If you have ever traveled by car through the Corn Belt section of our great Midwest, I’m sure you’ve seen signs reading something like “DeKalb Hybrid No. 873,” or “Pfister Hybrid No. 473,” standing adjacent to large fields of the world’s finest corn. Perhaps you’ve wondered at the time why nearly all of the corn … Read more
Lillies are easily a close competitor of guinea pigs as regards the rapidity with which they may be propagated. Practically all species and varieties normally increase themselves by splitting the mother bulb or by forming small bulblets on the underground portion of the flower stem. A few, such as Lillian tigrinum, Myriophyllum, sargentiae, and bulbiferum, … Read more
Although certain phases of all plant growth, cultivated or wild alike, may be mysterious, there is assuredly no mystery attached to wildflowers. For nearly two decades, we’ve been growing wildflowers, bringing them together from all parts of the country until now our living collection embraces some 2000 species, often represented by many individuals raised in … Read more
A bucket of water and pruning shears is all it takes to bring spring into your home in January. Forcing branches of trees and shrubs into bloom requires only the effort needed to cut and bring them indoors. Their higher temperature takes over, encouraging the tiny buds to open in preseasonal glory. When this happens, … Read more
First, let me express appreciation for the many interesting emails regarding this subject. There were too many to answer personally, but I want you to know that plant breeders are working on many of your suggestions and desires. Someday we may have fragrant morning glories to remain open through a sunny day, a true blue … Read more
Plant breeding has always been a fascinating part of gardening. With some flowers, amateur gardeners have contributed much to developing new varieties. This is true, especially of daylilies, gladiolus, and irises. These are some of the more accessible flowers to hybridize. In addition, new generations of these plants bloom relatively quickly. They are also customarily … Read more
It is time to begin bringing the pots of bulbs planted in October out of storage and starting them into production. The pots should be filled to “overgrowing” with feeder roots. The bulbs produce foliage and flowers quickly when brought into a warm place with lots of light. The actual time is ten days or … Read more
It seems very odd that a class of plants such as the Begonias takes such varied growth forms. Plant explorers must have been greatly puzzled by these differences. They often brought them back to the botanists who identified them by their seed pods which constantly show the same similarities. Procumbent Begonias These Begonias with the … Read more
If you like to color in the home greenhouse during the fall months, chrysanthemums are unsurpassed with their wide range of colors and forms. In the garden, they provide the last big splash of bloom before frost time, and in the greenhouse, other more tender kinds carry on with a display that is more riotous … Read more
It isn’t easy to imagine a more varied, interesting, or pleasing lot of plants than is embraced in the genus fritillaria. The hooks tell us there are more than seventy distinct species; some of these, like the checkered lily and the Crown Imperial, are further divided into several named varieties. This diversified group has a … Read more