Independent gardening advice for real gardens, balconies and windowsills.
Practical advice on growing food and flowers, improving soil, and making the most of small spaces. Start anywhere — the garden will meet you.
Half-hardy annual Those who are acquainted with the older forms of this annual might fail to recognise a friend under its new and improved appearance. There are now several beautiful types, each posse...
Half-hardy perennial The Petunia affords another example of the immense strides accomplished in the art of seed-saving. Formerly the colours were few, and the blossoms comparatively insignificant. Now...
Hardy perennial Penstemons when grown as half-hardy annuals are a valuable addition to beds and borders, where they produce a brilliant effect in summer. In borders it is not advisable to plant singly...
Greenhouse perennial All kinds of Pelargonium may be raised from seed with the certainty of giving satisfaction if the work be well done. An amateur, who contributed to the production of symmetrical f...
Pastinaca sativa The Parsnip is one of the most profitable roots the earth produces. Probably its sweet flavour imposes a limit on its usefulness, but bad cooking doubtless has much to answer for, the...
Viola tricolor. Hardy perennial The popularity of this flower has been greatly extended and the culture simplified since it became the practice to raise the required number of plants every year from s...
These frame plants are suitable for the cool greenhouse or for forcing, and they are adapted also for the open border in peculiarly favourable districts. They are particularly neat and cheerful, flowe...
Star of Bethlehem During the month of June O. arabicum produces heads of pure white fragrant flowers, each having a green centre. The roots are large and fleshy, and should be planted in the autumn si...
Allium Cepa The onion has the good fortune to be generally appreciated and well grown almost everywhere. It enhances the flavour and digestibility of many important articles of food that would fail to...
Weeds and falling leaves are the plagues of the season. It may seem that they do no harm, but assuredly they are directly injurious to every crop upon the ground, for they encourage damp and dirt by p...
Cyclamen.--Where there is a large demand for this flower, another sowing may be made this month, unless it was done in October. With so important a subject it is not wise to depend on a single venture...
Tobacco. Half-hardy annual The delicious fragrance of the Tobacco plant, especially during the morning and evening, has made it a great favourite in the greenhouse and conservatory, as well as in beds...