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March 29, 2006
Herbal Tea Gardens
Author: Tim Henry
Is there anything more refreshing on a hot summer day than a tall glass of iced tea with a sprig of fresh mint? Or a more calming end to a long day than a steaming infusion with chamomile or mint? A tea garden can ensure that you have a steady supply of your favorite herbs – and it’s surprisingly easy to grow.
Most tea herbs grow quite happily in moderate sun, so choose a spot that gets about 6 hours of full sun a day. If you choose to grow your tea herbs directly in the ground, be aware that many of them will spread voraciously, choking out any other plants nearby. To prevent that, sink bottomless buckets or baskets into the ground and plant the herb plant inside it to help control the roots. Of course, if you choose to garden in containers, that won’t be a problem at all.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a very pretty, lacy annual (though there is one variety that is a perennial) that grows about 2 feet high. It likes partial shade to full sun, and sandy, dry soil. The tea is made from chamomile flowers rather than leaves. Harvest regularly once the plants start to flower. To dry chamomile, cut stems back to new leaf growth and tie in loose bunches. Hang upside down in a dry, dark place till the leaves are crumbly. Or: dry just the flower heads on drying screens in the oven or in the sun.
Catnip
Catnip has been used for medicinal teas for colds and stomach upsets since ancient times. Its most often combined with other herbs – lemon balm and lemon grass are particular favorites. The plant is a perennial that grows readily in dry, sandy conditions, but can be coaxed along in nearly any sort of soil or light conditions. Added bonus: catnip is a natural pest repellant, both in the garden and dried. To take advantage of its pest repellant properties, dry and place in cloth pouches and tuck under baseboards or closets. Tea is made from dry or fresh leaves, combined with chamomile, comfrey or lemon balm.
Lemon Balm
A hardy, drought-resistant perennial, lemon balm grows so readily that it is actually considered a pest plant in some parts of the United States. The plant looks a lot like mint – to which it’s related – and has a hint of minty flavor to it. Like most other tea herbs, it can be used either dried or fresh, though the dried leaves have a more intense flavor. The plant grows about 24 inches tall, and must be pinched back and pruned often to keep it under control.
Mint
Ah, mint! There are so many varieties of mint that you could easily plant a mint garden with no other plants at all. At last count, there were an estimated 6,000 varieties – and growing, since the plant cross-pollinates so easily. It’s also the most pernicious spreader of all the herbs. One plant will take over an entire garden within two seasons if it’s not contained. Mint likes rich soil and light shade, but will grow in almost any conditions. It also makes a great, easy to maintain house plant.
Some favorite mint varieties for tea are:
Peppermint – of course! Peppermint is the most popular of all the mints, with its sharp, spicy, cooling tastes.
Spearmint – the mint of mint juleps. Spearmint grows readily in any climate.
Apple mint – a hint of fruity flavor underlying the cool, fresh taste of mint
Chocolate mint – yes, chocolate! This one is far better with dessert than as a tea. Crush the leaves and whirl in a blender with vanilla ice cream for an incredible treat.
About the author: This article courtesy of http://www.florists-guide.org< /A>
/html>Posted by Richard at 07:06 AM | Comments (0)
Bonsai Trees
Author: Vincent DeLuca
Bonsai is the specialized Japanese art of planting, shaping, and growing trees in a confined and controlled space. Bonsai trees are beautifully styled miniature trees that are fully grown and cultivated in small flower pots.
Although a bonsai tree matures and grows like any other tree, the care taken in styling, pruning, and cultivating a bonsai allows the bonsai tree to grow to a desired height usually less than three feet tall. If you are new to bonsai, this guide will give you a general overview of some of the aspects you need to be aware of when caring for a bonsai tree.
Caring for a bonsai tree requires more attention than the typical indoor or outdoor plant. For starters, most bonsai trees need a mixture of indoor and outdoor weather. Because a bonsai tree is a tree, it cannot survive long term if kept solely inside the house. At the same token, because most species of bonsai trees will die in continued direct sunlight, they can’t be permanently left outside in an open area.
The key to proper placement of your bonsai is to try and recreate or mimic the natural environment of how your specie grows in nature. Does a natural fig tree require only partial sunlight with plenty of shade? If so, your bonsai fig is going to need to be positioned in a similar style of environment. Don’t worry. There are plenty of resources on each species of bonsai tree that will give you advice on positioning your bonsai.
