Customize your plant selection to be eco-friendly and you’ll save yourself both time and effort while benefitting mother nature in the process. Check out some of the tips and plant recommendations to conserve water and create an eco-friendly environment.
These are a few of my Sempervivum tectorum (hen and chicks). They make me happy because they have so many unique details in their individual plant clusters. They are extremely hardy and have a strong drought resistance. The container that they are in was made from old heat treated pallet wood from one of my decommissioned compost bins (non treated wood). And because my focus is on compost and food, the plump leaves of this succulent are edible raw. Go easy at first to avoid a upset stomach.
To Fruit or Not to Fruit - The Story of Mast Seeding
To Fruit or Not to Fruit – The Story of Mast Seeding
Perennial plants that are able to reproduce multiple times during their lifetime don’t always yield the same amount of seeds each time they reproduce. For some of these plants, there is a stark difference between high-yield years and low-yield years, with low-yield years outnumbering the occasional high-yield years. In years when yields are high, fruit production can seem excessive. This…
Veronica spicata ROYAL CANDLES ‘Glory’ is a deer resistant perennial attractive to butterflies, and is suitable to border or wildflower gardens. The species is prominent throughout the United Kingdom. In 2002, a “County Flowers” campaign was launched, designating a single species of plants to each county and metropolitan area in the UK. Veronica spicata was named the county flower in Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn meaning “the Shire of Baldwin’s town”), North Wales.
Imagine the perfect non-stop summer bloomer with enormous impact all by itself, which is also deer proof. Meet Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame,’ a cross between Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) and Isoplexis canariensis (Canary Island foxglove). This new hybrid blends the qualities of both plants, thanks to the efforts of Charles Valin, plant breeder at Thompson & Morgan. It received the Best New Plant Award at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show (2012), as well as the Greenhouse Grower’s Award of Excellence in 2013.
Multiple side branches emanating from this bushy basal-branched shrub produce flame-colored flower stalks all summer long, even into the fall. Because the plants are sterile, they don’t waste energy trying to go to seed, and this results in fast-growing, floriferous shrubs with vibrant, vertical flower stalks to 3’ in height in shades of watermelon, fuchsia and mango. And while that may sound delicious, Digiplexis has the same toxins as its relative, Digitalis, so all parts of the plant are poisonous. If you use the plant in cut flower arrangements, dispose of the water safely because the toxins will seep from the stalks into the water. The foliage may also cause skin irritation, so handle it with caution.
Digiplexis can be used in seasonal color beds as a backdrop to other annuals, or grown in large containers. It will take part shade to full sun, and blooms from April until the first frost.
Herb Garden Design with Essential Fruits and Vegetables
Before planning an edible garden, think about the purpose of the garden first. These four window boxes were designed so that the client can easily open her windows and make a selection, or water everything from the convenience of her kitchen. We chose all my client’s favorite herbs and edible flowers: garlic chives, marigolds, parsley, several varieties of basil, creeping thyme, cilantro, and even a couple of strawberry plants.
Some herbs are also “perennials” and will last year round, while others (like basil) are seasonal. Group seasonal items together so that they are easily replaced with something else once their growing season is complete.
When replacing plants, don’t forget to replenish the soil, especially if you are planting in window boxes or containers. Valuable nutrients pass through containers quickly, so fresh soil amendments will ensure that the new plants get off to a great start.
Theme gardens are popular right now. Consider grouping herbs and vegetables together in a raised bed for cooking purposes. If you love Asian cooking, you might want to grow lemongrass, Thai basil, Vietnamese coriander, Chinese eggplant, and dwarf pepper plants (like ‘Baby Belle’). A great way to introduce children to the concept of gardening is to grow something they will also consume. Create a “Lemonade Garden” with all the plants you might use to make fresh lemonade: pineapple mint, orange mint, basil, cucumbers, and lemongrass. Plant a Meyer lemon tree, dwarf blueberry bushes, and strawberries in containers to complete the Lemonade Garden. Don’t forget to make ice cubes with the blueberries and strawberries for the lemonade.
Get creative. Did you know you can regrow many herbs and vegetables from your own garden, or re-root favorite edibles from the farmers market (celery and mint, for example)? Mother Earth Living provides a great how-to, HERE. Many of these can be started indoors on a sunny window ledge, and then transplanted outside after all danger of frost has passed.
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The elusive monotropa uniflora, also known as the ghost plant, ghost pipe plant, Indian pipe plant, or the corpse plant. It is an uncommon type of parasitic plant that hosts a fungi which takes energy from photosynthetic trees.
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