Plant Gardens 101

The botanical name for gas plant.

Insects

The only ones troubling house plants are the green fly, the mealy bug, the scale, and the red spider.

The green fly is to be killed by a smoking with tobacco. Put the plant under a barrel with smoking tobacco; let it remain, say fifteen minutes; then give it a syringing.

Mealy bug is to be searched for and destroyed. Frequent sponging does much to keep down this pest.

Scale is to be treated in the same way. Warm soap-suds are peculiarly distasteful to the creature.

Red spider, which is seldom found on house plants, is nourished by a dry, warm atmosphere. Water is certain death. Keep the foliage syringed and atmosphere moist, and you will have no red spider. (more…)

The rotating compost bin has become very popular in recent years. Primarily because more and more of us are deciding to compost our green waste and the result is some fantastic new machines that can make compost in a very short space of time.

The compost tumbler works on a fairly simple premise. You add soft organic material to them on a regular basis and eventually you get a fantastic compost as the end result. They are sealed containers so there is no rodent or animal problem to contend with. For many this is reason enough. Added to this is the actual tumbling action that you perform by turning a handle. This is at the heart of the design. This turning will mean that you are regularly chopping up the contents which make them a lot quicker to turn in to compost. It also means that there is an even heat in the barrel which will keep the contents activated at an optimum temperature. This constant temperature means that everything inside will degrade at a similar speed.

Because of the way these barrels act it means that you can produce compost in a very short space of time. As little as two weeks in some cases. If you want a nice and easy way to make compost then I strongly suggest you investigate the rotating compost bin. They really are a very efficient way indeed of producing quality compost in a short space of time.
The urban compost tumbler has gained immensely in popularity. See the compost tumbler post for lots of information on the rotating compost bin.

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With the increasing reduction of wild habits for many plants, many people have begun to look afresh at what they are losing and have gained an appreciation of their native flora. This has encourage them to create areas within their own garden in which wild flowers can flourish, partly to help preserve these flowers and partly because they simply enjoy them.

What is a wildflower garden? A wildflower garden is one in which native flowers are grown in as near wild conditions as possible. The idea of wild conditions is not so much to create picturesque landscape but more to create conditions in which the flowers will grow.

There are several types of garden all based on habitats in the wild. The most common is a wildflower meadow. Next are those based on plants of the cornfield and arable land, which like the disturbed soil of the open border. Then there are the woodland plants that need a shady garden. Finally, there are the wetland plants, which need a pond, stream or boggy area. Once established, wildflower gardens or borders are wonderful for attracting native birds and insects. They are, after all, their natural food. (more…)

The beginner houseplant lover who visits her garden supply store is certainly going to be overwhelmed at the huge number and variety of indoor garden equipment she is going to find on sale for takin care of her houseplants. There are literally hundreds of different kinds of tools, like rakes and sprayers, on the market. If almost all of them can be useful, only a small number of them are essential for houseplant care.

If you are not scared off by the huge number of different tools available, you will often tend to buy more tools than you really need, or at the very least more than you are convinced you need. It’s very common for a beginner who has let herself get carried away, to realize after a couple of months that the only uses she can find for the expensive decorative pots she bought was as the base of a home-made lamp. We certainly don’t want this to happen to you. (more…)

Daisy family
Compositae
Ko-ree-op’sis. Comprising about 100 species, perhaps a dozen grown for their showy bloom.

Description
Leaves generally opposite, often lobed or dissected, but entire in some. Flowerheads solitary or in branched clusters, composed of central disk flowers and showy ray flowers. Usually about 8 rays in the single varieties, more in the double forms.

How to Grow
Sow seeds outdoors in early spring. In warm areas, sow again late summer through fall for winter and spring flowers. Plants need good drainage and full sun. Do not thin; bloom best when crowded. Plants prefer warm weather.

Coreopsis tinctoria
Golden Coreposis . 2-3 ft. (60-90 cm) high. Flowerheads long-stalked, to 1 ? in. (3 cm) across, the disk flowers dark red or purple, the ray flowers yellow with brown base, or entirely yellow, brown, or purple-red. Cen. U.S. There are forms with double flowers, as well as dwarf varieties. Heat-resistant. Hardy annual

Has your garden become a little too serious? Is it prim, proper and oh so perfect that it feels stiff and cold. If you want to transform an uptight backyard into a relaxing oasis, then all you have to do is to add a touch of garden humor.

