A garden is a friend you can visit anytime.
|
|
Brilliant Bee Balms
Looking out my front window, I am struck by the many reasons I love bee balms (Monarda). I can clip young leaves to brew herbal tea, or harvest the flowers to add to a salad. | |
|
|
Grow Your Own Turmeric from the Grocery Store
If you've ever eaten East Indian food, you've probably tasted turmeric, the bright yellow, pungent spice. It's usually found in powdered form, but it can also be eaten freshly sliced from the root. Would you believe that you can grow it yourself from tubers that are found in most international markets? If that doesn't catch your attention, you can also grow these same tubers/rhizomes into lovely blooming gingers for your summer garden before you harvest the roots in fall for turmeric. | |
|
|
Marigolds Send Nematodes Packing
Gardeners have long known of the reported nematode-fighting qualities of some garden plants, and marigolds are often cited as a good choice for | |
|
|
Maintaining Container Gardens
These simple maintenance tasks keep your patio planters and window boxes looking their best throughout the growing season and help cold-climate gardeners prepare for winter. | |
|
|
Together with Jung SeedMother's Day Gift Certificates
Are you still looking for Mother's Day gift ideas? Jung Seed gift certificates are the perfect gift for gardeners! The gift certificates can be any dollar amount, delivered to the email of your choosing, valid for five years, and can be used on the website, garden centers, or mail order. Shop now!
|
|
Let's Learn about Cold Stratification
Cold stratification is a horticultural technique used to mimic the natural winter conditions that some seeds require to break dormancy and germinate successfully. This process involves exposing seeds to a period of cold, moist conditions before sowing, which helps to simulate the seasonal cycle these seeds would experience in their natural environments.
Many seeds, particularly those of temperate plants, undergo a dormant period during winter, so that they don't germinate until conditions are favorable in spring. The cold stratification process essentially tricks these seeds into thinking they have endured a winter, making them ready to sprout once warmer temperatures return.
While sitting in a moist and cold environment, such seeds gradually lose chemical inhibitors that prevent germination. Their seed coats soften, allowing water and oxygen to enter the seeds more easily. The cold also stimulates the production (or activation) or some enzymes needed to start using food resources inside the seed. Some growth hormones begin to increase, and certain genes are believed to begin to be expressed.
All of this activity prepares the seed for vigorous growth once it fully exits dormancy.
|
|
|
Wax Heath (Erica ventricosa)
Plant Habit: Shrub Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade Leaves: Evergreen Flower Color: Pink Bloom Size: 2"-3"
| |
|
|
Chinese Crown Orchid (Eulophia graminea)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, Partial or Dappled Shade Water Preferences: Mesic Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet Plant Spread: 12 to 18 inches Flowers: Showy Flower Color: Other, Green Bloom Size: Under 1" Uses: Groundcover, Will Naturalize Resistances: Salt tolerant, Humidity tolerant Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
| |
|
|
Swallowtail Plant (Christia obcordata)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, Partial or Dappled Shade, Partial Shade to Full Shade Water Preferences: Mesic Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F) Plant Height: 12 inches to 36 inches Plant Spread: 24 inches to 36 inches Leaves: Unusual foliage color Flowers: Inconspicuous Flower Color: White Bloom Size: Under 1" Flower Time: Late summer or early fall, Fall Suitable Locations: Houseplant Dynamic Accumulator: Nitrogen fixer Resistances: Humidity tolerant Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots, Suitable for hanging baskets
| |
|
|
Rose (Rosa 'Red Queen')
Bloom size: Large: 4-5" Bloom shape: High-centered Petal count: full: 26-40 petals Rose bloom color: Medium red Rebloom: Good Class: Hybrid tea, Other Growth Habit: Medium tall, 4-5 feet, upright Fragrance: Mild Hybridizer & year: Reimer Kordes, 1968 Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 5 and warmer Plant Habit: Shrub Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun Plant Height: 4-5 feet Plant Spread: 2-3 feet Leaves: Deciduous Flowers: Showy, Fragrant Flower Color: Red Flower Time: Spring, Summer, Fall Uses: Cut Flower Wildlife Attractant: Bees
| |
|
|
Dwarf Tree Jasmine (Radermachera 'Kunming')
Plant Habit: Shrub, Tree Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Full Sun to Partial Shade Water Preferences: Mesic Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9b -3.9 °C (25 °F) to -1.1 °C (30 °F) Plant Height: 15 to 20 feet but can be pruned to a more desirable size Leaves: Evergreen Flowers: Showy, Fragrant Flower Color: Pink, Other Bloom Size: 2"-3" Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall Suitable Locations: Houseplant Uses: Windbreak or Hedge, Flowering Tree Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies Resistances: Humidity tolerant Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
| |
|
|
Together with Farmers DefenseGarden.org Subscribers, join forces with Farmers Defense! This spring, arm yourself with our flagship gardening sleeves, gloves, aprons, sun hats, and more! With UPF 50+ and comprehensive protection from scratches, scrapes, and bruises, save, and support your skin's bright and beautiful future. Shop now! Use code GARDEN15 to get 15% off your entire order—and for a limited time get a FREE pair of trimming shears with the purchase of two items or more!
|
|
Photo by Henhouse
|
|
Photo by Joy "Courtesy Peony Paradise used with permission"
|
|
Photo by CarolDravenack "Master and Bold Ruler"
|
|
Photo by Henhouse
|
|
Photo by BlueOddish
|
|
Photo by Hiyamakki
|
|
Photo by SouthTexasGardener "It looks like the yellow daylily wanted to get into the photo shoot."
|
|
Photo by csandt
|
|
Photo by Paintedtrillium
|
|
Photo by Artsee1
|
|
Together with Teknor ApexEnhancing Your Green Haven: DIY Gardening Projects - Gardens are not just about plants; they're about creating an atmosphere that nurtures the soul. Adding personal touches and enhancing the landscape can elevate your garden from ordinary to extraordinary. Here are some delightful DIY projects to infuse charm and wisdom into your outdoor sanctuary.Read more
|
|
Active threads from our forums:
Thread Subject
|
Forum
|
Replies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The numbers from this week:
428 members joined.
3,705 posts written in our forums.
1,168 photos posted to the plant database.
743 plants added to personal inventory lists.
|
|
The tree that is beside the running water is fresher and gives more fruit. -Saint Teresa of Avila
|
|
|