Since the natural aromatic oils of garden herbs are most bountiful in August, this is the ideal time for your harvest. You will want to choose a clear, sunny morning when the dew is gone, and the noonday sun cannot rob the plants of their oils. For an early start, you must have your tools … Read more
For a real treat this winter, why not freeze your home-grown corn right on the cob? In the first place, I believe that this method produces the finest-flavored frozen corn. The second place is the easiest way to freeze corn. Freezing Method Cutting the kernels of a large quantity of corn direct from the garden … Read more
By planting tubers of Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus), a colorful plant may be added to the shrubbery border, or to brighten a corner of the garden. This sunflower grows 6’ to 8’ feet high. In autumn, it is topped with many clusters of gay, golden-yellow, daisy flowers, 2” to 3” inches across. In my shrubbery … Read more
As American as firecrackers on the Fourth of July is Phlox paniculata, and a garden full of it blooming is as exciting as the soaring skyrockets the furled buds suggest—or as restful as a hammock in the shade. Its colors range from the purest white through pink and rose to intense red, from lavender and … Read more
Good gardening consists of far more than setting plants in the soil. One of the best gardeners of the last three score years said, “It is thoroughness, thoroughness, thoroughness that I preach. The cheapest and best of investments— the gardener’s richest capital.” Reginald Farrer wrote these words, and as he was acknowledged to be one … Read more
If you consider fine food one of life’s pleasures, you are probably aware that there is no substitute for tender, succulent vegetables right from your garden. Not only is the flavor finer when picked before it fully matures, but you can also plant better varieties, often neglected by commercial growers. Their main interest is a … Read more
Everyone who plants a garden learns to know and love daffodils early. However, it still comes as a surprise to learn that more than 11,000 varieties were listed in the 1954 edition of the Royal Horticultural Society list. However, the newest list has eliminated the names of 4,000 that no longer exist or are of … Read more
Strawberries are an integral part of the home vegetable garden, and they can be expected to produce satisfactorily in well-drained soil that yields good vegetables. Twenty-five plants will supply more than enough berries for the average-sized family because one or two quarts of berries can be expected from each plant that you set out. Early … Read more
While the beauty and praises of common, tall rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) are often sung, so far, little light has been shed on the rare dwarf rosemary (R. prostratus). With miniature plants now in the limelight, it is surprising so few gardeners have discovered this versatile herb that grows both inside and outdoors. Nurseries specializing in … Read more
Any gardener living near the seashore has a tremendous treasure chest of free fertilizer merely for the taking—seaweed. Not only does it contain the trace elements necessary for normal plant growth, but also it is a valuable source of the major fertilizer elements. Any seaweeds that wash up on the beach in quantity can be … Read more