How?
Incorporate Garden Art that makes you smile . It could be as simple as a silly bronze frog sun tanning on a lily pad to put by your pond, or as wild as pair of cute concrete ruby red sparkly “Wizard of Oz’ Dorothy shoes peeking out of some greenery. Anything that makes you stop and chuckle will help. (more…)

Landscaping is a booming business, as more and more people every year are spending fortunes for extreme exterior makeovers. In fact, perhaps to justify their exorbitant costs, or to make people think that they’re getting more for their money, these professionals are not even calling themselves landscapers anymore. No-o! These days, they advertise themselves as “landscape architects.” Wow! That sounds as if they’re doing a much heavier job, doesn’t it? Of course, they are dealing with many more garden structures, such as arbors, trellises, and pergolas these days – but they’re not building them!
This whole craze started mostly because the growing number of enclosed porches and patios, and the sky-rocketing popularity of gazebos, many of which are equipped with electricity, plumbing, and heating, have made outdoor living a year-round way of life, even in colder climes. Especially in the cases of gazebos that are used as summerhouses, many outdoor structures that were once strictly ornamental, are now getting landscaping of their own, including decks, courtyards, brick fireplaces, ponds, fountains, garden bridges, and waterfalls – for starters.

While it’s true that this can raise the value of a home, it can also be overdone to the point of garishness. Many homeowners have very small yards, and very grand plans. That’s fine. It becomes troublesome only when they refuse to refine those plans to suit their actual conditions, and start cramming everything they see in home improvement magazines and catalogs into their limited space. That’s a nightmare. (more…)

(plural: cilia)
One of the hairs along the margin or edge of a structure, such as a leaf, usually forming a fringe.

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A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. But would there be confusion on what plant you are talking about? There is with Geraniums. Does the idea of a Geranium conjure up an image of a quaint Greek fishing village with window boxes planted out with pillar box red flowers? Guess what, they aren’t really Geraniums. They are Pelargonium zonale hybrids. Ok, so most people know them as Geraniums, and they are both in the family Geraniaceae, I will give you that. But it is probably going to be a long time before we can get everyone in the gardening community to understand that Geraniums are a distinct genus from Zonale Pelargoniums. Even Linnaeus (who invented the plant classification system that we use) put Pelargonium spp. and Geranium spp. together in the same genus originally, along with another genus Erodium spp. It wasn’t until 1789 that the classification of these distinct genuses was changed in an article published in a Horticultural Journal by William Aiton. (more…)

To start, you will need the proper tools to complete your project. For building a garden bed, you will need a digging spade and probably a digging fork (or spading fork). D-handled tools are best for this. If the cutting edge of the spade is blunt and burred, sharpen it. Also, smaller tools will be needed for the actual planting, weeding and upkeep.

Start with a garden bed. Try not to over do it and go big, smaller is always wiser when it comes to beginning any project. A good size for a beginner would be approximately 6 ft X 10 ft. If you plan to plant pumpkins, squash or zucchini, be prepared to go much bigger. These vegetables tend to need a lot of room, and often will spread out into the rest of you vegetables. Because of this, either start a bed specifically for these, or do not attempt at all if you have only a smaller garden. A raised bed can be advantageous to both you and the garden. It will allow the garden more warmth in the spring as well as keeping weeds at bay. It is best to create a framing for the bed; it will allow you to stand outside your garden without upsetting the plants and their root systems. Your garden should be able to get up to 6 hours of sunlight a day, so plan your location appropriately. If you do not have a yard big enough, container vegetable gardens are an option. Many plants including lettuce, tomatoes and peppers are just as good and hearty if planted in a large enough vessels. There should be at least 1-2 feet of soil to properly handle the root system. (more…)

Is your plot your sanctuary? If so then how can you advance others to touch you? Frogs, birds and insects all must a home and with minimum stab you can induce them into your backyard and sentinel them help you swear it. Birds, frogs and insects are all critical for a balanced system in your patch. They can help keep mice at bay and your flora and plants to show. All that these creatures must, like the rest of us, are food and shelter.

Birds counter well to feeding throughout the year but particularly in the coldness, when untreated foods are scarce. Foods with a high fat subject, as well as the familiar bird seeds embrace in the colder months. You can buy unusual bird feeding fat blocks, or just melt lard into a mould. Nuts have a high fat content too and the more pied your offerings, the more diverse the birdlife you are apt to magnetize. (more…)

The botanical name for vegetables in the cabbage family (Cruciferae, formerly Brassicaceae), including cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and, of course, cabbages.

