As you know, I'm an admirer of all flowers; and this summer, I have spent moments to stop and smell the roses- so to speak. Here are some of those flowers that deserve the spotlight.
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| Clematis |
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| Rose |
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| Wisteria |
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| Dianthus |
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
20 Little known garden facts
(1) black walnuts put off a neurotoxin
known as juglone which inhibits growth for surrounding plants.
(2) tomatoes are perennials, however they are short lived perennials. Most farmers/gardeners cultivate tomatoes as an annual.
(3) bananas which contain potassium act as a nutrient & fertilizer when mixed with mulch around plants/trees.
(4) Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world; it can grow 35 inches in a single day--which makes bamboo a great resource for garden projects such as trellises. also commercial use of bamboo would ease the destruction of the old and living trees.
(5) During the 1600s, tulips were so valuable in Holland that their bulbs were worth more than gold. The craze was called tulip mania, or tulipomania, and caused the crash of the Dutch economy. Tulips can continue to grow as much as an inch per day after being cut.
(6) Small pockets of air inside cranberries cause them to bounce and float in water.
(7) Peaches, Pears, apricots, quinces, strawberries, and apples are members of the rose family. So are ornamental species such as spirea, mountain ash, goatsbeard, and ninebark.
(8) Peanuts are not nuts, but legumes related to beans and lentils. They have more protein, niacin, folate, and phytosterols than any nut, according to the National Peanut Board.
(9) Nectarines are actually peaches that have a recessive gene that makes them grow without the fuzzy skin. They are not actually a different kind of fruit.
(10) There are more microorganisms in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.
(11) Plants respond to sound and in fact react by growing better when listening to soothing music and other sounds, but reacts and grows slowly or stunted when plants "listen" to hard, loud, and chaotic music.
(12) A sunflower consists of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers where the fuzzy brown center and the classic yellow petals are the individual flowers held together on a single stalk.
(13) Baking soda sprinkled regularly around tomatoes in the garden can reduce the acidity and make the tomatoes much sweeter in taste.
(14) Hydrangea flowers color can be altered by the pH level of the soil. For example, a more alkaline soil will result in pinker blooms, while a acidic soil will produce blue blooms. To facilitate a blue color, add more organic matter to your soil, like coffee grounds (though the acidity in used coffee grounds can vary greatly, so you might try a high-acid fertilizer, too). The change won't happen overnight, but eventually you should succeed in manipulating your soil's pH level.
(15) Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that grapes were grown to make wine about 8,000 years ago in Mesopotamia (today's Iraq), although the ancient Egyptians were the first to record the process of making wine about 5,000 years ago.
(16) The first potatoes were cultivated in Peru about 7,000 years ago.
(17) The average strawberry has 200 seeds. It's the only fruit that bears its seeds on the outside.
(18) Trees are perhaps the longest living organism on Earth. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is one of the oldest living tree species; it dates back to about 250 million years ago. Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is another ancient species; it dates back about 150 million years. Both were known in the fossil record before they were found alive. The world's tallest-growing tree is the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which grows along the Pacific Coast of the United States, mainly in California. Interestingly enough, it's not the world's oldest-growing tree; that award goes to a bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata).
(19) Figs were the first domesticated crop in the Near East about 11,400 years ago!
Archaeologists found carbonized figs in a village north of ancient Jericho, and compared the fruits to modern specimens. Through this comparison, they determined that the fruits had been intentionally propagated.
(20) Earth worms have the power to move stones that weigh 50 times their own weight. They love coffee grounds. They ingest soil and organic matter equal to the amount of their body weight each day. They also help with your compost pile; when you turn your compost pile and find a lot of earth worms, you know that your compost pile is working and that you will have great top soil for plants.
(2) tomatoes are perennials, however they are short lived perennials. Most farmers/gardeners cultivate tomatoes as an annual.
(3) bananas which contain potassium act as a nutrient & fertilizer when mixed with mulch around plants/trees.
(4) Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world; it can grow 35 inches in a single day--which makes bamboo a great resource for garden projects such as trellises. also commercial use of bamboo would ease the destruction of the old and living trees.
(5) During the 1600s, tulips were so valuable in Holland that their bulbs were worth more than gold. The craze was called tulip mania, or tulipomania, and caused the crash of the Dutch economy. Tulips can continue to grow as much as an inch per day after being cut.
(6) Small pockets of air inside cranberries cause them to bounce and float in water.
