South of the equator, spring comes in September and October. And here in our Northern Hemisphere, fall-flowering colchicum, crocus, and hardy amaryllis can stage a dramatic spring-like show in your garden in late summer or early fall. Unlike any other fall flower, they bring the same urgency and spontaneity that characterize and make spring-flowering bulbs … Read more
Outside of Holland’s Keukenhof Gardens, one of the best displays of tulips, daffodils, and other flowering spring plants is at the 125-acre Sterling Forest Gardens near Tuxedo, N. Y. More than a million blooms here may be seen in a setting that includes 30 square miles of lakes and natural forests. Only 40 miles from … Read more
During summer, when the heat and insects outdoors make us too uncomfortable, we retreat to the living room and console ourselves with our bit of indoor greenery. Our hearth is decorated with several plants, but Hydrosme rivieri, the voodoo plant, is the most prominent. The picture shows it next to our simple old fireplace, which … Read more
As the weather turns warm and spring flowers bloom, the urge to get out into the countryside is strong. Summer vacation is near, so you start planning a trip. FLOWER GROWER travel hounds who search out beautiful garden spots to visit have come up this time with some very special ones. Tulip Time Every year … Read more
You don’t have to be Irish to love the bells of Ireland, Moluccella laevis. Actually, they don’t come from Ireland but are native to western Asia. Everyone who sees them in my garden comments on their novel handsomeness. They have been a longtime favorite with me—not only because of their attractiveness in the garden and flower … Read more
Bulbs are for everyone who grows plants or who arranges flowers. They’re for beginners who’ll give them a minimum of know-how and care and for experts who take great boundless patience and skill. There’s no end to their usefulness as garden plants and no limit to their value as flowers for the home. In early … Read more
This is the time of year when hardy spring-blooming bulbs— snowdrops, crocus, scillas, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and others— brighten the gardens with their colorful blossoms. And the time of year when questions concerning them arise. They are appealing, coming into bloom quickly after a season without flowers. People want to plant some at once today … Read more
One of the most attractive and promising flowering pot plants to come to America in many years is the yellow-flowered Kaempferia decora, a plant known to botany for less than a decade and native to the grassy woodlands of Portuguese East Africa. Kaempferia Decora Roots of this new rare Kaempferia were sent to Europe from … Read more
For an unusual and lovely houseplant, try this coral-red lily-like bulb. It is a near relation to the Guernsey lily of the amaryllis family. It is easy to grow and entirely free from insect pests or fungus diseases. Unusual Shade Of Coral Red Both corolla and stamens are an unusual shade of coral red – … Read more
Several years ago, our hyacinth shrubs (Xanthoceras sorbifolium) had a bountiful crop of seeds in the fall. So we decided to try growing some of these lovely plants from seed. Eventually, xanthoceras grow as high as 15′ feet. The 1″ inch flowers are white with a yellow or red blotch at the petal’s base. These … Read more