American persimmons—those tasty fruits for home gardens. Wide-named varieties are now available as grafted trees, including some that yield sweet fruits weeks ahead of autumn frosts. And we have found, contrary to popular belief, that frosts are not beneficial to persimmon quality. Two Best Early Persimmon Varieties Two of the best early varieties are Penland and … Read more
Bodnant, near Conway on the north coast of Wales, is one of the world’s great gardens. Even in Great Britain, there is nothing to compare with it. A series of broad terraces, with a vast panoramic view across the Conway River to the lofty mountains of the Snowdon Range, makes a dramatic setting for a … Read more
Rocks, pastel drifts of miniature bloom, trickling water, and green shade – all so well placed that all suggestion of design is lost in the satisfying whole – that is Allwood, woodland rock garden of Leonard J. Buck at Four Hills, New Jersey. This garden, still in the progress of construction, is currently attracting the … Read more
Fences have taken a new turn to accommodate our nation of privacy seekers. For all our front of togetherness, most of us have a real desire for our hit of the secluded world beneath the sky. A good fence can accomplish this and much more. The redwood at left makes a striking backdrop for a … Read more
Many of the old gardens around Charleston, West Virginia, have beautiful red-berried American hollies, Ilex opaca, at Christmas time. I envied them but, living in a rented house, did not want to put much money into planting. My Holly Plants Arrived One day, though, some 19 years ago, I saw an advertisement for small male … Read more
What is a weed in one country is a choice garden plant in another. The evergreen euphorbia of Europe, Euphorbia myrsinites, is one of the few evergreen species truly hardy to zero cold. This genus ranges from little weeds to tropical succulents of tree size and includes poinsettia and that spiny vine, crown-of-thorns. Myrtle Euphorbia’s … Read more
“If you have seen a Japanese snowball bush forming a white and green curtain against a weathered stone wall, you know how effective a wall shrub can be. Various flowering and fruiting shrubs submit to this type of training, giving the gardener with limited space a chance to grow more of the things he likes. … Read more
Gardening is fun and should be kept that way. Gone are the days when chores like preparing the soil, mowing the lawn, trimming the hedge, cutting off the whiskers around the edges of lawns, trees, and fences, cutting brush, or moving heavy loads have to be hard work. Now you can breeze through mowing several … Read more
Martins and tree swallows are friendly birds that like people. They feed while on the wing, eating thousands of flies, mosquitoes, moths, and many other insects. We should do everything we can to encourage them to live in our gardens. Martin’s Nest The martins will nest in houses as low as 7’ feet above the … Read more
I have a small fruit garden, which means more to me than a big orchard. But, at certain times of the year, it is as delightful to look at as a lily garden or a rose garden. What can be more beautiful than a shapely fruit tree in blossom with all the fullness of its … Read more