Red spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) raise their red umbrellas in the flower borders of the middle south during drought-stricken September, bringing the only vivid coloring to a parched land. The umbrella handle is a 2-foot tall scape, bearing an umbel 6/2” inches wide, of 5 to 7 red trumpet-shaped flowers. The perianth segments or “petals” … Read more
When you buy a daffodil bulb, you buy for keeps. No replacement will ever be needed, so your original outlay, spread over 10 to 15 years – by which time the variety may have become outmoded – amounts to about one postage stamp per annum. Not only that, but the bulb you buy will increase, … Read more
Raising flowering annuals indoors is so simple that we wonder why it took so long for us to discover it. If you have a sunny window, you can do it too; you don’t need special window glass or a fancy planting box. The blooms may not achieve greenhouse perfection but are colorful on the sill … Read more
All good gardeners know that the best time to set out new varieties of German iris or to divide established clumps is in June, immediately after they bloom. However, most of us are usually absorbed in a hundred and one more pressing tasks at that time, and often iris does not get the attention it … Read more
Freesia flowers have the sweetest fragrance of any plant grown indoors—and the basic requirement for success with freesias is a sunny window in a cool room. Freesias grow from bulbs which should be planted during August or earliest September. They have graceful iris-like foliage, are members of the iris family, and are native to South … Read more
Gloriosa, or glory-lily (Gloriosa rothschildiana), has attracted considerable attention at spring flower shows over the past few years. These spectacular flowers of rich coloring (illustrated opposite) are most satisfactory for cutting and last well. Like gladiolus, they can be planted outdoors in spring as soon as the soil becomes warm enough to handle comfortably. These … Read more
The so-called “autumn crocus” (Colchicum autumnale) is of easy culture and deserves to be more widely grown. In color, it is a soft rose-lilac. Varieties are the following: Colchicums Speciosum C. speciosum, with large bowl-shaped, deep rosy-purple flowers on long stems, comes from the Caucasus. Its large leaves grow to one foot and are as … Read more
When planting your new lilies in the garden this fall, whether you’re putting in a few or several hundred, don’t sell them short! Use them where they will be most effective, where their regal beauty will accent, contrast or complement their garden companions. And plant them properly so that the bulbs will not be forced … Read more
With a bulbous iris, you can create wonderful pictures in living colors in your garden. Moreover, you’ll come to treasure them for the beautiful arrangements which are so easy to achieve with their long-lived flowers. They are known as the florists’ iris, and few flowers are perfect for cutting. Nor do many display their exquisite … Read more
There are many reasons for the existence of rock walls. For example, such a wall may be the means of retaining a steep embankment or disposing of surplus stones. A rock wall can form a handsome dividing line between a property or sections of a property. Whatever the reason, why not make them attractive? Growing … Read more