Shirley Poppies: Their Hearts Were In It
One morning back in 1880, Mr. Wilks, Vicar of Shirley in England, noticed a patch of wild field poppies, one with a very narrow edge of white. He marked it
Landscape
Welcome Birds to Your Garden
Recently while shopping at a garden center, I overheard a salesman suggest to his customer that she add a birdhouse to her purchases, which included insecticides, sprays, and dust. “I’m
Winter Decorations: There’s Variety in Pods and Cones
Wherever you live, there are all sorts of materials within your reach that you can use as winter decorations. Just step outside and let your imagination have free rein. You
The Box Huckleberry: The Oldest Flowering Plant?
Ordinarily, when mention is made of the world’s oldest living plants, we think of the California sequoias. Or we may recall that some bryologists maintain that peat moss plants growing
Rugged Hollies Are Not Hard To Grow
One clear, cold December day, after a light fall of snow, I took a friend to see an unusual holly tree growing in a glade in the woods; You came
Mulch Your Garden with Old and New Materials
In Northern climates, the fall gardening chore that takes top priority over the others is protecting the plants which might not survive the winter. This can be done by applying
I Take Cuttings to Get New Plants
If you grow your new poinsettia plants from hardwood cuttings, you will find that they are easy to root and easy to grow to full, perfect flowers. This is the
The Rock: 51 Feet Around and 4 Feet High
When my wife and I moved to our farm in the hills a few years ago, we found a great rock on the lawn near the old stone farmhouse, over
What Is Wrong With Our Gardens?
Gardens are a little like people. Some have great personalities and charm; the majority make little impressions one way or another. Fortunately, gardens can be changed into what we want
Mulches For Winter Cover
In all the wide range of garden operations, there is probably none less understood than winter mulching. 9 out of 10 gardeners continue to use rule-of-thumb practices—some of them actually