Your All Things Plants newsletter for April 16, 2012

• 39 new members.
• 160 new threads.
• 3,393 new posts.
• 1,851 new images to the plant database.
• 119 new comments in the plant database.

News from Trish:

Attention vertical gardeners: A popular author is looking for ATPer's photos to possibly publish in her next book! Ornamental, vegetable, raised beds, trellises, and anything else that goes up - post them on this thread. Good luck!

The most popular images this week from our database: Photo of Baby's Toes (Fenestraria rhopalophylla subsp. aurantiaca) by tarev: Photo of Harlequin Flower (Sparaxis tricolor) by zuzu: Photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Can't Touch This') by Ladylovingdove: Photo of Pork and Beans (Sedum rubrotinctum) by tarev: Photo of Fancy-leafed Caladium (Caladium 'Pink Cloud') by Mangogirl:

There were 4 new articles published last week:

Early warmth followed by frost By Kathleen M. Tenpas on April 16, 2012 We had a heavy frost 4 nights in a row last week. The temperature dropped into the mid to upper 20s F and there was a rime of hoarfrost on the grass and plants and across the roofs of cars and houses. (no comments)

Old dishwater and homemade insecticides By Sharon Brown on April 15, 2012 I don't ingest harmful chemicals, I don't give them to my family or my cats and I certainly don't want them near my plants or in my soil. So what should I do about those slugs, meal worms, spider mites, cabbage worms and Japanese beetles that insist on destroying my flowers and vegetables? Simple,... (14 comments)

All about herbaceous Peonies By Chris Rentmeister on April 13, 2012 For a spectacular flower show in your garden, herbaceous peonies (paeonia) in bloom can’t be beat. They’re a long-lived perennial, make wonderful cut flowers, and when they’re done blooming the foliage provides a beautiful backdrop to other plants for the rest of the growing season. (10 comments)

POOpeas: A Review By Trish Whitinger on April 11, 2012 If you ever wondered if you could buy organic cow manure online - fear not. The answer arrived in a 3 lb bag to my mailbox! The most adorable packaging on a bag of fertilizer - every inch decorated with cute pictures and funny puns; I was charmed. (14 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

April 16, 2012: A nice size cloche may be expensive. This is a 15 Litre (4 Gallon) water bottle with the bottom cut off. Recycle and save money! Tip and photo by Joannabanana - (3 comments)

April 15, 2012: Attract hummingbirds to your yard and garden by planting some of their favorite flowers and hanging nectar feeders when blooms are not plentiful. In addition to nectar, hummingbirds consume large numbers of tiny insects, such as mosquitoes, aphids, and whiteflies. Tip and photo by patrob - (3 comments)

April 14, 2012: Invest in a 50 gal drum to use for a rain barrel. Tip by plantladylin Photo by Trish - (9 comments)

April 13, 2012: I use to put coffee filters in the bottom of my flower pots to keep the soil in but I found they disintegrated too fast so I now use some landscaping fabric and it holds up much better. Tip and photo by stetchworth - (23 comments)

April 12, 2012: It’s best to pull weeds when they’re small. They’re easier to remove, it won’t disturb the roots of nearby plants and it prevents them from going to seed. Tip by goldfinch4 Photo by mcash70 - (11 comments)

April 11, 2012: The best time of day to take cuttings for propagation is early, early in the morning. The plants natural rooting hormones are highest up in the tips of the plants in the morning. So you stand a better chance of propagation by taking your cuttings as early as you can. This applies even if you apply a rooting hormone to your cuttings. Tip and photo by flaflwrgrl - (no comments)

April 10, 2012: When the hosta "eyes" appear I mix one part household ammonia with ten parts of water and pour this mixture around the eyes close to the plant. It doesn't hurt the plants but it does dissolve the eggs that are laid around the roots. It has reduced the slug population noticeably. I also pour the ammonia solution directly on slugs that I see on the deck. Dissolves them right away. Tip and photo by ge1836 - (22 comments)