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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ajuga – Bugle Flower For creeping over the soil in shaded places the Bugle Flower is excellent. Two sorts are commonly cataloged. Ajuga replans rubra has deep purplish-blue flowers and purplish leaves and is prostrate in habit; A. genevensis is more upright in growth and bears flowers varying in color from dull red to white and blue. There is a […]
The Wishbone flower is a gem. Those who have not tried this annual, nor seen it growing, have a pleasant surprise in store for them if they will raise a few plants. The flowers of Torenia fournieri are violet and lavender with a prominent yellow blotch on the lip. There is a less attractive white variety. In the center, the […]
PANSY The Pansy, it would seem, is one of the most alluring of all garden flowers. It’s little faces make most of us laugh when we look at them. The English have given the Pansy many nicknames, such as Call-meto-you, Love-true, Three-faces-under-a-hood, Pink-eyed-John, Tickle-my-fancy, Bird’s-eye, Jump-up-and-kiss-me, God-father, Godmother, Love-in-idleness, Kiss-me-in-the-buttery, Rob-run-the-street, and Heartsease. With such names, it is not strange […]
Edging your garden provides a clean crisp look. Your garden borders will stand out when there’s a clean edge between the planting area and your landscape paths, driveway, sidewalk and your lawn. Common edging, such as stone, wood, or brick, provide an optimal appearance keeping the plants in the garden bed while keeping the lawn out, but it isn’t always […]
Hardy Ferns – Shield Fern, Hay-scented or Gossamer Fern, Lady and Male Ferns, Royal Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Walking Fern, Climbing Fern Almost everybody has a spot in the garden around the home which is so shady that very few plants will grow there and consequently these spots are bare eyesores. Have you ever taken a walk through dense, […]