Considering redoing the landscape a bit? Find the old one a bit boring? Perhaps it's time to add the power of purple to your landscape. Purple-flowering plants add a special grace to a landscape. The strong, vibrant purple color goes well with white, blue, or pink and is stunning planted next to orange. It looks particularly striking mixed with green and white variegated foliage. Purple just has a way of bringing other colors out.

Because purple-flowering plants are native to so many parts of the world, we have many to choose from. You can use taller purple-flowering shrubs or perennials to create a backdrop for shorter plants. You can also use purple-flowering vines to hide a fence or climb a trellis.

In front of those plants, you can layer in some purple-flowering perennials. Finally, add some low growing spreaders to fill in the areas between.

Do you have shaded areas? No problem. There are purple-flowering shade-lovers too.

Don't just limit your planting to the ground. Many purple-flowering plants look great in containers for patios and decks or even in hanging baskets. You can even create a blend of annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses to make any pot, urn, window box or decorative planter look fantastic all season long.

Many purple-flowering perennials such as echinacea, monarda, nepeta, penstemon, salvia, giant scabiosa, statice and veronica are also wonderful at attracting butterflies and birds--particularly hummingbirds. But most of all, they will spice up a garden and make it come alive with color.

Lawn (lon) noun. A usually closely mown plot or area planted with grass or similar plants. [variant of obsolete laund, from Middle English launde, lawnde, from Old French launde, heath]

Heath (heeth) noun. 1. Any of various usually low-growing shrubs of the genus Erica and related genera, native to the Old World, having small, evergreen leaves and small, urn-shaped pink or purplish flowers. 2. An extensive tract of open, uncultivated land covered with such shrubs or similar plants; a moor.

Moor (moor) noun. A broad tract of open land, often high but poorly drained, with patches of heath and peat bogs.

At what point of history did a lawn become defined solely as closely cropped green turf grass? Was it originally to walk on? Was it developed at the time we domesticated animals such as cows, horses, and sheep that fed on grasses? Was it for lawn bowling, golf, or cricket?

"True" grasses include not only what we now know as lawn grass, but also cereal grains, as well as those grains grown as ornamental garden grasses. Bamboo is also in this category. Over the years, the meaning of grass has expanded to include a wide range of plants with narrow to strap-like leaves. This group includes rushes, sedges, liriopes, flax (phormium) and cattails.

Today, we also have an even greater list of plants that can be used instead of a turf grass. We call them "lawn substitutes" when they are used in this fashion. All of these plants, as well as the grasses listed above, can be members of your gardens--functioning in a decorative way and complementing other plantings.

There are many reasons to consider alternative plants in place of a regularly mown lawn: too much shade, too little water, too much water, a preference for alternative ground covers, a preference for alternative grasses, and the need for regular mowing. There are many beautiful options available today. For example, a number of no-mow ornamental grasses can be used in hard-to-mow areas, or even in a large area, if you like a natural look.

There are many lawn substitutes to choose from, depending upon your needs and requirements. The choices increase if you have areas with very little foot traffic. Use substitutes in combination with each other by placing the most traffic-tolerant plants in the heaviest foot traffic areas. Add in some of the many ornamental grasses for a bit of height.

Many plants besides the usual lawn grasses will tolerate foot traffic. Varieties of cerastium, chamomile, leptinella, pratia, sagina, silene, and thyme are all examples of ground covers that take some foot traffic and would be beautiful lawn substitutes. Some of these flower; others release a wonderful fragrance with each step. Some, like thyme, do both.

Today, more and more people are bringing back a more natural look to their yards and gardens. Many areas of the country are working hard to maintain and reestablish the native plant habitats. You can join in this passionate evolution of gardens. Remember, until recent years, grass meant only a "lawn," green and mown. There are now many alternatives to that bowling lawn look. Enjoy seeking out and planting your new lawn substitutes.

If you have ever eaten a savory lamb chop, a rosemary-enhanced spaghetti sauce, or grilled seafood on skewers made of the leaf-stripped stems of the rosemary plant, you already understand why rosemary was named the "Herb of the Year" in 2000, and why nearly every kitchen, no matter how sophisticated or how simplistic, has a bottle of rosemary leaves as part of its arsenal.

It is one of the easiest plants to grow, in just about any USDA zone. In the colder regions it should be brought indoors to winter, given strong southern light, well-draining alkaline soil, and not too much water. If grown outdoors, this amazing herb may be planted in a raised bed, or in containers and pots which will make a move inside easier.

If you live in the south, rosemary is a perennial that will provide you with fresh taste year-round. And in these economic times, growing your own herbs will not only be a positive impact on your purse, it will also enliven tired recipes, and help you develop your young ones' palates.

But it is perhaps the history of this herb that makes it a subject of much literature and lore. The ancients were quite familiar with this shrub. Greek scholars wore garlands of rosemary during examinations in order to improve their memories and rejuvenate their spirits.

