AAS (All-America Selections) is a non-profit organization that tests new cultivars for home gardeners. Their motto is “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally®”. They have trial gardens all over the country and Canada in every growing zone. Seeds are grown in the trial gardens and then judged for features such as harvest, flowers and disease resistance. Each year the best new … Read More

Last week, I was researching one of my favorite cottage garden flowers, the bachelor’s button or cornflower, for an article on Hub Pages. I found many references to it as an herb. I’ve never heard of it used as an herb. That got me thinking: what is an herb? According to Wikipedia, an herb is “…any plant(s) used for flavoring, … Read More

I was so excited last fall to finally be able to purchase a bay laurel. So excited, in fact, that I didn’t examine the plant closely. I took a closer look when I got it home and realized that something wasn’t right. The label clearly said Laurus nobilis, but the leaves looked too round. Bay laurel leaves should be long … Read More

I grow Echinacea, do you? When I thought about it, I realized that I grew it for a few reasons and not just because I like the flower. In fact, I thought of seven reasons why everyone should grow Echinacea. Click over to my article on Hub pages, 7 Reasons to Grow Echinacea, and see if you are inspired to … Read More