Gardening Tips

I grew these pumpkins from Burpee Organic Seed. Typically I sow the seed and then dust the area with fungi and mineral supplement, but this time I decided to do something different. I love to experiment in the garden because you just never know, until you know.
So this year before planting I put my seeds in a baggie and then I added 5cc of Mycorrhizal fungi and Azomite. Then I sealed up the baggie shook them up to get a good coating on the seed. I dusted the area with what was left in the bag. So far I am thinking that I just might be inclined to pre-treat all my seeds in this manner. At least until I start wondering, “What if?”

Source: http://www.organic-gardening-for-life.com/organic-blog.html#Organic-Pumpkins-With-Mycorrhizal-Fungi

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You’d be hard pressed to find a gardener who has included rose bushes in their floral repertoire and didn’t walk away thrilled with the return on investment received for their efforts .

Few garden icons compare to the rose in charm and richness. Grown for thousands of years in almost every corner of the inhabited world, roses have long been considered a symbol of elegance. With some basic knowledge of rose bush care, even beginning gardeners can reap the benefits Read more . . .

Source: http://rosegardening.buzz-line.net/grow-roses/everything-about-rose-bush-care/

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Hello home gardeners, I need your suggestions!  You see a couple years ago my dad helped me build the  Blue Garden Shed.  One of the things I was eager to install was a green roof but I determined that I didn’t have the knowledge or the money at the time to do it correctly. As s substitute one of the things I incorporated into the shed was a front door overhang.  I made the overhang so that it could be a planter box in effect it could have been a small version of a green roof.  The problem is – I never planted anything in it!  To this day the front door overhang planter box sits without a single plant growing in it.

What I need help with are a few suggestions to what would look good in the planter box.  But that’s not all, it has to be sustainable.  The plants have to be able to take long periods of dryness (and survive periods of inattention). That might be an emphasis on natives. What would look good?  Probably lots of things but they have to be able to thrive on neglect.

So tell me, what plants would you plant on a front door overhang planter box on a blue shed?  I’m sure you don’t get asked that question everyday!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHomeGarden/~3/hOKSEmRkYlg/what-would-you-plant-here.html

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We’re having a problem with a ground covering weed, in our Master Gardener display garden. It’s probably caused by a combination of a mild winter and overly rich mulch. My solution would be to get more plants. More plants =Less exposed soil. And my top picks would be some colorful shrubs. I love gardening, but even I don’t want to spend all day plucking and pinching. There are so many more options in shrubs these days and they’re so much less fussy about where they grow than most flowers are. Susan Harris, over on Homestead Gardens, starts us off with 5 Great Shrubs to Fill Up a Garden. They are all readily available, reliable and beutiful bloomers.

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Source: http://gardening.about.com/b/2012/05/10/living-mulch.htm

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4193/impact-of-mealworms-in-a-garden

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Can a hibiscus plant survive a Chicago winter? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Source: http://feeds.almanac.com/~r/almanac-gardening/~3/MOYpNaZJ30c/question

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The victory garden resurges in popularity in light of economic recesion that is looking to be around for a while.

Source: http://www.organic-gardening-for-life.com/victory_garden.html

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety busted up a few Prius C hybrids to see how they held up in crashes. Here’s what they found…

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/cars/prius-c-hybrid-earns-top-pick-safety-rating-iihs.html

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Against all the odds, Tesla is about this ship the first Model S electric sedans to customers and the company will begin repaying its debts by the end of this year.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/cars/tesla-begin-repaying-department-energy-loans-end-2012.html

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This weekend after all the garden related chores were done for the day, and just before sunset came, I took a few photographs of how our gardens look this April.  I still have mulching, pruning, weeding, and many other things to do but I thought it would be a good time to share some of our garden with you.  These pictures are mostly of the backyard but there is one of our sideyard garden where the arbor is. 

The first picture is a wide shot of the backyard.  The lawn in the middle is framed by the vegetable garden to the right and the birdbath garden to the left. One of these days I’ll repair the birdbath and get it back out there!  This year has been extremely busy and I’ve put off some projects in favor of others.  The birdbath is one of the “do later” chores.  You can see in the vegetable garden the two wooden trellises I made last year for cucumbers and melons.  They worked great!

