Mallow family
Malvaceae
A-bu’ti-lon. Flowering Maple ; Chinese Lantern . About 150 species of tropical shrubs (rarely herbs) of the mallow family, a few of which are grown as bedding plants.
Description
Leaves alternate, often veined and resembling a maple leaf; some varieties are variegated. Flowers showy, solitary, and borne in leaf axils, usually drooping and often trumpet-shaped.
How to Grow (more…)
If you have any type of outdoor property and you have a garden of any size there is going to come a time when you have to have a shed. Don’t forget that a shed isn’t just applicable to the summer months it can be utilized to store all those winter items as well.
Once you have determined that you are ready to invest in a shed then you will need to determine if you are going to build it yourself or erect a prefabricated one. Either one there is a little planning involved or you need to follow some steps to make your shed project a successful one.
First Step:
Obviously, the primary purpose of your shed is going to be for storage. Then you may want a small amount of space to do some repairs or small hobbies. What you are considering right now is the size. Consider the large summer and winter items. Most certainly, you are going to want to store these in your new shed. Probably the biggest items will be your lawn mower and your snow blower. You need to think about both floor space and wall space. Many of your garden tools can be hung up. (more…)
The botanical name for sage.
A wild-flower garden has a most attractive sound. One thinks of long tramps in the woods, collecting material, and then of the fun in fixing up a real for sure wild garden.
Many people say they have no luck at all with such a garden. It is not a question of luck, but a question of understanding, for wild flowers are like people and each has its personality. What a plant has been accustomed to in Nature it desires always. In fact, when removed from its own sort of living conditions, it sickens and dies. That is enough to tell us that we should copy Nature herself. Suppose you are hunting wild flowers. As you choose certain flowers from the woods, notice the soil they are in, the place, conditions, the surroundings, and the neighbours.
Suppose you find dog-tooth violets and wind-flowers growing near together. Then place them so in your own new garden. Suppose you find a certain violet enjoying an open situation; then it should always have the same. You see the point, do you not? If you wish wild flowers to grow in a tame garden make them feel at home. Cheat them into almost believing that they are still in their native haunts. (more…)
Every gardening pro and green thumb novice knows the value of owning a reliable potting table. These simple but effective benches help to organize and consolidate garden work so that it’s easy, fun and convenient. Whether you decide to purchase or build your own, once you’ve got the basic frame of your potting table set up, there are some handy tidbits you can employ to further streamline your outdoor experience. Some of these add-ons already come with benches, while others can be added on without too much effort.
One of the most important functions of potting benches is to act as storage units for all your gardening equipment. While most models come with a number of tiered shelves for larger object storage, you may want to consider organizing your smaller tools separately. Hooks attached to the side of the potting table keep gardening tools handy but out of the way. Another option is a back screen, made from pegboard, latticework or galvanized metal upon which tools can be hung. (more…)
Grow lights are used to accelerate plant growth. They emit an electromagnetic spectrum which is helpful for photosynthesis. Classified by light sources, you may find Incandescent, Fluorescent, Metal-Halide (MH) HID, High-pressure sodium lamps and LED grow lights in the market. Because LED technology progress quickly, LED grow lights are attractive to indoor and outdoor growers since they do not consume as much power, do not require ballasts, produce a fraction of the heat of HID lamps and long lifespan. If you are looking for grow lights, you may take LED grow lights into consideration because of the following features. 1. High Efficiency LED can produce the blue and red wavelengths which can be best used in photosynthesis. We can control the wavelengths from LED and make use of power efficiently. 2. Low Power Consumption Comparing to HID lighting, LED uses only 20% to 30% of the electricity. LED is famous for high power efficiency. Nowadays the power efficiency is more than 100lm/w and is improved rapidly. 3. Long Lifespan The lifespan of LED is more than 50,000 hours. HPS lamp is about 3,000 – 5,000 hours. 4. Minimal Heat LED grow lights are warm to touch. It does not scorch young or tender plants like HID lighting can. It also reduces your room/building air conditioning costs. 5. Versatile Blue LED can be easily added to enhance vegetative growth and red LED can be used to promote the fruiting and flowering stage. So if you are looking for grow lights, I believe LED grow lights are your good choice.
