There is no closed season on good soil improvement practices for the gardener who wants the best from his land. True, in most places, the frozen ground of winter puts an end to his actual labors, but if he is provident, not before he has planted cover crops in the fall to work for him … Read more
They said when I came to Hillcrest Acres (it was Mudcrest then) that I would never have a flower garden on the heavy, sticky, joint clay. I was almost ready to believe it myself for the first year. It was too dry or too wet to work all the time. I had few vegetables and … Read more
Witch-hazels are among the most typical undercover shrubs of eastern forests. Great diversification in the places where they grow wild offers a good index to their usefulness in landscape plantings. The natural range of common witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blankets the Appalachian Mountain system from the Province of Quebec to Georgia. From the Atlantic Coast, it … Read more
The year 1950 was a good time to tell the story of our great crack willow trees. They began in the spring of 1850 when Grandpa was the pilot, the captain of the crew, on a raft of white pine that floated down the Susquehanna River. His 11-year-old nephew went along. Cuttings were taken from … Read more
Trees have a character like people. Some of them are lovable; others a trifle crotchety. Birch Tree A gray birch, for example, is like a rough, aggressive little fellow born on the other side of the tracks who thrives under tough conditions. It is the first kind of tree to take possession of burnt-out land, … Read more
Proper precautions are necessary for a successful wintering of perennials, bulbs, ornamental shrubs and trees, fruit trees, and berries, where reasonably severe winters are normally expected. Seasons vary, and the homeowner who is just starting will surely get valuable advice from his neighbors who have had many years of experience under similar conditions. Moreover, they … Read more
The lowly shall be great: that has become the destiny of the corncob. It has long been recognized as a useful article for corn cob pipes, as litter for chickens, as feed for pigs, and finally, as a soil conditioner and mulch. The last high estate was reached after it began to be advocated with … Read more
Rock gardening on the West Coast has come a long way. The early English rock garden was likely to be a scaled-down replica of some minute fraction of the Alps, which an English gentleman wished to reproduce in his garden. Although the construction was sound and the plant material superb, the overall effect was not … Read more
When winter comes, we who live in the temperate zone button up our overcoats, don stadium boots, and perhaps even wear earmuffs to keep out the cold. That’s our way of coping with the climate in which we live. But how do plants living in the temperate zone cope with the cold season? Winter Survival … Read more
Just about this time every year, many gardeners face the sudden yellowing of the leaves on many of their plants—especially azaleas, rhododendrons, and roses. There is usually no indication of insect or disease damage, so the immediate reaction is that something is lacking in the soil, even though a regular fertilization program has been followed. … Read more