In contrast to the needle evergreens, such as yew, pine, hemlock, spruce, and many others, the broad-leaved types are valued for their richly-textured foliage. Many have showy blooms, which add a note of contrast and accent wherever they are used. Since they vary in size and shape, these broad-leaved plants are easily adapted to entrance … Read more
Good soil means good roses. However, what makes soil good is not simple; it is highly complex. \There are three possible sources from which root systems can extract their nutrients: the soil solution, the soil particles, and the readily decomposable minerals. All are equal in importance and relationship to the rose. Therefore, a general review … Read more
Climbing roses are not only magnificent in bloom but versatile as well. No matter how small your garden or backyard is, there is always room for at least one climbing rose. They can adorn the side of a garage, be espaliered against a chimney, used as a screen for a porch, or trained on an … Read more
Where can this tropical gem, the Passion flower, be crowned? It flourishes in the glorious sunshine of the tropics and in locations where winter temperatures reach 20° degrees Fahrenheit below zero and even lower, as it does here in Minnesota. From experience, I have found that the passion vine can actually be grown and enjoyed … Read more
This selected checklist is an enumeration of some of those woody plants which have been found satisfactory in garden plantings near the sea. Familiar aid favorites like barberries, euonymus, privet, honeysuckle, sweet shrub, and many others are not included since most are widely known for their vigor and adaptability. Many of the plants in this … Read more
Busy gardeners are always looking for new finds to make their work easier and to provide a conversational piece for garden visitors. Buckwheat hulls are your answer for an easy-to-handle mulch which is economical, too. Around July first, a new drive goes on — the flower beds are edged, and weeds are removed. Then, depending … Read more
Practically anything that can be grown in our area can be planted in May. A notable exception is the spring flowering bulbs, which are planted in fall. But even tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils can be planted in May if potted bulbs that had been kept in cold storage over winter are available. What Greenhouses And … Read more
My Garden was designed for quiet and leisure. No power mower comes into it, for there is no grass to cut. Instead, it is carpeted by a collection of groundcovers. Quiet is there, and at last, I am beginning to achieve some leisure, although leisure is not so easily gained as I had been led … Read more
If there’s one commodity we won’t be short on, it’s bamboo sprouts. Some years ago, we received it from Beltsville. Maryland station of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some roots of yellow-groove bamboo, Phyllostachys aureosulcata. They grew and grew, and they spread and spread! In fact, they would still be spreading, except that we cut … Read more
During the course of a fairly long garden life, I have often heard gardeners express surprise. When some of their own native plants are transferred to their gardens, they stubbornly refuse to respond to any kindness. Rhododendron Albiflorum While visiting America recently, I learned that Rhododendron albiflorum, from British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, is … Read more