Plant Gardens 101

To produce a realistic illusion of a mature tree, look for plants with the following characteristics:

· Small leaves or needles.
· Short inter-nodes, or distances between leaves.
· Attractive bark or roots.
· Branching characteristics for good twig forms.

All parts of the ideal bonsai — trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits, buds, roots — should be in perfect scale with the size of the tree. Plants used for bonsai should have small leaves, or leaves that become small under bonsai culture. Plants with overly large leaves will look out of proportion if chosen for bonsai. Sycamores and avocados develop leaves that are too large. Certain species of both maple and oak trees usually respond well to bonsai culture and develop leaves that are in proportion.

Plants with small leaves and needles are spruce, pine, zelkova, pomegranate, and certain oaks and maples. Plants chosen for bonsai should have attractive bark, and the trunk must give the illusion of maturity. The trunk must remain in proportion to the entire tree. The trunk should taper gradually toward the top of the tree. Sometimes one or two of the main branches must be shortened to emphasize the vertical line of the trunk and give the trunk a balanced appearance. (more…)

If you are like me, I absolutely love the smell of fresh herbs. However, buying fresh herbs at the grocery store would often make my wallet cry, so I would pass them up. Often times I didn’t buy enough or they would spoil before I used them all. So like me, Container Herb Gardening can give you an abundant, readily available supply of fresh herbs. It doesn’t matter if your living quarters are small because you can put the containers inside in the kitchen within reach. Even next to the coffee pot.Growing herbs in containers is the perfect gift for gardening friends, as well as for cooking. Take into account these 3 tips for the successful container herb garden, for some flavorful and or smelly results.

Tip #1. Select the herbs you want to grow. Choose from basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, mints and dill. All are easy to grow in containers, require very little maintenance, and are adaptable for a wide variety of dishes. Plants such as lavender and yarrow spread quickly and can take up all your space, so these are ideal for container herb gardening in small batches. (more…)

The orchid family is not only the largest but one of the most diverse plant flowering families in the world. The orchid was one of the first plants to evolve on earth, it was around in the time of the dinosaur, over 120 million years ago. Given the length of time they have been around it shouldn’t be surprising that there are over 35,000 species with hundreds of thousands of hybrids.

The most famous orchid in the world is the vanilla orchid (planifolia). Coca Cola is the largest customer of vanilla as they use the seed for flavouring. Madagascar is the world’s largest producer. Orchids are very beautiful plants and that is why so much time and care is put into growing them. Vanilla on the other hand is grown for its commercial value rather than for its appearance but it is labour intensive. The vanilla crop is the main source of income for many independent farmers in less developed countries.

Reproduction
One of the ways in which the orchid is so diverse is its ability to reproduce. Some orchids rely on flying insects, others rely on crawling insects and finally there are orchids that rely on the wind for pollination.

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Any of several moths whose larvae make nests of rolled leaves and silk.

I would like to share with you some tips on gardening which have worked for me. Surely these would help you when you start your own. There is a wide range of information available on the internet, gardening clubs, books, magazines and the local nursery which could provide you with valuable guidance on your first attempt at gardening. You will need to figure out how much sun your plot will be getting during the day and get tips on fertilizers, mulch and the type of soil. The tools necessary along with the type of tiller and watering system that would make your gardening job more convenient are things which you ought to know.

Tip #1: There is nothing as great as writing down the entire gardening plan on a piece of paper. It also helps you save time. You need to brainstorm with a friend if you so desire. Keeping the plan in front of you helps. You have to ensure its appearance and calculate the distance of the hose from it. Also if there are any sprinklers needed. This is over and above other points you may think of.

Gardening Tip #2: The garden is a success if the soil is prepared well. Plants have varying needs when it is a matter of the type of soil that they grow on. For the natural flavor to remain in your food, use organic fertilizers in your vegetable or herb garden. A good compost or even wood chip mulch is preferred over the ordinary fertilizer. (more…)