Gardens can be full of surprises. A plant that sulked along for months suddenly feels at home and covers itself with glory. Bulbs poke through the soil far from where the gardener is sure he planted them. Such are the joys of the unexpected. Proliferations In The Garden Not the least of garden surprises are … Read more
A new race of hybrid amaryllis has come upon the American scene. Named for its originator, it is called the Buller strain, after the late Arthur C. Buller (1874-1959) of South Africa. Story Of Amaryllis Hybrids The flowers, distinguished for large size and beautiful colors, received their first public viewing this spring in April at … Read more
The lush Polyanthus primroses from West Coast breeders had been so impressive in the garden that two years ago, I decided to try them in my greenhouse for late winter bloom. My choice was the blue shades—huge blossoms toned a rich blue, stitched with gold around the edges and gold in the center too. Starting … Read more
There are yellow lilies, but so far they leave much to be desired. There is Lilium umbellatum, Golden Fleece, and some of the Golden Chalice hybrids of umbellatum-dauricum. But these are upright-facing lilies, and many flower growers do not especially care for this type of lily. They are healthy, vigorous, and easy to grow, and … Read more
As you relax in your garden with a frosty drink, your imagination may be planning for beautiful months ahead on these hot July days. How will your borders look next spring? What to plant? Where? What would make a lovelier spring picture than blue and white pansies at the feet of golden daffodils or a … Read more
Gardens are loveliest when they are planned to have a succession of blooms. Then they are continually interesting, with the flowers of one plant immediately following or overlapping the bloom of another. But, on the other hand, they are not gardens devoted to one plant with a bloom for only a fraction of the year. … Read more
The vibrant colors of Oriental poppies make them one of the most valuable garden perennials. They shrug off the cold, go dormant in midsummer, and burst into a magnificent display that is as breathtaking at several hundred paces as it is at arm’s length in late May and early June. In addition, the foliage is … Read more
To me, primroses are the real aristocrats of those plants that bloom in the earliest spring. They are wonderful when massed in a bed or border. Even when just one or two plants are grown in the shaded rock garden, nestled among other greenery, they will provide a lovely spot of color. Probably the reason … Read more
The lesser-known beauties are like frosting on a cake: no one would construct a garden just from these, but mingled with old standbys like phlox, gaillardia, and summer annuals, they create lovely surprises. A few are hardy far into northern states. Half of the best on my list can be wintered successfully outdoors as far … Read more
Study a few iris catalogs, especially from hybridizers, and you will see that far more remarkable achievements are being made with iris breeding. Once color-crazed, iris hybridizers also concentrate on vigor, disease resistance, and good branching and height variations. All the varieties discussed in this article are vigorous except one or two, which have enough … Read more