Sunday, June 27, 2010

How Long Will Potentilla Warrensi Last In Bloom?

Glossy, intense, yellow-petaled Potentilla warrensi is a delight in itself, but perhaps its most valuable characteristic is its effectiveness in combination with various other plants. It makes a neat, compact, 1-1/2-foot clump showered with a profusion of bright saucer-like flowers. Last year a couple of plants of this potentilla were placed in front of the soft orange star lily (Lilium concolor), which in turn was in front of two large clumps of Memorial daisy and yellow sundrops, and then at the back and to one side of these was the blue of Anchusa azurea Dropmore. The grouping was in the full sun and was a wonderful burst of color for a month.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Fertilizing Soil For Young Strawberry Plants?

Blueberries grow best on a naturally acid soil and need no liming. They benefit from an abundance of organic matter.

All berry plants will benefit from applications of good garden fertilizer. Soil for young strawberry plants should be fertilized after they are set since strawberries are sensitive to chemical fertilizers and are easily burned. Apply the fertilizer in a ring around each plant but several inches away from it.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Where Did Bauhinia Trees Originated From?

Bauhinias are spring bloomers and are unequaled as backgrounds for lower growing flowers. B. purpurea, a small tree from India and well named the orchid tree, has pink or orchid flowers which look like newly released butterflies poised for happy flight - quite the proper feeling for spring. If you know banhinias, you are already familiar with the delicate grace and interesting shape of their foliage. The very charming white variety is also in the trade.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Protecting Cherry Trees From Sun-Scald

Young cherry trees often suffer from sudden drops of temperature in the fall before they have become fully dormant. The greatest danger, however, comes from the winter sun shining on the bare trunks, causing sun-scald. The best protection from such injury is to retain low branches. For this reason the gardener does best to buy small trees so that ho may encourage growth of all branches near the ground, although nurserymen in their desire to show handsome specimens are likely to cut off the lower branches to a height of 3 feet or more. Anything that tends to prolong late growth and activity, such as late watering or fertilizing during the summer, should be avoided.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Distinguishing Different Types Of Cherries When Buying

How to buy cherries. It is unfortunate that the names of the flowering cherries are so confused in many nurseries and that there are so many synonyms. At present it is best, therefore, not to try to buy them true to name through a catalogue from any but the most reliable growers. If a group is wanted to give a particular range or combination of color, it is best to choose varieties when the plants are in bloom in the nursery where they are to be bought.

There is a tendency for the white cherries to be neglected. Yet a white blossoming tree near one or two of the pink varieties makes a wonderful picture. A background of evergreens sets off the cherries to great advantage, and those who have seen the Washington plantings know how lovely they are near water.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Garden Contributions Of AE Wohlert

Before the plant quarantine act of 1919, many nurserymen imported trees and sold them to their customers. Only one eastern nurseryman, however, took them up as a specialty. That was the late A. E. Wohlert of Narberth, Pa., who worked nearly twenty years selecting the finest varieties. He propagated them in great numbers and sold them to parks in many sections of the country and to thousands of enthusiastic gardeners.