Over the last 5+ decades of growing plants indoors and out, I have been blessed to meet some wonderful landscape designers, growers, houseplant enthusiasts, hybridizers, collectors, plant specialists, and overall lovers of plants.
My knowledge has grown from sharing my plant adventures in collecting plants with others. But I’ve gained so much more by learning from the experience of others. I’ve been fascinated with the trials and experiences from that grand golden age of gardening – the 1940s-1960s.
This was long before we could send an email, snap a picture on our phone or the internet.
Over the past 20+ years, I have read and collected thousands of articles from the Golden Age.
Some of the plants, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and flower varieties you will not find at your local garden center. Other plants have been hybridized and improved upon with familiar names.
The writers in the articles shared their experiences, tips, tricks, success, discoveries, and warnings. Read what they did and throw out the dates. There are plenty of plant care nuggets to learn.
Sharing their learned lessons is a pleasure, and there is much to learn from these plant pioneers.
NOTE: The articles appear with minimal edits. Some plants are no longer available, and others have been changed or reclassified.
For 25 years, Joe Campbell, retired insurance man of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been growing hardy chrysanthemums. Known throughout his area as a winner of blue ribbons, Campbell still improved his methods each year. Summarizing his philosophy of growing mums, he believes a gardener should supervise the work of mother nature and not merely let nature … Read more
Harvey G. Bush is a man who prefers redheads in his African violets, that is. But so far, he hasn’t found one that entirely pleases him. When he began his hobby of growing African violets years ago, Harvey Bush, from Winchester, Kentucky, had two gift plants of standard pink and blue varieties. After reading an … Read more
Editors Note: This article was first published in 1961 but does give us some history of growing Camellias. The fame of camellias in the deep South and along the Gulf Coast has been worldwide for more than a hundred years. The magnificent old plants at Magnolia, Middleton and other long-established gardens in very mild regions were, … Read more
Cardiocrinum giganteum is one of the largest and most spectacular of all lilies. It grows to 10’ feet or more and bears as many as 20 to 30 blooms to the stem. The flowers are semi-pendulous trumpets, about 8” inches long, white with purplish-red striping inside. The large glossy leaves average about 15” inches across. … Read more