Rose development is apparently following a pattern set many years ago when introducing hybrid teas caused home gardeners to discard many old favorites. However, many rose fanciers are again switching their allegiance from one type of rose to another. The present change will probably not be as radical or spontaneous as it preceded it. Yet … Read more
Tranquil and cool and especially beautiful at night — all this may be said of the white garden. Add the quality of fragrance to many, though not all, flowers, and it becomes enchanting. It is reasonable to devote a whole garden to white-flowered material on a large property with room for more than one garden. … Read more
This story interests all lovers of the “queen of flowers.” American gardeners can now grow the world’s finest roses in their yards and gardens with relatively little effort or expense. Each year, more homeowners turn to roses for beauty and almost every landscaping need. The vast increase in the popularity of roses can be attributed … Read more
It is surprising to me that more shrub roses are not grown in our gardens. I feel that even some real “down-to-earth” rose lovers do not realize how versatile, hardy, and easy to grow they can be. They differ from the familiar hybrid tea and floribunda roses in that they are taller and generally produce … Read more
In the harsh, unpredictable climate of the Midwest, the goal of “season-long color” in a perennial border seems completely out of reach. The weather is always going to extremes—too hot, cold, wet, and dry. Against such odds, any dream of pictorial gardening is hardly more than a mirage. Yet it can be done! In East … Read more
As far back as I can recall, we have grown peonies. My father, R. H. Jones, Peru, Indiana, bought his first collection of peonies when I was only three years old. This was the beginning of the hobby he now says has developed into a “horse.” So from the time I was small, I have … Read more
How to hoe depends on the particular ground or reasons for hoeing. If we wish to rid an unplanted plot of big weeds, we must cut down the weeds and break up their roots. This will be all necessary for loose, friable soil free from hard lumps. Troublesome clods can be broken up by going … Read more
Inseparably linked with Christmas and long a favorite winter decoration, the holly has established a claim upon our hearts that sets it apart among evergreens. The startling loveliness of its brilliant berries studded among glossy, dark green leaves, when most trees are bare or unrelieved somber evergreens, places it in the forefront of winter ornamentals. … Read more
Picking fruit at the proper stage of maturity is vital in orchard operations and the home garden. Harvesting when convenient or when labor is available cannot be a guide to the proper picking time. All too often, the fruit of inferior quality, both for storage and the ultimate consumer, results from such practices. Fruit harvested … Read more
If you have decided that you must have a pear tree in your backyard, it is best to find out about the characteristics and uses of the various varieties before you purchase your tree. Some pears are fine for canning but poor for eating raw. Others are excellent, canned, or raw, and still, others have … Read more