The summer months can be such a challenge especially as we seek to get outdoors working the soil in our gardens, the good news, however, is we can take advantage of this time of year because we are presented with the opportunity to grow our very own edibles in a way that is healthier and can save us by decreasing the amount of money that’s spent at the supermarket.
The gooseberry plant or bush is “native to many parts of Europe and western Asia, this berry plant belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and is commonly known as Amla, Indian gooseberry, and emblic myrobalans”. The gooseberry bush which is a citrus plant can be found growing naturally in rocky alpine thickets and the rocky woods in the lower country from France eastward, well into the Himalayas and peninsular India.
There are numerous insecticides that have been formulated to control garden insect pests and are sold under different trade names and brands. What I love about insecticides is their fast-acting effect, although some may deliver a quicker knock-down than others. Despite this fact, and as good as this sounds caution should be taken when turning to this method to control garden insect pests.
There are about 50 plus species of roses that range in so many colors, sizes, and shapes, most rose species are native to Asia while a smaller number are native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae.
The summer months are finally here which gives us a chance to go outdoors and work in our gardens, although the heat may be a challenge, working in our gardens provides us the opportunity to connect with nature as we install beautiful plants that displays their own uniqueness with their varies sizes, shapes, colors, and fragrance.
There are so many benefits to having a garden but one of the highlights is the presence of beautiful butterflies that shows up, especially in large numbers. Butterflies are known as pollinators helping to contribute to our ecosystem that is so diverse. What I found to be so amazing is that there are estimated to be “over 100,000 species of butterfly worldwide”.
Bring lots of colors into your spring and summer gardens with Pentas, these tropical perennial beauties also go by the common name the Egyptian star. Pentas are native to tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, thriving best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. If you are planning on installing a wildlife garden then Pentas are the perfect fit, these plants will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden area.
The blue daze evolvulus is a beautiful flowering plant, that grows and thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9-13. This garden beauty is native to Paraguay and Brazil, blue daze is a perennial evergreen in the morning glory family. What I find so amazing about this tropical evergreen is the fuzzy grayish leaves it produces along with the abundance of flower bloom.
In our last article, we discussed Bermuda grass and its many benefits, but the flip side of the coin is although this grass is hailed for its toughness there are many persons who find Bermuda grass to be a nuisance and would much rather get rid of it. Bermuda grass is viewed by some as an invasive weed.
Bermuda grass has so many benefits, this grass type is drought and heat resistance can withstand heavy foot traffic, establish very quickly, is a good ground cover, and has been known to compete with weeds. Bermuda grass is used widely on sports fields such as golf courses, football fields, baseball fields, etc.
Bermuda grass has a strong resistance to many common grass diseases and recovers much more quickly from damage than many grass types. Bermuda grass also grows rapidly, the flip side of the coin is this turf does not tolerate heavy shade so when installing Bermuda grass ensure it gets plenty of sunlight. This is a full-sun-loving grass.
The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is a member of the family Nymphalidae this garden beauty has colors of pale orange to the upper wings, blacktips are on the forewings marked with spots that are white. Rows of black spots can be found on the hindwings, and blue eyespots which are pale can be found on their undersides.
During springtime, a vast number of the painted lady butterfly migrate northward across the Mediterranean from Africa to Britain and even Europe traveling thousands of miles. These butterflies are known to mate through all seasons including the winter months mating while even migrating.
Do you want to have a Continual Harvest by Growing Foods Anyware and at Any time of the year? then look no further. The Aerogarden systems can make this possible. These gardening systems will have you gardening like a Pro as you connect with nature indoors. Growing Food Crops with these systems is very easy and so much as you Reap a Bountiful Harvest!!
The Aerogarden System doesn’t require soil, taking the Hassle out of Gardening this method of growing food crops is so Simple, not Messy and it’s not Laborious or Time-Consuming. Just follow the instructions, and you are done and on your way to Growing Fresh Herbs and Vegetables from your Kitchen Countertop.
