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.
PITCHFORKS, or STICK-SEED (B. frondosa) sufficiently explains its justly defamed character in its popular names. Numerous dull, dark, tawny orange flower-heads without, rays, or with insignificant one...
(Convolvulus sepium; Calystegia sepium of Gray) Morning-glory family Flowers - Light pink, with white stripes or all white, bell-shaped, about 2 in. long, twisted in the bud, solitary, on long peduncl...
(Sabbatia angularis) Gentian family Flowers - Clear rose pink, with greenish star in center, rarely white, fragrant, 1 1/2 in. broad or less, usually solitary on long peduncles at ends of branches. Ca...
(Celastrus scandens) Staff-tree family Flowers - Small, greenish-white, 5-parted, some staminate, some pistillate only; in terminal compound racemes 4 in. long or less. Stem: Woody, twining. Leaves: A...
(Ilex verticillata) Holly family Flowers - Small, greenish white, the staminate clusters 2 to 10 flowered the fertile ones 1 to 3 flowered. Stem: A shrub 6 to 25 ft. high. Leaves: Oval, tapering to a...
(Cimicifuga racemosa) Crowfoot family [Buttercup family] Flowers - Fetid, feathery, white, in an elongated wand-like raceme, 6 in. to 2 ft. long, at the end of a stem 3 to 8 ft. high. Sepals petal-lik...
(Brassica nigra) Mustard family Flowers - Bright yellow, fading pale, 1/4 to 1/2 in. across, 4-parted, in elongated racemes; quickly followed by narrow upright 4-sided pods about 1/2 in. long appresse...
(Gemmingia Ciminensis; Pardanthus Chinensis of Gray) Iris family Flowers - Deep orange color, speckled irregularly with crimson and purple within (Pardos = leopard; anthos = flower); borne in terminal...
(Sanguinaria Canadensis) Poppy family Flowers - Pure white, rarely pinkish, golden centered, 1 to 1 1/2 in. across, solitary, at end of a smooth naked scape 6 to 14 in. tall. Calyx of 2 short-lived se...
(Verbena hastala) Vervain family Flowers - Very small, purplish blue, in numerous slender, erect, compact spikes. Calyx 5-toothed; corolla tubular, unequally 5-lobed; 2 pairs of stamens; 1 pistil. Ste...
(Parsonia petiolata; Cuphea viscosissima of Gray) Loosestrife family Flowers - Purplish pink, about 1/4 in. across, on short peduncles from leaf axils, solitary or clustered. Calyx sticky, tubular, 12...
(Collinsia verna) Figwort family Flowers - On slender, weak stalks; whorled in axils of upper leaves. Blue on lower lip of corolla, its middle lobe folded lengthwise to enclose 4 adhering stamens and...