Cardiocrinum giganteum is one of the largest and most spectacular of all lilies. It grows to 10’ feet or more and bears as many as 20 to 30 blooms to the stem. The flowers are semi-pendulous trumpets, about 8” inches long, white with purplish-red striping inside. The large glossy leaves average about 15” inches across. … Read more
Tulips If you bought tulip bulbs early in the season and placed them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator (not the freezing compartment), they are ready to plant now. Two to three weeks of chilling helps to give larger, longer-stemmed flowers. There is still time to buy tulip bulbs and refrigerate them properly before … Read more
Get Ready for Winter By November first, either we’ve had “it,” or we are waiting for “it.” “It,” of course, is the first hard freeze. One fact we do know – we never escape November without a freeze. If delayed, it is usually harder than if it comes early. Now is an excellent time to … Read more
Autumn color Sometimes, trees in the Southwest lack fall color, but this is only true where no provision is made in the garden for plants with bright autumn hues. Sweet gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, is a blaze of color every year. Leaves turn a mottled red-yellow, and orange color that puts a maple to shame. Ginkgo, … Read more
Fall Lawns This is a good time to kill next year’s crop of common chickweed, Poa annua, and crabgrass. First, apply a pre-emergence crabgrass control after October 15. This will kill tiny seedlings of winter annuals like Poa annua and common chickweed (now germinating), and next spring will work equally well on crabgrass. Fall-seeded lawns … Read more
Northeast includes: Pennsylvania Tomatoes Keep your eye on the frost reports; the first one will kill the vines and spoil the fruit. If frost threatens, pick all tomatoes; every green one showing the slightest tinge of white at the end will ripen indoors. If you have space, uproot the plants and hang them in an … Read more
These brave little plants often endure the hardships of wind, rain, and late snow to forge their way into the Spring landscape. For most of us, there are but two species of scillas: Scilla sibirica and Scilla campanulata. But more than 80 species have been classified, and 30 or more species and varieties are commercially … Read more
Ixias are great favorites on the Southern Pacific coast, where climatic conditions closely approximate their native home in South Africa. There are about 25 sorts found in the Cape of Good Hope area and possibly more. In California, they have no rivals in popularity among the late Spring-blooming bulbs after the crocuses and freesias have … Read more
Question: Which of the Spring flowering bulbs must be put in early, and which can wait until later? Answer: All the narcissi, species and varieties, and the small bulbs, such as crocus, snowdrops, scillas, chionodoxas, and grape hyacinths must be planted early – in September – or early October to make root development before cold … Read more
Summary: Forcing bulbs to add a splash of spring color indoors during winter needs to be “planned.” This article will help you get started in the world of forcing color with bulbs. Forcing bulbs needs to be a “planned event.” Late summer is the time of blue skies, russets, golds, and reds, dreamy, hazy, lazy air, … Read more