Professional Gardening Tips
CYNOGLOSSUM Houndstongue (From Greek cuon-dog; glossa-tongue, refers to papillae on seeds, which gives the texture of a tongue) Recently a lovely blue Forget-me-not-like flower has been introduced to our gardens known as Cynoglossum amabile and cataloged as the Chinese Forget-me-not. It may be described as a columnar Forget-me-not, growing 2 feet tall, with long sprays of deep, clear blue flowers […]
LUPINUS Lupine (From lupus-wolf, destroying soil as does the wolf) Lupines are attractive plants bearing Pea like flowers in whorls upon long, graceful spikes. There are annual and perennial species. The annual varieties are mainly derived from the following species: Lupinus luteus, the European Yellow Lupine, in which the flowers are yellow, and the stems hairy; L. hirsutus, the European […]
The Annual Delphinium is one of the best-known annuals, bearing long racemes of lovely colored flowers and lacy foliage. They have undergone great improvement in the color and the fullness of the spikes. The colors range from white to carmine, light pink, scarlet, light blue, and dark purple. There are two main types. Those varieties derived from Delphinium ajacis are […]
MIRABILIS Four-o’clock (Marvel-of-peru) (Name from mirabilis, wonderful, or some say shortened form of Admirabilis) The Four-o’clocks are well known and were favorites with our grandmothers, just as they are admired by us today. The flowers remain closed until late afternoon, hence the name Four-o’clock. They are white, crimson, violet, yellow and striped. The plants are 2 feet tall, and during […]
DIANTHUS – China Pink (Name derived from Dios-Jove; anthos, flower-Divine flower) Admiration for Pinks is universal. These annual forms can be distinguished from the perennial sorts in two ways: the flowers are without fragrance, and the leaves are broader. China Pinks, Dianthus chinensis, are wonderfully bright in color-crimson, rose, purplish-red, maroon, salmon and lilac. The flowers are both single and […]
NEMESIA (Name found in Dioscorides, an early botanical writer) The English have admired and grown Nemesias in their cool climate and all have admired them in places where they grow well. At Ohio State University they grown them in the greenhouse but find that our Summers are too hot and dry, except when they are started in the Winter and […]
ERYSIMUM Blistercress (Fairy Wall flower) (Derived from the Greek words to draw blisters) Closely related to the Wallflower, the Afghan Blistercress, Erysimum perofskianum, bears most brilliant orange flowers in lengthening terminal racemes. Especially admirable are these annuals in late Summer, when some other subjects are beginning to wane in beauty. E. asperum (arkansanum) is a lighter colored species, usually perennial […]
NICOTIANA Flowering Tobacco (Named for Jean Nicot, French consul to Portugal, who first presented tobacco to the courts of Portugal and France) The evening fragrance of the flowers of this plant is most delightful. Besides this, the flowers are attractive in form and color, which ranges from pure and creamy white, to deep pink, violet, crimson, and flesh. The shades […]
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 […]
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 […]