With indoor gardening, we can extend the season year-round while eating fresh. Gardening indoors provides us the opportunity to grow edible foods in a safe way, why, because we are in control of how our foods are being grown. While it may be true that all plants may not thrive well on the inside we will take a closer look at those that dose and see how we can have much success by growing our own food crops.
What I love about gardening is there are so many innovative ways in creating a garden you desire, even if you don’t have the space. These new methods are so simple but effective Saving you Time and Money as you Reap a Good Harvest.
Another idea that the industry has come up with is growing plants in grow bags. Though this idea is not new gardeners all over the country are having much success with this way of growing plants especially plants with a shallow root system.
Living in the tropics can be an awesome experience, it’s like living in a garden paradise where you can relax and move at a slow pace. If you were to ask the question or get someone’s opinion about the tropics they would most likely say the tropics are a garden paradise where there are sunny days with blue skies, white clouds, miles of white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, palm trees, and lots of beautiful colorful plant species, birds singing sweetly and other wildlife resting or actively going about their daily routine.
There is just something about fresh cut flowers that make our day, whether growing them in our home garden with the intention to brighten up our indoor living space or may have gotten them as a gift the beauty and presence of cut flowers can change the atmosphere and one’s attitude or mindset.
The insect world is so vast that they outnumbered the human race by far, the human population is”7.9 billion” whereas there are estimated to be “10 quintillion insects” on planet earth. I know, the word quintillion can twist your tongue or cause you to get tongue-tied, That’s a lot of insects, many of these insects can be found in our homes and gardens.
Pentas are beautiful flowering heat-loving plants that are native to central and eastern Africa, Saudi Arabian Peninsula, and Madagascar. Pentas is a flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae and is commonly known as the Egyptian star cluster. These garden beauties produce many flowers that come in an array of colors from purple, white, red, dark pink, etc… what also makes Pentas so unique is the small star-shaped flowers that grow in clusters.
It’s amazing how plants can bring such change to our environment, plants have many benefits including being grown for food. All of us depend on plants to help us in so many different ways even wildlife, and insects depend on plants for their survival. Plants play a major role on our planet, from our outdoor gardens to our indoor living spaces the presence of plants can make a huge difference.
The bougainvillea plant is a tropical to sub-tropical beauty that is native to South America, this shrub is widely used in outdoor gardens as a hedge. Because bougainvilleas are known as climbers or spreaders they can be planted alongside lattices, fenced areas, arbors, carports, gazebos, etc.
In our last article, we discussed how to prune hibiscus in the spring, if you have not read it yet then you can find out how by clicking the link that has been provided. But what we will now be turning our attention to is how to prune hibiscus in the summer, although you prepared your hibiscus for the summer by giving them a spring cleaning or pruning these garden beauties can and should also be pruned in the summer to continue to perform
Preparing your hibiscus to produce an abundance of flowers requires some know-how. As the summer months approach what you want is to get a jump start so when summer finally reaches your hibiscus will become fluffy or fuller (leaves) with an abundance of flower blooms. The ideal time to prune hibiscus is during the spring months or when the weather starts to warm up.
Bougainvilleas can provide an abundance of beautiful colorful flower blooms to your garden area, this hardy tropical plant can either be grown as a vine, shrub, or tree. What I also love about the bougainvillea plant is that once mature or established becomes drought-tolerant, the ideal place to grow bougainvilleas are USDA zones 9 to 11
Hameln dwarf fountain grass or Pennisetum alopecuroides is believed to have originated from “Germany”, and is indigenous to open woods, grasslands, wetlands, and wastelands of Eastern Asia and possibly Western Australia. This garden beauty looks stunning and compliments rock gardens, planned near a pond and a stream, as a backdrop in a plant bed, along a garden walking pathway, large open areas, mass planting, container gardening, etc…
Ixora’s are tropical to subtropical evergreen shrubs that produce an abundance of small flowers that forms in clusters, with small green glossy leaves. Although Ixora is grown as a perennial in warm climates it’s viewed and grown as an annual in temperate and colder climates. This plant performs best however in USDA zones 9 and above.
