When a friend sent me a strange-looking creeping rhizome labeled tydaea, it seemed that the loosely put-together little white tuber could never produce a spark of life. But, I planted it ½” inch deep in a light mixture of sand, peat, and good loam. The soil was moistened, and I set the pot away in … Read more
Every so often, growers herald a new begonia. Sometimes it comes from a distant land, but it is often a hybrid introduced by specialists. Few of us realize how much work and meticulous care is involved in its production. New Hampshire Hybrids “Semperflorens Begonias” Many begonia growers have heard of Professor W. D. Holley’s work … Read more
Achimenes longiflora is a perennial herbaceous plant. The genus comprises about 30 species, of which most are native to South America and some to Mexico. Some species are widely grown as ornamental plants in the garden or elsewhere for their attractive flowers. They have been cultivated for centuries in their native region and were introduced … Read more
Cineraria, also commonly known as the “first flower of the spring,” is a tender perennial flowering plant belonging to the Pericallis genus and from the Asteraceae family, also referred to as the aster, composite, daisy, or sunflower family. Cineraria is a hybrid plant of two Pericallis species, namely Pericallis cruenta and Pericallis lanata, which are … Read more
It’s fun to grow perennials from seed. And besides, it’s bright! You can have more of them and a far greater variety at a meager cost. Of course, raising perennials from seed takes a little more care than it does to set a purchased plant in the ground. But to a natural gardener, that too … Read more
If you’ve never grown fuchsias from seed, you must await an experience that will bring great satisfaction and startling surprises. A package of reliable fuchsia seeds may give you as many varieties as there are seeds. Perhaps one or more will be a new creation worth naming. The most reliable seed is from cross-pollinated flowers … Read more
Modern bearded iris is probably the most spectacular and desirable of all late-blooming spring perennials in eastern Massachusetts. The flowers are large, of beautiful form, and in magnificent colors ranging from black purple through the spectrum to pure white, including the newest color break approaching true pink. These are a far cry from the rather … Read more
Frequently I wear a little white gardenia on nothing more formal than a cotton house dress. No, I don’t live in the South, and I’m not wealthy or self-indulgent, and, alas, I have no secret admirer! I grow my gardenias and am surprised to find that most people think me a double-green-thumbed marvel to be … Read more
Tuberous begonias are the most glamorous and colorful of all plants suited for summer culture outdoors in the shade, and they are not difficult to grow. They are available in various forms, colors, and sizes of bloom. There are single- and double-flowered varieties that may be plain, crested, ruffled, or fringed. They have almost every … Read more
Why don’t my plants flower? Probably this plaintive question is raised oftener than any other that has to do with gardening. As likely as not, too, the complaining gardener will say that he gives considerable attention to fertilization, watering, and cultivation, but still, his plants do not flower as well as those in his neighbor’s … Read more