Plant Profile of the
Month









Wild Columbine

Few spring wildflowers possess such poetic beauty
or evoke such sentiment as the eastern North
American wild columbine, Aquilegia canadensis,
which is the only species native to eastern North
America. "Wild" distinguishes it from the introduced
columbines often seen in gardens.
This columbine is a delicate but hardy perennial
herb with thin, woody rhizomes and slender,
multi-branches stems. The plants typically grow 1
to 2 feet tall, but can reach 3 feet or more. The
showy, spurred flowers, nodding at the tips of
slender branches with the spurs pointing upward,
are 1 to 2 inches long and bright red to pinkish with
yellow insides.
Wild columbine is an old-fashioned garden plant,
often cultivated and easy to grow from seed or from
divisions of rootstocks in the spring. It prefers a
moist, well-drained, slightly acid, sandy loam with
organic matter, but it will grow in a wide range of
soils, including clays, especially if they drain well
and have organic matter added. It does best in light
shade but will tolerate full sun if daytime
temperatures are not too hot.






















E-Catalog of the Month

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

If you are looking for a dependable Southeast source for
heirloom seed and other open-pollinated (non-hybrid)
seeds, look no further than Southern Exposure Seed
Exchange. Not only do they have an extensive selection
of seeds from yesteryear, but they do extensive
germination and purity testing of their seeds to provide
customers with the highest quality seed possible. See
their on-line catalog at: www.southernexposure.com

It's Hammer Time

Nail guns have become
the new, must-have
home improvement toy
for big boys and girls.
However, many times
when it comes to nail
guns, the biggest isn't
always the best. This
point is driven home
(pun intended) with
Black and Decker's
recently introduced
Firestorm 18 Volt
Cordless Nailer. Without
the tangle of air hoses or
electrical cords—or the
extra inconvenience of
an air compressor—that
comes with larger
nailers, this
self-contained tool uses
B&D's standard 18-volt
rechargeable battery to
shoot 18-gauge nails in
lengths that range from
5/8 to 2 inches long.
This makes it perfect for
working with frames,
molding, lattice, casings,
furniture, shelving,
cabinets, wainscoting,
crafts and more. And it
has the power to take
care of business, as one
batter charge is
sufficient to drive over
500 nails. Other features
includes adjustable
depth-control (yes, it will
countersink), tool-less
jam extraction, 110-nail
magazine, low-nail
indicator window and
low-battery indicator.
This handy dandy electric
hammer retails for
around $200 and can be
found at manyhome
improvement stores. For
more information, visit
the website:
www.FireStormTools.com

Gardening with Heirloom Seeds

by Lynn Coulter (UNC Press, 328
pages, paperback, $22.50)

For many gardeners, a lot of the best
plants have already been found in the
past. Lynn Coulter presses the case in
this book that takes gardeners back to
the future with heirloom seeds. Such old
seeds are designated "heirloom" when
they have been available for at least 50
years, but like a fine wine, many varieties
just get better with age. Coulter takes
readers back on a time warped tutorial
that includes 50 old-fashioned species.
Interestingly, when the the word
"heirloom" is mentioned with seeds, it is
generally considered by many to refer to
vegetables, but Coulter also includes
information on old-time favorite
ornamentals such as hollyhocks,
foxgloves, salvias, cornflowers,
heliotropes and petunias. More than a
walk down memory lane, this book shows
that when it comes to heirlooms, the
term "oldies but goodies" rings true.
Contact: UNC Press- uncpress.unc.edu