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How to Find Great Plants, Issue #3

Here is issue #3 of How to Find Great Plants (apologies for the one-day delay, my weekend was spent moving boxes and furniture). I finally managed to choose 8 of the 36 entries to feature this month… so difficult! Be sure to read them all or you’ll miss some delightful plants!

Photo Caption: "Pumpkin on a Stick" isn't a true pumpkin (Credit: Little Green Bees)

FOOD: Little Green Bees: Pumpkin on a Stick

Don’t you love it when we name a plant after another plant? It’s not at all confusing, right?! Becca’s humorous post at Little Green Bees details an eggplant that few of us are familiar with. In addition to being a fun fall decoration, it’s good in Asian recipes like this one.

Sources:

Photo Caption: Callirhoe involucrata (Credit: Allan Becker)

ORNAMENTAL: allanbecker.gardenguru: Callirhoe involucrata

Wine cups, or callirhoe, is a plant I fell in love with in the Plant Delights Nursery display gardens. Allan’s post at allanbecker.gardenguru says to plant it in the foreground so it receives well-deserved attention. I also want to mention the very similar looking rock purslane (Calandrinia spectabilis) that Bed of Spices submitted. Use them to echo each other in the landscape (it’s like they were separated at birth)!

Sources:

Photo Caption: Peanuts are a legume (Credit: Mud Pie)

FOOD: Mud Pie: Peanuts

I love Ali at Mud Pie’s imagery of an elephant ransacking a peanut tree. As she points out, the peanuts you eat actually grow underground just like the Irish potatoes featured at Out from Under My Hat or the sweet potatoes at Information Central Gardening. Choose some historically significant heirloom peanuts sold at the sources listed below!

Sources:

Photo Caption: Texas Betony - Stachys coccinea (Credit: Hill Country Mysteries)

ORNAMENTAL: Hill Country Mysteries: Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea)

The word “hummingbird” is enough to sell me on an ornamental plant so I’m glad the camouflaged one pictured in Kathleen’s photo caught my eye. Her Hill Country Mysteries post says that this plant stays evergreen for her in Texas… and that it blooms from March through October! Can’t beat that testimonial!

Sources:

Photo Caption: Sliced Figs (Credit: Allotment Heaven)

FOOD: Allotment Heaven: Figs (Ficus sp.)

My large fig tree hasn’t quite reached the potential 33′ mentioned by John at Allotment Heaven. It still put on some impressive growth while I was living elsewhere — this year should be a bumper crop! I might use his suggestions to discourage birds from picking the ripe fruit before I do.

Sources:

Photo Caption: Paper bark maple (Credit: Aberdeen Gardening)

ORNAMENTAL: Aberdeen Gardening: Paper Bark Maple (Acer griseum)

Alistair’s post at Aberdeen Gardening actually talks about a handful of different maples in addition to Acer griseum. He says this one is in no rush to grow up, but with bark like this I think it is worth the wait!

Sources:

Photo Caption: Mixed salad greens in containers (Credit: Our Happy Acres)

FOOD: Our Happy Acres: Salad Greens in Containers

Some of us don’t have many options for growing food through the winter. A container salad garden like the one at Our Happy Acres can fit in front of a kitchen window or on an apartment balcony. I wish I could reach through the screen and grab a bowl of the delicious greens in The Villager’s post! Those of you blessed with even more indoor growing space (greenhouses) should consider tomatoes like the ones at Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments.

Sources:

Photo Caption: Rattlesnake Master - Eryngium yuccifolium (Credit: Restoring the Landscape with Native Plants)

ORNAMENTAL: Restoring the Landscape with Native Plants: Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Heather’s post at Restoring the Landscape with Native Plants showcases a beautiful, but prickly, prairie wildflower. I was so surprised when she said it’s a favorite perch for gray tree frogs in her garden! Its form reminds me of stick verbena (Verbena bonariensis) — I wonder if it would be less prone to the mildew my verbena gets.

