Question: Is there any true perennial forget-me-not? When and where should it be planted? AA – Illinois. Answer: Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) is an excellent perennial with a low, prostrate habit of growth, blooming in early spring with tiny blue flowers. In a cool, damp place they will persist for many years. They may be divided […]

Amaryllis which produce a profusion of big strappy, healthy leaves and have a firm bulb, but still do not produce blossoms, may be dried off to induce the buds to come. Withhold water until the leaves are slightly withered. Cut off the leaves at the top of the bulb. Repot into new soil, rich in […]

The strawberry is high on almost everyone’s list of favorite foods. Unfortunately, a large number of insects and plant disease-causing organisms feel the same way about it! This article is meant to inform, not to discourage strawberry growing. For anyone seriously interested in raising this delectable fruit, the necessary sweat and energy of establishing and […]

Question: How can I start a new plant from my Weigela bush? LB., Pennsylvania. Answer: Soft wood cuttings taken in the summer and placed in moist sand in a lightly shaded cold frame will root easily and can be transplanted to the garden the following spring. Hardwood cuttings of the current year’s growth may be […]

Some people refer to it as a dormant spray, others (myself included) call it a cleanup spray; still others call it a preventive spray. They all are talking about the “kick off” spray to start your spring garden. One expression actually means something totally different from the other two. A strictly DORMANT spray must be […]

Question – Is there a possibility of applying too much mulch on rhododendrons? Answer – In the sandy areas of the West, where the soil is so lacking in humus (organic material), no one has ever been known to use too much mulch on rhododendrons.

Growing ferns from spores is one of the most interesting experiences imaginable, and not at all difficult. Spores are nature’s way of multiplying ferns, just as seeds are produced to multiply flowering plants. Fern spores are so small that only when they are crowded together are they visible to the eye. They are light or […]

To home gardeners the arrival of seed catalogs is a sure sign that January is here and that spring will not be far behind. Seed catalogs are full of down to earth information and ideas; they are indispensable to modern gardening. In them the beginner learns about plants and the simple facts of their culture. […]

The winter months are a good time to think over your garden problems – why this plant didn’t grow, why that shade tree is standing still, no bigger than when it was planted. The experienced gardener soon realizes that when plants are put in the ground deeper than they were growing before, so that their […]

A window sill of healthy house plants adds to the decor of any room, and to the enjoyment of your family and friends… this is good, but many window sills of house plants could hardly be called attractive. Here is the all too common picture: the geraniums have shed their last leaves, the angel wing […]