east February

There is a tremendous amount of misinformation about house plants, landscaping and gardening. Much of it unfortunately, you will hear on the radio or TV and read in newspapers. This is especially true in connection with some of the advertisements of concerns that are more interested in money than in satisfied customers.

Remember the most reliable source you have of garden information is your county agricultural agent, who gets his information from the Agricultural Extension Service and the Agricultural Experiment Station of your own state university. They know your local conditions and plants adapted to your locality.

As new gardening experiments are carried out, even the professionals have to change their ideas and recommendations from time to time. Despite these changes, many people are still gardening as their grandparents did. We might take note in passing (just to start an argument), that so far scientists have never found any connection between signs of the moon and the proper time to plant, sow seed and harvest. The condition of the soil, temperature, and moisture are far more important.

The potting method is similar to that for other orchids, the plant being held while compost is poured in. Ensure that there arc no holes left between the long roots, which arc not filled with compost. This should he worked down between the roots, a bit at a time, until the pot is filled.

Orchids which would not be suitable include cymbidiums, through their sheer size, excepting the species C. devonianum and the low-light’ or shade- loving orchids such as the cool-growing lycastes and paphiopedilums, and in the hot section the phalaenopsis.

When repotting is completed, the divided plants should be sitting centrally in their pots, with the base of the leading growth on a level with the compost. This should be slightly below the rim of the pot, to allow for future watering. Extra labels with the name of plant and date of repotting should be written for the additional plants.

For the next few weeks, very careful watering will be required so as to allow any damaged roots to heal. As soon as new root activity is observed around the base of the new growths, normal watering can he resumed.

Licorice grows wild in southern Europe, the Middle East, Asia Minor and Afghanistan, and is raised commercially in the former USSR, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and elsewhere.

From then on, however, its spread was rapid and nowadays it is the most widely grown of all leguminous plants, being raised over huge areas of arable land. The seeds contain a great deal of protein (40%), similar in composition to that of meat, and are thus a very nutritious food.

The beans are of interest as raw material for making soy sauce. Its preparation is relatively lengthy and complex. Cooked soy beans are mixed with salt and wheat or barley flour and fermented much the same as wine; the resulting product is then strained, yielding a dark-brown liquid that improves with age.

Black lozenges called `succus liquiritiae’, made from the residue obtained after evaporating off the water in which licorice root has been boiled, not only have a pleasant spicy flavour but also dissolve mucus and thus act as an expectorant. For this reason licorice is also used in medicine.

When the plant has been stripped bare to the roots it can be divided. A leading piece consisting of a double new growth and four-leaved pseudobulbs is removed by severing the rhizome with secateurs. One further leading division of a similar size can be removed from the other sick of the plant, leaving a hack division with leafed pseudobulbs which can also be potted. Any good leafless pseudo- bulbs should be divided and potted singly. Alternatively the rhizome can be severed in the pot six months before repotting when the back division will have started a new growth.

On an annual basis a Paphiopedilum can, for a number of years, be repotted back into the same size pot, or, if the compost is still in good condition, be `dropped on’ without disturbance to the root ball, into a slightly larger pot.

A vigorous-growing Paphiopedilum can he divided only if there is snore than one new growth with at least two mature supporting growths for each division. To reduce the plant further will affect its flowering capability for some years to come. The only reason for dividing paphiopedilums is where they have become too big to manage. Otherwise it is better to keep them as one plant. The rhizome adjoining the growths is quite soft, and the bare-rooted divisions will easily pull apart in the hands.

Orchids which have been growing in baskets for some length of time will have attached their roots firmly to the wooden slats, and it is difficult to remove the plant without some damage. These epiphytes quickly make up for any root loss by producing new ones immediately after potting, providing that it is done at some time during the spring months. The roots therefore can be cut away using a sharp pruning knife and slicing around the inside of the basket. This enables the plant to be gently prised free from the base, and no damage is done to any part of the plant above the surface.

