Aster Flower. Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed PFAF Plant Database. The Milkweeds (Asclepias species) The Milkweeds Every so often in our researches we come across a plant with so many uses that we wonder why it has never been commercially exploited.
One such group of plant - all of them ideal for the Permaculturalist - is the Milkweeds (Asclepias species) from North America. The genus Asclepias contains over a hundred species of mainly perennial herbs growing in temperate and topical regions. We will look at four of these species:- All the above are fairly easy to grow preferring a rich light or peaty soil and a sunny position. Virtually all parts of these plants are edible when cooked though there are reports that large quantities can cause stomach upsets. Young flower buds have a delicious pea-like flavour as do the very young seed pods (before the seed floss is produced). All these edible qualities, though, are just one aspect of the plants uses, they have much more to offer. Mature seed pods contain quite large quantities of floss. Database. Make your landscaping butterfly-friendly. There is something magical about butterflies as they flit from flower to flower in the garden.
These winged beauties are not only stunning to watch but they also serve an important role as pollinators, spreading pollen from flower to flower, leading to fertilization and ultimately seed production. The activities of butterflies and other pollinators, like hummingbirds and bees, help to ensure that various plant species multiply and persist. By growing certain combinations of plants and providing the right setting, you can attract butterflies and other welcome pollinators to your garden. Grow plants from your groceries, like ginger root and pineapple! 4 Simple Steps to Grow a Hundred Pounds of Potatoes in a Barrel. Container gardening isn't only for savvy urban gardeners and folks with limited space to grow, it can also be for folks who want to maximize their yields in a controlled environment.
Not only does growing potatoes in a barrel reduce the amount of weeding and exposure to pests and fungi, you don't even have to risk shovel-damage to the tender potatoes by digging them out of the ground when they're done, just tip the container over! After extensive research to plan my own potatoes-in-a-barrel, I've boiled all of the recommendations down to 4 simple steps to a winning potato harvest. 1. Select and prepare a container. Why I Use Epsom Salt in the Garden. *Why I Use Epsom Salt in the Garden*By: LL4e14 June 2004 I wanted to show everyone what a difference it makes with and without with only water being added all of these plants was planted on the same day and time.
I am showing you ones I am growing with the sq. ft. method. All of these photo's were just taken today. I do have several baby tomatoes now. How to Grow Crimson Clover as a Cover Crop. How to Safely and Legally Capture the Rain - Installing Rain Barrels. Susan Kroll wasn't squeamish about installing a rain barrel.
Know When to Plant What: Find Your Average First Fall Frost Date. To determine your optimum dates for sowing fall crops, add three weeks to the days to maturity ratings listed below or shown on your seed packs to compensate for days that are getting shorter.
Then count back from your average first fall frost date to find the date you should sow each crop. (To find your average first fall frost date, search by state in the tables provided by the National Climatic Data Center.) Cool-season plants will continue to grow a little after nights turn chilly, but they will make most of their new growth early on, while the weather is still warm. Many of the best crops of fall — including salad greens and various cabbage cousins — will refuse to germinate in soil warmer than 85 degrees, so the seeds are best started indoors (on a 90-degree day, surface soil temperatures may actually be 110 degrees or more). The procedure for growing seedlings is the same as in spring (see Seed Starting Basics), but care for transplanted seedlings requires some extra hardware.
The No-Spray Way to Protect Plants. Pruning And Maintenance Of Hibiscus. Left unpruned, all hibiscus soon become shapeless and messy, and their flowers fewer, smaller and duller.
Most hibiscus are evergreen. Apart from a cluster of species classified as herbaceous, which includes smaller annual or biennial sub-shrubs found growing in the wild, the only two fully deciduous species in cultivation are H. syriacus and H. mutabilis. These two hardy shrubs require heavy pruning to perform well, for like their tropical relations, they flower on new wood. Prune these two species only in winter, when the branches are bare. Pruning Hydrangeas. A PRUNING STORY: Gail, from Trussville, Alabama, has a beautiful blue hydrangea (actually she has several).
The picture on the left, above, shows this hydrangea in early summer, at the height of its glory. As the summer progressed, it became increasingly loose, and the blooms were easily brought down in inclement weather. 5 Easy to Grow Mosquito-Repelling Plants. As the outdoor season approaches, many homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts look for ways to control mosquitoes.
With all the publicity about the West Nile virus, mosquito repelling products are gaining in popularity. But many commercial insect repellents contain from 5% to 25% DEET. Www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/fruits/RejuvenatinganOldAppleTree.pdf. How To Prune An Apple Tree. 3.
Pruning Young Trees For mature or neglected apple trees, skip to number 4 The day apple trees are planted is the day to begin to train and prune them for future fruit production. Too often people plant apple trees and leave them untended for several years. This neglect results in poor growth, delayed and under-sized fruiting. The following pruning styles are if you have recently purchased, or own a young tree, and need to determine its shape as a mature tree. Small Footprint, Big Yield: Create an Easy Micro Organic Urban Garden Today!
April 28, 2009 by Robin Plaskoff Horton There are two things urban gardeners are short on: space and time. The Urban Garden, brainchild of Bill Arquitt, resolves both of these issues, making it efficient and simple to plant a vegetable garden with up to 55 plants in a 3-foot deep by 4-foot wide footprint.
Greenhouse. Seeds. Compost. Info Sites. Succulents. Rain Garden. Planters. Organic. Raised Beds. Herb Garden.