Next to proper placement, the most important part of caring for your bonsai tree is regularly watering your bonsai. This cannot be stressed enough. Water is the lifeline of a plant. Without proper watering, your bonsai will die. Some species of bonsai may require more water than others. Find out how much water your particular bonsai tree will need.
Outside of placement and watering, the last main source of care for your bonsai tree deals with maintenance. Bonsai tree maintenance consists of styling, pruning, and shaping your tree. Maintenance is the hardest and most rewarding part of caring for a bonsai. With every snip of your shears, you are shaping the way that you bonsai tree is going to grow and be displayed when it reaches maturity. Bonsai maintenance is an ongoing task for the life of your bonsai.
Proper placement, watering, and maintenance of your bonsai tree are the three most critical areas of caring for your bonsai. However, watching your bonsai tree grow and blossom into a stunning fully matured bonsai is well worth every minute spent in carrying out these tasks.
About the author: Vincent DeLuca is author of Healing Health from Home and owner of Heavenly Orchards, an “herbal eatery and spice for life” store. Vincent is also an avid gardener and horticulturist. To learn more about caring for bonsai trees or to inquire about purchasing a bonsai, go to http://www.bonsai-tree s-for-sale.info
Posted by Richard at 07:02 AM | Comments (0)
Hybrid Tea Roses
Author: Ron King
The Hybrid Tea Rose is a modern rose, the offspring of 2 old timers getting together: the Hybrid Perpetual and the Tea Rose. These magnificent modern flowers grow on long stems and bloom throughout the year. Although this rose gives off only a faint scent, it makes up for this shortcoming with its many petals and tall stature. The Hybrid Tea Rose has been referred to as “your basic rose on a stick.” These are the most popular roses to give or receive on special occasions.
A Thorny Issue
Many gardeners avoid the Hybrid Tea Rose because they’re turned off by the idea of thorns. Well, good news — there are several thornless varieties! When shopping, look for roses with tags that read “smooth” on the label. You can find these roses in every color of the rainbow, except blue.
You Look Marrrrvelous
A Hybrid Tea Rose will look fabulous in any garden. They are happiest when planted in rows by themselves. It’s much easier to tend to them this way. Space your plants approximately 24 inches apart to ensure a good growth pattern. Plant in the spring.
Be sure to keep this area weed-free. These roses, like most flowers, do not enjoy the company of weeds.
Water Generously
Hybrid Tea Roses require lots of water during hot weather, especially if the heat is accompanied by dryness. Most gardens require a good soaking every 2 weeks, some gardens require a weekly soaking. Regardless of chosen schedule, if the ground looks dry and cracked, you water at once.
Placing mulch around your roses is a very good idea. The mulch will help prevent those aforementioned unwelcome weeds and conserve moisture.
Sunlight is Essential
It’s important that your roses get plenty of sunlight. Roses require a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine a day, including morning sunlight. The morning sun will dry up excess moisture and dew, which will help prevent diseases from developing.
The Hybrid Tea Rose will likely reach full height in about 3 years. Even after pruning, the flower will grow back to this height annually. Most modern roses, such as the Hybrid Tea, live a span of 6 or 7 years — even longer if the flower has been given exceptional care.
How to Care for Your Hybrid Teas
In February, when your flowers are dormant, prune your roses. Your first step will be to remove dead branches and damaged canes. In colder climates, you’ll probably have to cut all the old damaged wood. Look for lively green canes — and don’t cut them. Those are the canes that will produce buds in the spring.
In warmer areas, remove any existing leaves from the plant to promote new growth.
Lastly, remove any debris from your garden.
Now you’re ready for spring. As spring approaches and your roses begin to grow, you should fertilize your garden with a high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Then sit back and enjoy nature’s beauty.
About the author: Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit http://www.grow-roses-now.com to learn more about this fascinating hobby.
Copyright 2005 Ron King.
Posted by Richard at 07:00 AM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2006
Lady Bugs
Author: james ellison
First, this bug has many names. Some of it’s names are: lady bugs ladybugs lady beetle asiatic lady beetle Asian Lady Beetle Asian Lady Bugs Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle The Ladybird Beetle is the correct name for a Lady bug and are not bugs but are beetles. Worldwide there are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs of which 400 are found in North America. The Convergent Lady Beetle is the most common beneficial species of Ladybird beetle in North America.
The life cycle of all Lady Bugs are mainly the same. The eggs are laid in the spring. When they hatch the larvae will feed for a couple of weeks and then pupate into adults. During the winter they will hibernate or will have died in the fall. Springtime they awake to feed and lay more eggs again.
