Your Backyard Garden Information Source
PETUNIA (Named from petun, the Brazilian name for tobacco, to which Petunia is allied) Everyone has some room for Petunias because they are the most profuse flowering of any annual. Few other annuals produce so many of such large flowers. The colors have been improved to such an extent that there are now varieties to please us all. Recently nearly […]
The various operations carried out on the soil by the use of a space are all known as digging. The general purpose is to break up the soil to improve its physical nature, rendering it more suitable for supporting plant life. Digging is generally carried out in the autumn and winter when solidly compact soil can be broken up and […]
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 […]
Spring is a wonderful time of year to be in the garden. As the temperature starts to rise, new life emerges from the darkness of winter, and wildlife comes out from hibernation, our gardens once again become a hub of activity. The most attractive spring gardens are home to a variety of plants, from colourful flowers to beautiful shrubs. These […]
Are you interested in growing your own fresh organic vegetables but worried that it will take up too much of your time? Well, let me tell you that with just 8 hours of effort per year, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of organic produce right from your own backyard! I have been gardening for over 35 years and have […]
Heuchera – Fairy Flowers, Alum Root, Coral Bells Heucheras are among the most desirable of the smaller growing plants. There are many varieties worth growing. Of these, Heuchera sanguinea is most often seen. The plants are compact, bushy and grow in tufts, the flower stems growing 11/2 feet or 2 feet high. The evergreen leaves look like those of a Geranium. […]
DATURA — Thorn Apple, Angel’s Trumpet Annual and tender shrubby perennial flowering plants. They are natives of tropical America, Mexico and Europe, and belong to the Nightshade family, Solanaceae. Datura is the old Arabic name. The most familiar kind is Datura (Brugmansia) arborea, which bears large, white fragrant blooms in summer and is a favorite plant for tubs. Tender Perennials […]
How to grow Dahlias Commemorating Andreas Dahl, a Swedish botanist who was a pupil of Linnaeus (Compositae). Half-hardy, tuberous-rooted perennials from Mexico, were first introduced into Britain in 1789 by Lord Bute. Species cultivated (Few of the following original species are available, although they may occasionally be seen in botanic gardens and the like). D. coccinea; 4 feet, scarlet, September, […]
Cytisus or Broom Free Blooming Shrubs for sunny location Leaf losing and evergreen hardy and tender shrubs which are very beautiful when in bloom in spring and summer; they bear pealike flowers of various colors. About fifty species are known; they are natives chiefly of the Mediterranean region and the Canary Isles. The name Cytisus is from kytisos, the Greek […]
If there’s one thing we gardeners in the Pacific Northwest know about, it’s how to grow tomatoes in the most difficult conditions. It’s bad enough that our summers are normally very cool but now the coming weeks are filled with hot days and warm nights, the perfect breeding ground for late blight disease. Phytophthora infestans, the fungus that causes this […]