Trends in gardening sometimes result in certain flowers being found less often in American gardens today. Rhododendrons are an example of an old-fashioned flower that has reversed the trend. The rhododendron group is so large (over 800 species and several thousand named varieties) that suitable types can be found for almost every size and style … Read more
It is impossible to overstate the case for junipers in home plantings. No other group of plants so well sets off today’s modern low houses and fills the gardener’s need for an informal, unstudied effect. And their soft and feathery look belies their rugged nature, which makes them just as useful in a windswept corner … Read more
Whoever named the bottlebrush buckeye hit the nail squarely on the head, for the plant’s showy flower clusters look like the tapering brushes used for washing bottles. Aesculus parviflora has other distinctions to recommend it, too—interesting foliage and habit of growth. Bottlebrush Buckeye Features In early summer, graceful and elegant flowers appear in slender panicles … Read more
Sandy soil certainly has its advantages. You can start spring planting earlier than most people, for the soil becomes workable much sooner. And even during a wet spring, the water doesn’t stand in pools, rotting the seeds and choking the air from the roots of your plants. It isn’t wasted in the runoff, either, but … Read more
There are only broadleaf evergreens that I would want to recommend with qualifications for the North. The varieties listed have been grown successfully by a small number of gardeners with unusually protected sites for them and who understand their requirements thoroughly. Throughout most of our region, broadleaf evergreens are somewhat winter hardy. The following list … Read more
Someone recently lamented: “I’m tired of ‘tired blood,’” referring, of course, to the well-known commercial directed at anemic humans. I’ll go one step further: “I’m tired of plants suffering from ‘tired blood.’ Sounds crazy? I’m not, and neither is my statement. Plants can suffer from a condition closely paralleling human anemia. In their case, it … Read more
Economic laws apply in the plant world. Unless you demand unusual varieties, growers will not supply them. So why let these charmers disappear? Profitless Plants To Growers Unless gardeners ask for them, plants become profitless to growers and soon disappear. Some will never be missed. Others are so pretty, so useful, and your garden is … Read more
With building lots growing smaller and houses shrinking closer to ground level every day, it’s time the Japanese lilac tree (Syringa amurensis japonica) came into its own. This little-known member of the lilac family has everything to recommend it to suburban homeowners—outstanding flowers, medium height, and rapid growth. Blooming in Late June or Early July … Read more
Four excellent possibilities are presented here when planting in containers: succulents, carissa, and holly leaf osmanthus, and for an oddity, the scouring rush or equisetum. Pertinent Suggestions For Potted Plants Succulents With succulents, add sand and peat to the potting mix—sand to ensure good drainage and peat to retain moisture. If water runs out too … Read more
The roof garden at the Garden Center of Greater Cleveland, designed and constructed in 1940 by the Garden Club of Cleveland in conjunction with the City’s sesquicentennial celebration, has become an inspiring stimulus to thousands of city gardeners in the area. The Fine Arts Garden in Wade Park contains a wide collection of shrubs, vines, … Read more