Your Backyard Garden Information Source
Plums are popular for cooking, jam-making and bottling or canning, but the sweeter varieties are among our most delicious dessert fruits Damsons ripen a little later than most plums. The fruits are small, oval and richly flavoured, but not really sweet enough for the general taste for eating raw. They are, however, excellent for cooking, preserves and bottling. Bullaces are […]
Peaches and Nectarines The peach, Prunus persica, is closely related to apricots, cherries and plums. It was introduced into England in the early sixteenth century via Europe and Persia from China. The nectarine is a natural sport of the peach with smaller, more delicately flavored fruits, which are smooth-skinned, whereas peaches have a rough skin. Bush peaches are hardy in […]
Garden Guides on Iris Iris are easy to grow This vast family of beautiful perennials is one of the most important of all garden plants. There are hundreds of varieties ranging through almost every color, differing in size, blooming seasons, and even habits of growth and method of propagation. The two most important groups for the average gardener are (1) […]
There are many kinds of lilies with some differences in requirements for growth. By selecting an assortment varieties the home gardener can have a succession lily blooms from June through September. Growing information on Lilies SOIL AND SITE: Good drainage is essential for all lilies. If the soil is not naturally well drained, gravel should be placed in the bottom […]
Tulips are the gardener’s pot of gold Remember your old “magic set” and the wonderfully colored brews you mixed? And the surprises, and the fun? Today you’ll find there’s greater magic in tulips and even more gorgeous and beautiful colors packed away in their sleek brown bulbs. To work this new magic, think of the happiest flower colors and the prettiest combinations you ever […]
These beautiful perennial plants require cool growing conditions if first-class specimens are to be produced, and are well suited to the North West, although it is possible to obtain reasonable plants in other areas by raising them from seed at frequent intervals. They are used most frequently in herbaceous borders, mixed borders, and in front of shrubs. Few flowers are […]
Gooseberries The gooseberry, Ribes grossularia, is native to Britain where it has been cultivated since the thirteenth century at least. Being self-fertile and productive, it is ideal for the small garden. Gooseberries excel in the cooler areas of the Midlands and North.They are tolerant of most soils but not of waterlogging. Growth may be weak on poor gravel soils or […]
The modern delphinium is one of the most spectacular and popular garden flowers. There are wide ranges of colors, several flower forms, and varieties of different heights. Hobby growers strive to produce the largest individual flowering spikes possible. PLANT RIGHT: Select a sunny location and a soil as deep which is rich as possible. In early Spring, set plants into well-prepared […]
Apples Some varieties set no fruit at all when self-pollinated, while others under favorable conditions set a fair crop. Yields are better when there are enough varieties for cross-pollination. There are a number of popular varieties which are poor pollinators (triploid varieties) but most are diploid, which pollinate each other very well. It is important to have at least two […]
The first thing you should know about daffodils is that it’s smart to choose the ones you want while they’re still in bloom in the spring. If you miss the boat this spring, your best bet is to read carefully the descriptions in next fall’s seed and nursery catalogs. The second thing you need to know is something about the […]