Vegetable boxes are forward in popularity as consumers become increasingly alarmed by the dangers of pesticide remains. Organic fruit and vegetable box are not presented everywhere, but some places have great programs that accept footing tips.

In London, organic fruit and vegetable boxes are delivered weekly. It’s a great way to get nutritional organic fruit and vegetables lacking relying on a regional bazaar. A standard boxed delivered in May might confine juicy organic fruit and vegetables such as broad beans, carrots, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, loquats, onions, pears, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, and tomatoes.

London organic fruit and vegetable boxes submit families a breadth of cool organic fruit and vegetables. Box stuffing change from week to week, and from term to term. Organic fruit and vegetables that are at their height locally are select. If certain goods cannot be mature locally, imported organic fruit such as bananas, for example, are included.

London organic fruit and vegetable boxes are sold according to family volume. Small boxes of organic fruit and vegetables suit a fasten; middle boxes nourish 3 people; large boxes nosh 4. (more…)

Flowers are beautifull to have around your house and in certain areas of your yard.There are many different kinds of flowers out there,that grow in certain temperatures and climates and for every season of the year.Below I will mention a couple of ways to plant a seasonal flower garden.

You may need to do some research for what kind of flowers grow in your area and in what season they grow in.Because if I mention what I plant where I live,it might not work where you live.But here is what to do anyway. (more…)

A garden or flower bed can begin with beautiful plants, but their continuing growth and beauty will depend on whether they are receiving the proper amount of water. This is especially important since over 90% of a plant consists of water. Your plants’ water requirements are dependant on the type of plant, the plant environment, the type of soil and the amount of time and energy that you have to spend in watering. The results of a proper watering schedule can produce a healthy plant with a good root system, the ability to resist disease and the capability to grow, flower and multiply.

Choose plants for your landscape and your lifestyle. It is beneficial to choose plants that are adapted to the location that you plant them in. Determine if they prefer sun versus partial shade or shade. A sunny area will require more water because of evaporation. You also need to consider whether the plant is drought tolerant or requires more water, whether it prefers a well drained soil or will do well in a clay soil, and whether the plant will be a large plant with a great amount of foliage or remain small. Your climate may be a large influence on the types of plants you choose. Plants that are naturally adapted to your area will thrive better. (more…)

The history of roses is very long and colorful. Over the years they have been symbols of love, beauty, war and politics. Fossils have been found, which indicate the rose has been around for approximately 35 million years. There are about 150 species of roses spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to South Africa. 5,000 years ago garden cultivation of the rose began, which probably was in China. Roses were widely grown in the Middle East during the Roman period. Roses had several uses over the years. Many times it was used in celebrations as confetti. During that time roses were used for medicinal purposes. Roses were also used as a source of perfume. Large public roses gardens were established in the south of Rome by the Roman nobility. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the roses popularity depended on the gardening trends and fashion of the time.

During the fifteenth century two different groups were fighting for the control of England. The rose was used as a symbol of one side or another. The white rose was the symbol for York and the red rose was the symbol Lancaster. The conflict came to known as the “War of the Roses” because roses were used as symbols at the time.

In the seventeenth century, roses were in extremely high demand. Royalty considered using roses or rose water as a form of currency. They were however used as bartered for payment. (more…)

Primrose family
Primulaceae
A-na-gal’lis. The pimpernels are rather weedy, mostly prostrate herbs comprising perhaps 40 widely distributed species, only 2 of which are of garden interest.

Description
Leaves opposite or in whorls, without marginal teeth. Flowers small, mostly solitary in leaf axils, short-stalked, the corolla bell-shaped, its 5 lobes somewhat spreading.

How to Grow    (more…)

There are many products on the market that can serve as a soil conditioner to help correct deficiencies in the soil to help it better support plant life. One of the most impactful organic soil conditioners out there has got to be humic acid.

Humic Acid is still a relatively new concept to most and is not widely available at most lawn and garden stores, but serious organic gardeners and organic farmers are very familiar with what it can do and how it helps all types of soil.

Humus materials are complex aggregate of brown to dark colored amorphous substances, which have originated during the decomposition of plant and animal residues by microorganisms, under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, in soils, composts, peat bogs, and water basins. “Humic acid” is the commercial term often used to refer to the combined humic and fulvic acid content found in these naturally occurring deposits. Humic acid is known to be among the most bio-chemically active materials found in soil. The best humic acids come from Leonardite coal which is made of of humified substances dating back thousands of years. (more…)

An extra, often colored, coat or appendage to a seed. It is the aril that provides the brilliant color of the fruits of bittersweet vine, yew, and euonymus.