(7) Peaches, Pears, apricots, quinces, strawberries, and apples are members of the rose family. So are ornamental species such as spirea, mountain ash, goatsbeard, and ninebark.
(8) Peanuts are not nuts, but legumes related to beans and lentils. They have more protein, niacin, folate, and phytosterols than any nut, according to the National Peanut Board.
(9) Nectarines are actually peaches that have a recessive gene that makes them grow without the fuzzy skin. They are not actually a different kind of fruit.
(10) There are more microorganisms in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.
(11) Plants respond to sound and in fact react by growing better when listening to soothing music and other sounds, but reacts and grows slowly or stunted when plants "listen" to hard, loud, and chaotic music.(12) A sunflower consists of 1,000-2,000 individual flowers where the fuzzy brown center and the classic yellow petals are the individual flowers held together on a single stalk.
(13) Baking soda sprinkled regularly around tomatoes in the garden can reduce the acidity and make the tomatoes much sweeter in taste.
(14) Hydrangea flowers color can be altered by the pH level of the soil. For example, a more alkaline soil will result in pinker blooms, while a acidic soil will produce blue blooms. To facilitate a blue color, add more organic matter to your soil, like coffee grounds (though the acidity in used coffee grounds can vary greatly, so you might try a high-acid fertilizer, too). The change won't happen overnight, but eventually you should succeed in manipulating your soil's pH level.
(15) Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that grapes were grown to make wine about 8,000 years ago in Mesopotamia (today's Iraq), although the ancient Egyptians were the first to record the process of making wine about 5,000 years ago.
(16) The first potatoes were cultivated in Peru about 7,000 years ago.
(17) The average strawberry has 200 seeds. It's the only fruit that bears its seeds on the outside.
(18) Trees are perhaps the longest living organism on Earth. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is one of the oldest living tree species; it dates back to about 250 million years ago. Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is another ancient species; it dates back about 150 million years. Both were known in the fossil record before they were found alive. The world's tallest-growing tree is the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which grows along the Pacific Coast of the United States, mainly in California. Interestingly enough, it's not the world's oldest-growing tree; that award goes to a bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata).
(19) Figs were the first domesticated crop in the Near East about 11,400 years ago!
Archaeologists found carbonized figs in a village north of ancient Jericho, and compared the fruits to modern specimens. Through this comparison, they determined that the fruits had been intentionally propagated.
(20) Earth worms have the power to move stones that weigh 50 times their own weight. They love coffee grounds. They ingest soil and organic matter equal to the amount of their body weight each day. They also help with your compost pile; when you turn your compost pile and find a lot of earth worms, you know that your compost pile is working and that you will have great top soil for plants.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
June 23rd Garden update (Corn, beans, Melons, and Peppers)
I posted last week here, the progress on the Tomatoes, Corn, Beans, Melons and other fruits and vegetables. Within 10 days, the corn grew a foot as well as the Beans. The Tomato fruits are growing larger; The Cucumber, peppers, and Melons are blooming.
I am continuing to Harvest lettuce, strawberries, and blueberries. Today I picked the first Yellow Squash of the season. Soon I will be harvesting the first Tomatoes and Grapes, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Cucumbers.
It's a possibility I will be Transplanting 100+ Tomato and pepper plants in the Gardens. It's
also a possibility I will be tilling a spot for Beans and Cold weather crops (Lettuces, spinach, carrot, Brussels, Broccoli) in the following days.
Here are some photos from the last couple of days...
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| Figurines are keeping birds away from strawberries |
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| Harvesting strawberries |
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| Birds are finally staying away from strawberries |
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| Cantaloupe growing in strawberry bed |
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| cantaloupe plants |
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| Nearly 300 Tomato plants putting off Fruits |
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| Corn, 2-3 feet |
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| 9 rows of Corn |
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| Black eyed peas / Lima beans |
One of my other gardens, at my Cousins, contains a second crop of Corn and Beans, Cucumbers.
In the photos here are Corn, Beans, and Melons growing in the same Garden, at my Grandparents.
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| Row of Melons in the garden |
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| Cantaloupe |
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| 100 Melon plants |
Other Watermelon plants (approx 15) are growing alongside my Tomato and Pepper garden. We purchased these because one plant was already blooming.
The watermelon in the photos below are the Yellow Watermelon variety. I haven't tasted this variety before, and it would surely be a treat to try it for the first time from my own garden!
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| Watermelon |
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| Row of Watermelon mounds |
Peppers were purchased last week. The Cowhorn and Jalapeno peppers are already fruiting. The other Green peppers are blooming. When I transplanted these peppers, I added some compost as well.
