Your All Things Plants newsletter for January 23, 2012

• 30 new members.
• 96 new threads.
• 2,103 new posts.
• 1,495 new images to the plant database.
• 144 new comments in the plant database.

Team Annual, or Team Perennial? By Trish Whitinger on January 22, 2012 It's ordering season- let's talk about which you will have more of in your garden. Are you Team Annual or Team Perennial? (20 comments)

How to turn an aquarium into a terrarium By Lee Anne Stark on January 20, 2012 There seems to be a lot of mystery involving terrariums. Mention one and people run away in fear. I don't know why, it's really quite simple. Let me show you. (6 comments)

What's blooming in January By Larry Rettig on January 17, 2012 In a more normal winter, our gardens here in Iowa would be nestled under a blanket of snow. Catching sight of even a flake or two has been a rare event so far this winter. As I write this, I'm itching to get outside, because it is sunny and 61 degrees! The average high in January for our state is... (14 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

January 23, 2012: Use the long winter months and the Picasa editor tool to plan your color combinations for your containers. Tip and photo by ge1836 - (3 comments)

January 22, 2012: When I toast a bagel for me I eat the top half and donate the bottom to my backyard feathered friends. I toast that half too, smother it in Plain Crunchy Peanut Butter and then sprinkle bird seed over the top and gently pat it into the peanut butter with my finger, then hang it on a tree branch. The birds love it! I sometimes add raisins to the seed and peanut butter mixture too. Tip and photo by plantladylin - (26 comments)

January 21, 2012: Inexpensive weed block I use newspapers as an free source of material to blocking weeds once my tomato plants are in the ground. Over the growing season the newspaper is converted by a combination of water, soil contact and worms to wonderful compost. Tip and photo by valleylynn - (24 comments)

January 20, 2012: Nighttime fragrance! The absolutely best vine for your deck, porch, or near an open window is the Moonvine (Ipomea alba), not to be confused with Moonflower. Grown on a trellis or deck railing its night blooming 6” pure white flowers offer a fragrance to behold. Pull up a chair in the evening and watch the flowers unfold before your very eyes! Tip by Horseshoe Photo by gingin - (25 comments)

January 19, 2012: Twine is a good thing to keep handy in the garden or on the potting bench. A terracotta pot turned upside down will hold the twine and a pair of scissors or knife. Tip and photo by gardengus - (6 comments)

January 18, 2012: Charcoal bins with handles make great hoppers to keep soil amendments handy. Tip and photo by Sheila_FW - (11 comments)

January 17, 2012: When planting in a pot, always make sure to cover the drain hole loosely with gravel or (my favorite) pot shards. This stops the drain hole from becoming clogged. Tip by Dutchlady1 Photo by gardengus - (7 comments)