These plants are so widespread that they account for an estimated 10% loss of work time for the U.S. Forest Service.Firefighters battling the California fires are often disabled by the airborne toxins.three, let it be" is good advice! But it's interesting...
) in the garden is the goal of many gardeners who remember these impressive flowers from their youth. While they may be short lived, in their proper growing conditions they will continually grow more, which will keep the hollyhock flowers consistent in...
When planting, the taproot should point downward. Most hollyhock plants are of the Alcea species, of the family Malvaceae.freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1"); });Learning how to grow bare root hollyhocks is a...
To see the picture in full size, click on it. Be particularly thorough in washing your hands, as a great many people have experienced the misery of spreading urushiol oils to their faces and other tender areas of their body, by touching the affected skin...
They started to ask me a lot of questions about the seeds, the hollyhocks and their blooms. I explained that I was going to sow some seeds and they asked if they could come and see.
A more likely explanation for a second wave of rash and blistering is that some areas of the body had more concentrated exposure, causing more immediate reactions, while areas that have less urushiol sap on them reacted more slowly.
The first article in the series, on poison ivy, can be foundHere in Illinois, the roadsides and hilltops are a-blaze with color. There is no reason to put forth the expense and effort if you have a stand of staghorn sumac, rather than the toxicodendron...
It makes my heart race just thinking about it all over again.These feelings of sentimentality are nothing new and the best we can do is to take what we can with us when we travel. Whatever "it" is, the power it holds of over us mere gardeners is unmistakable.
I have to agree, it would make a beautiful display in one's garden. Bumblebees seem to like their nectar!All parts of the plant are poisonous because of the saponins it contains. Making as many seeds as it does, you wouldn't want it to spread out of your...
I discovered I could walk along both sides of my fence row and reach most of the undergrowth with my pressure tank sprayer. I'm employing chemical warfare while taking hazmat precautions against contact and I'm winning!
I am still overwhelmed when I look at this image for it is so tranquil and peaceful. Couldn't you imagine spending many hours communing with nature sitting beside such a magnificent garden structure?
Each variety had attributes all their own.I took a break and marveled as people walked by all these roses without even stopping to have a quick peak at all the beauty right there beside them.
It is the 1830s and on a plantation in Georgia, Priscilla has just lost her mother. On the Trail of Tears, she once again carries the seeds. Fate plays its hand and when her master dies, she is gathered up along with all of the man's other possessions...
They are the best treasures. The thumbnail is courtesy of Only the basil survived. It was clean up time! Weeds were pulled and old leaves were set aside for the compost heap. With these changes, we can easily forget the journey that has brought our bit...
But as discussed in this article, natural toxin does not mean safe toxin, nor does synthetic toxin necessarily mean deadly. And indeed, pyrethrins are often advertised as one of the safest insecticides available.
Just about every year, one or two will light on my shoulder, too heavily burdened to fly on, and take a rest. You should know from the outset that I am not a bee keeper. My bees come out early in the spring to check on the flower population and give me...
Most Americans are accustomed to the roasted, toasted and salted cashews sold in the grocery stores. These are a light, off-white color and taste almost sweet. Cashews are a favorite for many people, including my mother.
The generalities in this article pertain ONLY to snakes in North America and not the rest of the world, where telling safe from venomous species is a whole lot more complicated. Oh well).These snakes are usually either black and white in striking patterns,...
Actually, only the showy stamens of the flowers move, expanding when something brushes against them. But, if you grow the cape stock rose as a houseplant, it could cause your guests to jump back and squeal, "It's alive!"
[4] It is hard to comprehend, in our modern day and age, the terror and grief that this widespread ailment must have caused, when they were ignorant of the cause or any treatment to alleviate the symptoms.After the death of Nancy Lincoln, Thomas remarried...
But then so do dozens of other plants, and so on. Euphorbias are on all the toxic plant lists and everyone is familiar with the hazards of Poinsettias. Euphorbiaceae is one of the largest of the plant families and includes many thousands of plants found...
And many people enjoy the bright red color of its foliage in the early fall.I come down myself on the cautiously positive side. In that case, Virginia creeper can not be labeled invasive in the eastern half of the U.S., where it is native.
When ingested, ornamental pepper plants may cause gastrointestinal ulcers, seizures, respiratory problems and shock.The poison devil's pepper, Rauvolfia vomitoria, resembles a tree.
This toxin can cause convulsions and death.Carolina jessamine grows wild in parts of the southern U.S.A woody vine, Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervierens, USDA zones 7 through 9) climbs 10 to 20 feet tall with dark green leaves that turn purplish...
Both wild mustard and white mustard can cause serious reactions in humans. If these chemicals are synthesized in the gut, they can interfere with thyroid function and reduce production of thyroxine.
They are drought-tolerant, but bloom better in moist soil.This cottage garden staple is a long-blooming flower originating in China. They grow best with good drainage in a medium fertile soil.
I half-jokingly say that it keeps people out and lets the forest animals and plants live in peace, but at this point, no one knows what essential role in nature the plant may play.
