The headless cabbage Story and Photos by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey What do ancient Greeks, Romans, Scots, and Southerners have in common? The answer is a love for a “mess” of tender, succulent collard greens. What exactly are collards? They are leafy non- heading cabbage family members referred to as Brassica oleracea var. acephala, the last term …
Story and Photos by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey In 1978, Charlotte Fanz found the perfect property to call home. It was a 4-acre tract with a cottage and a pasture and plenty of room for native plants, which are Charlotte’s favorites. It reminded her of the cattle ranch she grew up on. She brought her family to …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon There are several species of Callistemon that will grow in Louisiana, but in my opinion the eye-catching lemon bottlebrush is the most tolerant of temperature extremes and poor soil. The large, red, bottlebrush-shaped flowers attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and nectar-feeding songbirds such as orioles and prothonotary warblers. Bottlebrush …
Do you get overly attached to your plants? Story by Dan Gill I’ve attended several funerals in recent years. I guess as you get older that sort of thing is inevitable. Dealing with the death of a friend or loved one is never easy. The rituals and traditions that have been developed over time are …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon “A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in – what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.” – Victor Hugo The woodland garden of Charles and Virginia Yarbrough in Baton Rouge is a garden after my own heart. …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon If you enjoy large, showy, saucer-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and pollinators, then you will love native rosemallow. This cold-hardy, heat-tolerant hibiscus grows well in wet places or in moist full-sun to part-shade beds and perennial borders, in formal or naturalized settings. Several outstanding cultivars and hybrids have …
Spicy herb or an herbal spice? Story and Photos by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) starts life as a green rosette of fragrant, tasty leaves and with the arrival of warm weather, sends up slender, two-foot-tall stems with tiny white flowers that produce tasty seeds that we know as the spice called coriander. Cilantro is …
Sometimes a plant’s failure is obvious … sometimes not so much By Dan Gill I love lazy June days when it’s too hot to work in the garden. The temperatures are not quite as torrid as they will be later on. And that certain desperation that comes as scorching day follows scorching day has not …
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Supertunia Vista Bubblegum and the others in the Vista series are wonder-plants for hot, humid Louisiana gardens. They are said to be the best petunia for landscapes. Vistas exhibit vigorous growth, are heat tolerant, disease resistant, and don’t require deadheading for continuous blooms from spring through fall. These …
A nostalgic take on Louisiana gardens Story and Photos by Jennifer Williams Creating a garden with a nostalgic look is a very personal project. The task of recreating a memory can be daunting but beautiful, as the process takes you back to the plants of your favorite memories. A tiny pink rose, tucked into the …
