Soils for garlic need plenty of mature compost added, and they should have a a soil pH close to neutral for good growth and a rich supply of antioxidants.
The health benefits of garlic have been known for thousands of years, and this humble herb has been immortalised in carvings in ...
If it appears to readers that I have been neglecting my blog lately, I apologise. My absence has been due to helping the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) prepare an organic gardening program for school children.
Although it is a very interesting project to be involved in, we have a deadline ...
I purchased a male and a female kiwi plant and have planted them together with a trellis two years ago (June 2008). I have beautiful, thriving plants that get bigger each year but no fruit. Can anyone tell me how long it takes these to mature? How do I know that I really have one of each sex and not two of one? I am not seeing any flowering at all, and no leaf color changes. I was reading on them...I am unable to visit UBCBC but a have a photo link of one of the plants there, Hydrangea Heteromalla:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hydrangea_heteromalla_form.jpg
Does anyone know roughly how tall this plant is (i am assuming it is mature).
I have a Hydrangea Heteromalla "Bretschneiderei" which I inherited with a house I just bought and its only two years old and 50cm high and...2 Years ago I bought a small one gallon Corylus cornuta var. californica from the Swan Lake Native Plant Sale in Victoria, BC. The plant was small so I kept it on the NE side of my house in semi-shade and potted it up until it was 4' high and in a 4 gallon pot.
In mid-March I planted it out on the NW side of my house in a semi-shade that gets a few more hours of direct sun. Yesterday I...I just noticed recently my apple tree has dark brown blisters on the bark. All are about 4-5mm in diameter. I picked off several, most have a dry yellow granule inside. A few had yellow goop inside. Could this be a bug? The bark under these blisters is damaged and in some cases missing.
Anyone know what it is and what can be done?
ThanksI am looking to find conifers suitable in size for a good sized urban backyard, tall enough to screen out the south face of the yard which is completely exposed.
I recently moved to Victoria, BC and I am a little overwhelmed with all the options! Going with a west coast garden theme but can't use anything giant.Today I was given sick palm tree. I have no idea which kind it is, it was given to me with no information. I believe it is a small date palm tree by only looking a pictures online. All it got was water, is in a small pot and has hardly any soil. It is as if the poor baby is sweating from the trunk to the tips like sap, has bumps and is flaking like dry skin, really tiny flakes. It is dying...I'm trying to find out how long a Liquidambar Styraciflua (American Sweetgum) will live - on average.
I've tried a few Horticulture sites - no luck yet.
Do they live for 100's of years (in Native Southeastern USA)?
I have one in my yard here in Nanaimo.
GaryI am torn between planting Aureum and Olson's Frosted Strawberry by the front entrance to my home. I like Aureum more, but it's ultimate size worries me. Do you think it's okay to plant it about 3 feet away from the foundation and 5 to 6 feet to the right of the front door? I'm looking at this from the persepctive of 25 to 30 years down the road.*Field Maple Acer campestre
*
Bit surprised to see there was no thread yet for the typical species, so here's some pics.
1, 2, 3: flowering shoots, 28 April.
4: fruiting shoots, 16 August.I planted a Jasminum Stephanense at the front of my house in Vancouver a couple of years ago and it doesn't seem to be thriving. It has grown but is very scraggly and doesn't produce many leaves and hardly any flowers.
It is planted against the house, at the south east corner (facing east). The location is next to the back gate and I wanted it to grow up and over the gate arbor. It gets...Could you please help identify this small tree. It has conifir looking leaves and small pink flowers? Please help!! Thank you!Anyone know where to find this tree on Vancouver Isle?
Thank you KindlyFeeling a bit whiny about the cool, grey, rainy weather? Tired of bundling up every morning? Just remember, this kind of weather prolongs the gorgeous spring we are enjoying. Once it gets hot, the pink and white trees will turn green, and a bit of the magic will be gone. So enjoy! Blossoms: Cherries and [...]
More......Greetings from a cool and drizzly Denver Botanic Gardens. It’s not quite wintry here (but almost!), and there are still hundreds of schoolchildren*here visiting on their scheduled field trips. Even days that are not sunny are great days* to visit Denver Botanic Gardens. Exploring the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory is a highlight on a day like [...]
More......
Raspberries, plucked soft and sweet, are the most delicate of fruits. This makes them perfect for home gardens.
In a national survey consumers picked raspberries as their #2 fruit, just behind strawberries. Why?
It’s the uniquely wonderful raspberry flavor: sweet, tart, and delicious. The explosion of flavor throughout your tongue makes these berries almost inconceivable to resist.
Growing [...]
