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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, […]
At last, the Zinnia has come into its own. Because it is of easy culture and does well for anyone, it has in the past been admired less than it deserves. Recently the seed growers of California have developed enormous flowers of unusual shapes and with excellent colors. We may now obtain clear rose, rich purple, golden yellows, the palest […]
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 […]
The Heleniums are tall growing autumnal plants which are closely related to the Sunflower. The blooming period is from June to the end of September and during this time the plants are covered with flowers of mahogany-crimson, coppery-bronze, lemon-yellow, and light and deep rich yellows. The flowers are flat. and are borne in large heads or clusters. They grow from […]
The grace of the Dicentras charms us whether in the woods or the garden. The Bleeding Heart, Dicentra (Dielytra) spectabilis is one of our most showy old-fashioned flowers which everyone loves. It grows from 2 feet to 4 feet tall and spreads out almost the same distance. The leaves, which are a light, transparent green, are very neat, exceedingly graceful […]
DATURA Floripondio (Trumpet flower) These large-flowered annuals are related to the common Jimson weed. Their flowers are trumpet-shaped, white, purple, or yellow in color, and sometimes 6 inches long. Datura fastuosa (cornucopia) is the common white species. The flowers are often much doubled, in which case they are mere monstrosities. The outside of the petals is frequently washed with an […]
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 […]
BOUGAINVILLEA (Bougainvillea). Climbing leaf-losing shrubby plants, from Brazil, which belong to the family Nyctaginaceae. They are cultivated outdoors in the far South and in colder climates in greenhouses. The slender woody stems are furnished with small, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, green leaves and sharp thorns. The small inconspicuous flowers which are produced in summer, are surrounded by large colored bracts which […]
The description bedding plant is not an exact one and only means that the plant is grown elsewhere in some quantity and then planted out as a temporary occupant of the bed; this being known as `bedding out’. The bedding plant in private gardens has, in general, had its day, since this style of gardening entails much expense. In public […]
AUBRIETA: THE PURPLE ROCK CRESS Fine Plants for Spring Bloom in the Rock Garden and at the Front of the Flower Border (Aubrie’ta). Hardy, perennial, more or less evergreen, low-growing plants which bear a profusion of bloom in early spring. They are invaluable in the rock garden and wall garden, as edging to flower borders, and as groundwork for taller […]