One of the most common, durable, rugged, native trees, often used in parking lot islands and along sidewalks is common Honeylocust, Gleditsia triacanthos. A long lived, deciduous tree, Honeylocust is a leguminous plant (Fabaceae family), and capable of growing 100 feet. Gleditsia triacanthos has pinnately...
Mistletoe is the common English name of many species of parasitic/hemiparasitic plants. Pests to many ornamental trees, most mistletoe parasitize their hosts and can cause abnormal growths called “witches’ brooms.” Growths that can deform branches and decrease reproductive abilities. Capable of producing their own food,...
Over 30 years in the horticultural industry and still a pet peeve of mine is the misuse of plant material. Professionals and retail customers alike, driven by inexpensive, larger plants rather than the “right plant for the right space.” Often when I speak to customers...
Last December I received a most curious and exciting gift from the executive editor and publisher of this newspaper. A book titled, The Gardener’s Botanical, An Encyclopedia of Latin Plant Names, this horticultural gem has more than 5,000 entries and 350 botanical illustrations....
Every year, for the holidays, I come up with a custom made Ginkgo-themed gift and share it with friends and colleagues in the industry. A gift that has so much meaning, passion and thought behind it, I often say, “it’s only the worthy.”...
All too often I see people using trees that are too big for their allotted space. I have always suspected that their decision was predicated on one of two things. Either they were swayed by the fact that they could buy a larger tree that...
One of the first trips I took to Oregon, some thirty years ago, to acquire nursery stock for our garden center; I found myself smitten with a certain tree. Determined to see and know everything I could, as if that’s possible in one outing, I...
Most of us have heard the story of Socrates and his untimely death at age 70. Standing before a jury and fellow Athenians, Socrates was sentenced to death in 339 BC. His anti-democratic views and impious acts lead to a guilty decision, a vote of...
Recently I returned from the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the nation’s largest trade shows for the Independent Garden Center. More than 11,000 registered attendees came from 48 states and 16 countries to visit 956 exhibiting companies all there to...
Over the past couple of years, there has been an influx of pathogens and insects setting their sights on destroying your garden spaces. Starting with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, there has been Impatiens Downy Mildew, Basil Downy Mildew, Sudden Oak Death (SOD), Emerald Ash Borer,...