No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. -Thomas Jefferson
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Preventing Garden Diseases
Most garden diseases are caused by fungi -- microscopic relatives of the common garden mushroom. Mature fungi release millions of spores that are then carried on the wind or otherwise get transferred to our plants. And if the conditions suit them, the spores germinate and penetrate leaf tissue, creating spots, lesions, or other symptoms. Most fungi need moisture to germinate... | |
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Here's to Rose of Sharon
I first noticed the hardy shrub called Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) while traveling one midsummer across the southern plains. I saw it over and over again, blooming bravely in dooryard gardens despite the sizzling heat | |
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Bountiful Basil
Years ago, when I was a novice gardener living in the city and yearning for the country, I noticed a garden in a tiny front yard and complimented the elderly gardener on his beautiful basil. He gave me some seeds, which had come from his family in Sicily. Since then, my garden has never been without a generous planting of basil. | |
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Naturally Rot-Resistant Woods
Twenty years ago, when I bought my present house in southern Vermont, one of the first things I did was put in raspberry beds and a sizable garden. To support the berry canes and fence the garden off from deer, I cut and split 8-foot posts of black locust, a local tree that I knew to be rot-resistant. In fact, old-timers told me that locust posts would last 60 years in the ground. | |
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Preparing a New Garden Plot
Eliminating weeds and getting the soil ready for your flowers and vegetables are important first steps in growing a successful garden. Time spent in preparation reduces the time you'll have to spend maintaining and weeding your garden over the course of the growing season. | |
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Donkey Ears (Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri)
Plant Habit: Cactus/Succulent Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 11 +4.4 °C (40 °F) to +7.2 °C (50 °F) Plant Height: 12 to 18 inches Plant Spread: 1 to 2 feet Leaves: Unusual foliage color, Evergreen, Other Flowers: Showy, Other Flower Color: Orange, Other Flower Time: Fall Suitable Locations: Houseplant, Xeriscapic Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies, Bees Resistances: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Humidity tolerant, Drought tolerant Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous, Roots are poisonous, Other Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon, Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Darwin's Slipper (Calceolaria uniflora)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade Water Preferences: Wet Mesic, Mesic Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 7b -15 °C (5 °F) to -12.2 °C (10 °F) Plant Height: 4 to 5 inches Leaves: Evergreen Flowers: Showy Flower Color: Orange, Other Bloom Size: 1"-2" Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Summer, Late summer or early fall Suitable Locations: Houseplant Wildlife Attractant: Birds Resistances: Humidity tolerant Pollinators: Birds Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, Partial or Dappled Shade Water Preferences: Mesic Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F) Plant Height: 6 to 8 feet, possibly 10 to 12 feet Plant Spread: 4 to 6 feet Leaves: Deciduous Fruit: Showy, Edible to birds, Other Flowers: Inconspicuous Flower Color: White, Other, Green Bloom Size: Under 1" Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall Uses: Cooked greens Edible Parts: Leaves Eating Methods: Cooked Wildlife Attractant: Birds Resistances: Humidity tolerant, Drought tolerant Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous, Roots are poisonous, Fruit is poisonous, Other Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
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Rose (Rosa 'New Day')
Bloom size: Large: 4-5" Bloom shape: High-centered Petal count: full: 26-40 petals Rose bloom color: Medium yellow Rebloom: Good Class: Hybrid tea, Other Growth Habit: Short, 2-3 feet, upright Fragrance: Strong Hybridizer & year: Reimer Kordes, 1972 Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 6 and warmer Plant Habit: Shrub Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 6b -20.6 °C (-5 °F) to -17.8 °C (0 °F) Plant Height: 2-3 feet Plant Spread: 1-2 feet Leaves: Deciduous Flowers: Showy, Fragrant Flower Color: Yellow Flower Time: Spring, Summer, Fall Uses: Cut Flower Wildlife Attractant: Bees Parentage: Arlene Francis x Roselandia
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Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
Plant Habit: Tree Life cycle: Perennial Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, Partial or Dappled Shade, Partial Shade to Full Shade Water Preferences: Wet, Wet Mesic, Mesic Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F) Plant Height: To 60 feet in its native habitat. Leaves: Evergreen, Broadleaf Fruit: Edible to birds, Other Flowers: Showy, Fragrant, Other Flower Color: Other Bloom Size: 3"-4" Flower Time: Year Round Suitable Locations: Street Tree, Houseplant Uses: Shade Tree, Flowering Tree Edible Parts: Fruit, Flowers, Leaves Eating Methods: Raw, Cooked Resistances: Humidity tolerant Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Photo by Valery33
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Photo by Valery33
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Photo by the_ever_lea
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Photo by Wjb "My grandmother gave me this plant over 40 years ago it was only 3 little fingers the"
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Photo by drirastucker "this cultivar is no longer present at the arboretum"
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Photo by scflowers "One of my 2024 registrations, formerly seedling C137-1"
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Photo by Bellmar
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Photo by jathton "Melia azedarach [Chinaberry]"
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Photo by SL_gardener "An old-fashioned, full-sized poinsettia (8ft tall)."
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Photo by Baja_Costero
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
440 members joined.
2,559 posts written in our forums.
1,397 photos posted to the plant database.
475 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' -- Robin Williams
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