With its crisp petals of delicate texture and elegant form, one gorgeous flower, the tuberous begonia, brings half the color wheel to life in your garden. Any backyard gardener can grow these begonias, for they require only simple care. In our garden, for the little attention we give our plants, we are rewarded with exquisite … Read more
Most of the shrubs featured discussed have been of medium height or even of considerable size, mainly because these fairly sizable types are the most useful in average plantings for the home grounds. An extensive list of smaller shrubs offers subjects of equal merit for a wide variety of locations—some for the same general uses … Read more
No matter what else you have in your garden, a pool will be the center of interest. Perhaps it’s the utter “difference” of water plants, the lure of water, bringing down a patch of the reflected sky into your green lawn, or the intriguing movements of colorful fishes gliding below the lily pads. The combination, … Read more
Perhaps you’re among the numerous people planning to come to Arizona someday. But, if you believe this land is a desert, a picture of sand, cacti, and bleached bones, there is a surprise waiting for you. The so-called “desert” of the southwest is a vast garden of diverse plant forms. However, in the six states … Read more
Thirty years ago, when I made my first trip to Hawaii, it took eight and a half days of calm sailing on a slow passenger ship to span the 2200-odd miles between Los Angeles and Honolulu. Today, the same journey can be made in 8 ½ of smooth flight, so high above the water that … Read more
Winds of hurricane velocity accompanied by heavy rain occurred throughout much of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania during the Thanksgiving weekend. Extensive damage occurred to shade and ornamental trees. In addition to breaking branches and trunks, many trees were uprooted, and others tipped at severe angles. Some of the trees were so severely damaged … Read more
When we look at a photograph of a beautiful flower, we can see two dimensions—height and width. When we see nature firsthand or view it through a stereoscope, depth is added. We need only to open our eyes a bit slider and look a bit closer to see yet another dimension. Perhaps we could call … Read more
A true, although almost unbelievable, is the story of Captain William Bligh and the mutiny on IBIS “Bounty.” As we relive with mounting excitement this significant bit of history, we are apt to forget the purpose of the Bounty’s voyage to Tahiti, which was to take on a cargo of young breadfruit trees and bring … Read more
In the very earliest spring, or even in the late winter, one hears the mournful long-eared owl, plying “his sad song,” and this may be one of the earliest, if not the very earliest, of our awaited songs of spring. All the owls nest very early, between the first of March and the end of … Read more
A rose that has been very commonly grown in the “blizzard zone” of the Canadian and American Midwest is the Banshee rose. Banshee is unusually hardy for a rose of European origin, although it kills the snowline annually in my exceedingly severe district. Its extraordinary hardiness must be attributed to its popularity and the vast … Read more