The amateur gardener is now faced with the annual problem of digging and storing his tender Summer-flowering bulbs. He knows that failure to lift them, except for a few varieties that may be saved by adequate protection, will mean certain death to them. Summer Flowering Bulbs For storage purposes, the Summer-flowering bulbs may be classified … Read more
When the willows are gardening and the rosy blush of maples sweeps over hills and swamps, daffodils bloom in equal glory in your garden. Of course, you must put them there, and if you have not already attended to it, now is the time to plant. Even in a small garden, there is space for … Read more
Garden roses vary in their endurance to winter conditions. Shrub and rose species are generally the hardiest and require no protection, even in the coldest sections of the country. In regions where the temperature is likely to reach zero, growing the bush roses will likely need protection. If the temperature goes below zero, then protection … Read more
Dry off achimenes after they’re through flowering by gradually reducing the water you give them. When they’re completely dried, remove the top of the plants and store the scaly rhizomes in the container in which they were growing. The best storage spot is under the greenhouse bench or in a cool room where the temperature … Read more
Color is the key to winter cheer. Few plants give you more concentrated brilliance than the bulbs you see here, so plant some this month as insurance against midseason blues. Unusual but easy is Veltheimia forest lily. Even when it is not in flower, its rosettes of waxy green leaves are decorative. Veltheimia likes a … Read more
The winter windowsill gardener, working to refute the snowy weather outside, does not usually like to cut the sparse blooms from a cherished house plant. The right flowers are not always obtainable, nor does everyone have a greenhouse in which to grow. Yet, it is fairly easy for most of us to grow flowering plants … Read more
The gentian family is one of the smaller plant families, containing only 70 genera and about 800 species, but it is certainly one of the loveliest and most fascinating. In North America, we are fortunate to possess no less than 18 genera and 110 species of these beautiful plants. Included in this group are the … Read more
Late fall is tulip planting time in the South. Great tulip shows and tulip study clubs have been held and organized there, and the first president of the National Tulip Society was chosen from the South. There was a time when the center of tulip culture was considered to be in the Eastern and Central … Read more
Imaginative home gardeners are discovering that the fragrant hyacinth with its rainbow set of colors need not be confined to formal beds as in Victorian times but lends itself to planting in many areas outdoors around the contemporary home. And for winter enjoyment and indoor decoration, hyacinth bulbs may be grown in pots of soil … Read more
The first tiny bloom peeping through the ice and snow proves that winter’s strength is broken, that the earth is warming, and that spring is near. Often, in my West Virginia little bulb garden, Iris Danfordiae is the first to proclaim the joyful news of spring. This rich-yellow elfin iris sometimes appears as early as … Read more