We’ll shift slightly to the left and see more of the birdbath garden.  Irises are blooming right now but soon other perennials will be showing off.  The two shrubs on the far side toward the back of the garden are a ninebark and a witchhazel.  I need to move one of them but I’m afraid it may be too late this year.  Perhaps this fall I’ll attempt it. 

Inside the garden is a statue placed in a patch of catmint.  Catmint is one of my most favorite perennials simply because it is so easy to grow!  It’s easy to propagate too and you can turn one into many very quickly.  It attracts pollinators and is said to repel certain undesirable insects (like termites, cockroaches, and mosquitoes)!

This pink phlox has made a nice home underneath a crape myrtle.  Unfortunately the crape myrtles in our yard are severely frost bitten. They will recover but if they bloom will most likely bloom much later than normal.  We can blame this on the early warm weather and the frost combo.

And last I’ll leave you with this photo of our side garden arbor and the corner shade garden.  Hostas, heucheras, oak leaf hydrangea, ajuga, hellebores, Japanse ferns, and astilbe all are in the corner shade garden.  The Japanse maple is a little frost bit but mostly came through the frost OK.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHomeGarden/~3/wUMXYCsUK-Q/around-our-garden-landscape.html

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If you are like many others, autumn yardwork probably sneaks up on you out of nowhere. One day you are basking in the sun, fanning yourself and drinking lemonade and then all of a sudden, you need to put a jacket on to walk the dog in the morning. This is usually about the same [...]

Source: http://www.gardeningchannel.com/autumn-lawncare/

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With the first fall frost, tomato, basil and pepper plants shrivel and turn mushy. Most perennials have expended their energy for the season and are brown and dry. The garden can be a downright melancholy place, especially for the avid gardener. By carefully incorporating annuals into your gardening repertoire, though, you can extend the season [...]

Source: http://www.gardeningchannel.com/fall-annuals-extend-the-gardening-season/

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Viburnum dentatum is one of my favorite shrubs in our garden.  It’s not as showy as the Japanese dappled willow or the purple beautyberry.  It’s not as flashy as roses nor does it provide year round color like the ‘Otto Luyken’ cherry laurels.  But it does have an important role in our garden.  This viburnum never fails to flower prolifically.  Which means that the birds enjoy it immensely when the flowers fade and turn into a bounty of blue berries! The berries last only a few short days because once they ripen up the feast begins!

The flowers are pretty nifty too.  Fluffy white clouds of flowers cover the plant offering food for the bees and other pollinators. I watched yesterday as a tiger swallowtail butterfly landed and helped itself to the nectar.

Even when not in bloom the glossy green foliage makes the Viburnum dentatum worth planting in the garden.  It’s common name is arrowood viburnum which comes from the fact that Native Americans used the suckering branches to make arrow shafts.  This viburnum likes full sun but can tolerate part shade and thrives in zones 3-8. 

It gets wide quickly and can overtake other plantings planted too close.  The penstemon in this picture to the right needs moved to a better location! (But it is a pretty effect!)

Arrowood Viburnum Propagation

Arrowood viburnum suckers a lot and can be easily divided by removing the suckers.  You can propagate this viburnum through cuttings from stem tips, greenwood, hardwood or layering.  It’s fairly easy to get a new plant started.  You can also grow them from seed if you can beat the birds to the berries – good luck with that one!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHomeGarden/~3/h8jgRHJRfDg/viburnum-dentatum-in-bloom-arrowood.html

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The C-MAX is a compact hybrid utility vehicle and the Ford’s first dedicated line of hybrids. The 2013 C-MAX Hybrid will be available this fall with a base price of $25,995.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/cars/ford-starts-taking-orders-2013-c-max-hybrid.html

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4238/what-is-causing-the-bark-on-my-crabapple-to-crack-and-peel-off

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Can a hibiscus plant survive a Chicago winter? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Source: http://feeds.almanac.com/~r/almanac-gardening/~3/MOYpNaZJ30c/question

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Bokashi Bran will allow you to compost any organic waste indoors using nothing more than a sealed bucket. It is an excellent way to increase organic matter, an essential part your organic garden

Source: http://www.organic-gardening-for-life.com/Bokashi_Bran.html

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4219/starting-open-bin-composting-pests

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In our front yard is a triangular shaped area that for now I’m calling the Iris Garden.  In a week or so after the irises finish blooming I’ll have to change the name to something else but for now the Iris Garden works!  I actually began this garden area as a winter color garden but soon realized that winter color should be interspersed everywhere and shouldn’t be all by itself.  So I redesigned the garden to be what it is now.  At different times of the year this garden provides different types of interest.

