Borage family
Boraginaceae
Bore-ray’go. A small genus of European herbs, much liked by bees; also planted in herb gardens.
Description
They usually have stiff-hairy foliage. Leaves alternate. Flowers blue, wheel-shaped, in a loose, leafy cluster.
How to Grow (more…)
Due to seasonal changes in weather, many plants have adapted to survive harsh conditions through a process called dormancy. Seasonal environmental changes, such as day length, temperature, and drought, stimulate the transition of a plant from active growth to dormancy in the fall and then reverse the process in the spring. This natural process is essential to the health and survival of our garden plants. We do not want to use gardening practices that interfere with this cycle.
Gardeners should not fertilize in late summer or fall. Fertilizing can stimulate new growth that will not survive the cold winter months. It is okay to fertilize plants in more temperate areas where they will grow throughout the fall and winter.
Gardeners should not water in the fall, unless they are is suffering through a severe drought. Mother Nature will usually take care of herself at this time of the year. If you are having an extremely dry fall, moderate irrigation is appropriate. Excessive watering in the fall can promote new growth and delay dormancy. (more…)
Humming birds are found throughout the Americas including the Caribbean. Known for their hovering ability and unique ability to fly backwards, humming birds hover by rapidly flapping their wings at speeds up to 80 times a second. The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world at only 2 inches long and around 1.8 grams. The Giant Hummingbird is the largest hummingbird at 24 grams and approximately 8 inches long.
They have the fastest metabolism of any birds and to sustain this they must eat their own weight and more in food daily. To do this they must visit hundreds of blooms a day to harvest the nectar. They have long bills and tongues to reach deep into flowers. They are able to slow down their metabolisms when at rest, unlike most other high metabolism animals and this extends their lifespan which has been reported to be up to 17 years. (more…)
Now that summer has passed and winter is soon to approach, we need to shift our minds from mowing the lawn & weeding to snow removal. Lets make sure that our flowerbeds are ready for this season’s upcoming change with a little preparation to assure beautiful flowers will return next spring.
Our shrubs might need some protection also depending where you live. You might choose to give your lawns a little attention also. Either way, this is a great time to give our yard one better look before the snow flies and make sure all is comfy & cozy!
I hope to cover a few basics to help get your yard ready for winter
Watering; Even though we know summer is over and feel we no longer need to water, we do. A deep watering encourages a strong root system. If a plant does not have enough water taken into its root system before frost, I might not survive the winter. Water all plants sparingly throughout early autumn. This will help plants start with the transition. Once the leaves have dropped from deciduous trees give trees and shrubs a deep watering. Continue to water flowerbeds, trees & shrubs until ground frost will no longer allow water to absorb into the soil. I personally don’t always water this far into the season and still have great result year after year. Use you judgment for your soil type & geographical location. (more…)
Even though there are a wide variety of plants to choose from when creating your garden or enhancing your landscape, you should know which type of soil you have before buying plants because many can only survive in certain soil conditions.
TYPES OF SOIL
Most soil falls under three categories: clay, loam, and sand. If you have loamy soil, then you can choose practically any plant you want and it will thrive because this is the best type of soil to have. Because most people do not have loamy soil, they must understand how to work with the soil they have. This includes buying fertilizer, lime for clay based soil, and not watering the soil as often so nutrients will always be present for plants to grow. (more…)
The botanical name for andromeda.
