“Its hidden silk has spun.” These few words, taken from Helen Hunt Jackson’s poem “September,” artfully introduce the lovely Asclepias syriaca or milkweed. Visualizing Asclepias syriaca, you probably think of it as another weed; tall, awkward, and just a nuisance. But there is some good in almost everything if you seek it, and so it … Read more
Early in the growing season, while the plants are not yet in flower, the purple meadow rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum) may be mistaken for the wild Columbine. The two plants often grow in the same moist edges of meadows and timber tracts, and there is a superficial similarity in leaf shape and foliage color. Besides, both … Read more
The star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum, includes many species, none native to this country. Hence, they are known to readers only in the cultivated state. The genus belongs to one of the largest and best-known groups of flowering plants — the lily family, numerous species of which are grown in the home: the garden and the … Read more
Several years ago, when I checked one of the country’s best nursery catalogs, I found over 50 species and varieties of our native wildflowers listed as common garden flowers. Other varieties, such as the lovely new tradescantias, were horticultural or hybrids with native wildflower ancestry. However, there are still many native wildflowers with garden values … Read more
We have chosen the loosestrife, which belongs to the primrose family, as our wildflower of the month. Our common loose-strife, Lysimachia quadrifolia, is a slender, symmetrical flower one to 2’ feet tall. Its lance-shaped leaves are in whorls, and its little star-like blossoms are on delicate pedicels at regular intervals along the stem. It is … Read more
Hybrid tea roses may be pruned lightly this month and weak growth removed. All roses should be given a complete fertilizer for the gorgeous autumn bloom display. Daylilies that have finished blooming and large clumps of the iris may be divided and reset this month. Two easily grown and exotically beautiful bulbous flowers may be … Read more
August is the time to meet your needs in the perennial border for next year. Seed sown now will develop into blooming-sized plants by the next season in most cases, although some varieties require 2 or more years to develop before flowering. Examples of these are: Making A Seed Bed In making a seed bed, … Read more
August is usually our hottest, the driest month. We assume it will be so this year. Our most important job is to continue our maintenance programs of watering, weeding, and spraying. We hope to have our lawns, flowers, shrubs, and trees in good condition to enter the fall season when we expect relief from heat … Read more
August may well be dubbed “Lily month” in the garden since the heaviest blooming period of some of the new garden aristocrats comes during this month. On the other hand, those that flowered during June and July need attention to ensure the next season’s bloom. In addition, many incidental chores need to be taken care … Read more
Early summer is the ideal time to start perennials from seed, and it is an excellent way to increase your store of hardy plants. For the most part, many perennials are easy to raise and require no more care than most annuals. Then, too, in mixed packets of seeds, one often finds new colors and … Read more