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More people than ever before are gardening organically. This doesn't really surprise me. The more time you spend in the garden, the harder it becomes to ignore what's really going on out there: the incredible interconnections, the mind boggling diversity, the delicate beauty and the high-octane intensity. It's humbling. And along with that humbling comes respect; the first and most important step to becoming a successful organic gardener.
I am glad I didn't know the dangers of chewing on the twigs of the sassafras tree when I was a child. One small twig would last for hours, and since candy was not always available, I stashed sassafras twigs just like a little one might hide his Halloween candy, far away from hungry eyes.
The San Diego Zoo is one of the more popular tourist destinations in the U.S., but hardly anyone notices their fantastic plant collection. It has a magnificent botanical gardens as well, but since it exists in, among, and around the animal collection, it is sometimes easy to miss. This article is an introduction to this amazing collection.
Creeping Charlie (or Charley) is a common visitor in many regions and once it settles in, it's as hard to get rid of as free-loading distant relatives! Understanding the conditions under which it thrives will be your best defense against this pesky weed.
Today we will go together on a very nice hike, easy enough to take the kids but still requiring caution, as it gets pretty steep on some parts. The reward will be a swim in cool, pure fresh water under a huge waterfall.
Mushrooms growing amongst pines in a forest can be indicative of much more than merely the rotting of organic matter. Many fungi have symbiotic relationships with vascular plants. These relationships involve trees such as pines, oaks, and eucalyptus, and include your garden vegetable plants and flowers. Knowing about mycorrhizae, what they do for plants, and how you can grow them with your plants can enable you to obtain their benefits for yourself in your own garden plot or yard.
Among the many saxifrages that exist, the mossies are valued not only for their prolific flowers but their evergreen, moss-like appearance which can be particularly appreciated in those seasons when many of the other garden plants are dormant. Whether grown in the rockery, shade garden, front of the border or as a ground-cover, this small versatile plant is indeed worthy of any garden.
Have you ever seen those really cheap used aquariums in yard sales? Ever wondered what they'd be good for? Any plant loving human has dreamed of a terrarium at one time or other. That perfect blend of humidity and warmth, a mini tropical paradise. This article will explain how to create that paradise.
Ned cursed himself for being so gold greedy. Why did he ever leave his safe clerk job in Indianapolis just to die in this forsaken desert-jungle? He cursed Lulu-Belle. The fool horse was frightened by a shadow and ran off with the saddlebags and canteens. He cursed the wretched scrub - too high to see over, too low to shade him; too thin to climb up, too thick to crawl through. He had to marvel at it, though. He had traveled through the desert and the vegetation was as sparse as expected. Here, the ground was a dry as a bone but the vegetation was as thick as in the Missouri River bottomland.
There are so many plants given the name of Lily. Usually these are plants with strap shaped leaves crowned by big dramatic flowers. Water lilies and Alstroemerias are, I think, about the only exceptions to this rule of thumb. Even the name confuses people as it is frequently misspelled as Lilly or Lillium! In this article I am going to narrow the focus to discuss the true lilies, that is the plants belonging to the plant genus Lilium.
Anyone who views up close a mass of coral ardisia would naturally want it for their landscape, for it is very attractive. Sometimes called coral berry, spice berry, hen’s eyes and other descriptive names, this small upright shrub is a trickster of the meanest sort. It is a prime example of why gardeners should learn about the plants they invite into their gardens.
Rather than plant single straight rows in your garden, try planting wide rows. Several advantages are listed below along with some general instructions for creating wide rows. You'll get more yield in less space, and your garden will require less maintenance.
Admit it. You look out the window and the landscape is pretty bleak, unless you live in the southern part of the planet. Here in Ohio (Zones 5 & 6), the view doesn't offer much from December through March, but this is the perfect time to take stock of your gardens.
Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? This is what is on most of the country’s mind today for if legend has it, if this particular groundhog sees its shadow then there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it will be an early spring!
It wasn't the foot of snow that bothered me, it was the fact that I was craving strawberries in the dead of winter. I thought I'd help the strawberries grow sooner if I could rid them of their blanket of snow. This story is for the child who lurks within all of us.
In an effort to keep from getting too serious all the time, Bob, a Master Gardener (self proclaimed) shares his wisdom after many years making the same mistakes over and over again.
The first serious snowfall of the year in New England always brought my mother boiling up a batch of maple syrup, just as in Laura Ingalls Wilder's day. Luckily for us, we didn't have to start with the maple tree. We just needed the snow and the jug of maple syrup!
Are you feeling a bit bored with your food choices? Have you heard of spaghetti squash? Do you wish your kids would eat more vegetables? Maybe you should try the squash with spaghetti hiding inside. This article has pictures, growing information and cooking instructions for you.
I have always dreamed of having my gardens in bloom from early spring through the end of fall with no lapse in between. It hasn't happened yet, but I came upon a way of making sure it happens in the very near future. Here is a method you might want to start now, so that when the first days of spring arrive in 2009, you will be ready for Showtime in your gardens.
