Have you ever been fascinated by the name of a flower, looked it up in your gardening encyclopedia, and meant to order it but never got around to it? That is what happened to Chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides) and me. More than 3 years ago, a good friend of mine who is a gardener on a … Read more
No matter how many roses an enthusiast may have, new varieties are always awaited with excitement. This fall’s introductions are particularly worthy of attention, for they produce not only clearer and brighter colors than many older types but are more vigorous and disease-resistant. New Roses Produced by Armstrong Nurseries These new roses were produced by: … Read more
Over one hundred years ago, Professor Asa Gray of Harvard University, in a series of papers, expounded an interesting aspect of plant distribution: the distinct relationships existing between the floras of eastern North America and eastern Asia, particularly China and Japan. Many genera of plants, such as Magnolia, Liriodendron, Hamamelis, Wisteria, Pachysandra, Chionanthus, and Catalpa, … Read more
Since ancient times, the Japanese have been garden lovers. For them, a garden is a secluded retreat where they find spiritual refreshment beside peaceful waters and living trees. The whole concept of Japanese gardening derives from nature. Trees, shrubs, rocks, and water are used to suggest a natural landscape. When ornamental accessories are introduced, they … Read more
Home gardeners sometimes get the rather erroneous idea that annual larkspur’ cannot be depended upon to do well anywhere except in the equable climate of sunny California. True, in most parts of the United States, the spikes of this dainty-hued, attractive flower seldom reach the height or the size of those grown on the West … Read more
The Hybrid Perpetuals form a link between the roses of the early part of the 19th century and those of today. No other hybrid group can lay claim to so long a span of favor, for although the Hybrid Teas have won top popularity over them in recent years, the Hybrid Perpetuals are still greatly … Read more
Country living and outdoor fireplaces go hand in hand. And so, while it will probably be several years before we’ll be living at “the farm,” we decided at the outset that we should at least plan where our picnic area will be and work out a suitable fireplace for it. It sounded easy. Syracuse is … Read more
Ferns of one kind or another can be grown in practically every situation in the modern home except perhaps in the sunniest windows. This is because, in their native habitats, most ferns grow in dense shade. The choice of ferns suitable for the home is somewhat restricted, however, by the fact that some of them … Read more
Sawdust, I have discovered, is an excellent mulch for daffodils. Its greatest advantage is its almost total suppression of weeds. This has allowed me to grow a collection of 135 varieties with very little care. Anyone who has ever hoed and weeded a planting of several hundred daffodil bulbs can appreciate the elimination of this … Read more
Our first adventure with peonies started almost 40 years ago when we bought a collection of about a dozen varieties. This included: We moved our garden twice in the following years, but we still have most of the original plants. As the years passed, we added many new varieties so that today we have over … Read more