Sources:

I loved reading through everyone’s entries this month! Mark’s ‘Cavolo Nero’ Kale post made me hungry (I’m still hungry), The Garden Roof-Coop’s sunflowers post made me forget how darkly overcast it is outside, and Casa Mariposa’s penstemon post made me laugh.

We had some outside-the-box interpretations on recommending a favorite food or ornamental plant with “rabbit proof” flowers at Plant Postings, a tutorial on buying California native plants at Town Mouse & Country Mouse, and urgent vegetable gardening at AfricanAussie.

I recommend that you read (and comment on) them all — absolutely no duds here! Thanks everyone for making the editorial process such a struggle. :)

An “F” represents a food post and an “O” represents an ornamental.

  1. F: Information Central Gardening: Sweet Potatoes
  2. O: Got Geosmin: Petunias
  3. O: Bed of Spices: Rock Purslane (Calandrinia spectabilis)
  4. O: Hill Country Mysteries: Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea)
  5. O: My Garden Haven: Tall Slipper Plant (Pedilanthus bracteatus)
  6. O: Kebun Malay-Kadazan girls: Pyrethrum Daisies
  7. F: Our Happy Acres: Salad Greens
  8. O: The Garden Roof-Coop: Sunflowers
  9. F: A Green Earth: Turmeric, Pepino & More
  10. F: Mud Pie: Peanuts
  11. F: Out from Under My Hat: Irish Potatoes
  12. O: Teza’s Hortus Magnificum: Spigelia marilandica
  13. O: The Vermont Gardener: False Hellebore
  14. F: Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments: Greenhouse Tomatoes
  15. F: Tasty Travels: Onions
  16. O: Experiments with Plants: Foxglove
  17. F: My Garden, My Hobbies: Garlic Chives
  18. F: Mark’s Veg Plot: Kale ‘Cavolo Nero’
  19. O: The Violet Fern: Jewelweed
  20. O: Aberdeen Gardening: Paper Bark Maple (Acer griseum)
  21. O: Canoe Corner: Zinnias
  22. O: Go Right… in My Garden: Miniature Morning Glories
  23. O: Restoring the Landscape with Native Plants: Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
  24. O: The Queen of Seaford: Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
  25. F: AfricanAussie: (Urgent Vegetables)
  26. O: AllanBecker.GardenGuru: Callirhoe
  27. O: Plant Postings: Rabbit-Proof Flowers
  28. O: Town Mouse & Country Mouse: California Natives
  29. O: Casa Mariposa: Penstemon whippleanus
  30. O: Gardens Eye View: Water Lilies
  31. O: Journeys and Jonquils: Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma)
  32. F: Allotment Heaven: Figs (Ficus sp.)
  33. O: Welcome to Ginny’s Garden: Zinnias
  34. F: A Charlotte Garden: Nasturtiums
  35. F: Little Green Bees: Pumpkin on a Stick (Eggplant)
  36. F: Appalachian Feet: Florida Cranberry/Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

It’s a short month so don’t forget to submit your posts for issue #4 of How to Find Great Plants before February 25th. For details on this blog carnival and how to enter, click HERE.


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Eliza Lord

I'm a Greenville, SC native (the Appalachian foothills) who wears the hats of Greenville Master Gardener & Upstate Master Naturalist. I love to write about food and sustainability.

42 thoughts on “How to Find Great Plants, Issue #3”

  1. Mark Willis
    Twitter: marksvegplot
    - February 1, 2011 4:34 pm

    Great work Eliza! Your self-imposed task is going to get more onerous every time, you know, because this feature is going to get even more popular…
    Mark Willis´s last blog post ..New bird sighting – Redwing

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 1, 2011 4:51 pm

      Haha, it’s true. But I really enjoy spending the time reading through everyone’s entries.
      Sustainahillbilly´s last blog post ..How to Find Great Plants- Issue 3

  2. Melissa - February 1, 2011 5:59 pm

    How cool. Very nicely done.
    Melissa´s last blog post ..Monthly Gardening Tips 2nd Edition

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:02 am

      Thanks!

