Evergreens are expensive, and they have every right to be. A blue spruce six years old ranges between 16″ and 24″ inches. That means six years of pruning, transplanting, and care by the nurseryman. Seedlings or rooted cuttings can be purchased for less than a tenth of the cost of a mature plant. The only … Read more
Why not take a little time to study the evergreens this Winter? Many of us give them little attention during a greater part of the year, chiefly because our time and interests are taken with the more conspicuously colored deciduous materials. Winter is the time, we say, to study the evergreens when there is little … Read more
In recent years, Hollies have taken the gardening public by storm. And why shouldn’t they receive attention after so many decades of neglect? They are not difficult to transplant, as was once widely believed. Nor are they especially slow-growing, provided proper requirements are met. However, pollen from male plants is necessary to ensure the setting … Read more
Now that November, winds have shaken the last leaves from most of our trees. For the shrubbery, the heart of the broad-leaved evergreens gets the spotlight. These attractive plants, with their broad foliage contrasted with the slender needles of pines, spruces, and junipers, play an essential part in bridging the long winter season from fall … Read more
Wherever you live, there are all sorts of materials within your reach that you can use as winter decorations. Just step outside and let your imagination have free rein. You will be amazed at the many unique and interesting items that you will find to lend sparkle to your arrangements and provide conversation pieces for … Read more
It is an easy matter to have a garden here in central New Jersey that looks fresh and lovely in the spring. If water holds out, it will also be attractive in the summer and fall. However, the period from November to April, long and dreary, is not enlivened by flowers unless the gardener makes … Read more
One of the perpetual perplexities of my garden existence is how to tell a Genista from a Cytisus. So when is it a broom and not a broom? Cytisus And Genista It seems that in Cytisus, the flower parts (the “butterfly”) can be pulled apart separately, while in Genista, the petals are somewhat joined at … Read more
One sometimes hears landscape people bemoan the lack of low-growing evergreen material, so much needed now for the new types of low-walled homes. There is quite a hit of lovely material, especially among the broad-leaf evergreens, that has not yet been widely propagated and publicized. A newcomer to the broad-leaf evergreen group is a dwarf … Read more
Yews are one of the most satisfactory groups of needled evergreens for landscape use. Since there are 100 or more named varieties and goodness knows how many unnamed seedlings, we should select with caution the varieties we use. Many spreading forms get far too big for the average home unless we continually cut them back. … 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