My mother, a woman for whom good taste meant a great deal, would not have approved of Sarah, our gray half-grown kitten. Sarah, for whom happiness and flatulence seem inextricably linked, is not always fit for polite company. Fortunately she […]
Helleborus – Perennial Plant, How to grow
From the Greek helein, to kill, bora, food; some species are poisonous (Ranunculaceae). Hellebore. Hardy perennials, often retaining their leaves through the winter, with thick fibrous roots. All flower early in the year and the flowers are long lasting. Most […]
Dicentra – Bleeding Heart, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
The grace of the Dicentras charms us whether in the woods or the garden. The Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis is one of our most showy old-fashioned flowers which everyone loves. It grows from 2 feet to 4 feet tall and […]
Echinacea – Purple Cone Flower, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
The bold and hearty character of the Purple Cone Flower makes it a striking plant. The flowers are rosy purple with dark, stiff, quill-like centers touched with golden crimson. Echinacea purpurea is the common sort and is frequently listed in […]
Guem – Avens, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
Among our pernicious weeds is one whose seeds are provided with hooks which catch in our clothing when on a Summer walk through the woods. This is a Geum. It is a surprise, therefore, to find several excellent perennial flowers […]
Lavandula – Lavender, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
Lavandula – Lavender Sweet Lavender is one of the well-beloved, fragrant plants of the old-fashioned garden. It was a favorite because of its delicate odor. Lavender (Lavandula vera) grows from 1 1/2 feet to 3 feet high, has downy, silvery […]
Veronica – Speedwell, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
When Christ was laboring beneath the heavy cross, He faltered, and a maiden, St. Veronica, rushed forward to wipe the perspiration from His brow. The impression of His face was found upon her napkin. Such is the story of St. […]
Lychnis – Rose Campion, Mullein Pink, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
For the different parts of one’s garden there are many good varieties of Lychnis. Two of these are known as Agrostemma. Double Ragged Robin and Cuckoo Flower are both common names of Agrostemma, Lynchis Flos-cuculi. This plant, with narrow, grass-like, […]
Aquilegia – Columbine, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
The names of this flower are interesting to the garden lover with imagination. It is called Columbine, some say because the flowers appear like the cap of a court jester; others have suggested that the spurs of the flowers causing […]
Papaver – Oriental Poppy, Iceland Poppy, Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers
Papaver – Oriental Poppy, Iceland Poppy There are Poppies and Poppies, old-fashioned ones and new varieties, and it would almost seem that they grow more dazzling and more gorgeous each year. Perhaps they are grown in a greater number of […]