A quaint little white daffodil grown and loved in England more than 300 years ago is the cernuus or swan neck daffodil (Narcissus moschatus). Demure and feminine in expression, it is unlike many of our robust yellow trumpet hybrids. The curved neck and slender trumpet, with narrow perianth segments draped about it gracefully, give it … Read more
Few novelties have caused more excitement in the horticultural world than the pink daffodil. Unfortunately, exhibition varieties such as Salmon Trout, Rose Caprice, and Pink Monarch are still too expensive to concern many of us. But fortunately, there is also a large number that can be bought quite reasonably, and these make decorative garden flowers. … Read more
Crocus come in about three main categories. Earliest of them are the species, of which there are many. These are called winter-flowering, and will bloom at the slightest slackening of wintry weather. Most of these are quite small in size but tough and willing to make considerable increases so that after a few years, they … Read more
The delightful, unpretentious charm of the small-flowered bulbs is the first attraction of the garden year. Without them, spring would be like a play without the first act. Most of these little gems demand nothing more than to be planted in soil reasonably suited to their needs and then left alone. The catalog will be … Read more
Some gardeners must just be the contrary! When the wise ones told me it was impossible to grow Japanese irises in Denver, that was all it took! “Our climate is too dry, too hot in summer, too cold in winter; our soil is too alkaline; Japanese irises are just not grown here.” So, I scouted … Read more
Suppose you have been promising yourself a bed of bearded iris. Get started as soon as possible. Iris planting time is now, and orders for the rhizomes (bulb-like roots) should be placed with growers as soon as possible. The bearded iris is one of the easiest flowers to grow and will tolerate various soils and … Read more
Understanding the Ideal Location for Bearded Irises The ideal location for German Irises and other bearded varieties is on a slope or a level at the top of a slope because of the dryness of good drainage. Incorporating Bearded Irises in a Rock Garden In a rock garden, where a clump or two of dwarf … Read more
As we motor through the countryside, drifts of gold, purple, orange, and blue meet our eyes at every turn. With these glorious flowers blooming along our roadsides, no one need say never has enough flowers for a massed arrangement. The individuality of the flowers is lost in the general effect of uncontrolled growth. Still, when … Read more
We don’t know what kind of garden Kipling had in mind when he wrote, “Such gardens are not made by saying, oh, how beautiful, and sitting in the shade,” but it may have been a continuous-blooming garden or border that flowers from spring to fall. The continuous-blooming garden is the aim of more garden lovers … Read more
Twining vines are usually very vigorous; Akeilia eminent, the five-leaf akebia, is no exception. A native of China, Korea, and Japan, its common name is derived from its compound leaves of five palmately arranged leaflets originating from the same leaf petiole. It grows rapidly once it becomes well-established, growing as much as 15’ feet in … Read more