Seventy years ago, the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station suggested that gardeners try cultivated elderberries as something unusual in a fruiting shrub. A named variety called Adams was offered for introduction through the New York Fruit Testing Association at Geneva, which propagates and tests (through its members) the new varieties selected by the Experiment … Read more
There are many plants of outstanding merit that, for one reason or another, are ignored for years, only to come into style again suddenly. The long-stalk holly (Ilex pedunculosa), a native of China, is one of these. Perhaps because it looks less like a holly than many other shrubs, it has received little attention until … Read more
It is, of course, the Christmas rose, the perennial whose beauty is further enhanced by a legend that is as delightful as the plant. We are told that when the Three Wise Men traveled to Bethlehem, they came across a young girl tending her sheep. When the shepherdess named Madelon heard the story of the … Read more
It is an easy matter to have a garden here in central New Jersey that looks fresh and lovely in the spring. If water holds out, it will also be attractive in the summer and fall. However, the period from November to April, long and dreary, is not enlivened by flowers unless the gardener makes … Read more
Plants growing in poorly drained soils are far more subject to winter damage than those growing in well-drained ones. They also tend to grow more readily when the host leaves the ground in spring. Plants growing in well-drained soil have more luxuriant roots that penetrate more deeply. Such plants are more resistant to low-temperature injury … Read more
Cloud bush (Grevillea paniculata) is one of the many shrubs native to Australia that are at home in West Coast gardens. Like many shrubs from other countries and like a few natives of the Western states, cloud bushes usually flower in response to moisture. Except during its rest months, which on my hill are June … Read more
Camellias make excellent pot plants, and because of certain unusual cultural requirements, they are well adapted for growing on porches and sunrooms that are or can be closed in during Winter. They have been kept in good condition for many years, even to 50 or more with their root systems confined to the limited space … Read more
Of the several hundred species of hawthorns native over the entire United States, one stands out prominently as an excellent ornamental tree. Crataegus phaenopyrum, the Washington thorn, does well all across the country. Dimensions Of Washington Thorn It is seldom for a tree found growing to be more than 30′ feet high. In fact, the … Read more
Every fall and spring, thousands of native trees are dug from our woods for transplanting to home grounds. Usually, this effort is wasted. The trees seldom withstand the shock of poor digging, improper transportation, and lack of proper planting and care. Other causes of failure include: Late spring transplanting after the trees have leafed out … Read more
The word wahoo, refers to Euonymus atropurpureus. The word comes from the Dakota Indian word wanhu, – arrowwood. It is also known as burning bush and spindle tree. The straight, round, smooth, small branches would make good arrows. A plus for the western Indians who used them. Not A Dioecious Plant It is not a … Read more