After a long absence front this window garden, a plant of Manettia bicolor given to us by a friend has given us much joy during the past two years by a more or less continuous production of its showy little yellow-tipped, bright red tubes. It is said to make a twining growth to 5 feet, […]
Archives for August 2011
The Blue Beards – Blue Flowers For Mid And Late Summer Color
After midsummer the interest in shrub plantings is carried almost entirely by types with brightly colored fruits and foliage. However, there are several shrubs which furnish attractive bloom right up to frosts, and the succession may he continued on through the winter with some shrub in bloom outdoors – virtually every week. For an abundance […]
The Chaste Tree – Vitex Agnus-Castus
Cherished in English gardens for over 400 years, Vitex agnus-castus, chaste-tree or hemp-tree, has been grown with enthusiasm on the Pacific Coast. It is a large deciduous bush, somewhat resembling the tall buddleias, and needing much the same care. It is a native of eastern Mediterranean countries where it is found on the hot banks […]
Knowing Poisonous Plants
The French have a way of interpreting certain words that is most delightful; hence, to them the moccasin flower is Sabot-de-LaNierge, or”our lady’s slipper.” In old English it was “our lady’s shoes” and was said to have “knobbie a root creeping in the ripper crust of the earth.” In both the European and American varieties […]
How to Control Pests and Diseases of Lilies
Because of the wide spread publicity some years ago on the high susceptibility of lilies to diseases, many gardeners even now have the impression that the “queen” of flowers is difficult to grow. This is certainly not so. Disease-free and disease-tolerant kinds are now available which can be grown with as little trouble as many […]
West Coast Pointers From August Bulbs To Hibiscus Blooms
The general trek back home from vacations this month means more time can be spent with the garden. You can take it easy – relax in the hammock and do just the routine chores of watering, spraying and feeding. or if you live in the mild parts of California and the Southwest, you can start […]
Perfume The Most Important Feature in My Outdoor Patio
Here in California, where our mild climate permits it, our outdoor living season is not restricted to the few months of summer but may in some years extend from the middle of April to the middle of October. Our patio, as all outdoor living rooms are firmly called in California whether they are truly patios […]
How To Go Native With Eastern American Lilies
Are you looking for a “sure thing” in summer flowers? Or does a plant which challenges your ingenuity to make it grow have more appeal? You’ll find both among the native lilies of eastern North America. About a third, or eight, of the lilies native to this continent are found growing naturally in the East. […]
Right Start for a New Lawn – Green Manure Plan
An attractive lawn, more than any other single feature, expresses the qualities that change a real estate transaction into a home. Such a lawn, however, does not just happen, but is created at the cost of time and labor. When a lawn looks neglected, it is normally not because the owner does not want a […]
Interesting House Plants For You To Try
Alternanthera This colorful, little Alternanthera is a lovely foliage plant having narrow lanceolate leaves. It makes a very effective edging plant, its leaves, variegated with crimson, pink, green, brown, orange and carmine, in some respects, resembling our brilliant Autumn leaves. Perhaps it is most often seen as an edging or ribbon border and for carpet […]
