Your Backyard Garden Information Source
Gardeners today with busy schedules want less work in their gardens, and thus a need is established for plants that do just that. Their focus is more on leaf texture and foliage colour, rather than blooms and pruning schedules, consequently plants that don’t require a lot of care and maintenance are sought after. Self sufficient ponds, shade gardens and woodland […]
LINARIA Toadflax (From Linum-flax; refers to fact that foliage is like that of flax) The Toadflax or Butter-and-eggs, growing along railway embankments, is familiar to all. This is related to the group of annuals known as Linaria. Apparently, the cataloged sorts are hybrids of L. reticulata and L. biparlita. The flowers are lipped, long-spurred and borne in dainty spikes. They […]
It has been estimated that a 10m (30ft) row of spinach supplies just about the right amount for a family of four during the summer months. But one sowing is not sufficient. Fresh young foliage is demanded and where spinach is much appreciated, successional sowings should be made fortnightly between late March and mid-July. For later autumn supplies and for […]
Most Japanese Maple seeds ripen in the fall. Watch the tree and wait for the seeds to turn brown. The seeds are ready to be harvested when they are brown and can be easily removed from the tree. The seeds are attached to a wing, it’s best to break the wing off before storing or planting the seeds. Japanese Maple […]
A listing of drought tolerant plants and the category they are used in. We discuss from drought tolerant trees to groundcovers. Learn now if the plant requires a lot of water. Trees Shrubs Acer campestre A. Ginnala A. Negundo A. platanoidees Ailanthus Altissima Alibizzia Julibrissin Amelanchier Canadensis Aralia Elata Betula papyrifera B. pendula B. populifolia Broussonetia papyrifera Cedrus atlantica C. […]
IBERIS – Candytuft (Name from Iberia, the ancient name of Spain. The word Candytuft was originally Candia tuft, signifying the tufted plant from Candia) The neat heads of Candytuft bloom are always greatly admired. Many persons confuse this flower with Sweet-alyssum which bears smaller flowers in smaller clusters and has a longer season of bloom. The white Candytuft is most […]
Self Sowing Annuals ANNUALS WHICH USUALLY SELF-SOW Browallia (Browallia) California Poppy (Eschscholtzia californica) CallioPsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) Four-o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa) Gypsophila (Gypsophila elegans) Larkspur, Rocket (Delphinium ajacis) Morning-glory (Ipomma purpurea) Petunia (Petunia hybrida) Pot-marigold (Calendula officinalis) Rose Moss (Portulaca grandiflora) Sage, Mealycup (Salvia farinacea) Snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata) Spiderflower (Cleome spinosa) Summer-cypress (Kochia trichophylla) Sweet […]
Introduction The modern beet as such was not apparently known in ancient times. There is a story that when the Greeks paid homage to Apollo they served him beet roots on a silver platter, but the first recorded specific reference to beets is in the third century in Rome. They were mentioned in 1390 in some old English cooking recipes. […]
Evergreen succulent with a mat forming growth habit, that bears rosettes of pointed, thick leaves, many times with bristly margins, or covered with a web of white hair. Royanum has yellowish-green, red-tipped leaves. Star-shaped, reddish-purple flowers are held in flat cymes on the terminal ends of hairy, upright stems. The rosettes die after flowering but are replaced by new rosettes […]
Alyssum – Madwort, Basket of Gold, Gold Dust, Goldentuft, Rockmadwort The various Alyssums have been known for a long time as one of the best, if not the best, edging plant for borders of all kinds. They have been combined with Darwin Tulips, with Rock Cress (Arabis) and the False Wall Cress (Aubrietia), and also with shrubs, such as the […]