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.
The African oil palm is a native of southwestern Africa, but has been introduced into other regions. It grows to a height of 20 to 30 feet and bears dense heads of fruit. The oil is obtained by boilin...
A palm from tropical America which produces large quantities of oil.
A New Zealand tree, of the linden family. The bark affords an excellent permanent dye, varying from light brown to deep black. The fruits are surrounded by an edible pulp, and they are frequently pick...
This plant furnishes the fruits known as the Small or Malabar cardamoms of commerce. The seeds are used medicinally for their cordial aromatic properties, which depend upon the presence of a volatile...
A plant belonging to _Euphorbiaceae_, a native of India. In Borneo the bark and young shoots are used to dye cotton black, for which purpose they are boiled in alum. The fruits are made into sweetmeat...
A plant of the family _Piperaceae_, having an aromatic fruit like a berry, with a thick rind. The roots are used medicinally in Brazil.
This leguminous plant has remarkable pods, which often measure 6 or 8 feet in length. The seeds are about 2 inches across, and half an inch thick, and have a hard, woody, and beautifully polished shel...
The silk-cotton, or God tree of the West Indies. The fruit is a capsule, filled with a beautiful silky fiber, which is very elastic, but can not be woven, and is only used for stuffing cushions.
The Kaffir tree of South Africa. The wood is soft and so light as to be used for floating fishing nets. The scarlet seeds are employed for making necklaces. The Erythrinas, of which there are many spe...
This is a favorite tree for growing in masses, for the purpose of sheltering cocoanut plantations, and inducing a proper degree of moisture in their neighborhood.
The leaves of this plant, under the name of coca, are much used by the inhabitants of South America as a masticatory. It forms an article of commerce among the Indians, who carefully dry the leaves an...
The peppermint tree, a native of Tasmania. It produces a thin, transparent oil possessed of a pungent odor resembling oil of lemons, and tasting like camphor, which has great solvent properties. The g...