  3. Rebecca - February 1, 2011 7:51 pm

    What a perfect day to read all the listings! I’m snowed in today, and probably tomorrow.. Thanks for hosting this event :)
    Rebecca´s last blog post ..Sunflowers-warm memories on a cold day

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:04 am

      I hope your part of the world melts soon. :)

  4. Lorraine Roberts
    Twitter: PlantParadiseCG
    - February 1, 2011 10:21 pm

    I enjoy reading your posts and thought your Canadian readers might like to know of a Canadian source for Callirhoe involucrata and many other interesting perennials. Plant Paradise Country Gardens in Caledon, Ontario is an organic perennial nursery and destination garden center that offers the rare, the unusual and the all-time favorites. There are also extensive display gardens of continuous bloom on 24 acres.

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:17 am

      Thanks! I don’t have time to list more than two sources per plant but it did bother me that I wasn’t representing other areas of the globe. I hope there are some Canadians who find it useful. :)

  5. Ali - February 1, 2011 11:27 pm

    Thank you so much for including my humble peanut post! Mark is right, this is going to get super popular, and I can only hope that I can make the cut!
    Ali´s last blog post ..Batman

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:19 am

      I hope it does! If it ever gets to be too much I can switch to a more traditional link collection system. But so far I enjoy the editing process enough to keep doing it.

  6. Sue aka Green Lane Allotments - February 2, 2011 5:23 am

    Thank you for including my post Eliza – just one thing though you say it is about ‘winter’ tomatoes. To be honest we have a problem growing anything during winter even in a cold greenhouse. We grow our tomatoes during summer.
    Sue aka Green Lane Allotments´s last blog post ..New toy

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 8:57 am

      Oops! You know, I read it was to avoid problems like blight in your post and then I forgot when I was writing the issue. I’ve fixed the wording, my apologies. :)
      Sustainahillbilly´s last blog post ..How to Find Great Plants- Issue 3

  7. Laura @ PatioPatch
    Twitter: LauraBloomsbury
    - February 2, 2011 5:29 am

    Hi Eliza – I do appreciate these roundups of F and O posts as I can simply click through from one source. On the other hand it means more and more editing work for you 😉 Look forward to being a contributor in the future too
    Laura @ PatioPatch´s last blog post ..GBMD- The Virgin Flag

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:21 am

      I’m glad you are enjoying them and I look forward to any editing “work” involving a post from you. It’s fun! :)

  8. Alistair - February 2, 2011 5:31 am

    Eliza, thanks for the feature, I am truly honoured. As for my environmental issues, yes, probably indulging myself, and will now return to a subject of which I do have a little experience.

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:21 am

      You’re welcome… all that experience you mention shows up clearly in your plant profiles and it was a pleasure to include one in this issue. :)

  9. p3chandan - February 2, 2011 7:46 am

    Great informations on varieties of plants that are unknown to me. Glad to participate in your monthly issue Eliza.
    p3chandan´s last blog post ..Second chance of life

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 2, 2011 9:22 am

      Thanks! I agree, the entries this time really covered an amazing spectrum of plants. :)
      Sustainahillbilly´s last blog post ..How to Find Great Plants- Issue 3

  10. Janet - February 2, 2011 9:24 am

    Great turn out Eliza! Good for you— no one is concerned about being one day off in your posting….this is a worldwide blogosphere and somewhere it is today and somewhere else it is tomorrow.
    Janet´s last blog post ..Tuesdays Trees- Liquidambar styraciflua

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:32 pm

      Haha, that’s true. I may move the publication date for this to Tuesdays to ensure I always have enough time. Sometimes I just can’t pull writing time out of my weekends.

