Not long ago, I was talking to a gardening friend. The subject was spring bulbs, and her lament was that she just didn’t have the time to get them in the ground. “I’ve given up buying bulbs,” she said, “because […]
Bulb Blues
How to plant and grow a potato
The principal requirements of the potato plant are adequate available food, sufficient water, good drainage and the type of soil in which tubers may swell easily. An open, unshaded site is very necessary. Light soils are considered very suitable, provided […]
How to grow a pea plant from a pea seed
Peas There are dwarf and taller pea varieties. Although plants of the short, dwarf varieties may be grown without supports it is the custom to provide all garden peas with supports of some sort. Twiggy brushwood of the height the […]
Pricking out plant seedlings
This is an important stage in the cultivation of plants which have been raised from seed. As soon as the young seedlings can be handled easily, they must be moved on into deeper boxes which will provide their roots with […]
Violet – Perennial Plant, How to grow
How to Grow Violet Violet Viola odorata, the sweet violet, is a hardy perennial, parent of the florist’s violets, many of them sweetly scented. The soil should be rich and moist but well-drained. Plant the crowns in the open in a […]
Growing Guide for Gypsophila – Perennial Plant
From the Greek gypsos, chalk, phileo, to love; the plants prefer chalky soils (Caryophyllaceae). Hardy annuals and perennials of great value in both the border and rock garden; the dwarf kinds also look well in pans in the alpine house. […]
Growing Guide for Geranium Plant
How to grow Geranium From the Greek geranos, a crane, because the seed pod resembles a crane’s head and beak (Geraniaceae). Crane’s-bill. A genus of hardy herbaceous summer-flowering perennials with lobed or cut leaves, widely distributed over the temperate regions […]
Erodium – Perennial Plant, How to grow
How to grow Erodium From the Greek erodios, a heron; the style and ovaries resemble the head and beak of a heron (Geraniaceae). Heron’s bill. Hardy perennials, closely related to the hardy geraniums, or crane’s bills. There are dwarf species […]
Erigeron – Perennial Plant, How to grow
From the Greek eri, early or ear, spring, geron, old, possibly referring to the hoary leaves of some species (Cornpositae). Fleabane. Hardy herbaceous, daisy-flowered perennials some of which continue to flower intermittently throughout the summer. Species cultivated E. alpinus, 9 […]
Growing Guide for Anchusa Plant
The name originates from the Greek anchousa, a cosmetic paint (Boraginaceae). Alkanet, bugloss. Cultivated species are usually perennials or biennials, noteworthy for their blue flowers. The plant long known as Anchusa myosotidiflora is now correctly known as Brunnera macrophylla. Biennial […]