Halloween Horticulture

What would Halloween be without pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns and decorations? Although this is the plant most often associated with Halloween today, it may surprise you to know that in the past, other fruits and vegetables had strong connections to this holiday. In England and Ireland, Halloween lanterns were originally carved out of turnips and large beets. Faces of demons were […]

Gardening Guidance for Delphiniums

Hardy perennial and annual plants of varying heights which bloom in June and July chiefly; the original species or wild types from which the modern beautiful varieties are descended are natives of California, Siberia, Syria, India and other countries. Delphinium Ajacis, originally from eastern Europe is one of the plants from which the annual Larkspurs have been raised. Delphinium belongs […]

Using annual flowers for quick color

When you want lots of color quickly, flowers to cut by the armful and bloom all summer, you want annuals. For earliest possible bloom, sow seeds indoors, then transplant-or buy started plants in May. But you’ll still get plenty of flowers if you wait till the danger of frost is past and sow the seed of quick-growing varieties where you […]

Physalis – Perennial Plant, How to grow

From the Greek physa, a bladder, an allusion to the inflated calyx (Solanaceae). A genus of 100 or more species of which the two most well-known are P. alkekengi, the Bladder Cherry or Chinese Lantern Plant, with its brilliant, flame-coloured, air-filled calyces, and P. peruviana, the Cape Gooseberry, which is a greenhouse species. They are annual and perennial herbaceous plants, […]

What Gardening Chores you need to do in August where you live.

Learn the August garden tasks for your gardening hardiness zone. Do you know what your hardiness zone? Once known, then find the required task. Zone 1 Sow seeds of wildflowers and fall veggies Aerate, dethatch and fertilize the lawn As first frosts threaten, pick mature green tomatoes to ripen in a dark, cool place indoors Purchase containerized trees and shrubs […]

Planting Colorful Chrysanthemums for Your Garden

Beautiful hardy Fall Chrysanthemums October and November are the months which marshal in the Chrysanthemums and if these months be cold and rainy, the flowers do not develop well, but if the days are warm and the nights frosty, but not freezing, these flowers are in the height of their glory. “All through the budding Springtime, All through the Summer’s […]

Growing Delphiniums – Larkspur

There’s fully as much difference between the older and the modern delphiniums with their long, gorgeous spires, as there is between old-time roses, gladiolus, peonies, and dahlias, and the newer creations. If you’re a beginner, and close to a supply of the modern hybrids, buy not old plants (one year or over), but strong, young plants. If plants aren’t available […]

Growing Artichokes for food or garden planting

ARTICHOKES: CHINESE, GLOBE, AND JERUSALEM There are three distinct kinds of Artichoke grown as vegetables: the Jerusalem Artichoke, for its tubers; the Globe Artichoke, for the young flower heads, and the young shoots, which are blanched to provide “chards”; and the Chinese or Japanese Artichoke, for its small tubers. The name Artichoke is a corruption of the Italian articiocco, itself […]

Growing Delphiniums

The modern delphinium is one of the most spectacular and popular garden flowers. There are wide ranges of colors, several flower forms, and varieties of different heights. Hobby growers strive to produce the largest individual flowering spikes possible. PLANT RIGHT: Select a sunny location and a soil as deep which is rich as possible. In early Spring,  set plants into well-prepared […]

Selecting the correct Climbing Plants

House walls, garden walls, fences, archways, pergolas, trellises, poles, either single or erected tripod fashion and other vertical or near-vertical features, provide the gardener with another dimension in which to grow plants. There are attractive plants available for this purpose, many of which benefit from the extra shelter provided by a wall or fence. Types of plant Suitable plants include […]