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
Man has always been impressed by the large and showy—and fallen in love with the small and charming. The stately lily may receive much admiration, but it is the tiny hoop-petticoat daffodil that brings him to his knees. Elegant Tree Peonies The “butter man” may ignore the elegant tree peonies in our yard but be … Read more
Lilies are members of the Lilium genus. What could be a more straightforward answer to the question posed by the title than that? But within that simple description is a wealth of possibilities. Divisions typically distinguish lilies. Here are a few examples: Division I contains the Asiatic hybrids. The flowers face upward and have no … Read more
Trumpet lilies announce themselves with bursts of color. Though given an entire division (Division 6 in the official catalog), these are not ‘purebred’ lilies but a hybrid derived from Asiatics. Nevertheless, they are worthy not only of a division but of all the attention they get. The name comes from their shape, which has the … Read more
Nothing makes me feel more like an artist than a bag of spring bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and all the fascinating little ones—scillas, snowdrops, and chionodoxas—are like paints for my brush, or rather my trowel! I’ll plant generous quantities this fall so next April and May my garden will be full of spring. It’s … 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
For those of us who must keep a hand in gardening even though the ground is frozen outdoors, there is nothing so enjoyable as paper-white narcissus. They are vigorous and do well in just water and pebbles. Even if you live in a city apartment, you can easily force narcissus. All you have to do … Read more
Before the settlers and the plow came, camassias were in countless millions in all the moist meadows and valleys throughout the Far West. Were it not for the plow and grazing, and all such spots would be a sea of white or cream or blue or purple in season, but, naturally, the settler would turn … Read more
Experienced gardeners prefer fall planting. Not for all plants, but for a great many that the beginner seldom thinks of setting out except in spring. Unless you are in a very cold section of the country, roses planted in fall take hold better than spring-set bushes. So do most fruit trees and bushes, other deciduous … Read more
Although many of us paid dearly for fall planting this past year, fall is still one of the best times, if not the best, to plant in many areas. Unless there is a bad wind problem or a very early winter, fall-planted plants have a chance to get started next spring and maybe even this … Read more