Meadow cranesbill are among the oldest flowers in cultivation in the western world. With the recent surge of new cultivars this plant will be with us for many years to come. Let me introduce you to this tried and true ornamental!
Are your peppers more poky than perky? Is your basil more balky than bouncy? Do you wish your seeds would speedily sprout into sturdy seedlings? Bottom heat could be the answer. The seed catalogs piling up by your easy chair tout the wonders of seedling heat mats – and they are right! Heat mats can produce remarkable results. But are they the only answer?
You've grown an amaryllis bulb from the box kit you got for Christmas. Welcome to the wonderful world of Hippeastrums! Now you can explore the many different varieties available and try the new Cybister hybrids..
Leeks are documented as having been part of the diet of early Egyptians and Mesopotamians, as far back as 2000 BC. They were said to be Emperor Nero’s favorite vegetable giving him the nickname Porrophagus – leek eater. Probably native to the Mediterranean area and popular in Europe for many years, they are just now coming in vogue in the US and are mostly used in soups. But they have many other uses as well and many gourmet recipes can be found using leeks.
In this second installment of Springtime, Summertime, Autumn, Wintertime … Dreamtime, I invite you to join me in another activity of this "fifth season" that I celebrate every year in January and February.
Do you wage a constant war trying to protect your house plants from your cats? Is there a dustpan in every room? Do you hear falling clay pots on a regular basis? This article will examine some of the ways to help keep kitty at bay.
Our chores in the garden are long past and, as winter settles in, most gardeners are probably already looking at nursery catalogs. But if you worked hard last season, you should have a cupboard or freezer full of goodies to warm you through the cold weeks ahead. Here are some recipes to help you use the bounty.
Here in Texas, the tomato plants of well-planned gardeners are already a foot tall by mid-March, and some of our spring crops have been in the ground for weeks. But for everyone not in Zone 8 and warmer, this is the perfect time to start those crisp, tasty spring vegetables.
These days I am much more aware of lists of ingredients on products that I purchase. I am the one standing in the aisle of the corner grocery reading the fine print on the bottle of cough syrup or the jar of peanut butter. Someday soon, perhaps we will all be standing in the aisles reading labels.
The blooms may only last a day, and you have to be careful about temperatures, but these gorgeous lovelies are well worth planting. During the warm summer months and longer in more tropical loving climates, the stunning beauty of the tropical Hibiscus will bring you a sense of accomplishment like few others. Please let me explain:
We are having a slushy, icy, snowy, drizzly January thaw this week. It has been a winter of big snow falls, often feet at a time. Stan had to clear the barnyard with the snowblower last week so he could get one of the outdoor heifers in for a pregnancy check and the rest of them have taken advantage of the clearing, keeping any new snow that falls stomped down. They wander back and forth between the bale ring in the lane behind the sheds and the barnyard.
Sometimes things are not as they seem, and especially so in the natural world. Camouflage and mimicry abound in the insect world. For example, flies that look like bees, butterflies appearing as wasps, and caterpillars that resemble animal guano rely on these visual illusions to evade predators. On Aroidia, however, the swapping of roles in structure and function is for filling niches with abundant diversity, and not a necessity for survival. . .
The color green could be considered the color of life. Humans cannot be self-supporting for long in a place that is never green. What is more bleak than an iceberg, lava field, or empty parking lot? Green is the color of plants and plants are making our oxygen and directly and indirectly making our food. Plants are the basis of most of the life on earth.
Are you chomping at the bit, (er, hoe?) in early spring? Get started early by planting onion sets for green onions, or take scallions to the next level with seeds for bunching onion varieties. Either way, you'll soon enjoy crisp tangy scallions from the garden.
Among the most popular late winter-spring blooming perennials are Bergenia. But while they have a modest floral display, their main claim-to-fame are their bold, evergreen leaves. Hardy, tough-as-nails and year-round interest are among the attributes of this modest genus.
Brussels Sprouts really are from Brussels!! Although a variety of this nutritious vegetable was already cultivated in ancient Rome, it had a heyday in the middle ages in what is now known as Belgium. However, it wasn’t until the 1500s that it gained popularity throughout Europe, and it was the French settlers that brought this crop to Louisiana in the early 1800’s.
One of the stranger things found in nature, petrified wood has all the texture of bark and splinters, and all the color and shimmer of a display at the Museum of Gems and Minerals.
Regardless of the weather outside, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme can bring beauty and fragrance to your home anytime of the year. Fresh herbs liven up your recipes with little effort and oh so much pleasure! Just a few pots, a bright windowsill and a little attention will keep your herbs happy for months to come.
Gardeners may not have thought of sweetshrub for years, but one sniff transports us to yesteryear and memories long buried in the recesses of our minds. In all likelihood, if sweetshrub is not already a part of our garden, a whiff of the heady scent on a spring day sends us off to the nursery in search of one.
