Your Backyard Garden Information Source
Trollius A well-grown group of troll us in full flower is a really beautiful sight. This flower belongs to the buttercup family, and it is one of the finest border plants in existence. Some know it as the globeflower. Of all the bright color masses you can get from hardy perennials, one of the most striking is given us by […]
BARTONIA (Mentzelia) (Blazing-star) (Named for Dr. Barton, American botanist) Were it not for the straggling growth, Barlonia aurea (Menlzelia lindleyi) would be a much more popular annual. The glistening, Poppy-like flowers are golden and are furnished with countless stamens at the center. The petals have an abrupt, sharp point. The flowers are fragrant at night. The foliage is gray, hairy, […]
MIMULUS (Monkey flower) (Name from Mimo, an ape, refers to gaping mouth of flower) The flowers of this interesting genus are curiously shaped and spotted with contrasting colors. Those generally seen are bright yellow, spotted with maroon, red or orange. a: Mimulus moschalus is the Musk plant, so-called because of its musk-scented leaves. It is really a trailing perennial with […]
Were an artist to look upon a Petunia and wish that it had a delicate pattern traced upon its petals, he would create in his mind the Salpiglossis. The funnel-shaped flowers are borne upright upon slender but strong branches two feet tall. The flowers of Salpiglossis sinuala are crimson and gold, yellow and white, darkest maroon, scarlet and gold, violet […]
Seed of hardy annuals may be planted in the open ground where it’s to flower; it is that simple. The main requirements are an full sunny position and a well-drained soil. Obviously, the condition of the soil will be reflected in the quality of the flowers produced and to get the best results the ground should be well cultivated in […]
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 […]
TOMATOES All gardeners take pride in vine-ripened tomatoes. In addition to traditional red tomatoes, you can grow tomatoes that ripen to yellow, orange, and even purple. Small cherry tomatoes are ideal for salads and fleshy paste tomatoes cook into a rich, thick sauce. Tomatoes are not difficult to grow provided they get plenty of sun and warmth. PEPPERS Peppers are […]
Mostly hardy, leaf-losing trees or large shrubs native to Europe, eastern Asia, the Himalayas and North and Central America; they belong to the Birch family, Betulaceae. They range in height from 15-80 ft., the trees usually having short trunks, and the wood is very hard and durable. The name Carpinus is a Latin word used by Pliny. Hornbeams grow fairly […]
The ancient Greek name referring to the resinous juice (Compositae). Rosin-wood. A genus of 15 species of hardy perennial plants with the typical composite flower. The sap is resinous, and the plants were introduced from eastern North America. Species cultivated S. laciniatum, the compass plant, so-called because the leaves often face north and south, 6-8 feet, flowers yellow, July to […]
CALLISTEMON—Bottle-Brush Tree (Calliste’mon). Tender evergreen flowering shrubs from Australia which belong to the Myrtle family, Myrtaceae. They are well adapted for growing outdoors in California and in similar mild climates and for greenhouse cultivation elsewhere. They have narrow, dark-green, leathery leaves, which are slightly aromatic when crushed. The flowers are densely packed in terminal cylindrical spikes resembling a bottle brush […]