Whether you know them because of the sansevieria renaming debate or from owning one in the past, there’s no denying that dracaenas are a popular topic. One member of this genus is often referred to as Dracaena compacta or compacta dragon tree, yet it’s actually a cultivar. Dracaena fragrans ‘Compacta’ has garnered much attention for … Read more
Simplicity is the everlasting charm of English ivy, while other trailing or climbing plants have leaves that are bigger, smaller, rounder, or longer. More brightly colored or uniquely shaped, but not one of them receives the enduring admiration we pay to English ivy—Hedera Helix and its varieties. Many of these are hardy to below-zero temperatures … Read more
I strive for continuous bloom in my greenhouse for 12 months of the year, which I do have. Unlike many others I have seen, my greenhouse is working at capacity the entire year. Like many of you, I am still working. I commute 22 miles twice a day; hence the time I spend in the greenhouse … Read more
Near the head of the list of the world’s strangest plants is one from India that is almost unknown in this country. It is the Bell-flowered Amorphophallus or Elephant Yam, Amorphophallus campanulatus. However, it is not a true yam but a tropical relative of the common calla lily. While the plant is too tender to … Read more
Every garden lover, at one time or another, has had a dream of an indoor garden, a heart-warming vision of plants blossoming throughout the winter. He yearns for the delight of planting seeds and growing cuttings for decorations or corsages, all within the home’s walls. But, unfortunately, most have abandoned the idea with a sigh … Read more
When people are sick, they are sent to the hospital, where under good conditions and watchful care, they recover their health. Every plant lover realizes how much plants are like people, and so most flower grower readers should not think it strange when I say that when plants show signs of ill health they too … Read more
Like stamps, coins, and pressed glass, saintpaulias today are grown on a vast nationwide scale. But it is no longer possible for even the most ambitious devotee to have them all. The plant’s own capriciousness produces an unbelievable number of sports, and this tendency is abetted by commercial growers and amateurs all over the country. … Read more
It is a fact that several plants will bloom with no light except that ordinary fluorescent lights. I tried the experiment last winter despite much advice against it. Everyone I asked said plants would not thrive and bloom without some daylight. But I had various plants bloom in the partial or complete shade, which responded … Read more
When we tell our friends that we grow orchids, they look at us with pity, as if to say, “It’s only temporary insanity – they’ll get over it.” We are not country dwellers blessed with a greenhouse and the ideal conditions supposedly necessary for growing these exotic plants. We live in a New York City … Read more
BILLBERGIA PYRAMIDALIS, an attractive and interesting member of the pineapple family, comes to us from Brazil. It is well known in Florida and California and it should be better known in the North as a window garden plant, for its stiff, bright green leaves endure the adverse conditions of the average home very well. Characteristics … Read more