  11. tina - February 2, 2011 1:19 pm

    I have to agree with Mark on your task getting bigger and bigger. I’m most impressed with all the work you put into this post. It looks like a complete success with some really great ornamentals and foods chosen by bloggers. It’s even nicer you posted a source for the plant!
    tina´s last blog post ..Making the Gazing Balls Disco Balls! from Bowling Balls

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:32 pm

      Thanks! I was very pleased with the entries people sent in this month.

  12. Desiree - February 2, 2011 2:29 pm

    Thank you Eliza for all of your hard work on this issue! I really enjoyed reading everyone’s ideas.

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:33 pm

      You’re welcome! :)

  13. Gail - February 2, 2011 8:06 pm

    A great post~terrific plants and bloggers. gail
    Gail´s last blog post ..No Tears- No Tantrums

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:34 pm

      Thanks, I agree — where else can you find so many different people’s advice on plants to grow?

  14. debsgarden - February 2, 2011 10:41 pm

    There are some great posts here! I am now convinced I must have a fig tree! So your hard work has made a difference in at least one garden!
    debsgarden´s last blog post ..Fire in the Wild Woods

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:35 pm

      Oh good! I think every issue I’ve ended up with a “must have.” Which is the point, but I suppose it means my garden is going to be increasingly packed with plants. :)

  15. Diana - February 3, 2011 3:04 am

    Hello Eliza, thank you for hosting this always looking forward each month. May I have your address so I can send you some seeds.
    Diana´s last blog post ..Single female

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:36 pm

      Hi! I replied to your comment on this before but forgot to email you. I’ve just commented on your blog where you’re more likely to see it. Sadly, I just live too far away to receive your seeds. Thanks again for the generous and awesome offer, though! :)

  16. Elaine - February 3, 2011 7:57 am

    This is a great issue, Eliza. So many interesting plants. Thank you so much for listing the sources!
    Elaine´s last blog post ..An Afternoon at the American River

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:37 pm

      Thanks! I love your recent Basque recipe. :)

  17. Lrong - February 3, 2011 8:16 am

    Good work! Shall make sure to send in my post for the next issue…
    Lrong´s last blog post ..Roots and flowers for the festive season

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:39 pm

      Great! :)

  18. fer
    Twitter: mygardeninjapan
    - February 3, 2011 11:05 pm

    Great plants as always! love the maple and the pumpkin. Look forward to join next issue
    fer´s last blog post ..My tools for balcony gardening

    1. Sustainahillbilly
      Twitter: appalachianfeet
      - February 4, 2011 7:39 pm

      We missed you this time, I look forward to your next entry. :)
      Sustainahillbilly´s last blog post ..How to Find Great Plants- Issue 3

  19. Pingback: Tweets that mention How to Find Great Plants, Issue #3 | Appalachian Feet -- Topsy.com

  20. Pam's English Garden - February 5, 2011 1:21 pm

    Dear Eliza, I really appreciate all the hard work you put into this blog carnival! Some wonderful reading here. I must contribute in the future … does it have to be a new posting or can it be from previous years?

    Thank you for your kind wishes prior to my hospital stay! I am home now and feeling well. I’ll post soon. P x
    Pam’s English Garden´s last blog post ..A Treat For My Feathered Friends

  21. Kathleen Scott - February 5, 2011 4:50 pm

    Great issue! I found lots of articles to love. Thanks for including Hill Country Mysteries’ Texas Betony.
    Kathleen Scott´s last blog post ..Evolution

  22. Casa Mariposa - February 6, 2011 11:36 am

    Thanks for including my post!! I love your blog and how inclusive it is! Keep up the fabulous blogging! :o)
    Casa Mariposa´s last blog post ..LittleHUGE

  23. makarimi - February 8, 2011 11:08 pm

    Great work Eliza. Really knowledgeable post and link.

  24. makarimi - February 10, 2011 8:04 am

    Hi, it’s me again! I just link to HtFGP, hope that post meet the criteria. Also dropping by here to let you know, that I have extended an award to you. I know you must be very busy, please do visit my blog to collect it when you can. No hurry! Thank you!
    makarimi´s last blog post ..Stylish Blogger Award

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