The Trees

On each point of the triangle design is a tree. The largest of which is a Yoshino cherry that provides some powerful spring color with its white a pinkish colored blooms.  Two small redbuds anchor the other points.  They were transplants from my in-laws property.  Redbuds are tricky to transplant but with some care ( and a long enough root) it can be done! (This is best done when dormant.) Eventually the trees will shade the triangle enabling the garden to be converted to a part shade to full shade garden area.  That will be a few years down the road.

The Irises

The current main feature of the garden is the river of irises that flow down from the top point of the triangle.  These irises were all given to me by my parents who had a bunch of these lavender purple colored bearded irises.  Now we have a ton too!  These are highly fragrant irises and you can imagine with as many irises as we have in this garden the scent can be strong!  We have other irises in other gardens but I felt that keeping the same color scheme in this garden would give the maximum impact.

The Perennials

There are a few other perennials in this bed along with the irises.  Pretty much all of the perennials fit into the purple color category with variations in shade and tint allowing for a cool color blend.  ‘Caradonna’ salvia is right next to the irises and will eventually become a second river that will re-bloom periodically through the summer. ‘Purple Homestead’ verbena is a spectacular groundcover that is perfect for this garden.  It doesn’t like being constantly wet over the winters which makes planting in our sloped front yard perfect for it.  In the summer two Russian sage plants will flower.  One on the right side and the other on the left.  Surrounding the Russian sage on the left will be several purple coneflowers that have grown each year from seed with mother nature’s help!  (We just let the seed fall where it may!)

The Annuals – err… Annual …kind of….

We have one annual that grace’s this garden: California Poppy.  It’s orange and has nothing in common with the rest of the garden’s colors.  That’s OK since sometimes a unique and unusual color mixed in a sea of similar colors can make the garden pop a little more.  Our California poppies self-sow freely.  The foliage is a beautiful silver color reminiscent of an artemisia like ‘Powis Castle’. This poppy can survive mild enough winters but for us it’s more of an annual. 

It won’t be long before the irises are finished blooming and the dividing and transplanting time will be here.  Everything is happening much earlier this year than it has in past years!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHomeGarden/~3/MWNA6eHgVLY/iris-garden.html

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Wandering downtown as the Asheville Fling begins

Taking pictures

Of sights

Seeing terrors

Transported

To peaceful

Blue pearls

Source: http://outsideclyde.blogspot.com/2012/05/random-asheville-fling.html

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Gardening
Tips

Source: http://www.mygardenismyspace.com/Gardening-Tips/gardeningtips.html

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Hello home gardeners, I need your suggestions!  You see a couple years ago my dad helped me build the  Blue Garden Shed.  One of the things I was eager to install was a green roof but I determined that I didn’t have the knowledge or the money at the time to do it correctly. As s substitute one of the things I incorporated into the shed was a front door overhang.  I made the overhang so that it could be a planter box in effect it could have been a small version of a green roof.  The problem is – I never planted anything in it!  To this day the front door overhang planter box sits without a single plant growing in it.

What I need help with are a few suggestions to what would look good in the planter box.  But that’s not all, it has to be sustainable.  The plants have to be able to take long periods of dryness (and survive periods of inattention). That might be an emphasis on natives. What would look good?  Probably lots of things but they have to be able to thrive on neglect.

