Glamorous greenhouse mums can be grown outdoors. An enthusiastic group of backyard gardeners in St. Louis, Missouri, proves it. Although none of these enthusiasts use identical methods, they all manage to coax prodigious bloom from small plantings. And, remarkably enough, the fancy big mums are proving to be about as cold-resistant as the so-called hardy … Read more
Do you have “chrysanthemania?” There are several symptoms: The quickening of the pulse when standing in front of a display where the big mums are “showing off” in the fall and the feeling of envy when a fellow gardener casually shows you an exhibition size mum they have grown in their garden. There’s no absolute … Read more
The chrysanthemum is a short-day plant. That means it will set buds only after the days begin to shorten. That, in turn, means its flowers will not be ordinarily mature until autumn. And this means that in many cases, frost will destroy the flowers or even prevent there from being any flowers at all. This … Read more
The biggest moment in the life of a chrysanthemum comes the day it wins a blue ribbon at a flower show. Its life starts as a cutting taken from a healthy stock plant sometime between May 15 and July 15. Then constant care for the next 2 months or more on the grower’s part brings … Read more
If luck is with us – in the guise of lovely, sunny weather—this will be one of the busiest and one of the most enjoyable outdoor months of the year. Just to name a few of the chores: All hardy and half-hardy annuals and vegetables to be seeded Lawn feeding and reseeding to be attended … Read more
April is daffodil time. When the bright flowers appear, appraise the varieties you have and look over the plantings of friends and neighbors for ideas on the new kinds to plant next fall. Many brilliant ones have been put on the market in recent years. Be on the lookout for the short-cupped type, which comes … Read more
The Southern gardener is really kept busy this month! Seeds of annuals and vegetables should be sown and perennials divided and transplanted. In some areas, March is the best time for starting a lawn. And, also, the battle against insects and diseases begins in earnest this month. Protect Roses from Black Spot In most sections … 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