WHAT'S NEW GARDEN STORE VEGETABLE GARDENS GARDEN PESTS CARE 4 BEES FREE EBOOKS PERMACULTURE RARE PLANTS GARDEN EMBROIDERY FARMERS MARKET BITS AND BOBS Subscribe To This Site Tree Protectors that really do work The Melbourne council had to invest in these tree protectors which have been installed and maintained by a professional tree service The problem is possums , there are just way to many of them in the Alexander Gardens and as a consequence the trees have been getting . damaged So many people have large trees in their gardens this might be the ideal solution for some of those garden pest . problems On the day I took this photo there were some international tourists nearby who were not sure why the bands were there , when I told them they laughed as they had no possums to worry about in
WHAT'S NEW GARDEN STORE VEGETABLE GARDENS GARDEN PESTS CARE 4 BEES FREE EBOOKS PERMACULTURE RARE PLANTS GARDEN EMBROIDERY FARMERS MARKET BITS AND BOBS Subscribe To This Site Use Salt to control garden pests This just has to be one to the easiest ways to manage garden pests such as snails and slugs Salt is something you more than likely have in the kitchen and is a wonderful snail bait . solution I never use commercially prepared snail bait as I am too concerned about pets , birds etc . Snails and slugs will NOT walk over salt they hate the stuff When I plant new seedlings and I know they are going to be attacked by slugs and snails I ALWAYS place salt on the paths that lead to the new . bed I sprinkle the salt just on dark as they are more active then . This is a fantastic ecological
WHAT'S NEW GARDEN STORE VEGETABLE GARDENS GARDEN PESTS CARE 4 BEES FREE EBOOKS PERMACULTURE RARE PLANTS GARDEN EMBROIDERY FARMERS MARKET BITS AND BOBS Subscribe To This Site Garden slugs are a real menace and threat to young plants I really think garden slugs and snails are tuned to know when you plant new seedlings they must be watching from under some shrub This idea was sent to me from Susan who has great success with it I have not tried it myself I just can't imagine giving my porridge away . If it came down to a choice between slug and lettuce or slug and porridge I would choose the porridge every time . It's all very simple to do and makes sense . Just place the porridge oats around the new plants or along the border . If I was to use this idea I would make sure I had a relativelyCan you guess that your garden herbs, in addition to making food tastier, are an abundant source of antioxidants .
Herbs have higher antioxidant activity than fruits, vegetables and some spices, including garlic, the researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture say.
Antioxidants have become synonymous with good health. They are thought to prevent certain types of [...]
WHAT'S NEW GARDEN STORE VEGETABLE GARDENS GARDEN PESTS CARE 4 BEES FREE EBOOKS PERMACULTURE RARE PLANTS GARDEN EMBROIDERY FARMERS MARKET BITS AND BOBS Subscribe To This Site How do plants grow Many people wanting to start their own garden ask the question how do plants grow' Well , it's pretty simple really , plants need to have the right environment to grow and that can vary depending on the species , climate , light , water , wind , frost , heat , sunlight , darkness and the list goes on and on . Basically plants should and will grow well if they are given the environment best suited to their own needs you just need to find out what they are and provide them to achieve healthy . plants One of the best things to learn is how to actually plant seeds and seedlings as that will really help
WHAT'S NEW GARDEN STORE VEGETABLE GARDENS GARDEN PESTS CARE 4 BEES FREE EBOOKS PERMACULTURE RARE PLANTS GARDEN EMBROIDERY FARMERS MARKET BITS AND BOBS Subscribe To This Site 4 FREE Designs to use when Planning a Vegetable Garden Planning a vegetable garden is so easy to do when you are building a Raised Bed Gardening No Dig Garden If you use that method then each design here is guaranteed to be easy to follow and easy to . do When you are planning a vegetable garden layout you really do need to know which plants prefer to be near each other to enhance their growth . I have done that for you with these raised garden bed designs you have it all for . FREE Learn how to plant seedlings here THESE GARDEN PLANS ARE ALL COMPANION PLANTED ebook US$7.50 Not suitable for Mac CLICK HERE TO SEND IN. , WHAT'S NEW GARDEN STORE VEGETABLE GARDENS GARDEN PESTS CARE 4 BEES FREE EBOOKS PERMACULTURE RARE PLANTS GARDEN EMBROIDERY FARMERS MARKET BITS AND BOBS Subscribe To This Site Spring Time In Your Garden I love growing vegetables It's time for you to start planting FREE VEGETABLE GARDEN PLANS There is something about a vegetable garden that just feels' right to me . My parents and grandparents were also vegetable growers . I find it so rewarding to wander out and just stand there looking at my very own produce trying to decide which specific ones to pick for our next meal . It seems like I have been growing vegetables forever . I do have a few secrets to my success though and here they . are 1. COMPANION PLANTING 2. RAISED GARDEN BEDS 3. NO DIG GARDEN or LASAGNE I can say without doubt