So tell me, what plants would you plant on a front door overhang planter box on a blue shed?  I’m sure you don’t get asked that question everyday!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHomeGarden/~3/hOKSEmRkYlg/what-would-you-plant-here.html

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4210/why-are-my-citrus-and-avocado-trees-getting-these-white-dots-and-getting-pale

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Pruning roses is important to plant health because it encourages new growth and removes winter-damaged limbs. Different classes of rose required different methods of pruning at varying times of the year. Climbing roses and rose bushes are two classes of roses which required slightly different techniques for pruning. This article will help explain some general [...]

Source: http://wildaboutroses.net/how-to-prune-roses-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-prune-roses-2

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Read at : http://vegetablegardenhub.com Growing a Vegetable Garden Getting Started with a Vegetable Garden Growing a vegetable garden can be as simple as raising a few tomatoes in hanging pots on the patio or as complex as developing a new … Continue reading →

Source: http://containergardening.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/starting-a-vegetable-garden-vegetable-garden-hub/

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It’s not often that I am so impressed by a nursery that I feel compelled to write about them.  So many nurseries just do things the same way, the established way.  I know it works well but when a nursery steps it up a notch it REALLY works.  Growild Nursery in Fairview, Tennessee to me is an example of one nursery that steps it up!  Was it the plants that impressed me?  Definitely, but that wasn’t all.  The service by the employees was great.  And it’s more than just the demeanor of the employees, they knew their stuff!  They could tell me the habits of the trees, offer up examples of similar specimens that I might enjoy, and were simply a great horticultural resource.

Growild opens up to the public only a couple times a year.  The rest of the season they sell to landscape designers, contractors, and by appointments.  Their stock makes them unique in that they are one of only two major nurseries that specialize in native plants.  If you’re looking for plants that are weather tolerant and grow in our rough soil conditions here in Tennessee then Growwild is the place to visit.  They would be an excellent resource for anyone wishing to restore lands that have been taken over by invasive plants like honeysuckle or privet. 

Of course I will have to admit I spent much more than I intended at Growild.  When they are only open twice a year you’ve got to right?  I went looking for a red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) which I’m thrilled to have planted in our garden over the weekend.  The red buckeye is a hummingbird magnet that blooms in the spring with stalks of red tubular flowers.  It’s a small tree that over the year might reach 12-14 feet.  It likes partial shade but can take a few hours of hot afternoon sun.  We found a buckeye that actually had a few seeds still attacked to the old flower stalk so that we knew it was already old enough to flower.

I also have a fondness for viburnums and came home with two more for our garden.  I went looking for a ‘Rusty Blackhaw’ viburnum which comes highly recommend by Gail of Clay and Limestone.  At the recommendation of one of the Growwild employees I took a look at a Witherod viburnum and instantly knew it was coming home with me too!

‘Rusty Blackhaw’ viburnum (Viburnum rufidulum) is a larger viburnum that reaches 10-20 feet in height and has spectacular orange to red fall color.  It’s now planted in the backyard where it and grow as tall as it likes.

Witherod viburnum (Viburnum nudum) is a smaller viburnum that tops out around 5′.  What made this viburnum stand out were its glossy leaves.  When a plant only blooms for a couple weeks a year its important for it to have another feature that helps it to stand out.  I planted our Witherod viburnum in one of our front yard gardens.  It has nice fall color too and produces berries that range from pink to blue.  The birds love viburnums! 

It was an exciting day for me and I think my family enjoyed the visit to Growild too.  My oldest daughter even got a mini harmonica lesson from one of the musicians who was there to entertain! If you didn’t get to Growild this weekend they will open again in the fall for customers during their tree sale season.  If you’ve never been, it’s worth the trip!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHomeGarden/~3/3TK_uvR40jg/my-visit-to-growild-nursery-in-fairview.html

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Bape, Bathing Ape Clothing Products Online Bape which is short for Bathing Ape is a Japan clothing company born on 1993. Bathing Ape was created by Nigo first as a T-shirt brand. It originated in Shibuya in the Harajuku area in Tokyo. Bapes clothing is one of the first Japanese brands of streetwear. The [...]

Garden Lawnmower

Source: http://www.garden-lawnmower.com/leatherman-usa/

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How do we connect to our own story and passion? This workshop explores ways to create and connect to stories and passions from our lives. By using several writing and drawing techniques, participants create mini-sensory journals focused on experiences with nature, write brief narratives that deepen a sense of personal story, and explore ways to [...]

