When “the days begin to lengthen and the cold begins to strengthen,” one draws up close to a blazing fire and settles down with a book for a cozy winter’s night of relaxation. Now and then, as you add a fresh log to the fire, pause a moment and examine it. If the outer bark … Read more
Generally speaking, the fruit of the Washington hawthorn, Crataegus phaenopyrum, is not eaten by birds in the fall or early winter. And therein lies its great value. By January or February, mellowed and softened by the rigor of cold weather, it becomes a boon to such fruit eaters as crossbills, pine and evening grosbeaks, cardinals, … Read more
Few rose lovers realize how versatile shrub roses can be. The value and use of the popular bedding type roses are well known, but other members of the rose family deserve more consideration for decorative garden purposes. Under the heading “Shrub Roses” come the species, the old roses, and a few moderns. Indeed they are … Read more
Everyone knows that birds often return to the same spot year after year to build their nests. We wonder how they can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles over land and sea to the warmer lands of the South and then return the following spring to the same little patch of northern woodland or … Read more
In the days of the old South, there was an herb called provincially, Citronalis, one of the most treasured of all of the grandmother’s sweet-smelling herbs. In recent years, the name has been changed to lemon verbena, and it is so generally known today. Lemon Verbena’s Characteristics The bloom of this herb is inconspicuous, but … Read more
Why old-fashioned roses? The answer will not be found in a catalog of names or repetitious advice on planting and priming, all essential for happy shrubbery roses. We suggest, instead, an air of old-fashioned interest. Through carelessness, someone said, we cut ourselves off from intellectual resources. Many still think of caring for old-fashioned roses as … Read more
Pruning may be defined as the art and science of cutting away a portion of the plant to improve its shape, influence its growth, flowering, and fruitfulness, and improve the quality of the product. Pruning Improvement Experiments have demonstrated a definite improvement in fruit size, color, and quality in response to pruning. These three factors … Read more
Dessert plants (like desert scenery) are not everybody’s dish. Some people just can’t stand the thorny, prickly, touch-me-not things. But for a lot of us, they have a special charm due partly to the endlessly varied queerness which makes them the eccentrics of the vegetable world. Even more important is the startling improbability of their … Read more
Well-chosen plant materials and the birds attracted by them do much to brighten the often drab days of midwinter. Black Alder: Winterberry A good example is a black alder or winterberry (Ilex verticillata) whose fruits show red in September against their own foliage and continue the display long after the branches are bare. The berries … Read more
This is the month for seed catalogs. They greet us with alluring pictures of dainty bulbs, astonishing varieties in annuals and perennials, gorgeous colors, new odors, and flavors quite unsurpassed. As we sigh with pleasurable anticipation and settle to study and enjoy, eagerly looking ahead to that first day of planting. Let us look for … Read more