Professional Gardening Tips
How to grow Centranthus (ken-tran-thus) From the Greek kentron, a spur, anthos, a flower, alluding to the shape of the flower (Valerianaceae). A small genus of annuals and perennials, natives of Europe and the Mediterranean area. The hardy herbaceous perennial, […]
Fragrant Flowers for Cutting and Garden Decoration Carnations in all their various forms are generally considered to be derivatives of Dianthus Caryophyllus, although the origin of some is not entirely clear. In North America, when referring to Carnations we immediately […]
There are not many plants that can be truly called a workhorse in a garden, yet many groundcovers are exactly that. Once established, they require no care, instead providing a large, weed-free mat of their vegetation and flowers. The choices […]
The other day I was in the dentist’s office reading a gardening magazine where I came across the word “ubiquitous” to describe silver lace vine (Polygonum aubertii). Webster’s helped me out with that one. It means present everywhere at the […]
Under natural conditions plants feed themselves. Water makes up 80 to 90% of their weight, and the assimilation of carbon dioxide from the air provides a high proportion of the rest of the tissue material. Three elements only—carbon, hydrogen and […]
When filling out your seed orders this winter, you may want to include some of the new vegetable varieties for 2002. This year five vegetables–two pumpkins, a winter squash, a slicing cucumber, and a sweet basil–were chosen as All-America Selections […]
Turnip This root vegetable, Brassica campestris rapa (syn. B. rapa), has been grown in Britain since the sixteenth century. The roots are global or flattish round. A well-drained sandy loam is suitable for both types—summer and winter. But if the […]
Basil is a well-known culinary herb that’s popular in many Italian dishes. But did you know that there are many other uses of this herb, including its use as a tonic to aid in digestion? The most common use of […]
For any gardener who still hasn’t been convinced about the need to garden organically, here are some statistics that may help change your mind. In March of 2001, the American Cancer Society published a report linking the use of the […]
When looking to improve your garden it can be a good idea to take inspiration from your surroundings. Why confine your creative thoughts to standard garden themes. If you look around to draw inspiration you’ll be surprised at the number […]