Lighting Orient Co., Limited provide high quality LED Grow Lights. You can find it here http://www.ledlightsorient.com/grow-lights-c-17.html
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In herbaceous plants, the layer of cells in the roots and stems immediately inside the epidermis, or “skin.”
Herb gardening is becoming more and more popular every day, and for a good reason. Herbs have practical value, serve a purpose, and with herb gardening you can actually use your plants. When most people think of herb gardening they automatically think of cooking, but herbs are also grown for their pleasant aroma and their beauty.
One important part of herb gardening is drying the herbs for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with them. First the tops of leafy herbs have to be cut, washed, and hung up for the water to evaporate. Then, tie stems together and hang up in a paper bag to dry. After two to three weeks they must be removed; crumble the leaves, dry them out in the oven, and store in a glass jar.
One of the most common herbs gown in herb gardening is basil. “Dark Opal” and regular green basil are beautiful additions to any garden and often used as decoration. Dark Opal has light pink flowers and dark red leaves. Basil isn’t just used for its looks; it is used for extra flavor in tomato juices and pastes. (more…)
When shopping around for nutrients for your hydroponic system, you have probably noticed that there are two general options: organic and non organic. Assuming that these nutrient blends are well balanced and come from a reputable hydroponics supply company, they can provide your plants with what they need to grow and thrive well. So why do so many opt for the organic solutions over the synthetic solutions? And why does it seem that organic growing increases in popularity with each passing year? There are several reasons really why people go organic.
Higher Nutrient Levels – Some evidence exists that organic plants grown organically are healthier for you than those grown through more modern conventional methods. Using only organic plant nutrients makes each piece of food denser in dry matter, meaning that there is more food and less water. When you do not use chemical pesticides, it also forces the plant to rely more on its own natural defenses. This means that they naturally produce more of the antioxidants that make fruits and vegetables so healthy for people. (more…)
A narrow ditch made by a spade or a plough, usually to receive seeds or to direct water runoff.
The Japanese Maple Bonsai is the most frequently used maple for the indoor and outdoor bonsai garden. There are numerous reasons why this is considered the perfect maple for a bonsai garden. The Japanese Maple Bonsai features delicate, ferny type leaves, which change to brilliant orange, gold, and red during the fall. Giving the tree the right care is important. This type of tree will have to be placed in a semi shady area during the summer, but will need full sunlight during the remainder of the season. It is also vital that it be placed in an area where it will be sheltered from the wind.
The Japanese Maple Bonsai Tree should be pruned during the spring, cutting the unwanted shoots. Pruning is one of the most significant aspects of successfully growing the bonsai plant. It is by pruning, that you will create the illusion of a miniature tree, so keeping up on this will be necessary, but only prune in the spring. (more…)
With the ever increasing demand for organic food production it is quite natural that we look for organic plant food to replace the chemical fertilizers that are commonly used in commercial production of fruit and vegetables.
What is organic plant food?
The first thing that springs to mind is animal manure, and still today this is the number one most common source of organic plant food. Animal manure provides active nutrients, fungi and the bacteria necessary for the development of fertile soils. Today, manures are available in several forms and grades. Although horse and cow dung is well known for its use as organic plant food, other animals such as hogs and sheep manure is also available. Chicken manure requires processing before it is applied to the garden.. (more…)
Soil primarily had its beginning from rock together with animal and vegetable decay, if you can imagine long stretches or periods of time when great rock masses were crumbling and breaking up. Heat, water action, and friction were largely responsible for this. By friction here is meant the rubbing and grinding of rock mass against rock mass. Think of the huge rocks, a perfect chaos of them, bumping, scraping, settling against one another. What would be the result? Well, I am sure you all could work that out. This is what happened: bits of rock were worn off, a great deal of heat was produced, pieces of rock were pressed together to form new rock masses, some portions becoming dissolved in water. Why, I myself, almost feel the stress and strain of it all. Can you?
