Like the popular pachysandra, ivy, and myrtle which carpet the bare ground with green, there are indoor-style ground covers that serve the same purpose in a diminutive manner. To the lover of terrariums, dish gardens, and similar small-scale replicas of outdoor plantings, they are indispensable. To anyone who loves the miniature, the delicate, the modest … Read more
Myrtillocactus geometrizans (mir-til-oh-KAK-tus, jee-oh-MET-rih-zans) is an upright cactus that becomes tree-like with age. Native to parts of Mexico, including the Chihuahuan Desert, the plant is widespread in tropical forests and arid scrub. The cactus resembles a candelabra, with its dense growth of stems that grow closely together. In its native habitat, it can grow up … Read more
Don’t burn those leaves. They are nature’s golden gift of autumn. Leaves made into leaf mold make one of the best fertilizers known. It can be used for potting or setting plants, gardens, and flower beds. As a mulch, leaves are especially valuable around acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias. Or, dig them … Read more
Forlorn as the winters outdoors are for color, they are even more lacking in the scents that delight us so much during the other seasons. How much window gardens can add to our enjoyment then if they give perfume as well as color! Flowers For Indoor Gardening The paperwhite narcissus, Chinese sacred lily, hyacinth, and … Read more
It is HARVEST TIME! An autumn chill is in the air, and ornamental gourds hang waiting to be gathered on the fence. Their striped colors of bright green and yellow are most attractive. Their foliage has passed its prime and the yellow blossoms are almost gone. Ornamental Gourds Ornamental gourds are a variety called ovifera … Read more
Pyracantha (firethorn) has been popular in the Midwest for a long time, but the fact that this beautiful shrub resents root disturbance has restricted its wide use here as a winter ornamental. Methods of Propagation Nurseries now have found the source of this trouble, and are using better methods of propagation. The result is that … Read more
Did you know that you can select apple trees to suit the size of your home grounds in much the same way you would choose a thoroughbred puppy? With dogs, the size at maturity goes according to breed, with fruit trees depending on rootstock. Apple Varieties: Rootstocks Apple varieties are grafted on many different rootstocks … Read more
The Huernia [hew-ERN-ee-uh] genus includes perennial succulents from Southern and Eastern Africa. Although they look like they belong in the cactus family, Huernia, first described in 1810, is in the Apocynaceae family. There are roughly 45 species in the Huernia genus. Some popular varieties include: Huernia zebrina Huernia pillansii Huernia primulina Huernia plants can be … Read more
Hoodia bainii was first described in 1878 and is a form of Hoodia gordonii. While the plant resembles a cactus plant, it is a succulent in the milkweed or Asclepiadaceae family. Of all of the Hoodia species, Hoodia bainii is the most common. While it looks like a cactus with its branched and spiny appearance, … Read more
Echinocactus grusonii is a low-maintenance flowering cactus native to parts of Mexico. It was prevalent in the region of Hidalgo until the 1990s with the construction of the Zimapan Dam. Unfortunately, it is now an endangered species in the wild. This cactus plant can grow to form a sizeable spherical globe up to 40″ inches. … Read more