted this plant a few weeks ago at a local family-run nursery. I purchased a specimen… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Before you start pruning any palms, please read ahead and consider the research-based, unbiased information offered. While there is really no mystery involved in properly pruning palms, I am still seeing these majestic plants… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Pickerelweed is a perennial aquatic plant that is common in our area waters. Beautiful purple-blue flower spikes rise above the dark-green lance-like, heart-shaped foliage. If you do not have a pond – no problem! … Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Have you read about the reed orchid? This orchid may be more common than you think. A very affordable type of ground or terrestrial orchid, this little beauty is sometimes seen at garden centers, … Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell When is a plant a weed? A plant is a weed when we feel it is out of place. In some instances, a plant can be a weed as well as a colorful ornamental,… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell I seldom see a Sabal palm in our area that is not over-pruned. You have to give a pass to newly planted Sabals which look like lifeless sticks – this is the normal and… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell You would think from their image that pineapples originated in Hawaii. The pineapple, which is a type of bromeliad like Spanish moss, actually originated in the tropical Americas and the Caribbean. Explorers moved the… Read More
