During the terrible New England drought last summer, some of my annuals put on a real demonstration of endurance. Because May was very cold and wet here in Maine, it was June 10 before my annuals for cutting were planted in rows in the vegetable garden. June, in the meantime, had turned unbearably hot and … Read more
With summer in full reign, fields and pastures throughout the country are cheery with brilliant flashes of white or yellow butterflies, the Pieridae. Flitting from blossom to blossom or pursuing each other playfully, they are most active and abundant on sunny days, although they often brave cloudy weather, startling sunless fields as fireflies at night. … Read more
The passion flower, Passiflora incarnata, is not, to my knowledge, grown outdoors in New England as a perennial vine. However, it seems possible that this luxuriantly growing plant may be cultivated in the southern New England area and similar climates in sheltered and selected places. Passion Flower Rooted Cuttings Three rooted cuttings of this plant … Read more
Have you wanted to know more about the ancestors and cousins of the popular tall bearded iris? One way to satisfy the yearning for more irises and simultaneously gain the answers to your scientific curiosity is to grow some of the iris species—the original plants from nature, untouched by human hybridizers. It is often thought … Read more
One of the easiest iris to grow in our gardens is the little native Iris cristata, the crested iris, which is found wild over most of the South, usually along wooded brooks or creeks. Some iris species are valued only by the collector, but this dainty one appeals both to the discriminating gardener and to … Read more
Fred W. Cassebeer, a well-known iris hybridizer, shares what to select for in your breeding and how to make the cross. If the average gardener were suddenly asked, “What does a hybridizer do?” He might think first of the development of the fuzzless peach or, perhaps, the plum tomato, but he would probably be at … Read more
Lily of Peru and Peruvian lily are old names for the alstroemeria. It’s not a lily, and not all kinds come from Peru—some come from Chile and Brazil. But whatever their origin, they’re wonderful plants for American gardens. The southern half of this country grows like any perennial. In moderately cold areas, you can mulch … Read more
If your community does not have a daylily show, why not start the ball rolling for one this summer? Your gardening friends are probably waiting for someone to propose the idea. Because daylilies do not reach their peak until after the spring flower shows are over, daylily growers often miss the chance to display their … Read more
It is easy to explain today’s great popularity of the hemerocallis or daylily, to use its better-known name, and to understand why interest in it is growing by leaps and bounds nationwide. In the first place, it comes as close to being foolproof as any plant in the garden; it flourishes in almost any sort … Read more
Horticulturist and nurseryman Fairman Furness has been on a sort of busman’s holiday since 1943, when he started breeding daylilies as a pastime. He has kept an account of every cross he has made, and since he’s recorded minute details concerning each plant he has developed, the ancestry of every one of his seedlings can … Read more