The Oregon grape is native to much of the western United States but grows mostly east of the Cascades from Central BC southward. This low-growing evergreen shrub produces pale yellow flowers form in long racemes of about eight inches. The leaves are blue-green turning dusky maroon during winter.
The sea grape plant can be grown as a tree, hedge, or shrub, this tropical beauty is native to tropical America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The sea grape or the Coccoloba uvifera is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, sea grapes are grown in many coastal areas because of their high salt tolerance and also serve as a dune stabilizer and protective habitat for small animals.
Growing an indoor herb garden is a great way to connect with nature while growing our very own edible crops, this method of gardening places us in the driver’s seat where we are free to explore and grow our favorite garden herbs. Two of my favorite herbs that both my wife and I enjoy growing from our home garden are basil and rosemary.
Aspirin is a common drug or medication that I think every home should have, these pills are used to treat mild to moderate aches and pains, such as muscle aches, toothaches, etc… the important component that’s found in aspirins is called salicylic acid. This active ingredient eliminates pain and swelling in humans but when given to garden plants aspirins help by boosting the plant’s immune system. When a plant’s immune system gets boosts it helps a plant fight against garden pest invasion, parasitic attacks, and pathogens or plant diseases.
Have you ever heard the saying that “one man’s junk is another man’s Treasure”? but what if I tell you that your junk can also become your treasure. This saying is so true even when it comes to taking care of our gardens, we can reuse kitchen scraps (Vegetables and Fruits) to grow and maintain healthy plants.
Up to this point, we have discussed blue daze winter care, blue daze care, blue my mind, blue daze ground cover, blue daze hanging basket, blue daze seeds, and propagating blue daze in soil but what we haven’t touched on yet is propagating blue daze in water. Yes, this method of growing blue daze has proven to be effective which we will be discussing below.
The painted lady butterfly is popular among garden butterflies, this beautiful lady can be identified by pale orange on the upper wing tip, blacktips can be found on forewings marked with spots that are white. Blue eyespots can be found on the undersides while rows of black spots can be seen on the hinder wings.
Oatmeal is a popular breakfast cereal that’s high in fiber and other nutrients which is great for our bodies, according to history oats have been here for thousands of years. Its believed that oats have been around from “Egypt’s 12th Dynasty, around 2000B.C.” Its also believed that oats ” as far back as 7,000 B.C. was used by ancient Chinese”.
The hibiscus plant is an ornamental beauty that will fill your garden with lots of flower bloom, this shrub thrives best in tropical to sub-tropical regions. There are said to be more than “200 species of hibiscus worldwide, each variety different in shape, color and size”.
The blue my mind dwarf morning glory is native to Brazil, this garden beauty can be used as a ground cover, container gardening, grow in a basket, massing planting, or plant edging. The plant’s genus name comes from the Latin word ‘evolvo’, which means twisted or unraveled, this perennial beauty grows best in USDA growing zones 9, 10, and 11.
Pseudolarix amabilis commonly called golden larch although not considered to be a true larch is native to eastern China, it is said that “the wood of this tree is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a dermatologic antifungal remedy. The wood of the golden larch bonsai tree is also used in the manufacturing of boats, bridges, and furniture”.
A beautiful lawn that is lush and green is not only pleasant to the eyes but will increase your property’s value but in order to have such a lawn requires some know-how which includes the correct installation of your lawn at the onset, the right amount of sunlight, proper cutting height, knowing if your lawn is the type that can withstand foot traffic or not, the right amount of water and fertilizer.
Having a spirit of innovation can place you ahead of the game as you reap and enjoy the many rewards of what thinking outside of the box offers, when it comes to gardening this is also true, so many weekend worries are coming up with creative ideas as they connect with nature in and outdoor as well as an indoor garden setting.
