Everyone can recall delightful spring pictures of daffodils blooming amid groundcovers of pachysandra, English ivy, or vinca. Perhaps the unforgettable blues of scilla, muscari, and chionodoxa, popping up among covers of earth-hugging spring green, also come to mind. But, in fall, what bulb flowers are there to echo the liveliness of spring bulbs in a … Read more
A low-growing perennial that will grow in either sun or shade is a new variety of ajuga or bugle-weed known as “Rainbow”. Noted for its dark, bronzy-green foliage, which combines shades of cream, pale yellow, green, and pink, with brick-red and purplish-red, it requires no particular care or soil and will grow in places where … Read more
Wherever your particular problem spot—a bone-dry area where lawn grasses shrivel in July heat, a shady spot beloved on August afternoons, a sloping, sandy bank which the least downpour grooves with countless small rivers, a lawn so small that it is hardly worth mowing regularly—there are several attractive alternatives to grass. Beauty Of Groundcovers The … Read more
My Garden was designed for quiet and leisure. No power mower comes into it, for there is no grass to cut. Instead, it is carpeted by a collection of groundcovers. Quiet is there, and at last, I am beginning to achieve some leisure, although leisure is not so easily gained as I had been led … Read more
Oconee bells (Shortia galacifolia) are extremely rare in nature and have an exciting history of discovery, loss, and rediscovery. These are but added allurements to the inherent charm of the beautiful plants. Earliest Hint Of Spring The frilled white blossom cups open on stout light green stems. A gleaming crown rises 3” or 4” inches … Read more
A bank skirting the street can often be a problem spot. Sowing it to the lawn is impractical because of the inconvenience of mowing a slope. Grass and creeping ground covers, like myrtle and pachysandra, remain too low to separate the grounds from the street. A retaining wall involves a heavy expense unless the owners … Read more
In many of our gardens, some situations prevent the successful growth of the rank and file of popular garden plants. Most of us are familiar with such trouble areas as shady spots. wet spots, banks, and the like—areas which mar our gardens’ beauty if left completely bare, especially if they are within view of the … Read more
Most of us are familiar with Portulaca grandiflora, sometimes known as rose-moss. It produces patches of red, yellow, pink, orange, or white flowers all summer in the hottest and driest places and under the most trying circumstances. Purslane (Purslane Oleracea) This same quality of perseverance exists in a near relative of portulaca, purslane (Purslane oleracea), … Read more
A ground cover is a low-growing, often evergreen plant used in place of grass, pebbles, a mulching material, or earth in a spot that might otherwise be unsightly. It often decorates the base of trees and shrubs to keep the roots cool and hold in moisture. It also keeps down weeds and other plants that … Read more