Over the last 65 years, the number of cotoneasters available to West Coast gardeners has more than doubled. For many introductions, we must thank the late W. B. Clarke. Graceful Sprays of Cotoneaster Fall after fall, he would bring long graceful sprays of cotoneaster, berried to the hilt, and show them at the monthly meetings … Read more
October is one of nature’s busiest months. Most seeds must be ripened before killing frost. Deciduous trees and shrubs are gradually preparing for winter. Terminal growth is stopping, dormant buds are forming. Falling Leaves In the hardwood forest, we see one of nature’s plans still in operation. The shedding of leaves not only protects trees … Read more
The burning bush or winged spindle tree has been a popular garden favorite in America for nearly a century, but its dwarf, compact-growing variety is unique. Seedlings of Euonymus Alatus About eighty years ago, the Adams Nursery of Westfield, Massachusetts, obtained some seedlings of Euonymus alatus from France and after they were grown in the … Read more
If you could plant a tree in your yard, what tree would you plant, and where would you plant it? #1 – The Maidenhair Tree – Ginkgo biloba This fall, I (Mrs. Hopkins) must start ginkgo or maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) growing by my house—a ginkgo tree that will grow tall and straight and dapple … Read more
Euphorbia milii (yoo-FOR-bee-ah MIL-ee-eye) is a herbaceous perennial in the Euphorbiaceae family. The plant makes a perfect houseplant or an easy garden plant in the right conditions. Euphorbia Milii, commonly named Crown of Thorns, is one of more than 1,600 species in the Euphorbia genus. The species honors the governor of the island of Bourbon, … Read more
Crinum is a wonderful summer-flowering bulb belonging to the genus Crinum and a member of the Amaryllidaceae, also known as the Amaryllis family. The genus name Crinum originated from the Greek word “Krinon,” which means “Lily.” It references the typical characteristics of most plant species, which have whitish flowers. This tender perennial bulb is native … Read more
Is it possible to grow cultivated blueberries in garden soil that have been limed and fertilized for many years? It is both possible and easy, and inexpensive to prepare such garden soil for cultivated blueberries. Growing Culture For Vigorous Plants I have 160 plants of a dozen varieties, but the most interesting blueberry project is … Read more
While the present vogue of yews for house front plantings is an improvement over the earlier “chess formation period” of golden Chamaecyparis, peaky arborvitae, and such, it has brought about a marked degree of monotony. This is not so much a matter of their color, which runs to good deep greens, as it is of … Read more
This lilac, introduced into England in 1909, is a native of Korea and Manchuria. It is an attractive addition to our hardy, deciduous flowering shrubs, well worthy of a space in our gardens. It makes a shapely bush about 10’ feet high. The large panicles bear numerous fragrant flowers, varying from pale lilac to a … Read more
Want to see a Methuselah of a camellia? You’ll find a venerable specimen of Camellia japonica variety Alba Plena in the Johnson Public Library, Hackensack, New Jersey. It’s in the north reading room near the east wall—perhaps the most winning proof we’ve ever seen of the camellia’s remarkable adaptability. By written record, this camellia is … Read more