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Cottage Gardens The cottage garden tradition is one that is peculiarly English in character. The old-world charm of the cottager’s plot owed little or nothing to any of the major developments in garden design or landscape architecture. The English cottage garden just ‘happened’ and its chief attraction lies in the effect of ordered chaos that it produces. Like the wild […]
I am lucky. Gardening has always been a slightly guilty pleasure for me. I used to think that it was because I never had enough time in the garden. Now I am positive that I would feel the same way even if I had all the time in the world. As a little more light and a bit more warmth […]
The flower that most often comes to mind, when we think of Easter, is the Easter lily. But there are others as well, all with rather interesting origins. Did you know that the Easter lily’s true name is Bermuda lily? It is a pure white flower, believed to symbolize purity. Coming from one bulb, the flower is said to represent […]
Distinctive border perennial with Leaves are narrow, long, and grasslike. This is a sturdy, but graceful plant with few problems and architectural character. Varieties available in both dwarf and larger forms. Primary bloom season is summer. Remove spent flower spikes and old leaves in fall. Good companion plant for daylilies.
Commemorating John Tradescant (died 1637), gardener to Charles I (Commelinaceae). A genus of 60 species of hardy perennial and greenhouse plants from North America and tropical South America. The hardy varieties are commonly called spiderwort, flower of a day, Moses-in-the-bulrushes, or devil-in-the pulpit. According to some botanists thegarden plants grown under the name Tradescantia virginiana belonging to a hybrid group […]
The almost constant enemies of seaside gardening are wind, salt and sand. Frost, however, is neither so prolonged nor so severe on the coast as it is inland, and seaside gardeners have been able to grow many frost-tender plants in the milder climate of their coastal gardens. Inland gardeners have little idea how powerful is the effect of coastal wind […]
Origin doubtful, possibly named after St Veronica (Scrophulariaceae). Speedwell. A genus of some 300 species ‘ of hardy perennials, annuals and sub-shrubs, mainly from northern temperate regions. Those described are hardy perennials, their flowers often borne in spikes. Dwarf kinds are suitable for the rock garden. Species Grown Today Where to plant and how to propagate Veronicas grow in ordinary […]
A genus of hardy annual and herbaceous perennial climbers from temperate zones and tropical mountains. Perennial species grown today Where to plant and grow Any good rich soil is suitable. Plant the perennials in the autumn or spring, choosing a sunny position where the plants can climb over a trellis, wall or other support. These plants need a lot of […]
How to grow Dicentra Bleeding Heart. From the Greek di, two, kentron, a spur, referring to the two spurs on the petals (Fumariaceae). Hardy herbaceous perennials formerly known as Dielytra. Fibrous and tuberous rooted, they generally transplant badly because the roots are as brittle as glass. The flowers are pendant from arching stems, like lanterns hung along a cord. Species […]
One of the exciting stages of garden construction is the marking out of beds. The sites for the flower displays are marked out in the garden in the form of beds or borders. These may be of various shapes and sizes and much will depend on the character of the garden as to the exact shape which is used. Formal […]