March 21, 2020 - Issue #453

Plants want to grow; they are on your side as long as you are reasonably sensible. ― Anne Wareham

ARTICLES TO READ

The Camellias

Camellia's abundant, showy flowers--ranging in color from the purest white to the deepest reds--add a striking, gracious element to the landscape.

The Good Bugs

Insects are the most successful living organisms on the Earth. That's just one reason it makes good sense to balance one against the other, rather than trying to kill pests with poisons. It is also true that in nature there are no good or bad bugs. All are trying to make a living in the way nature programmed them. But from a gardener's perspective, some insects help and some don't. It's smart to learn about and exploit insect behaviors. In this article you'll learn how to wisely purchase and use beneficial insects.

Herbal Teas

Once I began blending and testing herb teas to sell under my Garden Party label, I knew what I didn't want. An herb tea should never be flat and flavorless. Whether it's fruity or spicy, soothing or lively, simple or sophisticated, it needs taste and personality.

Growing Edible Flowers

While gardeners love flowers for their beauty outdoors in the garden and indoors in a vase, few raise them to eat. That's a shame because many flowers are edible and bring lively flavors, colors and textures to salads, soups, casseroles and other dishes. Eating flowers is not as exotic as it sounds. The use of flowers as food dates back to the Stone Age with archeological evidence that early man ate flowers such as roses.

Growing Roses and Clematis Together

Companions in Life - be they spouses, partners, or even pets and their masters - should be compatible to thrive in each other's company. Ideal companion plants are the same way, and two of the best are clematis and roses. Both relish large doses of water, flourish in the same location and soil, and benefit from similar fertilizing schedules. Yet for all their similarities, they complement each other perfectly.

March 16-20 is National Horticultural Therapy Week

Horticultural therapy works because it provides a non-threatening, even soothing environment for real world, meaningful tasks. Having the opportunity to nourish or care for another living thing is also rewarding for most people.

How to Control Annual Weeds

To control perennial weeds you need to dig them out — root and all. I won't be tackling that issue here. Annual weeds can be easier to control if you stay on top of the situation. Here are my 10 steps for controlling annual weeds in your vegetable garden.