By the time the Encyclia pentotis has been removed from its existing square wooden basket, it will have little of its original root system left, and with the removal of the old compost there will be nothing to hold the plant in the new basket. Using a length of plastic-coated wire and a pair of pliers position the plant in its new elongated basket with the oldest, leafless pseudobulbs to one end, so that the front of the plant is close to the other end, with sufficient room available for at least two years’ growth.

If you like weird flowers, you’ve come to the right place. In this article – the second of a series – you’ll find another odd plant that will make your garden unique.

Introducing the Titan Arum which is also known as the “corpse flower” or “corpse plant.” Not to be confused with the other corpse flower that I discussed previously, the Titan Arum or Amorphophallus Titanum is a flowering plant that holds the distinction of having the largest unbranched inflorescence or compound flower in the world.

The plant was christened “Titan Arum” by the British broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough who thought that the name Amorphophallus was not appropriate for his TV viewers.

Discovered by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in Sumatra in 1878, the Titan Arum grows in tropical rainforests and produces only a single flower every few years. The plant blooms a few times in its 40-year lifespan. But this is usually a major event that is crucial for the plant’s survival.

Barbequing in the garden at the back of the house is one of the common leisure options in the US. But it can also be a great outdoor activity on a bright sunny day with friends too. If you cannot live without socialising, grilling in the open air will add a distinctive feature to the party that you organise. The barbeque get together in the backyard will not only allow you to socialise, but even the guests will appreciate the grilled delicacies that you offer.

It is obvious that you might not be able to invite a lot of people, since this depends firstly on the size of your yard. Such kind of open air party can be organised for your closest family and friends. Nevertheless, you can’t be relaxed and make a plan at the last minute. Rather, barbeque events would require proper planning or else all the concept may fail. Hence get up and start now if you feel like organizing a barbeque kind of party in your backyard.

Talk agriculture, and the classic garden tractor seems to be a blessing in disguise. The way these tractors are used ” You will find them being used in a variety of tasks. In essence, they are the master tools that help you in fixing a lot of tasks on your farm. Some time before, a lot of people used to flock to neighboring villages to see how the garden tractor worked.

This also presented people with a chance to see neighboring towns, and also enjoy a good meal away from home. Mowing the lawns of the farm is typically one of the tasks a garden tractor can accomplish. Importantly, it does a wide range of functions in a farm, which makes the job of the person who is operating this machine so much easy. This machine has thus been used for a long time now, mainly in farms for this purpose.

Known as lawnmowers, these are available in two versions ” Electric and the Pull-stop. Both have their own set of features and benefits. A lot of people though prefer the electric lawnmowers because they are just so easy to operate. Similarly, your choice could be different too. Whatever your choice, you need to give either a test try to see if the lawnmower works well or not. You obviously do not want to invest your money on a cheap dud!

Poisonous plants and flowers are everywhere and they are often difficult to recognize. This can be bad for our kids who are the usual victims of plant poisoning.

To help readers in this matter, the third part of my series contains a small list of poisonous plants and flowers that you should be wary of. If you have any of these plants at home or in your garden, fence them off or get rid of them fast. Teach children not to eat plants or flowers. These simple measures could save your child’s life.

The name Parietaria judaica may not sound familiar to you but it’s time you know what it does. This plant causes asthma and skin allergies. The plant has pink or red hairy stems, green leaves and small white or pink flowers.

This weed is often found in the coastal areas of Australia, the United Kingdom and North America. It’s common on roadsides and in cracks of buildings. Because of its bad effects, the plant is called sticky weed or asthma weed.

If your home or office is sleek and sophisticated, why not choose your indoor fountain to match? Stainless steel fountains add a nice, modern touch to any room of the house, and produce a soothing atmosphere wherever they can be seen or heard.

These contemporary wall mounted fountains not only make a visually striking statement in any room, but they also require little effort to maintain and clean. Designs can include polished surfaces, flat panels and frequently incorporate several different textures for example brushed steel and shiny polished steel surfaces for that extra sophisticated touch.

Steel holds up very well to wear, and a quality fountain will last you for years and years while all the while creating brilliant cascades of water and light in your room. These fountains look absolutely great and can add depth and class to any living environment. They also make for a great conversation piece that will have all your visitors wondering where you got that beautiful fountain.