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| row of peppers with cantaloupe growing |
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| rows of peppers |
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| Pepper garden |
Friday, June 13, 2014
June 13th Garden update (Still transplanting & still harvesting)
I have had lettuce, spinach, kale, and peas sown since the beginning of April, so towards the middle of May I began harvesting ]varieties of lettuce. Below are recent photos of lettuce harvests. I expect to harvest from my lettuce garden for another month. I will
plant more greens at the end of the Summer to harvest a Fall crop.
Here are pictures of one of my Strawberry beds filled with the
Unidentified Squash or Melon plants. From all three of my Strawberry
beds, I made time today to take out the Tomato sprouts and put them in
water (till I find another spot for them).
Below are the Tomato sprouts I dug out of the
Strawberry beds. The Sweet Potato Sprouts were in the ALE8 box, and the
Cantaloupe sprouts were in the green container in the right side of the
photo below.
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Around the middle of May, we transplanted 60 Tomato plants in one of our gardens. Recently, we have added over 100 Tomato plants from our compost bins/Strawberry beds. As of now we're growing over 200 Tomato plants in the garden (below).
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| 160+ Tomato Plants |
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| Finally fruiting! |
Several days ago I tilled, hoed, and transplanted 50 Cantaloupe plants in the second garden at my Grandparents. As you may be able to see in the photos below, I have 9 rows of Corn and three rows of Beans, and 8 rows dedicated to Cantaloupe.
I have 50+ other Cantaloupe plants as well-- I relocated over 20 Cantaloupe plants near the Tomato garden; and intend to
Transplant the remaining Cantaloupe plants at my Melon/Bean/Corn patch.
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| 8 rows of 50 Cantaloupe plants |
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8 rows of 50 Cantaloupe plants
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| 20+ Cantaloupe plants near Tomato garden |
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| Cantaloupe |
As I relocated the Cantaloupe plants, I replaced them with Sweet Potato
plants (in the photo below). Our neighbors happened to have over
60 Sweet Potato plants, so we're experimenting to
see if they'll produce this year.
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| Relocated Cantaloupes to sunnier spot, then replaced with Sweet potatoes |
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| Unidentified Squash or Melon plants between Strawberry plants |
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| Unidentified Squash or Melon plants |
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| Tomato, Sweet Potato, and Cantaloupe sprouts |
The Zucchini and Yellow Squash plants have grown much larger, as well as the Cucumber, Pumpkin and Butternut Squash plants. The Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Cucumbers, Pumpkin, and Cushaw plants are
in my main Garden, at my Grandparents, while other Squash plants are
growing around my Mother's yard.
Some Squash plants or Cantaloupe are growing in my Strawberry beds, so I will be Transplanting these into my Cantaloupe bed at my Grandparents.
One Butternut Squash plant is growing outside of the Strawberry beds, while others are growing in the Compost bin, as you can see below.
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| Yellow Squash bloom |
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| 4 rows of Zucchini & 4 rows of Yellow Squash plants |
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| 4 rows of Yellow Squash |
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| 4 rows of Zucchini plants |
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| Cucumber |
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| Cucumber |
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| Row of 200+ Cucumber |
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| Row of Butternut Squash |
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| Row of Pumpkin |
One Butternut Squash plant is growing outside of the Strawberry beds, while others are growing in the Compost bin, as you can see below.
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| Butternut Squash outside of the Strawberry beds |
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| Squash plant in Compost bin |
Below you see what I have left to
Transplant to the gardens. Much of that is Pepper and
Tomato plants. I will use the rest of the Tomato plants to grow in pots,
and eventually transplant the Pepper plants near the Tomato Garden.
I had assumed the Pepper plants would be big enough to transplant several weeks ago, but I have refrained. Last year I made the mistake of Transplanting the Pepper plants too early, at a smaller size. Beside my Tomato garden and row of Cantaloupe, I have a double row for the largest Pepper plants. So far I have Transplanted 10 Pepper plants to the garden.
I had assumed the Pepper plants would be big enough to transplant several weeks ago, but I have refrained. Last year I made the mistake of Transplanting the Pepper plants too early, at a smaller size. Beside my Tomato garden and row of Cantaloupe, I have a double row for the largest Pepper plants. So far I have Transplanted 10 Pepper plants to the garden.
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| 100+ Pepper plants |
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| Pepper plant |
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| Pepper plants |
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