Many noble garden plants serve with little glory but great dependability. It is to this essential “supporting cast” that a valuable trio of shrubby St. Johnsworts belongs. “Why are they so valuable?” you ask. The answers are: Moreover, they fill a variety of roles admirably. Varieties Of Hypericum All species and varieties of Hypericum (pronounced … Read more
Amateurs and professional gardeners throughout the country are conducting experiments with antibiotics in horticulture. In applying them to rose cuttings, I was doing nothing new, nor was I interested in an elaborate test with the ensuing controls and inspections. Rather, I was seeking results prompted solely by my impatience. Natural processes seemed too slow. If … Read more
How fortunate is the child who grows to maturity with memories of an old garden? The memory of my father’s huge, fragrant, old-rose bushes I played under as a child sent me on a thirty-year treasure hunt for roses of bygone days. Many thrills have been mine in collecting these old favorites as I made … Read more
Floribunda roses are gaining in popularity each season and for good reason. Here in Georgia, as elsewhere throughout the United States, we have found that they have unbounded charm in the landscape. There are Iow varieties for bordering walks or fronting small shrubs, medium-tall types for beds and borders, and taller varieties for fronting tali … Read more
Not all of our “Best” ornamentals come from the Orient; this beautiful native American rose is proof of that. A native from Newfoundland to Virginia and westward to Missouri, this rose will grow almost anywhere if a reasonable amount of nutrients and moisture are in the soil. When roses are mentioned, many gardeners think only … Read more
Many kinds of climbing roses are available today. These include eight classes of types (ramblers, large-flowered climbers, pillars, everblooming climbers, climbing hybrid teas, climbing polyanthus, climbing floribundas, and trailing roses), each represented by wide varieties. Climbing roses, as we know them today, form a recent group. The oldest class, dating back to 1895 in this … Read more
During the centuries, the rose has reigned as the queen of flowers. Several distinct types have attained popularity, each, in its turn, considered the acme of rose perfection. Yet, many of the original species of roses and old favorites possess desirable attributes not found in the modern varieties. If their assets were more widely known, … Read more
One of the twentieth century’s miracles is the progress made in scientific plant breeding. Unattractive color, shape, or texture in a flower that is good in other respects are no longer irremediable defects. Still, a challenge to the hybridist to produce a plant in which the desirable qualities of another plant replace the undesirable features. … Read more
Just as each year the consumer looks forward to new models in automobiles, TV sets, refrigerators, etc., the gardener looks forward to the introduction of the new “models” in roses. Since 1850, not a year has gone by without a crop of new roses improved in form, color, disease resistance, and usefulness. Adaptive Old and … Read more
You will be surprised to learn, perhaps, that you may still purchase and grow roses that were brought to Europe from the Holy Lands by the crusaders; or that you may even possess, for less than the cost of the latest hybrid tea roses that Josephine Bonaparte herself grew in her garden at Malmaison! A … Read more