Garden plants are shielded against frost and drying winds in various ways. Earth is hilled around roses, boxwood, and exposed broadleaved evergreens are screened with windbreaks, and strawberries are mulched around their crowns with light, airy materials (buckwheat hulls or salt hay) before severe freezing weather arrives. Roses By The Sea Salt spray is so … Read more
An interesting plant worth cultivating for both bloom and foliage is Acalypha hispida, commonly known as the chenille plant. It grows wild in the Fiji Islands and Polynesia. Acalypha godseffiana, a dense shrub with a greenish flower spike, is grown mostly for its cream and green leaves, and another variety, called a copper leaf, or … Read more
A mulch might be described in simple terms as a soil covering. Nature intended the soil to be covered with fallen leaves and decaying or living plants. So, in its broadest interpretation, a mulch would include ground covers of low-growing plants under shrubs and trees. But, it is generally thought of as some form of … Read more
Maybe the Romans were right—the fig tree was a gift from the God of Wine. A fig tree, 6’ to 8’ feet tall and wide, with cool leaves to screen the view yet open enough to admit the breeze, is a delight to behold. Edible Ficus Carica The edible fruited fig (Ficus Carica) is quite … Read more
A speaking—and picking—acquaintance with wild mushrooms can add interest to any foray through the fields and woods and zest to the meal afterward—if you know your mushrooms. More than 4,000 species or kinds of wild mushrooms have been described, and even an expert who devotes a lifetime to their study can hardly hope to know … Read more
Paint a picture with plants to make your home more beautiful, liveable, and enjoyable. Landscaping the home grounds introduces birds into this picture, adding colorful, living motion and the glorious music of bird song. A garden without bird life is an incomplete entity. To make your garden attractive to birds doesn’t mean the home grounds … Read more
Many dwarf ferns seem to have been fashioned especially for rock pockets. They are the loveliest of choice plants in size and their ability to serve so appealingly in softening the abrupt meeting of earth and rock and blurring the outlines of sharp-edged stones. Some, like the bladder fern, will gracefully drape over a rock … Read more
A well-placed tree, thoughtfully chosen, carefully planted, and lovingly nurtured, is beautiful and a fundamental contribution to any landscape plan. Trees are frequently planted to frame a home or to provide its background. By all means, consider these important roles when planting trees on your property, giving thought to eventual size and habit. But supplement … Read more
Those who maintain that roses will not thrive in southern lands because the mild climate allows them too little rest have never visited the “Cote d’Azur” in southern France. Varieties grown here are more fragrant, more beautiful in form, and larger in size than when grown in colder climes. Acres of sun-kissed yellow Mme. A. … Read more
Biennials that flower in one instead of two years grass that stays green during the winter instead of turning brown are only two of the dramatic effects on plants caused by the new growth stimulant, gibberellic acid. Since the first progress report to readers appeared in the May 1957 issue of FLOWER GROWER, research has … Read more