Professional Gardening Tips
IONOPSIDIUM – Diamond flower (Carpet plant)(Violet cress) (From io-the violet; violet-like, referring to the color of the flowers) Related to Candytuft, lonopsidium acaule is one of the most charming of the diminutive plants. It comes from Portugal. The flowers are […]
IMPATIENS – Balsam (Snap weeds) (Touch-me-not) (Name from Impatiens, refers to elasticity of seed capsules, which when ripe spring open) The Garden Balsam or Lady slipper (Impatiens balsamina) is an old-fashioned favorite which is again coming into its own. The […]
HUNNEMANNIA – Goldencup (Giant Yellow-tulip poppy) (Bush-eschscholtzia) (Named for John Hunnemann, an English botanist) An aristocrat among the Poppies, the Goldencup, bears a difficult botanical name, Hunnemannia fumariaefolia. The buttercup-yellow flowers are like those of California-poppies except that they are […]
HIBISCUS (Abelmoschus) – Sunset Hibiscus (Goldenbowl H.) (Ancient name for the Marshmallow) Comparatively unknown to gardens, the Sunset Hibiscus, H. manihot, is the loveliest yellow tall annual. The plants grow 8 feet tall, the divided leaves, character of seed vessels […]
HELIANTHUS – Sunflower (From helios-sun; anlhos-flower) The Sunflower is bold, he is tall, has a lot of bluster and bravado about him, but he is not coarse; no, he does not intrude upon us. We like to have him look […]
GYPSOPHILA Babysbreath (Name derived from gupsos, gypsum; phileo, to love, meaning that it prefers limestone soil) This is one of the smallest, daintiest flowers of the garden. Two species are commonly grown: Gypsophila elegans and G. muralis, both of which […]
GODETIA Satin flower (Named for C. H. Godet, Swiss botanist) Closely related to the Evening primroses, the Godetias are deserving of greater attention. The flowers open wide and are of a satiny texture. Varieties may be had in rose and […]
GAILLARDIA – Blanket flower (Named for M. Gaillard, a French patron of Botany) The bright, sunset colors of the Blanketflower are an asset in any garden. There are annual and perennial Gaillardias, and the various species have been blended to […]
ERYSIMUM Blistercress (Fairy Wall flower) (Derived from the Greek words to draw blisters) Closely related to the Wallflower, the Afghan Blistercress, Erysimum perofskianum, bears most brilliant orange flowers in lengthening terminal racemes. Especially admirable are these annuals in late Summer, […]
EMILIA (Cacalia) – Tassel flower (Floras-paintbrush) This brilliant orange and scarlet, rarely yellow, flowered annual is worthy of a place in any garden. It is not large, but the dash of orange color it provides is noticeable. It is often […]