Herb Gardening – Harvest, Design, Storing Herbs

The form and size of a herb garden is determined by the interest these plants hold for the individual. It can be a tiny border of commonly used culinary herbs such as mint, parsley, sage and thyme or an elaborate garden designed to house a wide collection of herbs. Many plants could legitimately be included in one of these large […]

Growing tips for leafy green vegetables

LEAFY GREENS Lettuce leads the way among garden-grown greens and few vegetables are as easy to grow in the cool weather of spring and fall. Instead of trying to grow hard-headed iceberg types, fill your garden with the unusual colors and leaf textures found in loose-head selections, often called leaf lettuce. Stiff-ribbed Romaine lettuces are not difficult to grow either, […]

Marigold, Annual Flower Information

Marigold (Tages was an Etruscan god, but perhaps the name is of another derivation) Even the name-Mary’s Gold-captivates us, and what could be more appropriate? The flowers of these old, old favorites are in some varieties veritably made of flakes of gold. How easy it is to be wealthy with Mary’s Gold. The Aztec (African) Marigold (T. erecla) has large […]

ANNUALS WHICH WILL GROW ON VERY POOR SOIL

Provided is a list of annuals and perennials that grow well in very poor soil. If addtional infromation is required about the plant, please use the search feature on the page. Bartonia (Mentzelia aurea)Were it not for the straggling growth, Barlonia aurea (Menlzelia lindleyi) would be a much more popular annual. The glistening, Poppy-like flowers are golden and are furnished […]

Annuals and Biennials for the Cool Greenhouse – Greenhouse flowers

Raising plants from seed is a most economical means of providing a long-lasting display for the cool greenhouse. Where a minimum night temperature of about 45°F (7°C) can be maintained the choice of flowering and of decorative foliage plants is considerable. Many plants that we normally grow as annuals in the open may prove to be perennial when grown under […]

Annual Flowers – Try growing them form seed

Try growing them from seed and enjoy producing miracles of color. Classes Annuals may be classified according to the time that their seeds may be safely sown. There are many annuals, which are sometimes known under the rather misleading name of “hardy annuals.” These plants are not hardy in the sense that the plants themselves live through the winter, but […]

COREOPSIS, Annual Flower Information

The name Calliopsis is given to the annual forms of Coreopsis These wiry-stemmed annuals provide some of the brightest flowers of the garden in golden yellow, velvety crimson and polished mahogany. (Named from koreos-bug, opsis like, refers to seeds, which are said to resemble a tick) SPECIES Coreopsis drummondi (Goldenwave) has blossoms 3 inches in diameter, golden yellow with a […]

NIGELLA – Love in a mist, Annual Flower Information

NIGELLA Love in a mist (Devil in the bush) (Lady-in-the-green) (Fennel flower) (Jack- in-the-bush) (Named from Latin for little black, alluding to the seeds) The fantastic names given to Nigella, which alone tempt anyone to grow it, have reference to the character of the flowers and leaves. The single, or double, blue or white flowers are furnished with a lace […]

SCHIZANTHUS – Butterfly flower, Annual Flower Information

The flowers of this plant are a delight to those who admire extreme grace, dainty markings, and fantastic forms. Many flowers have been compared by writers to butterflies, but it is only this one that has received the name of Butterfly flower. The Butterfly weed (Asclepias) and the Butterfly bush (Buddleia) is so-called not because they resemble butterflies, but because […]

June Gardening To do list

June Gardening tasks you should perform this month if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Each gardening zone has different requirements as the season gets warmer.  If you don’t know your gardening zone, you can look it up via zip code on the Gardening Zone Page. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, add six months to find your gardening tasks. […]