On the Pacific coast, where the number of firethorn (pyracantha) varieties is increasing, it is not easy for the newcomer to make his choice. Pyracantha Graberi In California, Pyracantha Graberi, with its vigorous growth and huge clusters of very large glossy, scarlet berries is one of the best. It is one of the hybrids of … Read more
Autumn coloration is not usual in broad-leaved evergreens, but drooping leucothoe, Leucothoe catesbaei, has been liberally endowed with this quality. The change in the season and the attention now focused on evergreens make this species’ rich, purplish, and reddish tones unusually noteworthy. This North American shrub has the same scientific and common name; its namesake … Read more
The abelias, Asiatic and Mexican shrubs of the honeysuckle family, were named in honor of Dr. Clarke Abel, an English botanist and physician. He accompanied Lord Amherst on his embassy to China in 1816 and described many Chinese plants. None of the several species are reliably top-hardy in northeastern parts of the United States. 1844 … Read more
At present, surprisingly few plants native to this country are of any considerable value as food plants. It is worthy of more than passing note that aside from the comparatively few nut trees and such bush berries as blackberries and raspberries in this category, two of the natives that soon come to mind as very … Read more
This low ground cover with a tongue-twisting scientific name, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, is native across the North American continent and in Europe and Asia as well. Not many plants are found over such a wide part of the globe—proof enough that this plant finds many places where it can flourish. It grows on the sandy banks … Read more
Home gardeners sometimes get the rather erroneous idea that annual larkspur’ cannot be depended upon to do well anywhere except in the equable climate of sunny California. True, in most parts of the United States, the spikes of this dainty-hued, attractive flower seldom reach the height or the size of those grown on the West … Read more
These words will be read at the beginning of the fall planting season, so it may be good to consider some improvements in the spring garden, which can be made by planting well-chosen shrubs in the fall. At the outset, however, I must emphasize that only shrubs that have matured and are fit for moving … Read more
With everyone looking for the “new” plants, we often overlook some of our best ones that have been in nurseries for years. This is especially true of shrubs. There are dozens of kinds that are among the most reliable yet are all too seldom used. Cornelian Cherry One of the oldest in years of cultivation … Read more
The spring season is overcrowded with gardening work, and the soil remains wet and cold for a long time in some years. By contrast, in most years, the Fall period is a pleasant time to work in the garden, and it is possible to relieve some of the pressure of the Spring rush by doing … Read more
When nurseries introduced varieties of Japanese taxus, commonly called Japanese yew, it was considered an evergreen beautiful in form and with rich foliage but also hardy and completely pest free. Within a few years, however, a mealybug began to attack them. This pest is easily eliminated by spraying with a nicotine sulfate solution containing dissolved … Read more