Source: http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-events/connecting-stories-and-passions-a-creative-workshop/

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4232/how-can-i-fix-a-lawn-which-has-become-patchy

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4235/i-have-the-flowers-how-do-i-get-the-seeds-from-my-basil

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Annual pruning of roses is important to a healthy rose garden loaded with dazzling blooms. When to prune roses will largely depend on where you live and the types of roses in your garden. The three time frames pruning are: spring pruning, late-summer/fall pruning, and winter pruning. It is likely you will actually prune your [...]

Source: http://wildaboutroses.net/when-to-prune-roses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=when-to-prune-roses

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I got a response from the question prompt I have setup on this site that asks you what you would like to see me write about next. Someone out there wants to know which trees and/or bushes should be…

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/SprinklerJuice/%7E3/5nq4nqd3yi4/fast-growing-trees-and-bushes-to.html

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Source: http://www.organic-gardening-for-life.com/organic-blog.html#Monday-Morning-Blues?

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I never saw ladybugs mate before. The act can last a couple hours and the female can wait months before laying her eggs. Photos by Doug Oster

It’s always good luck to see a ladybug, just ask these two!

They are on a plant I started from seed many years ago. In fact so long ago, I couldn’t remember what it was.

On the plus side Conium maculatum attracts beneficial insects. On the down side, it’s an invasive weed and could kill you.

The ladybug and other beneficials love the flowers, and the birds eat the seeds later in the season.

The luck these ladybugs are bringing to the garden will be more of their kind. The female can wait months to lay their eggs. She will find a spot with lots of food, like aphids to deposit the eggs.

When the nymphs hatch they can eat thousands of aphids or other insects during their three to six week life.

The plant in question is Conium maculatum or poison hemlock. Yep, it’s the stuff that killed Socrates. You certainly would want to nibble on the leaves or sap, you’d could get very sick.

It’s so prolific that in some states it’s classfied as a noxious weed.

It’s beautiful though, brings in the good bugs and hapily self seeds. Conium maculatum is a biennial. The first year growing foliage, the second year flowering an then dies.

I guess it’s always good to know what you’re growing in the garden.

I’m glad these two ladybugs forced me into a little research to see what I planted all those years ago.

Source: http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/living/doug-oster-gardening/34070-ladybug-love-getting-lucky

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4204/balcony-composting-suggestions-for-trapped-rainwater

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Learn to identify common trees of the Georgia Piedmont by their leaves, bark, branching patterns, and tree form. Students will use a hand lens and a simple dichotomous key for woody plants to identify species. Class time will be divided between classroom exercises and a field trip to the woods at the Botanical Garden.

Source: http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-events/summer-tree-identification/

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How can I get rid of the fairy rings of mushrooms in my backyard? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Source: http://feeds.almanac.com/~r/almanac-gardening/~3/MOYpNaZJ30c/question

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For flower portraits, the class will cover defining the subject, choosing a lens focal length, focusing, metering, isolating the subject, and lighting. For plants in the landscape, we will discuss how photographing in a larger setting differs from making plant portraits. Working through several examples, we will pay particular attention to how light affects the [...]

Source: http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-events/digital-plant-photography-flower-portraits-and-plants-in-the-landscape/

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Can a hibiscus plant survive a Chicago winter? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Source: http://feeds.almanac.com/~r/almanac-gardening/~3/MOYpNaZJ30c/question

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I parused my garden today and was amazed at how many plants are already growing so early in the spring.  My climatis is growing like crazy and my hydrangeas are leafing up already.  I actually have a bleeding heart blooming away while it is still March.  I compared that to pictures I have taken other years [...]

Source: http://blog.gardenshoesonline.com/index.php/crazy-mixed-up-garden/

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You know you’ve got a hit on your hands when the horticulture staff can’t stop taking pictures of their handiwork! Monet’s Garden opens tomorrow!

Source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/05/photography/morning-eye-candy-picture-perfect/

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A shady lettuce from my allotment – sadly not this year’s!