It was touted by Pliny the Elder (who gave the herb the name rosmarinus, meaning "sea dew") as a cure for bad eyesight, jaundice and miscellaneous wounds. Rosemary was substituted for the more costly incense, and called by its French name, incensier. The Spaniards had a legend that the bush sheltered the Virgin Mary in the holy family's flight into Egypt. She draped her cloak over a rosemary bush, turning the color of the blossoms from white to blue; they called it romero (the Pilgrim's Flower).

It was a common sight for rosemary to be burned in sick chambers (perhaps the strong odor was thought enough to evict the foul fevers), and in contemporary French hospitals it is still burnt in conjunction with juniper berries to purify the air and prevent infection.

Romance surrounds the myth of the rosemary. In the 14th century, Queen Elizabeth of Hungary had a potion made of rosemary and lavender to inflame the passions of the King of Poland, who requested her hand in marriage. She was 72 years of age; he was 26. This miraculous potion became known as Budapest water, and was the modern-day equivalent of a beauty product for women for hundreds of years.

"There is rosemary, that's for remembrance, pray, love, remember." Thus spake Shakespeare's Ophelia. Along with remembrance, rosemary symbolizes loyalty and thus has been long associated with weddings.

So we invoke the power of rosemary in the hope of healing gout, the plague, colds, headaches, dyspepsia, or as a stimulant for memory. We use it in topiaries, potpourri, or bath salts...what more can you ask for in one plant?

Click here for a wonderful rosemary cookie recipe!

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Well, actually it's both. Cilantro refers to the leaves of the plant, and coriander references the seeds. Also known as Chinese parsley, this herb is indeed a member of the parsley family. This gentle little herb with lacy, fern-like leaves is a social creature, requiring other plants growing around it to aid in holding it up on its spindly stems that can reach 2+ feet in height. Excellent companion plants are caraway, anise and dill.

An annual, it is best first planted in cool weather, in a moderately rich, slightly alkaline, well-drained soil; this native of Asia and the Mediterranean regions prefers full to partial sun. In ideal conditions, cilantro (leaves) will last about 8 to 10 weeks before flowering. To ensure such conditions (this herb is not a friend of weeds), mulch to keep the roots cool and weed-free.

Once the herb flowers, producing a delicate white-to-lavender display, seeds will form; harvest them immediately when the leaves and flowers turn brown, but before the seeds disperse. To do this, cut the entire plant and hang it to dry upside down in paper bags. Occasionally shake the bags to thresh the seeds, but be certain that they have fully dried; coriander seeds can be bitter if only partially dry.

Once you have harvested the dried seeds, roast them in a frying pan over low to medium heat, frequently shaking the pan. Cool, then crush with a mortar and pestle just before use; this will release the flavor--and the trademark lemon-scented odor. The wise herb gardener will retain some of the seeds prior to drying for replanting every few weeks to guarantee a continuous supply.

When picking fresh cilantro, choose the small, young leaves (which are the tastiest) and cut with the stems on. Rinse well, and place the bunch, stem ends down, in a small glass of water as if you were displaying flowers. Cover with a plastic bag, securing with a rubber band, and refrigerate. Change the water daily, and your cilantro will last much longer.

The citrusy tang of cilantro has become a popular addition to Mexican cuisine, while Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian cuisines use both cilantro and coriander. Thai curries incorporate the chopped leaves of cilantro, while Indian curry powders owe their aromatic quality to ground coriander.

Coriander has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back 3,000 years. The ancient Hebrews used cilantro root as the maror, or bitter herb, during the symbolic Passover Seder meal. The Roman conquests of Europe and Asia introduced the use of cilantro as an aphrodisiac in China during the Han dynasty (207 BC – 200 AD); such usage is mentioned in The Tales of the Arabian Nights. But most notably, the visions of sugar plums which danced in children's heads on the night before Christmas, originally referred to sugar-coated coriander.

The seeds, when chewed, freshen one's breath; the essential oil is considered an aid in improving memory; and because of cilantro's powerful scent, it has a reputation for attracting beneficial insects and deterring harmful ones.

Whether you call it cilantro or coriander, the distinctive characteristics of this tiny miracle herb make it a must-have for any herb garden.

Is rainwater really better than faucet water for my plants?

Answer:

Yes.

Many municipal water systems put chlorine and other chemicals in the water. Chlorine is bad for soil bacteria, not to mention our air. Rainwater is oxygenated, un-chlorinated and warmer than tap water, qualities that make it a better source for plants and safer for the environment. Cold tap water can also "shock" your plants.

There is a growing movement to conserve water by collecting rainwater in plastic barrels. The water collected this way is better for plants, plus you don't have to pay for it. It also reduces energy consumption--every 1,000 gallons of tap water requires about one kilowatt hour of energy to be treated and pumped. Reducing such water use also slows the need to expand municipal water treatment and sewage plants.

If you decide to use a rain barrel, make sure it's childproof. To be safe for kids (and inquisitive animals), it should have a secure lid that can't be opened easily. You don't want anyone using your rain barrel as a swimming pool!

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