A Holiday Plant for Many Seasons to Come
Each December I enjoy highlighting those plants appropriate for the Holiday season that are less frequently considered as season appropriate! Obviously, the Poinsettia is the plant of preference for adorning many homes during this season. I love the colorful display that Poinsettias provide, but I always reflect on a comment a client retorted when I gifted her a plant – “Oh no, I really do not want another Poinsettia I am going to kill.” The more I thought about her comment, the more I realized it was true. Wouldn’t it be nice to receive a plant that would live not for one season, but for many to come?

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Bruce Crawford

Itea – A Plant in Need of Rediscovery
It is rare for a low maintenance shrub, capable of providing the garden with close to four seasons of interest to be an uncommon plant in the home landscape. Oddly, this is the fate of Virginia Sweetspire and it was not until the late 1980’s that this plant began to gain limited recognition. Indeed, our native Sweetspire, botanically named Itea virginica, seemingly appears to be a ‘late bloomer’ to the gardening world, yet it was a well admired plant in the 1700’s. It appears to have become lost in the wave of new introductions and is a plant in need of rediscovery!

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Bruce Crawford

Cyclamens – Dancing in the Woodland Garden
It is amazing how some plants become pigeonholed into specific categories and on occasion it is difficult for even experienced gardeners to break free of this mindset. Cyclamen is a plant that is most befitting of this conundrum. Most people think of Cyclamen as a somewhat finicky winter blooming houseplant that all too often is overwatered during the summer and perishes. Discouraged, we fail to take notice of the various hardy selections that can provide low maintenance additions to the woodland garden with blossoms during nearly every season!

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Bruce Crawford

The Mighty Onion – A Gardeners Friend in Fall
Onions are a plant most people consider as a flavorful addition to meals, while the more ardent gardeners recognize their potential for colorful spring bulb displays. The selections many gardeners have yet to discover are the species and crosses available for late summer and autumn bloom. Indeed, the mighty Onion, botanically known as Allium has much to offer the autumn garden!

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Bruce Crawford

Coreopsis – The Preferred Name for a Preferred Plant
As we learn plants, the common name is invariably the name we prefer, since it is in a language that makes sense and is easy to recall. Typically, the biggest challenge with common names is the lack of consistency, as they can vary by location and some plants simply have several names.

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Bruce Crawford