| 171 | About Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them to Your Garden Preview: Visualize watching a bright green hummingbird in your garden moving from flower to flower in search of the tasty nectar within. These beautiful and tiny birds weigh about 2 to 20 grams and are found in a wide variety of environments from the high Andes to lowlands, and from dry desert areas to rainforests. They have slender beaks, extensible tongu... (more) Published By: Lesley Dietschy Submitted: 22 April,2005 |
| 172 | Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come to My Garden Preview: Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybirds, can be a gardener’s best friend. The ladybug’s bright coloring brings welcomed cheer to the garden, as well as helping with pest control. Since medieval times, ladybugs have been valued by farmers all over the world. Many believe that the ladybug was divinely sent to free crops of insect pests. In f... (more) Published By: Lesley Dietschy Submitted: 22 April,2005 |
| 173 | How to Water Your Houseplants Wisely Preview: Over watering ranks first in causes of houseplant demise because it causes roots to rot. Most plants are tough so they can recover from under watering with only the loss of a few leaves -- unless you wait too long and pass the point of no return. Watering schedules depend on the kind of houseplant, its size, container, and environment. No two ... (more) Published By: Kori Puckett Submitted: 23 April,2003 |
| 174 | Funky Garden Plants 2 Preview: What's a perennial garden plant that blooms in the winter? A hellebore! It is an outdoor plant that is shocking to see blooming sometimes in the snow. There are many varieties. They are perennial which means they come back year after year. These are best planted in shady areas, but where they will get sun in the winter, for instance under leafed ... (more) Published By: Valerie Garner Submitted: 02 January,2004 |
| 175 | Decorating around the garden Preview: Straight Talk On – Decorating Around the Garden Do you live near a park? Most people do – there are so many around now. All levels of government recognize the value of a green environment. And, of course, if people know that government has provided them with lots of parks and trees, they’ll get lots of votes. But the bottom line is – we have,... (more) Published By: Melissa Cameron Submitted: 22 April,2004 |
| 176 | Growing Japanese Bonsai Trees for Bonsai Gardens Preview: As you go through the history of Japanese bonsai trees (among others), you will note that this term is used to refer to a ‘plant in a pot’. As per the information provided on Harvard's Arnold Arboretum site, "the ancient Chinese were the first to miniaturize trees for ornamental purposes, around A.D. 200. Later, the Japanese, who used it to create... (more) Published By: Christopher Chase Submitted: 23 July,2004 |
| 177 | A Dozen Tips for Producing Low Allergy Gardens Preview: A Dozen Tips for Producing Low-Allergy Gardens Ó Thomas Leo Ogren What we plant often has a direct effect on our own health and the health of those near us. A pollen-producing male tree in our own yard will easily expose us to ten times more pollen than would a similar tree growing just down the block. This can be compared to second-hand smok... (more) Published By: Thomas Ogren Submitted: 30 July,2004 |
| 178 | Asthma Friendly Gardens Preview: Asthma Friendly Gardens Tom Ogren Recent studies have shown that babies born to mothers who were exposed to high levels of pollen in their last trimester of pregnancy have a much greater chance of developing asthma. One of the main keys with asthma prevention is avoidance. When you have asthma the typical garden is not a very friendly place at ... (more) Published By: Thomas Leo Ogren Submitted: 30 July,2004 |
| 179 | A house is not a Home without a Gnome Preview: When confronted by a garden gnome the common reaction is to hold up your hands in horror and utter an expression of disgust while wondering how anyone can bear to allow such a creature to remain in their backyard. On the other hand we are told on good authority that the gnome population of Southern Germany is close on four million and, when you st... (more) Published By: Hugh Harris-Evans Submitted: 10 August,2004 |
| 180 | MOSQUITO FARMS? IS THAT WHAT WATER GARDENS ARE? Preview: What is nicer that a lovely backyard garden pond. The lush growth rising above the water, graceful fish darting about and the soothing sound of the water. These are just a few of the reasons people are drawn to water gardens. But when you think about adding a water feature to your garden, you are torn, because you know that a charming pond can a... (more) Published By: Scottie Johnson Submitted: 05 October,2004 |
