During the first warm days of spring, two little woodland companions among our wildflowers, appearing at about the same time, are the dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra Cucullaria) and wild ginger (Asaruni canadense). They are often found growing together, as Mother Nature planted them, on a wooded, rocky, secluded slope. They are rated among the “top 12” … Read more
Looking back on the year in my garden, it was extremely cold all last winter. Many plants I expected to be damaged by the cold were not, and they bloomed prolifically. Confederate Jasmine Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) bloomed floriferously. None of my old tea roses were damaged without protection, not even the more tender ones … Read more
Camellias cannot be surpassed by any of the broadleaved evergreen shrubs in all those areas where they may be grown as garden plants. Any garden in which they are used freely is lifted out of the commonplace, and even a single specimen improves its own surroundings. Various Uses Of Camellias Camellias make good specimen plants … Read more
Rigidly straight, formal, statuesque, and densely needled, the Colorado spruce (Picea pungens) is one of America’s most unusual conifers. In its native home among the Rockies from Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado southward to New Mexico, it may tower 100′ feet above the ground, for it is a high-country tree and would have little use for … Read more
The Wandering Jew has been a popular houseplant for generations and why wandering jew plant care has been shared. It is an attractive container plant with a trailing habit that produces small, bright flowers, and can also be used as a low-maintenance ground cover if it is protected from frost. The handsome leaves have long … Read more
Persian Parrotia is one of our gardens’ most interesting woody plants. Brilliant foliage coloration makes this tall shrub or small tree particularly distinctive in the autumn. Parrotia: Witch-Hazel Family Parrotia is a member of the witch-hazel family bearing close resemblance to these winter-blooming shrubs and fothergillas. Like other hardy and interesting plants in this family, … Read more
Ever since I contracted “gardening fever,” I dreamed of a “careless garden,” devoid of much of the backbreaking labor and constant attention my friends found necessary to maintain their home grounds. Imbued with this idea from the first, I planned my garden to provide year-round color, using only plants that require a minimum of care. … Read more
Actually, a house built on a slope need not be a problem for the owner who tackles the job after carefully studying all angles. Part I of this story of the October issue of “Horticulture” tells how to make slopes stable. In Part II of this story, Dr. Viertel discusses moving the soil, grading, and … Read more
Mention of holly brings visions of red berries highlighting sprays of dark green, shiny leaves, imparting to door, mantel, or table the aura of Christmas joy. But holly means far more than familiar holiday sprays. It means stately, dense evergreen trees, hedges of unequaled beauty and utility, low thick shrubs, deciduous trees, and even golden … Read more
All too often, the rose catalogs use the word “hardy” to describe roses that cannot survive the average northern winter without careful protection. Unfortunately, this is likely why many gardeners decide they cannot grow them. They buy rose plants described as hardy, then the plants die the first winter, and so the conclusion is that … Read more