The insect world is mysterious. It is amazing to see how insects fit into the pattern of this planned world. We soon discover that some are friends and others are foes. Wild and domesticated bees are friends. Besides the fact that a bee stings, what else do we know about this insect which has such … Read more
While their flowers bring beauty to our borders, their roots supply nitrogen to the soil. Too few gardeners are acquainted with members of the pea or pulse family, many of which grow in my rock garden and border. All excite inquiries and enthusiasm from visitors. All are hardy, long-lived, and easy to grow, needing little … Read more
The gardener who burns all his leaves, grass clippings, weeds, and small prunings is destroying valuable soil material. Material that would have added fertilizer to the soil and improved the structure. Material that would have aerated a heavy clay soil or helped a too-sandy soil to retain much-needed moisture. Do you think of soil as … Read more
Some folks try turning their home grounds over to a “garden-sitter” while away. A friendly neighbor may feel sure he can provide the necessary care for the few weeks of your absence. Perhaps that nice young fellow who does odd jobs for summer employment will take on the responsibility of groundskeeper. It’s a quick, easy … Read more
Needless confusion results when words are used improperly. This is as true in gardening as in law or chemistry. In gardening, the one word most often misused is sour, meaning acid. However, acid soil is not necessarily a sour one. A sour soil is so poorly drained that it is often water-logged. In addition, it … Read more
If you want to grow something different, try miniature popcorn, the red-headed glamour girl of Zea Mays everta. It pops, it’s decorative and easy to grow. However, it doesn’t grow nearly as high as an elephant’s eye, so you may plant it in next year’s small garden or even in a bed or border. Growing … Read more
Many of us who yesterday thought we were competent gardeners have been intimidated by the constant barrage of new facts and figures about insecticides, wet sprays, dry sprays, slug baits, weed eradicators, grass deterrents, plant vitamins—the list is endless. And there seems to be a conspiracy afoot to mechanize us right out of our own … Read more
When he first sees the white cliffs of Dover gleaming in the distance, the bosom of the homecoming Englishman is supposed to swell with pride. Mine does not. It swells with unmitigated hatred. Not because I have anything against England, but because I have everything against chalk. Or, as the gardener prefers to call it, … Read more
Senior citizens who reside in Cleveland, Ohio’s Golden Age Center, are helping to develop a great arboretum in the nearby community of Mentor. “Never too old to learn” is the maxim of this unique group of “golden age” gardeners who travel by station wagon each week to the Holden Arboretum, located in the heart of … Read more
Sometimes when there is a lot of work to do in the vegetable garden, and it’s hot, and I’m tired, an old question comes to mind. Is it worthwhile, in this day of supermarkets and “pre-packaged everything,” to grow your vegetables? Then I come to my senses and remember that no market—super or otherwise—can match … Read more