Among bulbous flowers of the world, no genus offers more beauty or variety of color and form than Calochorlus. Unfortunately, only a limited number are currently available to gardeners; fortunately, these are the easiest to grow and among the most lovely. Mixtures are obtainable from several firms and named varieties from one or two specialists. … Read more
Tulips can’t paint your garden with exquisite color from March through May, but many artificial tulip hues from hybridizing tend to clash with one another. Therefore, before ordering bulbs, it is wise to study the varieties offered in color-illustrated catalogs and note pleasing color combinations in the tulip plantings you visit. For color, coordination buys … Read more
The word “can’t” is an anathema to me. So when I was told that camellias “can’t” be grown outdoors in the North, my streak of Scotch stubbornness rebelled. Camellias intrigued me, and catalogs, with long sections devoted to enticing color plates of camellias, offered fuel to the fire. A casual search of weather records indicated … Read more
Hybridizing Daylilies is a simple process which any interested gardener can learn to do,” says Mrs. Sam D. Register of the Valdosta, Georgia, Hemerocallis Society. She is shown above, saving some pollen from a favorite variety for later use. Mrs. Register has been an enthusiastic amateur hybridizer for 15 years and has introduced 25 fine … Read more
Hyacinths are bulbous, spring-blooming perennials belonging to the genus Hyacinthus and a member of Asparagaceae or the Asparagus family. It’s closely related to the seasonal Crocus, summer-flowering Daylily, succulent Agave, and the vegetable Asparagus. The genus name Hyacinth originated from Greek mythology. According to legend, the god of the sun, Apolo, gave the name to … Read more
Of the thousands of Easter lilies grown in the United States several seasons ago, no two individual plants attracted as much interest as those grown by a couple of Fort Lauderdale lady gardeners. Both of these lilies were spectacular. One, grown by Mrs. Berkey Jones, reached a height of 8′ feet tall and produced 36 … Read more
One of the delightful and charming old daffodils is Narcissus jonquilla simplex, sometimes called Queen Anne’s daffodil. Crowing 6″ to 8″ inches high, with thin, grass-like foliage, the slender stems bear several tiny, richly-scented golden-yellow blooms. This dainty hybrid is most appealing and a definite asset to every garden if planted properly. Space Groupings During … Read more
Of all indoor flowering plants, the Amaryllis is one of the easiest to bring into bloom. Amaryllis will flower in water, with the bulb’s base barely touching the water, and in commercial plant fiber, in poor soil, or soil prepared especially for it. Amaryllis are favorite plants with indoor gardeners because of their large, showy, … Read more
There are several seldom seen unique annual flowers which grow best when sown on well-prepared beds in the late Fall or very early Spring. The seeds seem to prefer cool soil and a little freezing and thawing although my Fall-sown seeds come up best when given a light cover of coarse litter. Perhaps this saves … Read more
In recent years I have been experimenting with both hardwood and greenwood cuttings of roses. I have successfully used two modifications of the old-fashioned fruit jar method, and believe that the plants’ development is greatly aided by avoiding disturbance of the roots. This is made possible by rooting the hardwood cuttings where the plants are … Read more