Articles about gardening. en-us http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/ admin@davesgarden.com (Dave) admin@davesgarden.com (Dave) http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1155/ We think of winter as a time of cold weather. As gardeners, we also think of it as a time when plants stop growing or greatly reduce their rate of growth. It is usually the most difficult time in terms of plant survival. This sounds like November through February for much of the northern hemisphere, but it also describes summer in the mediterranean climate zones of the world. To plants native to the climate, the hot, dry summer is the challange. Summer is winter. Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1155/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2318/ This article is an introduction to Dudleyas, a genus of succulents native to California and the surrounding states and Mexico, that is a wonderful group of plants for landscaping and for pot culture. Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2318/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/270/ One plant that all serious gardeners must have is the clematis. It’s beautiful by itself or when used as an accent plant in the garden. I’ll discuss the plant, its care and one of the most asked question regarding the clematis: pruning. Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/270/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2503/ You should know from the outset that I am not a bee keeper. If you’re looking for information about honey and hives, this is not the article you want. My bees are not honey bees. They are mostly large bumblebees that buzz around sipping from my gardens and amusing me. Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2503/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1037/ You can attract and protect honeybees and other important pollinators in your garden. Feed them. Shelter them. Don’t kill them. Sound simple? It really is! Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1037/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4225/ If you like tomatoes, cheese or steak, you're tasting <i>umami</i>. We've all heard that sweet, salty, sour and bitter are the only flavors and that they are the building blocks of complex tastes. But in 1909 Professor Kikunae Ikeda isolated a fifth flavor detectable by human tongues. He named it "umami," from the Japanese words for <i>delicious.</i> Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4225/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/688/ No matter where you live, your garden will benefit year-round from properly applied mulch: a layer of organic or inorganic material spread evenly on the surface of the soil. Today's gardeners have a wide variety of mulches from which to choose, but deciding which type to use takes a little research. Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/688/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4236/ Gardeners have a keen sense of humor and we know that you'll enjoy adding your family-friendly quote or description to the image. We'll supply the picture and everyone can post their funniest title. We can't wait to see what you come up with! Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4236/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1806/ If you want a bold perennial to make an impact in your garden, then look no further than Rodgersia. These east Asian plants have lovely, large foliage and attractive plumes of white to red flowers. For the back of a moist border, a semi-shaded woodland or as a backdrop for a water feature, Rodgersia are second to none. Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1806/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4242/ Gardeners love books, as the number of titles devoted to the subject attest. We hope this spotlight on some of our members' favorites is a nice change of pace for your Saturday morning. Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4242/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/868/ The balance of all things in nature starts with the sun & moon. Like male & female, these heavenly counterparts dance together & lead the rhythm of life. Since earliest times people have observed such natural cycles, striving to comprehend the critical disequilibrium they represent. In this way, moon phases have served as reliable cues for the marking of time over thousands of years. Closer examination however, reveals vital lunar connections that run deeper than many are aware. Discover our mother moon in a different light as we explore ways to garden by her guidance. Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/868/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4175/ "DURING recent years, there have crept into the trade a bewildering number of <i>Philadelphus</i> species and varieties." So wrote Donald Wyman, in 1936. in the an Arnold Arboretum (Harvard University) newsletter. He goes on to state that the 1931 "Plant Buyer's Index " lists 68 different mock-oranges. From your grandmother's garden to the new nursery down the street: what's tried and true, and what's new, in the delightful mockorange. Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4175/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1600/ This is an article about trial and error, success and failure, and about creating a treated lumber succulent container garden from scratch. It is not really a 'how to' article though it started out that way. It is more of a 'one way to do it' article including some of the reasons perhaps why NOT to do something this way. Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1600/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4241/ I use the term Japanese morning glory somewhat loosely to refer to exotic varieties, usually Ipomoea nil cultivars, as opposed to the more common Ipomoea purpurea types . The blooms of Japanese morning glories are usually larger, but produced--in my climate at least--in much lower numbers than what purpurea can manage. Fortunately, we gardeners tend to have a weakness for difficult plants! Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4241/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2436/ Get inspired to create a private room in your garden by surrounding it with vine-covered structures, or plant some vines around a sleeping porch for lovely scented breezes. Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2436/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4219/ I have an iris plan. First let me say that each spring, I SO look forward to the majestic, spear-shaped bearded irises awakening in my yard. Then, when I notice their stalks reaching upward with pointy, rolled-up blooms, I get real excited. The flower of an iris is a reason for living. It's a reason to continue gardening, year after year, decade upon decade. Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4219/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2664/ One of the few trees that did not live in my childhood environment in southeast Kentucky was the bald cypress. Now isn’t that a strange name for such a lovely tree? This is the story of a tiny seedling that I knew nothing about, one that was guaranteed not to grow here in the flatlands of western Kentucky. Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2664/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4237/ Opuntia is one of the most numerous of the cactus genera. It is also the most widespread. The approximately 180 species are found from Canada to Argentina and from the Caribbean Islands to the Galapagos. Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4237/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4205/ April showers have not come this year. This has presented drought challenges in the West while delaying the coming of spring in the East. We miss April and her showers and wish for her to come back, so May blossoms can peak as always, like a clock for Mother&#039;s Day coast to coast. At the same time, dear April has shown us what clever New Englanders we can be with a little West Coast savvy. We have finally arrived, our feet on the ground in this very different place. Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4205/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4207/ "April showers bring May flowers" is merely a proverb exhorting patience, at least in this Year of the Endless Winter. Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4207/