low-maintenance plants Archives

Daylilies: Nature’s Most Useful and Hardy Flower Praised by Chicago Tribune in 1960

A yellow daylily, specifically Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus, also known as the lemon daylily or lemon lily.

Nature’s Most Useful Flower On this day, the Chicago Tribune ran an article about the daylily, saying that they were “tops” in usefulness. Here are some highlights: “Because they combine exquisite charm with extreme hardiness, daylilies are without doubt nature’s most useful flower… Their usefulness derives from their ability to thrive lustily under virtually any…

Otto Emery Jennings: The Curator Who Saved the Blazing Star

Otto Emery Jennings, a prominent American botanist and curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Nature’s Most Useful Flower On this day, the Chicago Tribune ran an article about the daylily, saying that they were “tops” in usefulness. Here are some highlights: “Because they combine exquisite charm with extreme hardiness, daylilies are without doubt nature’s most useful flower… Their usefulness derives from their ability to thrive lustily under virtually any…

A Pinch of Green Magic: Celebrating National Herbs and Spices Day

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 10, 2019 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate a most aromatic occasion – National Herbs and Spices Day. As the warm breath of summer caresses our gardens, it beckons us…