Your Backyard Garden Information Source
Ants are unwelcome in the garden for various reasons but chiefly on account of their nest-building activities which interfere with the roots of the plants, often causing death. They may also be a nuisance on lawns. They are often seen running over plants infested with greenfly to which they are attracted by the sweet honeydew. They may help to spread […]
CALLISTEPHUS or ANNUAL ASTER Good Culture Is Needed to Produce Fine Flowers (Calli’stephus; Callist ‘phus). A favorite annual which is in full beauty in August and September. It is represented by numerous beautiful single and dou hie-flowered varieties of varied form and attractive coloring which are descended from the China Aster, Callistephus sinensis, which was introduced to western gardens 200 […]
BERBERIS or BARBERRY (Ber’beris). Hardy and tender evergreen and family, Berberidaceae. They are widely distributed leaf-losing shrubs which belong to the Barberry in the Old and New Worlds, and are particularly abundant in China. Although some Bar-berries are renowned for their beautiful and fragrant flowers, others are more attractive when covered with brightly colored fruits later in the year. The […]
X Sitemap BLECHNUM (Blech’num). Handsome ferns which are found wild in Brazil, the West Indies and other warm and temperate countries. Some kinds are of dwarf tufted growth while others, which grow about 4 ft. high, are Tree Ferns. Those from subtropical climates need a minimum greenhouse temperature of 50 degrees; those from tropical countries must be grown in a […]
CALOCHORTUS—Mariposa Lily, Globe Tulip(Calochor’tus). Beautiful flowering bulbs from western America which belong to the Lily family, Liliaceae. The flowers, which are borne on erect stems, 12-15 in. high, are very showy. Calochortus is derived from the Greek, kalos, beautiful, and chortus, grass, a reference to the form of the leaves. Calochortus is divided into two groups, popularly known as Globe […]
BETULA or BIRCH Graceful Trees for Garden and Landscape Planting (Bet’ula). Hardy, leaf-losing trees and shrubs which give their name to the family Betulaceae. Various kinds are found wild in Europe, Asia and North America and are conspicuous by their graceful habit and white, or otherwise attractively colored bark, which peels off in thin, papery flakes. The flowers are in […]
Welcome to Backyard Gardener Humidity This term is used to express the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, as determined by a hygrometer, or by calculation from the temperatures of a wet and dry bulb thermometer. Obviously little can be done out-of-doors to deal with problems of humidity other than to choose plants to suit conditions in a particular area. […]
ROOT VEGETABLES ROOT crops are now generally considered just as essential to the welfare of our bodies during the winter months as are beans, corn, and peas during the summer months. Incidentally, while it is true that some of these root crops, like beets and carrots, are more tender if stored in cans rather than sand or soil, it cannot […]
BOG GARDEN If there is a very damp position in the garden it may be used as the site of a bog garden for the cultivation of those plants which grow in moist or swampy ground in their native habitats. If no such site is present, construct for draining away the water to prevent its becoming stagnant. The site should […]
Warm greenhouse ornamental-leaved plants which grow wild in tropical America ancl belong to the family Marantaceae. They are suitable for growing outdoors in frost-free regions only. These plants form tufts of leaves which rise straight up from the soil: they vary in height from 1-6 ft. The leaves vary in size and shape, some being oval, others lance-shaped, round or […]