Many landscape gardeners in the sizzling sections of Mid-America have ruefully concluded that tuberous begonias are something denied to them for outdoor garden decoration. Usually they have come to this conclusion after several summers of failure with these beauties. Thank goodness, evidence is accumulating that we have been wrong. Apparently tuberous begonias CAN be grown […]
Stepelia gigantea
A plant of the giant starfish cactus, Stepelia gigantea, occupied an exalted position among the rare plants in my little greenhouse. I had been told that the flower had a slight odor; one person said it was not so bad but that the beauty of the flower would make up for the scent. By and […]
10 Plants for Landscape Design
With Ten Plants you can create 100 looks… and no two will be alike! In landscaping a garden, patio, deck, backyard or front yard you can go a long way without knowing the name of a single plant – if you meet a smart nurseryman. Let’s say you visualize a 6 to 8-foot high screen […]
Knockout Roses Bushes – Protecting their Beauty
It’s easy to keep roses at a state of perfection. Just give them the full array of the things they need: Sunshine Water Good Drainage Fertilizer Regular Pest and Disease Control Dormant Season Pruning to make Fresh new growth come out to replace the old Winter protection as needed When you choose a site to […]
Fuchsias Where in the Northwest Can’t You Grow Them
It is easier to grow fuchsias in the mild summer areas of western Washington and Oregon than other places in the Northwest. However, with a climate adjustment or two, they can be a fascinating hobby almost anywhere. Provide Winter Protection In areas like the Puget Sound many gardeners have brought their fuchsias through the winter […]
One Fruit Tree and Your an Orchardist
One trend for homeowners and fruit trees over the last few years has been the development of a wide variety of fruits on dwarf root stocks. Even the smallest garden can find room for dwarf peaches, apples, pears, and plums. Gardeners have learned to find space for three varieties where only one grew before by […]
Bulbs Plant Them for Garden Beauty Insurance
As far as the gardener is concerned, the word bulb has been broadened to include tubers, corms, rhizomes, and even fleshy rooted perennials. The insurance that these plants give you is in their ability to store sufficient food to make flowering almost inevitable. In some cases such as daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths, the flower is […]
Chrysanthemums for Late Season Color
It’s easy to understand why the chrysanthemum appeals to so many kinds of gardeners. They have the dramatic exhibition types giving long-lasting spectaculars as cut flowers and singles in charming sprays. There are dwarf types the cushion mums creating 10 to 12-inch-high self-supporting mounds of intense color. Chrysanthemums can supply all or most of a […]
Plant Dahlias for Biggest Flowers on the Block
For those gardeners and flower enthusiast who has the goal of growing the biggest flowers on the block , favor the regular tall growing dahlias. Well cared for, they give great returns in floral exuberance – silky-textured reds, oranges, yellows, mahoganies, purples, blues, pinks, whites, in a number of different single and double flower forms. […]
Garden Landscape Designs – More Imagination Where Anything Goes
Your personal backyard garden should be one place where imagination can take flight. It takes courage to let your imagination loose in furnishing your house, or buying clothes, but you certainly should feel free of “what people think” when it comes to your garden. Recently I saw a postage-stamp-size garden that contained three lengths of […]