Then, too, there were great changes in temperature. First everything was heated to a high temperature, then gradually became cool. Just think of the cracking, the crumbling, the upheavals, that such changes must have caused! You know some of the effects in winter of sudden freezes and thaws. But the little examples of bursting water pipes and broken pitchers are as nothing to what was happening in the world during those days. The water and the gases in the atmosphere helped along this crumbling work. (more…)
A flower stalk that grows directly from the base of a plant, as in daffodils and daylilies. It is usually leafless.
Pea family
Leguminosae
Poo-er-ray’ri-a. A genus of Asiatic and East Indian rapid-growing vines, related to Canavalia .
Description
Leaves compound, with 3 leaflets. Flowers blue or purple, pea-shaped, borne in racemes in leaf axils.
How to Grow (more…)
It’s almost time to begin your fall garden clean-up. Before long that spectacular summer garden will be gone and the time will be here for that fall garden clean – up. With the cool brisk days of autumn close, cleaning the garden for next years planting will be easier when you have had that fall head start. Begin by removing your dead or dying flowers a little at a time. By doing this slowly it will help to keep you garden neat, tidy, and having a presentable appearance before the frost sets in. Instead of letting your garden become overgrown and ugly, as the season starts to change, keep your leaves raked and your trees and shrubs pruned back.
Cleaning away old plants and plant matter will also help to prevent organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and insect eggs from wintering in during the winter months spoiling your soil for next years spring garden. If some of your plants became infected over the summer months, remember you will need to remove the old mulch as well; it too may be infected with disease spores and insect eggs. if you have plants that did not do as well as you expected, or multiplied to more than you want, now is a good time to either discard them or thin them out and replant them somewhere else in the garden. (more…)
Tools, all gardeners need them, but which tools to buy? What tools will I really use? A good quality tool will get much more use and will last much longer, than a tool you bought just because it was on sale.
The following is a list of Garden Tools all gardeners should have in their shed:
Wheelbarrow- A tough, lightweight wheelbarrow is a must. A 5-6 cubic foot bin that is made of plastic (I know plastic, yuck) will last 100 times longer and be much lighter than a steel bin. This will enable you to move larger, heavier items with ease.
Rakes – Rakes are essential for good gardening. A leaf rake 24″ or 30″ is standard. I like a metal rake, because it gets through wet, heavy leaves easily. A shrub rake is a great thing to have for getting in between and under bushes. It’s usually only 10″-12″ in width. A hard rake is necessary for grading and leveling soil and mulch. (more…)
A branch of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to medieval art, architecture, and gardens. The plants are those grown in western Europe during the Middle Ages. One of the gardens features the plants depicted in the famous Unicorn Tapestries.
“Therapeutic,” in layman’s term such word denotes to bring temporary cure not to illness alone but to stress or to negative way of thinking. People have different therapeutic claims. To some, pet animals such as fish or dogs are claimed to be as therapeutic factors. On the other hand, there are those who believed that water is therapeutic. Aside from artistic purposes, another reason why there are some individuals who undertakes waterfall construction in their water garden is due to the fact that water is claimed to have healing powers.
Generally, a water garden is a feature usually created by humans to enhance visual appeal to a home or a building. A water garden is often referred to as an aquatic garden, and backyard or garden ponds. The common living objects you will perceive in such work of art are water plants and ornamental fish. The construction of waterfalls usually highlights any pond.
Proper planning is the key to successfully construct falling water. There is a need for you to do ocular observation first. Observe and have a picture in mind of the possible undertakings you will carry out, and then put it into writing through a design. If you are not an architect, then you can simply draft your idea. During the process of planning, you need to consider the nearby features. Make sure that you will preserve the sense of balance of your water garden. (more…)
A small bulblike structure, usually borne among the flowers or in the axil of a leaf but never at ground level like a true bulb.
