Under natural conditions plants feed themselves. Water makes up 80 to 90% of their weight, and the assimilation of carbon dioxide from the air provides a high proportion of the rest of the tissue material. Three elements only—carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are concerned in this: the other 1 or 2% of the plant however, consists of 60 or more different […]
How to grow Turnip plant from seed
Turnip This root vegetable, Brassica campestris rapa (syn. B. rapa), has been grown in Britain since the sixteenth century. The roots are global or flattish round. A well-drained sandy loam is suitable for both types—summer and winter. But if the soil is light and sandy, it dries out rapidly and turnip flea beetles flourish. A heavy soil is unsuitable for […]
Salad Recipe – Let’s Plant!
These are crops grown especially for salads and those which, although suitable for other use, may also be added to the salad bowl. You should create your own salad recipe of plants. Lettuce is the foundation of most salads and the gardener may take his choice from the many butterheads, crispheads, cos and loose leaf varieties. `May Queen’ is liked […]
ASPERULA — Woodruff Plant and Growing Information
Low-growing, annual and perennial hardy plants found wild in many countries and suitable for the rock garden and flower border. They belong to the family Rubiaceae. The word Asperula,from asper, rough, refers to the leaves. Planting and Propagation. These plants thrive in a well-drained, woodsy soil and may be planted in early fall or spring. The best method of propagation […]
Common Boxwood Shrub Planting and Care
BUXUS — Boxwood (Bux’us). Evergreen trees and shrubs, found wild in the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, which belong to the Box family, Buxaceae. They are of neat habit of growth and have small, leathery leaves. The Box has no value as a flowering shrub because its blooms are small and dingy in color; but turners and engravers make […]
Nepeta – Perennial Plant, How to grow
How to Grow Nepeta Nepeta (nep-ee-ta) An early Latin name, probably taken from an Italian place name Nepi (Labiatae). A genus of about 150 species of hardy herbaceous perennials and annuals, a few of which are grown partly for their aromatic foliage. Some were once used for their remedial properties. One, grown commonly under the name of N. mussinii, often […]
Bottle Garden
BOTTLE GARDEN A bottle garden is a special type of terrarium, an arrangement of growing plants contained within a large bottle or carboy. It is desirable that such containers have one or more holes drilled in their bottoms (this can be done by a glazier) to assure drainage, but such an arrangement is not absolutely necessary. To plant the garden, […]
Disbudding Flowers and Fruit Garden Plants Design Information
DISBUDDING FOR BETTER FLOWERS AND FRUITS How to Do This Disbudding is a term used in gardening to describe the process of limiting the number of flower or growth buds on plants. The purpose may be to divert food material from a number of flower buds to one or more special buds in order to encourage the development of a […]
Plant Diseases and their control
The word disease in connection with plants is considered to refer to any disturbance in the normal life processes which results in such things as (a) abnormal growth (b) temporary or permanent check to the development or (c) premature death of part or all of the plant. Plant diseases can be divided into two sorts (i) Parasitic, where the trouble […]
Garden banks as attractive garden feature
A bank of soil, whether natural or built of material taken from excavations, may offer a difficult problem to the gardener, particularly if the soil is poor. Yet such a position can be made truly attractive; it is often possible to transform an ugly bare bank into a charming rock or wall garden at slight expense. Plants for Hot Dry […]