Another Reason To Gardening: A Stress Reliever
By · Comments
Stress is something that you encounter every day. Gardening is one of the tools to deal with it if you want to be happy and healthy.
Just about every illness is either directly caused, or made worse, by stress. That includes heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, along with:
- Back pain and headaches
- Stomach and digestive problems
- The growth of tumors
- Sleep loss and fatigue
- Skin problems
- Weight gain or loss
- Depression
- Confusion, irritability, forgetfulness and more
While stress plays havoc physiologically, even depleting our bones, research shows that gardeners do not suffer from osteoporosis because of weight bearing activities like digging, raking, squatting to plant shrubs, lifting bags of soil, or pushing a lawnmower. Read More→
Kniphofia Attracts Bees, Hummingbirds & Butterflies
By · CommentsKniphofia never disappoints me. The flaming colors of its splendid torch-like blooms blazes out across the garden all through the heat of summer.
In addition to its fun nam
e, kniphofia is also known as ‘red hot poker’ or torch lilies. With grass-like evergreen foliage, this plant’s flower stems grow anywhere from 24 inches to over 6 feet tall. The flower spikes come in colors ranging from cream, orange, red and yellow.
Red-hot pokers have got themselves a bad name. This may be the fault of Professor Kniphof, the German botanist in whose honor they became known as kniphofia – so unnerving to pronounce. These plants of the lily family, natives of South Africa, used to be called tritoma, which is far less of a mouthful. Read More→
Shallots: Doing Good In The Garden & Kitchen Table!
By · CommentsI planted my own shallots this year and what a success they’ve been! They’re the 
variety Longor (which tend to be more long, missile-shaped than squat) and they’ve grown even bigger than last year!
I find that I have more use for Shallots than huge Onions. And Shallots definitely have a milder taste than Onions, which means they’re great for little fussy taste buds! They’re lighter in flavor and don’t overwhelm what you’re using them in. Read More→
Garden Pest Control: Fight Slugs With Ground Beetles!
By · Comments
Speaking about garden pest control, ground beetles are one of the most beneficial insects there, although it must be admitted, they probably have bad breath.
That’s because these beetles eat slugs! Most ground beetles only eat slug eggs and baby slugs, but one particularly voracious variety is called the “slug-snail destroyer,” and it takes on some big ones.
I love ground beetles. They are kind of like little living tanks that deploy during the night and lay waste to slug eggs, snails, potato beetles, and cutworms.There are nearly 2500 different species of ground beetles in North America. Most ground beetles do good work, as evidenced by the common names of some beetle species; my favorites being caterpillar hunter (Calosoma scrutator) and eastern snail eater (Scaphinotus elevatus).
Turn over a rock or log, and you’ll see dark, shiny beetles running for cover – ground beetles. The best way to get to know the ground beetles is to observe some up close. Since most are nocturnal, you can usually find them hiding under boards or stepping stones during the day.
Ground beetles live in almost every terrestrial habitat on earth. Worldwide, about 40,000 species in the family Carabidae have been described and named. In North America, the ground beetles number well over 2,000.
The greatest nightmare of most insects that inhabit garden soils is the ground beetle. Ground beetles are very common insects which develop as predators, dispatching cutworms, beetle larvae, and other common pests with their strong, hooked jaws.Their mane reflects the fact that although they are highly active insects, most ground beetles are poor climbers and are restricted to areas around the soil surface.
Ground beetles are typically dark brown or black and somewhat shiny, although a few take on brilliant blue and green coloration. They are elongate in body form and the jaws are prominent.Because the are active only at night, ground beetles beneficial activities often are under appreciated. Gardeners sometimes may encounter a few when flipping over rocks, boards or other debris causing the fast moving beetles to scatter for cover.
Why they’re good as garden pest control Read More→
In The World Of Garden Abundance-Zucchini Is The King!
By · Comments
Zucchini is kind of a miracle plant. It is sure the king in the world of garden abundance. It seems like one of them could feed a village, or at least a small apartment building.
I’ve only ever need to plant one of them and still end up taking a bunch of them to work to give to people who live in the city. I’ve tried them in a couple of different gardens and the zucchinis always grow like they were trying to take over the garden if not the neighborhood.
Every summer the following joke circulates in Seattle: Why do Seattlers lock their cars in August? So people won’t dump zucchinis in the back seat!
Zucchini is an easy and bountiful crop to grow. In fact, tasty slender zooks turn into oversized baseball bats almost overnight if you are not vigilant.
Check your squash as soon as you notice it blooming. Once it starts producing, it continues steadily throughout the growing season. They normally begin to produce about 50 days after germination.
The more you pick, the more it will produce. For this reason, you may want to consider having only a few plants of each variety, unless you intend to feed the whole neighborhood. Read More→
