flora3

What's Inside

Rose Suckers - These are growths from the stock on which the rose has been budded. They occur not only on rosebushes, but also on climbers, ramblers and even standards. All suckers come from below the budding union and can be easily identified by drawing soil away to ch... more

Repotting Houseplants - Frequent repotting of house plants is unnecessary, and generally plants placed in containers 5 in. or larger in diameter can stay in the same pots for 12 to 18 months. Most kinds will thrive in pots that appear too small for them, and many that have fille... more

Composting - Many things can go into the compost heap: the vines of peas and beans, fresh hedge clippings, pea-pods, tea-leaves and coffee-grounds, banana peel, fluff from the vacuum cleaner, straw, lawn mowings, fallen leaves, and even well-soaked newspapers. It is i... more

Seed Stratification - Certain seeds will not germinate until they have been subjected for some weeks or even months to low temperatures and humid conditions similar to those which occur in nature after they drop from the parent plant and are covered with fallen leaves and othe... more

Plants for Japanese Gardens - The following are some plants that are recommended for japanese gardens. Note that not all are necessarily hardy, but do lend them selves to the form and function requried for a japanese garden.... more

Mulching - The value of mulching shrubs and young trees can never be over-emphasized. In Australia's hot summers, a great deal of moisture is robbed from plants if they are not mulched. Mulching materials include leaf mould, grass clippings, stable manure. bark chip... more

Cactus Cultivation - A general rule is that a densely-spined or thick-skinned plant is more able to stand the full sun than a thinly-spined or spineless one which would do better in a more protected position. To enable the plants to breathe more readily in collections that gr... more

Miniature Roses - Miniature roses range from 8 to 20 in. high. The tiny individual blooms are often replicas of hybrid teas. The foliage is also proportionately smaller. They are excellent for edgings of beds of floribundas or hybrid teas, as well as for window boxes or ro... more

Feeding Roses - The main elements of plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and, to a lesser extent, minor or trace elements such as magnesium. Roses rarely suffer from nitrogen deficiency, which can be recognized by pale green leaves and weak growth. Typical sign... more