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Growing Fruit trees in a greenhouse in pots Fruit trees may also be grown in the unheated greenhouse in pots, tubs or boxes. The restriction of the roots induces early fruiting and keeps the trees small, while the glass catches the sun’s warmth, thus forwarding growth slightly, protects the blossom and fruitlets from spring frosts and renders protection from birds […]
Besides ice dams on the roof and piles of snow in the driveway, horticultural injury is a fact of life during northern winters. Surprisingly, there are many ways that otherwise long-lived plants may meet their demise in between growing seasons. Direct injury from exposure to cold temperature is the most obvious, and as a result, most gardeners and homeowners pay […]
Herbs, in my opinion should be grown in every garden. Not requiring a lot of space or care, the benefits are immense. Think about various dishes that are made and you will find at least one herb flavouring it; potatoes and chives or lovage, tomatoes and basil, spaghetti sauce and oregano, and many more. Herbs like other plants fall into […]
Subdivided into the following sections for convenience: Watering General problems Problems with individual pot plants (a) WATERING Q. How can I water my pot plants? I know very little about care of these plants. A. Where the pot plants concerned are being grown indoors, i.e. not in a greenhouse, they will fall roughly into two groups—(a) flowering, and (b) foliage. […]
Many of the older species had colourless flowers which may be the origin of the name, from the Greek a, no, stilbe, rightness (Saxifragaceae). A small genus of herbaceous perennials with feathery plumes composed of myriads of minute flowers in white, many in shades of pink and deep crimson. They are delightful waterside plants but they will grow in the […]
How to grow Gentiana Gentiana (jen-te-a-na) Named after Gentius, King of Illyria who first used the plant medicinally (Gentianaceae). Gentian. A large genus of hardy perennials. Most of those in cultivation are dwarf plants suitable for the rock garden, but a few are more at home in the border. Some of them are lime-haters. Species cultivated G. acaulis (now considered […]
Standing in the middle of my back garden, I am immediately struck by two things: the number of weeds in every bed, and the constant singing of birds in neighboring trees. Usually I ignore the weeds (at least until I am in need of some mindless, stress-relieving toil), and focus instead on the bird song. Here, in one of the […]
The ancient Greek name referring to the resinous juice (Compositae). Rosin-wood. A genus of 15 species of hardy perennial plants with the typical composite flower. The sap is resinous, and the plants were introduced from eastern North America. Species cultivated S. laciniatum, the compass plant, so-called because the leaves often face north and south, 6-8 feet, flowers yellow, July to […]
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, C. ruber, the red valerian is almost a weed on cliffs, railway embankments, and old walls. The name is sometimes […]
From the Greek malakos, soft or soothing, probably in reference to an emollient yielded by the seeds (Malvaceae). A genus of hardy herbaceous perennial and annual plants. M. moschata, the musk mallow, is one of the most decorative of wild flowers, quite suitable for the herbaceous border. It is even more lovely in its white variety. All parts of the […]