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1 week ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
Too often, the term “groundcover” elicits a yawn. These low-growing plants are viewed dismissively, either as an obligatory filler for blank spaces, or as an institutional camouflage for exposed soil. But with a little attention and the appropriate choice for your growing conditions, the right groundcover can be a source of exquisite horticultural interest in its own right.
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2 weeks ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
When ramp leaves and garlic mustard and field garlic meet in a blender, feral goddess dressing is born. With a herbal backbone based on the green goddess dressing that was named in San Francisco in the 1920s, this wild spring iteration is an intuitively delicious riff that relies on local, seasonal greens.
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3 weeks ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
For the shade gardener who wants to grow edible plants, this shadowy designation of how much—or how little—direct sunlight a space receives is often perceived as second best. “I have a garden, but…it’s very shady.” There is a respectably long list of edible plants you can grow in shade, and in springtime ostrich ferns stand out: These native perennials are the source of edible fiddleheads.
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1 month ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
If it begins to rain in the Hantam in March, and if the rain measures more than 10mm, you can almost set your timer: After a long, dry, and very hot summer, the Brunsvigias will bloom, three weeks later. You have those weeks to plan a visit to see the sight of a lifetime. In the baked red earth of this high escarpment region of South Africa’s Northern Cape Province, the Brunsvigia bulbs sense the moisture and begin to develop buds.
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1 month ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
Trees with white flowers have a way of lifting and lightening a garden’s mood—as well as soothing the mood of the gardener. In the evenings, their glimmering nocturnal presence is a comfort, and by day their pale petals, augmented by bare branches or the textural contrast of foliage, are an elegantly calming balm. For the final chapter of our series, here are some of our favorite trees with white flowers for you to consider as sentinels among your perennials and shrubs.
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1 month ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
Have you ever eaten a durian? If you have, or if you have met one and hurried on by, you might be conjuring up the huge, spiky fruit’s famous smell—or perfume—right now. I can only say, hand on heart, that durian ice cream is one of the best I have ever eaten or made (the other is pawpaw, Asimina triloba). One of the perks of living in a culturally rich megalopolis like New York City is that you have access to the world’s appetites and to the foods that feed them.
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1 month ago | 
marthastewart.com | Marie Viljoen
Photo: Getty / Elena Danileiko Artichokes are an irresistibly photogenic vegetable, resembling a giant green acorn encased in a scaly armor of green bracts. Therein lies the challenge: How do you breach that spiked barrier to reach the best part of an artichoke—its guarded, hidden heart? If you have hesitated because you are not sure how to eat an artichoke, know that fresh artichokes are in a flavor class of their own, and delicious adventure awaits.
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1 month ago | 
yahoo.com | Marie Viljoen
Artichokes are an irresistibly photogenic vegetable, resembling a giant green acorn encased in a scaly armor of green bracts. Therein lies the challenge: How do you breach that spiked barrier to reach the best part of an artichoke—its guarded, hidden heart? If you have hesitated because you are not sure how to eat an artichoke, know that fresh artichokes are in a flavor class of their own, and delicious adventure awaits.
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1 month ago | 
gardenista.com | Marie Viljoen
Spring calls for vibrant food and parties (even for one) that celebrate the return of buds and petals and the leafing-out of trees. Enter vividly celebratory beet hummus, on a petal platter reeling with beets and garlic and chickpeas and extra virgin olive oil. Adding edible flowers is an easy and instant way of infusing this simple dish with the joy of spring. Vivid tulip petals are edible—gently crisp at the base and delicate towards the tip.
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1 month ago | 
marthastewart.com | Marie Viljoen
Photo: Getty / Madeleine Steinbach What do you see when you look at a lawn stippled with the vivid yellow flowers of dandelions? A suburban scourge and weeding chore, or a mouthwatering buffet with several courses and drinks? They may be viewed as invasive weeds, but dandelions are also respected vegetables and a traditional spring tonic.
