A wide variety of perennials familiar to gardeners can be found in seaside gardens along our Eastern seaboard. Iris and peonies, phlox and hemerocallis, delphiniums, and chrysanthemums flourish where there is no danger from the salt spray. However, there are much less familiar, but distinctive, species and varieties especially suited to oceanside gardens because of … Read more
1st AWARD: Mrs. Geo. MeCcoch IV Cambridge A Peace Rose “PEACE. ” It’s not a very long word and not difficult to spell. But I do believe that it has stronger emotional significance to more people the world over than any other word—especially at Christmas when the world sings, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” … Read more
A bucket of water and pruning shears is all it takes to bring spring into your home in January. Forcing branches of trees and shrubs into bloom requires only the effort needed to cut and bring them indoors. Their higher temperature takes over, encouraging the tiny buds to open in preseasonal glory. When this happens, … Read more
Plant breeding has always been a fascinating part of gardening. With some flowers, amateur gardeners have contributed much to developing new varieties. This is true, especially of daylilies, gladiolus, and irises. These are some of the more accessible flowers to hybridize. In addition, new generations of these plants bloom relatively quickly. They are also customarily … Read more
During the first warm days of spring, two little woodland companions among our wildflowers, appearing at about the same time, are the dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra Cucullaria) and wild ginger (Asaruni canadense). They are often found growing together, as Mother Nature planted them, on a wooded, rocky, secluded slope. They are rated among the “top 12” … Read more
Ordinarily, when mention is made of the world’s oldest living plants, we think of the California sequoias. Or we may recall that some bryologists maintain that peat moss plants growing year after year from the top and dying off at the bottom may be older than the redwoods. Some students of the lower plants point … Read more
There are a few wildflowers which belong to the plant aristocracy. Lathyrus splendens, Pride-of-California or Campo Pea, is surely deserving of high regard. Why? Just for one thing: it’s a unique black-crimson color. Only the deepest, dark red rose possesses this marvelous, glowing shade. But Pride-of-California dangles masses of this velvety crimson among branches of … Read more
In the midst of Summer, the leopard flower, or blackberry-lily, Belamcanda chinensis, which belongs to the iris family, is bravely opening, continually, a one-day-old flower that is freely spotted with red on orange or yellow, from which the name is derived. Leopard Flower: Native in China and Japan The leopard flower is native to China … Read more
To most people, the name bellflowers mean campanulas, but the late L. H. Bailey expanded the term to include, too, those other members of the family whose flowers are also bell-like the ring bellflowers, such as (Symphyandra), the lady bell (Adenophora), the trailing bellflower (Cyananthus), the balloon-flower (Platycodon), the grassy bellflower (Edrianthus), the bonnet bellflower … Read more
The butterfly bush is among the beautiful Chinese shrubs now growing in our gardens. The Orange-eye Butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii is the most common of the Buddleias. The buddleia was named for English Botanist Adam Buddle. Buddleia plants are compact in growth, often as tall as 8′ feet. The wood is not very hardy so … Read more