Ornamental grasses have made a name for themselves in the landscape and garden industry, there are said to be more than” 30 species of these grasses ” which you can choose from. It’s’ believed that the popularity of ornamental grasses arose first in Germany during the mid-1930, what I love about ornamental grasses is their low-maintenance withstanding drought conditions once established along with their cold tolerance.
With the Pandemic still looming over our heads along with other social and world issues that are seeking to stagger or cripple our economy from rebounding we have to now think outside of the box with better spending habits to stretch those dollars so they can go a bit further. The rise in food costs has sparked an interest as many people are starting backyard gardens to reduce spending hoping to save a bit more.
The travelers palm is native to Madagascar, this tropical beauty belongs to the Strelitziaceae family and is relative to the Bird of Paradise. You may probably be wondering why this plant was given the name travelers palm. History has it that the travelers palm got its name from travelers who traveled long distances and on became thirsty would look for one of these palms use a knife or sharp object to slice into the leaves and drink the water that was stored”. It is said that the traveler’s palm can store up to half a gallon of water. Now that’s a lot of water to quench one’s thirst when traveling long distances, especially during the summertime.
The blue daze evolvulus flowering plant is native to Paraguay and Brazil, the blue daze is an evergreen and a member of the morning glory family. Another name for the blue daze is the dwarf morning glory, this evergreen beauty is a low-growing plant that makes a good ground cover.
There is a popular belief that tomatoes are vegetables but what I found to be interesting is that although tomatoes are considered to be a vegetable its actually a fruit. This staple food is used in so many recipes, whether preparing that delicious meal from the home kitchen or dining out (restaurants) it is clear that tomatoes have found their way into the hearts of people worldwide.
How would you Love to have the best of both worlds or can you have the best of both worlds? the answer to that question is YES. When it comes to gardening we are Free in letting our Imagination Run Wild as those Creative Juices Flow. There are so many benefits to gardening, but what if we dare to get away from the traditional (growing ornamental Plants) and introduce the new (edible plants) as a landscape design, talk about thinking outside of the box. One major concern when growing food crops is safety, growing our very own edible garden or landscapes puts us in the driver’s seat where we are in full control of growing our food crops in a safe and healthy manner.
Copper leaves are one of my favorite garden plants, this tropical evergreen produces beautiful broad colorful leaves that can light up any garden and landscape design. The copper leaf belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, it’s believed there are 450-462 of these species, some of the common names of the copper leaves are Jacob’s coat, Copper plant, Lance copperleaf, Coat of many colors, Catch me if you can, Fire dragon, etc…
Drinking coconut water is so nice and refreshing especially on a hot summer’s day, besides drinking the water the flesh or the pulp of the coconut is delicious, especially jelly coconuts. The flesh of the coconut is used in many pastries and recipes for its amazing taste but where did coconuts first originate?
Succulents originated in dry arid desert locations, the word succulent comes from the Latin word “sucus, meaning juice or sap.” The leaves of succulents tend to be thick, fleshly, and plumpy, the reason for this is to store water. It’s believed that during the 15th century Christopher Columbus on his route to India came across some of these succulents (cacti) some of which he took and presented to Queen Isabella of Spain.
Coco plums are also called lcaco, (species Chrysobalanus icaco) in the family Chrysobalanaceae, zones 10-11 are ideal for this evergreen to thrive. This perennial is native to tropical America and Africa, coco plums have leaves that are somewhat roundish, green, and shiny producing abundances of berries that are dark purple when ripe.
Get the best of both worlds by growing a plant that will complement your garden and landscapes while providing you with food, the sea grape tree is that plant. This evergreen is native to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Greater and the Lesser Antilles, South Florida, and the West Indies. These trees prefer a tropical climate where they will not only grow well but provide an abundance of sweet berries.
The hibiscus is a tropical-sub-tropical evergreen that produces an abundance of flowers that comes in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes. This garden beauty is believed by experts to have first originated in India, there are said to be over 200 species worldwide, the species name means rose of China.