You’ll get a healthy serving of B vitamins, iron, manganese, copper, magnesium, and potassium in every beet-infused meal. Beets, Beta vulgaris, can be a little bit controversial. Some people love them, and others think of the horrible canned, pickled beetroot slices that were popular sometime back in the early 1980s. I’ll admit it, as a kid I used to love those soggy slices dripping with vinegar, eaten straight out of a can....
It’s not just commercial farmers that benefit from this efficient soil management system – green manure is equally beneficial in small garden plots as well as the back forty! Are you looking to grow your garden in a smarter, more ecologically sound way? A way that reduces or eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers, and is better for the environment and the soil food web? It’s time to consider cover cropping....
But getting them into the ground is the easy part. Once you have a patch growing, how do you determine when they’re ready to harvest? And what can you do with an exceptionally abundant crop? Beets are truly one of the most stunning vegetables. Fire engine red, golden yellow, deep purple, or candy cane striped, their range of colors and flavors never ceases to amaze me. No matter the variety, just a few slices of these juicy, vibrant roots can transform any ho-hum dish into an extravagant delicacy....
You may have one stunning specimen whose name you have forgotten, or that you inherited with a property that you purchased, and you want to plant more of the same. For thousands of years, humans have appreciated the camellia; so much so, in fact, that they’ve been planted in the gardens of nobility, and trusted to grace the grounds of ancient temples, where deities of the Shinto religion were believed to reside amongst the blooms....
There is no good cure for Armillaria root rot, but keeping your plants healthy and free of stressors can help prevent infection. Armillaria mellea The fungus Armillaria can attack all fruit trees, including apricots. Although soil fumigation is sometimes recommended, it typically doesn’t work. This fungus is unusually resistant to fungicides. Plus, the organism often lurks in the soil in pieces of old infected trees, or in roots in the soil where fungicides can’t contact it....
While nothing quite beats a real Christmas tree, there are some incredible artificial trees that match the aesthetics of the real deal almost perfectly – and they require a lot less care too. Available at: Balsam Hill (opens in new tab) Balsam Hill is one of the most reputable artificial Christmas tree retailers on the market with a variety of lit, unlit, tall, and small trees for every type of Christmas celebration....
That’s right – pansy flowers are edible blooms you can pick and eat as garnishes or salad components. They have a mild floral flavor and a velvety texture that will tickle your taste buds and intrigue your tongue. As cool-weather ornamentals, pansies are cheery when other flowers are nowhere to be seen. Whether you’re growing hybrid Viola x wittrockiana in gardens or containers in late fall, or as an early bloomer in spring, their appealing colors can’t be beat....
It can even be difficult to distinguish a newly planted kohlrabi from its broccoli and cabbage cousins. Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes I have so many fond memories of my summers as a youth. Perhaps the most delicious is the memory of watching my Danish grandmother strip away the tough outside layers of a freshly-pulled kohlrabi. She would then slice the inside flesh into circular “chips,” which she would serve to us with a sprinkling of salt....
The fungus that causes this blight, Anisogramma anomala, is considered the worst pathogen to plague hazelnut orchards. If it’s not controlled, it rapidly spreads from tree to tree, and orchard to orchard. Anisogramma anomala Hazelnuts have been considered divine for ages. We can trace this history back to their mention in a 2838 BC Chinese manuscript as a sacred nourishment bestowed by God. Currently, commercial groves of these tasty nuts are under siege from an aggressive fungal disease commonly known as Eastern filbert blight....
You can find them practically everywhere when summer begins to fade, popping up at grocery store entrances and lining the dwindling shelves of nurseries. Close your eyes and picture the flora of fall. What comes to mind? There’s probably an overgrown pumpkin vine off in the corner, perhaps some yellow and red leaves on the trees. And some bright chrysanthemums sit near the front door, right? Hardy mums are an icon of fall....
Read on to learn how to easily propagate hydrangeas from stem cuttings. Who doesn’t love a garden bursting with colorful hydrangea flowers? If you want to grow this classically beautiful shrub but don’t want to bother with expensive nursery starts, great news! Hydrangeas are very easy to root from cuttings. You can just find a friend or neighbor with a healthy shrub and you are ready to get started. When to Take Stem Cuttings Hydrangeas are deciduous perennial shrubs that grow and bloom throughout the spring and summer months....
A few plants, like short-daylight garden mums, still flower in the fall. But most are finished with flowers by the time cold temperatures arrive. Finding color in the garden during the spring and summer is easy, with so many gorgeous flowers in bloom. But did you know you still enjoy attractive, colorful plants throughout the cooler months of autumn, and right into winter? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
Who Is Tyler Baras? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Limited space can put a serious damper on indoor gardening, but hydroponics – or growing food and other plants using water in place of soil – can be an excellent alternative. Most people don’t have space inside their homes for an ugly, sprawling configuration of pipes, basins, and light bulbs like what is typically designed for installation inside laboratories, garages, and greenhouses....
And then I left for the weekend sometime in midsummer. When I returned, my ‘Howden’ vine had turned into a thriving monstrosity. It’s cute, really, for me to look back on the little bamboo hoops I erected for my pumpkin plants earlier this summer. I’d never grown the Cucurbits before, and I figured the vines would curl neatly around the tiny bamboo hoops and produce precious, delicate gourds. If you have ever grown pumpkins, you know how wrong this is....
Walking outdoors with your new puppy, a growing child, or a curious cat can cause you to panic when they start touching, sniffing, or chewing strange leaves (or one of your precious azaleas). I know I always start to worry when my cat walks through the garden with me. That’s why it’s important to know which common plants can be poisonous. A small problem like a rash, or a big one like a heart health issue, can arise in sensitive people or pets from interactions with some of these common plants and flowers:...
According to the the US Fish and Wildlife Service that these insects contributed to the production of around nineteen billion dollars worth of foodstuffs in 2010 in the US alone. To understand why we need the little bumblebee, we need to understand how it helps us and why it is in danger. If the bee faces extinction, then the planet risks losing a great variety of foodstuffs. We enjoy the beautiful flowers in our gardens but most of them need to be pollinated to survive....
There are actually quite a few popular houseplants that often get shoved into darker spots, but they’re truly happiest in moderate light. It seems like there are piles and piles of plants that do well in bright, direct light and tons that are ideal for low light conditions, but what about that perfect middle ground? You know, that in-between exposure that fills so much of our homes? Where are the plants for those spots?...
A good garden has a lot in common with a good recipe. You start with a detailed plan and enjoy the outcome, but suddenly you’re adding an extra tablespoon of this and half-cup of that to make the meal your own. Before long, you’re cooking by feel rather than using strict measurements. I garden the way I cook, and there’s nothing else like it. Diving in with a loose idea of what to produce is what it’s all about....
Whether your homegrown herbs are destined for tea, cocktails, pesto, or curry, this cultivar is totally worth having in the garden. Ocimum x citriodorum ‘Sweet Dani’ Basil is an herb garden staple. It’s easy to grow, and in exchange for minimal effort, you are rewarded with an abundant harvest of intensely flavorful leaves. Practically every herb garden has a Thai or sweet variety in it. But if you’re looking for something just a bit different, consider the marvelous ‘Sweet Dani’ basil....
Before we get started, a bit of clarification is in order. Alkekengi officinarum Chinese lantern is a charming ornamental plant that can bring a touch of whimsy to your garden, with its delicate red-orange husks. Whether you grow it as a curiosity, or with the intention of using its stems for colorful autumn bouquets, this perennial will provide an unexpected source of bright fall color. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
