‘Every year it seems as if some arbiter of taste and fashion anoints a member of the vast mint family as “mint of the moment.” Several years ago it was thyme–not just ordinary thyme but lemon thyme, golden thyme, and […]
PERILLA, The Beefsteak Plant
Vegetables You Can Grow in Winter
Nothing tastes better than fresh, crisp vegetables on a summer day. But, did you know that summer is not the only time you can grow fresh vegetables? Most people think that if you live in Portland or other cold places, […]
Mulching a plant for Winter Protection
In winter, low temperatures as well as too intense light, lack of water (when the soil has frozen the moisture in it cannot be absorbed by the roots), and wind may cause damage. Some harm is directly due to the […]
What type of Landscape Mulching to use for your garden.
A mulch is a cover spread over the surface of the soil. Newly-planted fruit trees and shrubs were traditionally mulched with strawy manure immediately after planting. This practice continues to this day. The mulch protects the newly planted tree or […]
Flowers for drying
The natural everlasting flowers are those with papery petals, often called immortelles, that can be dried and kept for indoor arrangements during the winter. The most common are helichrysums and other members of the daisy family including helipterum, ammobium, anaphalis […]
Physalis – Perennial Plant, How to grow
From the Greek physa, a bladder, an allusion to the inflated calyx (Solanaceae). A genus of 100 or more species of which the two most well-known are P. alkekengi, the Bladder Cherry or Chinese Lantern Plant, with its brilliant, flame-coloured, […]
African Violets: Seven steps to success
African violets are one of the easiest and most adaptable flowering houseplants to grow, as they do well in the conditions found in most homes. There are seven main cultural factors you should be aware of to ensure their success. […]
Plant Strawberries this Fall
Fall planting of strawberries has its advantages to home gardeners in some areas, particularly to those who want to have a bearing bed as soon as possible in their own backyard. We have been familiar for many years with the […]
What if I don’t do fall yard clean up?
WHAT IF… If the garden magazines, web pages and other information sources are to be believed, the world is full of gardeners who worry a lot about cause and effect. Most of them are busy—too busy sometimes to do the […]
Landscape Fall Clean-Up Requirements
After the blooming season of summer, trees are full of beautiful, colorful leaves. This beauty is short-lived, as fall is fast approaching and leaves wind up on your lawn. While young ones enjoy shuttling leaves around, they can make your […]