I have a confession to make. My salads are most moribund. All the seeds I’ve sown for the outdoor season are either sulking, shivering or eaten by slugs. So I’m starting all over again when I get back from Chelsea Flower Show next week.

What’s worse is I know I should have known better. I have plenty of experience of growing salads in the shade as one of main areas I used for them up at the allotment is underneath the apple trees, so I know what works and what doesn’t. It’s the perfect experience for dealing with growing salads in the miserable conditions we’ve had in the past few weeks.

So what went wrong? Seduction by Shiny Seed Packets, that’s what. I have lots of new things to try this year, so I merrily sowed these instead of my tried and trusted friends of yore. Big mistake. Thank goodness I kept the pea shoot production line going, just in case*

Here’s my list of salads which I’ve found work in shady areas:

• Lettuces – shaded lettuces are also much slower to bolt if we ever get any of those soaring summer temperatures we’re dreaming about
• Rocket – this does surprisingly well seeing it has Mediterranean origins
• Sorrel – a lovely sharp lemony flavour. I like buckler leaf because of the unusual shape of the leaves, though this type does seem to self-seed sooner and more prolifically than its rounder leaved cousin
• Peas – podded, shoots, flowers or in any combination
• Parsley – I prefer the flat leaved variety and it does really well
• Coriander – another surprise because I think of it originating in warmer climes. However, it doesn’t go to seed quite so quickly when grown in shade. 
• Spinach – a good base for the stronger tasting stuff
• Beetroot – I love ‘Bull’s Blood’. Great tasting leaves and the red stems provide a nice contrast to the other greens 

Chard and radishes** also work well in shade, but I don’t usually grow them as they’re not on our favourites list. Avoid tomatoes at all costs, they NEED the sun.

Don’t forget it’s Salad Days next week. Mr Linky will be here to showcase all your 52 Week Salad Challenge posts for May

* = a top tip from Alys Fowler at her talk I went to recently is to always sow some spares and have a backup in the form of sprouted seeds. How true.
** = though I love radishes grown as microgreens

If you’re not reading this on vegplotting.blogspot.com, Blotanical or your own web reader such as Bloglines or Google Reader, then the website you’re using is a blogpost feed scraper. Why not go straight to the source instead? That’s vegplotting.blogspot.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/VegPlotting/%7E3/MyvAj-YKvuw/salads-for-awkward-situations-2-shade.html

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What exactly is mycorrhizal fungi and how will it help you with your garden? Read this post to learn more.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/UrbanOrganicGardener/~3/RvqjwkC-hbM/

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Natural factors alone cannot explain the warming, “suggesting a strong influence of human-caused climate change” in the region.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/past-60-years-australia-warmest-past-millennium.html

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How do we connect to our own story and passion? This workshop explores ways to create and connect to stories and passions from our lives. By using several writing and drawing techniques, participants create mini-sensory journals focused on experiences with nature, write brief narratives that deepen a sense of personal story, and explore ways to [...]

Source: http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-events/connecting-stories-and-passions-a-creative-workshop/

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My
Garden Flora and Fauna

Source: http://www.mygardenismyspace.com/FloraandFauna/floraandfauna.html

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When’s the best time to divide hostas? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Source: http://feeds.almanac.com/~r/almanac-gardening/~3/MOYpNaZJ30c/question

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There are plenty of Mother’s Day gifts for mothers who garden. Whoever placed Mother’s Day in mid-May had perfect timing. I’ve always thought that giving a perennial plant or tree, for any event, is such a wonderful way to create years and years of memories. Some excellent choices are rose bushes, azaleas and fruits trees, but whatever your mother particularly loves would be a sure bet and garden centers have finally wised up to the fact that they are a no brainer for Mother’s Day shopping.

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Source: http://gardening.about.com/b/2012/05/08/easy-gift-for-mom-the-gardener.htm

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Source: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4235/i-have-the-flowers-how-do-i-get-the-seeds-from-my-basil

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The discovery of an endangered species doesn’t have to mean the end of human activity in its habitat. The story of the Barton Springs Salamander shows that people and threatened animals and plants can coexist… with a little planning.
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Source: http://feeds.importantmedia.org/~r/IM-sustainablog/~3/_9gLy0nIV9c/

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