As a form of biological pest control Lady Bugs are widely used and are the best known. Besides eating their favorite food aphids they also eat mites, scales, whitefly, mealybugs and most other soft insects. They are known to eat cabbage moths, bollworms, tomato hornworms and broccoli worms. These bugs will eat up to 1,000 aphids in it’s lifetime in both their larvae and adult stages.
The most common complaint against the Lady Bug is that when they are released they will fly off and let the aphids have their feast with your roses and tomato plants. But really only a part of your release will venture off, the rest will eat all the aphids they can find and then maybe fly off.
There are a couple of tricks you can do to keep your Ladybugs
1. Only release the ladybugs in the evening since they are not known to fly at night when it is cooler.
2. Take a can of soda and mix it with equal amounts of water and spray on the Lady Bugs just before you release them. The sugar will make the wings sticky for just a couple days so they will hang around at least for awhile and eat the pests. Since Lady Beetles claim certain areas home they will stay in your yard and make it their home and the females will start laying eggs in and around your garden.
What about Lady Beetles in the house
We are glad to have these beetles hang around and control the pests just like mother nature intended.If they stay at your place over winter they will look for a nice cozy place to stay and that is where your home comes into the picture.
These bugs don’t seem to have any logic to picking a house they just have found yours and they like it there. In the yard and garden they were welcome guests, in your home not so welcome. What we want to do is ask the lady bugs to leave. They don’t speak our language.
So a few suggestions to try
1. Get out your vacuum cleaner and find the hose attachment.
2. Get a nylon stocking and place it inside the hose with the top of the stocking overlapping the end of the hose and place the hose attachment end nozzle on this to keep the stocking on.
3. Start the vacuum and get the bugs cleaned up. This will keep the bugs alive and then you can take them outside and release in another area away from your home. Refrigerate for next spring or give them to a friend with a green house.
The ladybugs may be a problem outside the house also, help them relocate by:
1. Spray water at them with the garden hose.
2. Use your leaf blower and blow them away.
3. Upset the lady bugs and eventually they will move on to another location.
Needless to say they are a very beneficial bug, but for some people bugs are not their favorite. They can be helpful and at the same time create a problem. What we need to do is learn to live with our tiny friends and make sure they stay around.
About the author: This article is provided courtesy of Basic Info 4 Organic Fertilizers You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
Posted by Richard at 07:44 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2006
Grow Herbs Indoors
By Mary Hanna Copyright 2005
Here are some tips for herb gardening indoors that will simulate the conditions in an outside garden. For Herb gardening indoors the growing climates need to be pretty much the same as the conditions outside.
Get your herb plants from a good garden center nursery who will have plenty of garden advice to help you with your inside garden. You will need some garden equipment like a small digging garden tool, garden gloves, organic fertilizer and some small gardening containers. You probably already have most of these garden supplies in your garden shed.
Soil is the most important aspect of growing herbs indoors. Use only top grade potting soil with an organic fertilizer mixed in. If you think it is too fine a soil, use a little perlite. Fertilize while potting the herbs and they should be happy until spring. If you have an herb that is not growing vigorously add a little organic liquid fertilizer to the water.
When you go to transplant the herb, go one inch up in the size of the gardening container. If the plant is in a two inch pot, go to a three inch gardening container. Leave the roots alone and be careful not to bruise the stem. Don’t plant oreganos, mints, lemon balm or bee balm with other plants because they will overgrow everything. Pot these herbs in a garden container all their own. Some people swear that you must put garden stones in the bottom of the gardening container, but I dispute that opinion. I feel that the garden stones take valuable space away from the herb roots.
When it comes to light, all herbs must get 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day on your window sill. If your window doesn’t supply that much light then purchase garden grow lights and hang them three inches above the plants. If you live in a very hot climate shade the herbs during the hottest periods. If you live in a very cold climate keep the herbs away from the cold glass panes.
When it comes to watering, don’t let the herbs dry out but don’t drown them either. An inexpensive water meter from your garden center nursery will help with this important step in growing your herbs. Always use room temperature water so as not to shock the herb’s roots.
If you follow all of these steps you will have a healthy herb garden all winter.
About the Author: Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives full time in Central Florida which allows her to garden and grow herbs inside and outside year round.
Contact: mary@gardeninglandscapingtips.com or visit her garden site http://www.gardeninglandscapingtips.com
Posted by Richard at 05:50 AM | Comments (0)