Your Backyard Garden Information Source
California-poppy (Named for Dr. Eschscholtz as the result of an expedition to explore the botany of what is now California in 1815. Named by Chamisso, a companion naturalist) The silky, golden-yellow blossoms of this, the state flower of California, are borne in profusion. Gardeners have greatly improved the plant until now we have both singles and doubles in a great […]
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 […]
Caryopteris – Blue Spiraea This Blue Spiraea is another one of the good, Fall blooming plants. It is shrubby in nature, growing from 3 feet to 4 feet tall with small leaves and clusters of small, rich lavender-blue flowers. It begins blooming in September and continues until cut by the frost. The flowers are arranged in whorls at the axils […]
Centaurea – Knapweed, Hardy Cornflower, Hardheads, Mountain Bluet The Centaureas are some of the most graceful flowers to grow in any garden. The flower heads are like showy, ragged thistle blooms of bright red, deep purple, golden yellow and blue. They grow from 2 feet to 3 1/2 feet tall and bloom during the Summer months. SPECIES. The Golden Knapweed […]
Cactus, Hardy – Opuntia, Echinocactus The Cacti, as everyone knows, are plants with thick, fleshy stems covered with spines, for usually there are no leaves. The Opuntias, which are perhaps the most common ones grown in the northern states, have large and flat branches. They have many colored spines and exquisite flowers. The spines are black, brown, purple, yellow or […]
Bellis – English Daisy, Herb Margaret The Daisy of Europe is the one of which we speak here. Who has not read the words of Burns and Wordsworth, and having read, who has not admired these charming button-like flowers tile more ? Let us read again several stanzas of Burns: TO A MOUNTAIN DAISY On turning one down with the […]
Aubrietia – Purple Rock Cress, False Wall Cress Early in the Spring, our eyes search for color in the garden. We grow the Rock Cress (Axabis) for white, Golden Alyssum for yellow and Aubrietia for purple, rose and lavender. But as a matter of fact, few persons have grown the Aubrietias because they have not known of them although the […]
Arabis – Rock Cress, Wall Cress The Rock Cress is a small, white, four-petaled flower and its masses of snowy bloom early in the Spring contrast beautifully with the Basket of Gold (Alyssum saxatile compactum) and the blue False Wall Cress (Aubrietia). It blooms very soon after the snow disappears and the flowers are so numerous that when a plant […]
Asphodel – King’s Spear The classic Asphodel is rarely seen in gardens although its interesting, tall and stately spikes of yellow and white flowers are of interest to garden lovers. The Asphodels are variously cataloged as Asphodeline and Asphodelus; the former genus is erect and has leafy stems, the latter is stemless. In Asphcdeline lutea the flowers are sweet scented […]
DIASCIA (From the Greek to adorn, refers to the beautiful flowers) A dainty, little annual, Diascia barberae, is not a very showy flower, but one which will appeal to the true flower lover. The flowers are rosy pink with yellow-green spots in the throat. The flowers are lipped, being related to the Snapdragons, but have two spurs on the lower […]