If any hardy flower has gained popularity more rapidly during recent years than the lily, we do not know what it is. The old idea that they are extremely difficult to grow is fast fading out, and rightly so! Many modern lilies are much easier to grow than their predecessors. This, plus better control of … Read more
If Sternbergia Lutea had sat for its portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and if its descendants were painted today, the yellow faces would be identical. Gardeners have become so accustomed to new, improved varieties of plants that it is a surprise to see a flower that has remained unchanged for more than two centuries. Finding … Read more
Naturalizing daffodils is a delightful hobby for anyone with a plot where the grass can remain uncut until the foliage has thoroughly ripened, disintegrated, or disappeared and pulls away easily from the bulb. If you are fortunate enough to have some thin woodland where the sun can penetrate, striking effects can be created in addition … Read more
Some remote parts of Northeastern Oklahoma are as primitive today as a century ago when Comanche Indians and buffalo roamed the rocky oak-covered hillsides and verdant valleys. But most of the state is crisscrossed by highways and dotted with thriving towns and cities. At the western border of the Ozarks, near the junction of the … Read more
The Oriental influence in home and garden decoration has increased the popularity of the Oriental poppy. To meet the demand, there are hybrids of beautiful colors which, despite their delicate appearance, hold their own against wind and rain. Today you can have new varieties in bright orange, pink, salmon, and claret shades, even pure white, … Read more
In all forms of art, the more rigid the boundaries and rules, the more difficult it is to create good work. The art of raising better lilies is firmly hounded in all directions, hemmed in by natural limitations imposed upon it by climate and soil, limited in variations of color, scent, and form, and by … Read more
Bounteous beauty can be enjoyed in the garden and the home with Fall-flowering bulbs. However, when most flowers are gone, colchicums, Autumn crocuses, sternbergias, and hardy amaryllis stage their gay display. From late August until Winter draws the curtain, they are wonderful for rock gardens, perennial borders, and indoor gardens where they make an elaborate … Read more
The iris must be a favorite of nature, for there are many different kinds, each endowed with a special charm, and the many kinds are widely distributed over the northern hemisphere. There are, to class, the various types simply and most informally, the bearded, the beardless, and the crested. The bearded class consists of plants … Read more
Within the past 50 years, Western Oregon has become the threshold of new developments in the iris, achieving the top award in the International Iris Competition in Florence, Italy, last year. Hybridizers and growers in Oregon are adding scores of new varieties and types to the ever-expanding list of new creations. The vast, virtually untouched … Read more
May is when gardeners become conscious that irises are valuable hardy perennials. The tall bearded irises have come a long way from the “flags” of grandmother’s day. The new irises, developed over the last 25 years, are long-stemmed, well-branched, floriferous, and display a glorious array of colors. They are not to be compared to the … Read more