A Christmas tree may be a fir, spruce, pine, or other evergreens that are common in any particular region. Trees that are most commonly used as Christmas trees throughout the country are spruces or firs. These two make up the bulk shipped to practically all parts of the United States The balsam fir, Abies balsamea, … Read more
Entomologists believe successful agriculture would be impossible without birds. They occupy a unique position among insect and weed destroyers. Their remarkable powers of flight enable them to gather immediately at the sites of insect infestation or at areas where the ripened seed is abundant. Their high metabolism rate, higher than human temperature, faster respiration, and … Read more
Do you know that once there lived in this country, a little Scotchinan who had the such magic touch in his ability to grow plants that he changed a large desert waste into an enchanting paradise that ranks with the world’s greatest—Golden Gate Park? His peculiar genius for over half a century was devoted to … Read more
Willows grow almost universally over the humid parts of the temperate zones and, generally speaking, are held in little esteem by the average person. Yet, in their way, they are indispensable in the landscape scheme. They are especially picturesque when spreading gracefully over a body of water. In the earliest spring their bark suddenly brightens, … Read more
The beliefs and customs are as inextricably linked with Christmas as those which center around the mistletoe. Though many of us know that mistletoe is a plant, few are aware that it is parasitic—one which grows on and at the expense of another plant. The word mistletoe comes from the Greek meaning “tree thief”, as … Read more
Seventy years ago, the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station suggested that gardeners try cultivated elderberries as something unusual in a fruiting shrub. A named variety called Adams was offered for introduction through the New York Fruit Testing Association at Geneva, which propagates and tests (through its members) the new varieties selected by the Experiment … Read more
One morning back in 1880, Mr. Wilks, Vicar of Shirley in England, noticed a patch of wild field poppies, one with a very narrow edge of white. He marked it and saved the seed and, the following year, out of 200 plants, he noted that four or five of the flowers were edged. The best … Read more
There are many plants of outstanding merit that, for one reason or another, are ignored for years, only to come into style again suddenly. The long-stalk holly (Ilex pedunculosa), a native of China, is one of these. Perhaps because it looks less like a holly than many other shrubs, it has received little attention until … Read more
Recently while shopping at a garden center, I overheard a salesman suggest to his customer that she add a birdhouse to her purchases, which included insecticides, sprays, and dust. “I’m interested in flowers, not birds,” she snapped back. She didn’t realize that if just one family of birds came to live in her garden, she … Read more
Wherever you live, there are all sorts of materials within your reach that you can use as winter decorations. Just step outside and let your imagination have free rein. You will be amazed at the many unique and interesting items that you will find to lend sparkle to your arrangements and provide conversation pieces for … Read more