| 181 | October in the Flower Garden – Preparing for Winter Preview: A very busy time begins in the garden as the summer and autumn flowers fade. Although much depends upon the weather, the time is approaching quickly when we must put everything in order for the winter. In my part of the country, Halloween, at the end of the month, usually is heralded in with snow and cold temperatures. The whole flower garden sh... (more) Published By: Sandra Dinkins-Wilson Submitted: 15 October,2004 |
| 182 | Insecticides & Fungicides/Spreader-stickers, Wetting Agents: Getting the most out of Your Sprays Preview: Spreader-stickers, Wetting Agents: Getting the most out of Your Sprays Thomas Ogren Spreader-stickers or if you prefer, sticker-spreaders, are agents we can add to garden sprays to make them more effective. These additives are commonly used in commercial horticulture and in agriculture, but for some reason are as yet relatively unknown to most ... (more) Published By: Thomas Ogren Submitted: 19 October,2004 |
| 183 | Horticultural Therapy Preview: Horticultural Therapy Thomas Ogren The idea of using gardens and plants as “tools” for therapy is growing fast these days. Makes perfect sense, too. There is a great deal of evidence that working in gardens is wonderful for our mental health. The relation between our mental health and our physical health is a close one. If we feel good about o... (more) Published By: Thomas Leo Ogren Submitted: 19 October,2004 |
| 184 | The Terrorist’s Favorite Weed/ Castor Bean Preview: The Terrorist’s Favorite Weed/ Castor Bean Thomas Ogren The Castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) with its large bold, highly colored leaves is native to tropical Africa. In cold climates it is an annual, growing quickly, setting many seeds, and dying off in winter. In mild winter areas it is a long-lived perennial, sometimes reaching small tree ... (more) Published By: Thomas Ogren Submitted: 19 October,2004 |
| 185 | Starting Your Own Fruit Trees Preview: *Note: This article first appeared in Grandiflora Magazine. Starting Your Own Fruit Trees Thomas Ogren I flat out love growing fruit trees and have been crazy about them all my life. Or at least, as much of my life as I can remember. Actually, the very first thing I can clearly recall involved fruit trees. I was about three, possibly four year... (more) Published By: Thomas Leo Ogren Submitted: 19 October,2004 |
| 186 | Can your sundial really tell the time? Preview: "I am a sundial, and I make a botch Of what is done far better by a watch" So wrote Hilaire Belloc, but is this really fair? Sundials are the earliest known form of time-keeping having been used for some five thousand years. The Greek historian Herodotus stated that sundials were first used by the Chaldeans and Sumerians in Babylonia which was ... (more) Published By: Hugh Harris-Evans Submitted: 27 October,2004 |
| 187 | Best Trees for Growing in Lawns Preview: Trees for Lawns In order to be a good tree to grow in a lawn it needs a number of things going for it. In particular a good lawn tree: 1.Should be deciduous, meaning it should loose all of its leaves in the winter. This will let in light in the wintertime, when light levels are lowest. Deciduous trees also do not block any warming winter sunlig... (more) Published By: Thomas Ogren Submitted: 27 October,2004 |
| 188 | Lawns, Gophers & Moles Preview: Lawns, Gophers & Moles Thomas Ogren A few gophers can tear up a nice lawn in short order. Even if you’re a complete animal lover, you won’t want the gophers in your yard. After they destroy your lawn they’ll start eating the roots and killing your roses, fruit trees, any attempt at a vegetable garden, the bulbs you plant and so forth. Gophers and ... (more) Published By: Thomas Leo Ogren Submitted: 27 October,2004 |
| 189 | 12 Worst Trees to Plant in Your Lawn Preview: 12 Worst Trees to Plant in Your Lawn Tom Ogren 1.Fruitless mulberry trees: roots break lawnmowers and these trees really pump out the allergenic pollen. Shade is also too deep for lawns. 2.Sweetgum trees: big roots that poke out of the lawn. 3.Pine trees: root problems and pollen too. 4.Sycamore trees: usually grow way too large for most yards a... (more) Published By: Thomas Leo Ogren Submitted: 27 October,2004 |
| 190 | Composting and Soil Improvements Preview: Composting provides a great natural resource! Where we live, the soil is black clay (north Texas). We have found that by using a compost, we can almost eliminate the need for commercial fertilizers to grow most vegetables, herbs and spices. Our compost is lined with rail-road ties (4 tall) but is open on one side for easy access. We put hay, tab... (more) Published By: David Selman, Tracker-Outdoors.com Submitted: 27 October,2004 |