Outdoor Flowers and Foliage
Corn Poppy – Identification and History
Arty’s Garden Corn Poppy – The Poppy of Memorial Day The corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) gets its name because it commonly grows amid fields of cereal grains such as wheat or oats – sometimes referred to as “corn” in England,...
Coneflower – Odd-looking Flowers (Phytoplasma)
For whatever reason, homeowners in 2004 noticed many more instances of “odd” coneflowers than in previous years. The most common description is that the central “cone” of the flower is misshapen or that it has tiny flower growing from it....
Colocasia vs. Alocasia vs. Xanthosoma
All are called elephant ear by gardeners. Some are edible and some are not. Following is a collection of identification tips taken from various websites. I found the most useful to be http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/shade_gardening/95670 and http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1342/ Alocasia: leaves are held horizontally,...
Castor Bean – Ricin
With all the news about ricin poison being used by terrorists, I thought I’d show a few pictures of the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, itself. Many folks in the South grow it. Castor bean leaves make a dramatic tropical...
Candy Lily
Candy lily, Pardancanda norrisii, grows to 36″ tall. It is a cross between Belamcanda chinensis, blackberry lily, and Pardanthopsis dichotoma. Candy lily is very similar to blackberry lily but with larger flowers in a wider range of colors from blue...
Caladiums – Planting
Caladiums are old-fashioned bulbs that have become more popular in recent years. Plant breeders have developed varieties that can withstand much more sunshine than previous strains. Leaf colors from deep red to pink to mostly white allow for landscape color...
Cacti for Cold Climates
(from Avant Gardener Newsletter) We’re pleased to hear of the formation of the Winter Hardy Cactus and Succulent Association (Robert Johnson, Intermountain Cactus, 1478 North 750 East, Kaysville, UT 84037; dues $17 a year). There is also a new book,...
Bulbs – When to Plant in Fall
Spring-flowering bulbs have been on garden center shelves for weeks but the real season for planting them begins in late October. My preference is to wait to plant daffodil, tulip, hyacinth, Dutch iris, etc. until night temperatures are consistently below...
Bulbs – Storing for Winter
Most of us enjoy the cooler weather ushered in by October. Fall is approaching and we anticipate with pleasure the crisp days to come. Our landscape plants, though, have different reactions to the advent of cooler temperatures and shorter days....
Bulbs – Leaves Emerge in Winter
Many are the anguished cries when gardeners notice that bulb foliage has emerged in early winter. “Get back down in the ground!” they implore. “It’s gonna get really cold soon.” The truth of the matter is that bulb foliage is...
Aztec Grass
My wife is installing a “white area” in front of our house so when she saw plants identical to variegated liriope in a garden center, she grabbed eight of them. I thought nothing about it until I read the plant...
American Agave
I found your newspaper comment on American agave interesting. I took the attached pictures at a home in Lithonia. My husband and our full size extended cab truck are in the picture to show size. This plant has been in...
