While spring rains slowed early generations, they also improved host plant growth, allowing for more prolific reproduction. A lonely daylily and a small vegetable garden were all that trimmed the yard.
After all, it was mid February, the worst of winter was surely past, and I ambled around in my cold brown flower gardens taking in all that the sunny 50 degrees had to offer. I was a woman on a mission.
Here in Liguria, Italy, I've even seen a few gardens that are 4 feet square and right on the edge of a cliff that drops 200 feet into the ocean. Little corners, tiny community garden plots, pots on terraces and narrow urban strips probably make up as...
Install a low-flow shower head. Use the cold-water cycle to wash your clothes. In March, independent researchers polled 961 Americans over the age of 18 and reported that 77 percent could not identify the source of the water used in their homes.
There is no big deal, of course. My mom has offered me divisions and cuttings from them several times, but I always say “No thanks.” My sister has my Nana's enormous Christmas cactus in her bathroom, and it's just beautiful when it blooms.
This should be done on cattleyas, cymbidiums, dendrobiums, epidendrums, paphiopedilums, phragmipediums and vandas. Where the stem or spike should be cut depends on the type, health and maturity of the orchid.Dendrobium orchids can produce five to 20 flowers...
According to the University of Florida, it is widely distributed from Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, Vietnam and the Caribbean.The dragon fruit requires tropical or subtropical climates that are primarily free of frosts.
In addition to helping growers produce more, land-grant research and education have produced environmental benefits, Zering says. Among those are the use of less fertilizer, less water and fewer chemicals to produce livestock and crops.
They shine through in every little thing a person does … even in emails across the miles. In our brief email encounters, he has a way of erasing the computer screens between us, making our electronic correspondence more than an exchange of business...
Raising birds is a way of life at Dickie Bird Farm. Today, the list of livestock includes chickens, turkey, game birds and goats. Like all beginning chicken keepers, I encountered many challenges raising poultry: One fall, coyotes took 30 percent of our...
You will bring smiles and tears of joy to someone who barely has anything. There is a woman with two small children, an elderly couple and various other people from different backgrounds.
Berries are red and tangy, beloved by wildlife and good for jam. Look in pine forests in the southeastern coastal plain for Gaylussacia frondosa var. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is from Missouri, but the shrub whose name he bears is found in many different...
Have you ever wondered what the bees do during these long winter months? The remaining bees keep themselves and the hive warm by beating their wings and constantly swapping places.
Mitochondria are small bodies, or organelles, that are about the same size as bacteria. They are somewhat like the cells' furnaces, creating energy out of the fuel that was produced in the cytosol.
Lewendal suggested that if more of us asked for American-made, our country would be stronger for it. A recent ABC news show showcased Anders Lewendal, a Bozeman, Mont., house builder who sought to use American-made components in a new house.
Before they die however, the female bees lay eggs within the nests which become immature bees called prepupae. They are native to Japan and were introduced to the United States in 1960.
Buses are rolling across the continent fueled by mustard greens.Butterflies and bees love canola's intensely yellow flowers. Rapeseed meal actually turns out to be helpful for lactating cows, an often misunderstood group.Is Canola oil the healthiest oil...
« More Dirt on Gardening » Our young ladies are coming from a farmer friend of mine who has a mixed flock of all kinds of funky varieties. I planted extra broccoli plants this year since my 3-year-old is finally eating it and I put in 10 pounds of seed...
Click onSubscribing members may also visit the Annuals forum by clicking Average regular rainfall or watering, and an occasional shot of fertilizer, will make most annuals perfectly happy.
Roses need full sun, well-drained soil and good air circulation. Perennials are plants that live for more than three years, returning each spring as the weather warms up to once again brighten the landscape.
Like with any plant, an allergic reaction may occur if the plant is ingested.Another species of gardenia, gardenia jasminoides, is non-toxic to humans, but according to the ASPCA, it is often toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Flowers reach up to 4 inches in diameter, depending on the cultivar, with the 'Grandiflora' variety producing the largest blooms. Place petunias in full sun to avoid spindly plants with few flowers.
Within hours, a small group wearing green aprons and wielding kitchen knives has chopped the fruit and greens and mixed a topping of brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. When choosing recipes, keep cooking times in mind, and remember not to overbook...
There is also the British informal alternative "wodge."Using the word "sheaves" in a sentence is simple; for example, "I grabbed sheaves of dollars from the drawer" or "I made sheaves of pens to give out to the staff." There are many ways to use the word...
In order to produce glucose, a plant needs the raw materials in order for photosynthesis to occur: light energy from the sun, water from the environment and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.Sunlight is the catalyst for photosynthesis.
I noticed yesterday she wouldn't come out of her coop, and this morning, too. Only a small […] Some roosters are large, gentle protectors, but many more are misguided aggressors.
They have fleshy stems, thick succulent leaves and yield clusters of star-shaped flowers. Perennial species that flower in their first year can be planted in the spring and grown as an annual in USDA zones that are too cold for their natural survival.
