Parsnip Cultivation It is essential if you expect to produce good-sized specimens to trench the soil deeply so that the desirable, long, straight, unforked roots are produced. The large seeds are sown in 2.5cm (1 in) deep drills in small […]

Lettuces fall into three groups—cabbage, cos, and loose-leaf. The cabbage kinds are subdivided into crispheads and butterheads. Those sold by the grocery stores are almost always butterheads because crispheads do not travel well and wilt rather quickly after harvesting. The […]

This is the measure used to indicate the active acidity of the soil. The term is based on the balance between the hydrogen ions and the hydroxyl ions, and it is essential to remember that a low pH figure indicates acid soil, […]

How to Grow Sidalcea Sidalcea (sid-al-see-a) A compound of two related genera, Sida and Alcea. The former comes from an ancient Greek name used by Theophrastus for the water-lily, the latter from Althaea, the generic name for hollyhock (Malvaceae). These […]

From the Latin saxum, rock or stone, and frango, to break, alluding either to its ancient medicinal use for ‘breaking’ stones in the bladder or to the supposed ability of the roots to penetrate and assist the breakdown of rocks (Saxifragaceae). Saxifrage, rockfoil. A genus […]

How to Grow Romneya Romneya (rom-nee-a) Named in honour of the Rev T. Romney Robinson (1792-1882), an Irish astronomer who discovered Romneya coulteri (Papaveraceae). A genus of two species of handsome, semi-shrubby perennials from southwestern California with extremely attractive poppy-like […]

The pansy and the viola are very similar and belong to the same family (Violaceae). Pansies are used mainly for summer bedding, although they can be treated as perennials and increased utilizing cuttings. This is what is done to perpetuate […]

How to Grow Oenothera Oenothera (ee-noth-er-a) From the Greek oinos, wine, and thera, pursuing or imbibing, the roots of one plant being thought to induce a thirst for wine (Onagraceae). A genus of 80 species of annuals, biennials and numerous […]

From the Greek lythron, black blood, in reference to the colour of the flowers of some species (Lythraceae). Loosestrife. This is a small genus, mainly consisting of hardy herbaceous and shrubby perennials from temperate regions. One of them, L. salicaria, […]

How to Grow Lychnis Lychnis (lik-nis) From the Greek lychnos, a lamp, alluding to the brilliantly-coloured flowers (Caryophyllaceae). This small genus from the north temperate zone of the Old World contains some good herbaceous perennials and one good hardy annual. […]