Shade Trees How to Select and Care for Them

Trees for shade should be planted only after thoughtful selection, for those that may be very suitable in June may be less so in August. The Linden and the Mulberry are delightful trees when they come into leaf, but in July and August the former may make everything near by dirty with dripping honeydew, and in August and September falling […]

Tree identification Broadleaf trees

Information pertaining to broadleaf trees.  Listed below are common trees with care facts. ACER Most maples thrive on lime and chalk, including British natives and those commonly planted. The Chinese species, such as AA, capillipes, davidii, ginnala, griseum and rufinerve, make a splendid display in chalk gardens. A. palmatum and its cultivars need more fertile soil. The American A. rubrum […]

Growing Guide for Echinops – Perennial Plant

From the Greek echinos, a hedgehog, opsis, like, referring to the spiky appearance of the flower heads which resemble a rolled-up hedgehog (Compositae). Common Name: Globe thistle. Hardy herbaceous perennial and biennial plants for the border. Species cultivated (All perennial) E. bannaticus, 2-3 feet, violet-blue globular heads of flowers, summer, Hungary. E. humilis, 3-5 feet, large blue heads, September, Asia; […]

Heuchera – Perennial Plant, How to grow

How to grow Heuchera Named in honor of Professor J. H. Heucher, 1677-1747, a German professor of medicine, and a botanist (Saxifragaceae). Alum-root. A genus of hardy perennials with dainty, small, bell-like flowers in loose panicles which are produced over a long period, blooming on and off from spring through to autumn. The leaves are evergreen and the flowers are […]

Gardening Guidance for Delphiniums

Hardy perennial and annual plants of varying heights which bloom in June and July chiefly; the original species or wild types from which the modern beautiful varieties are descended are natives of California, Siberia, Syria, India and other countries. Delphinium Ajacis, originally from eastern Europe is one of the plants from which the annual Larkspurs have been raised. Delphinium belongs […]

Herb Gardening – Harvest, Design, Storing Herbs

The form and size of a herb garden is determined by the interest these plants hold for the individual. It can be a tiny border of commonly used culinary herbs such as mint, parsley, sage and thyme or an elaborate garden designed to house a wide collection of herbs. Many plants could legitimately be included in one of these large […]

Lupine – Perennial Plant, How to grow

From the Latin lupus, a wolf (destroyer), because it was thought that the plants depleted the fertility of the soil by sheer numbers (Leguminosae).  Lupine. A genus of over 300 species of annuals, perennials, and subshrubs, mainly from North America, though there are a few Mediterranean species which, since Roman times, have been used for green manuring. This is surprising […]

Garden watering: when and how much

WATERING A lawn and garden is a tricky business. Knowing when and how much is two-thirds of the job. When depends upon the soil and the rooting characteristics of the plant involved, how much will be governed by the amount of soil that is dried out. An actual inspection of the soil in the root zone of the plant is the […]

Hardy Ferns, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers

Hardy Ferns – Shield Fern, Hay-scented or Gossamer Fern, Lady and Male Ferns, Royal Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Walking Fern, Climbing Fern Almost everybody has a spot in the garden around the home which is so shady that very few plants will grow there and consequently these spots are bare eyesores. Have you ever taken a walk through dense, […]