#grow agastache seed home | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hortikulturazagreb · 4 years

Text

Growing an Edible Surfaces For Beginning Growers

uređenje vrta Zagreb

Landscapes rely on simple care for trees, bushes, perennials, and usually for the home novel reader annuals and potted arrangements to come alongside one another.

uređenje vrta Zagreb

Trees are often your foundations of the surroundings after the home per se. Plenty of fruiting woods that make good factories also make superb landscape trees. Various cherries, apples, pears, apricots, citrus, peaches, pawpaw and apples are prime types. Many are breathtaking a in the spring, attractive in form, and produce delicious berries. There are many cultivars with fruiting trees along with different growth altitudes at maturity, together with all take effectively to pruning and additionally shaping. Fruiting flowers are passed typically as landscape selections in many landscapes when they can be messy, nevertheless this is only a concern if you're not planning to harvest the fresh fruit from them. As edible landscape trees, the majority all fruiting shrubs are excellent panorama candidates.

Some a lesser amount of commonly known although very wonderful surfaces fruit bearing trees and shrubs include crabapples (they make the best jellies and jellies! ), hackberry (jams in addition to jellies), and persimmon (can be used to get anything and are really delicious). Again, just about all take to shaping and they are lovely in type. Crabapples often have superb fall color, for the reason that do hackberry. Persimmon trees hold onto your fruit past leaf drop and are really ornamental in branching structure.

Nut displaying trees are also superior landscape candidates certainly where an large and stately tree is needed. Schokohäutige walnut may come in your thoughts but this would are the only exception inside landscape as they develop a very potent contaminant that kills several species of indoor plants within their root area and beyond. An alternate tree that is make much welcome return in the landscape may be the Butternut. They check a lot like the stately black walnut nonetheless don't possess like potent of a herb growth inhibitor with its root method. The nuts can also be delicious. There are now ailment resistant butternuts offered. Hazelnut blooms as soon as nothing else flower arrangements and sports wonderful foliage in the autumn. They are very small designed for trees, almost plant like in proportion, which are them very vital from a design viewpoint. Pecans and hickory, and some chestnuts could make good landscape woods as well.

There are a lot of flowering shrubs by using delicious edible bounty that are beautiful landscaping specimens, that purchasing for edible landscape bushes may be more involving confusing experience. Because of make the decision making undertaking easier, we've identified a few of our preferred. These shrubs choose to adopt shearing and trimming; have beautiful grow, foliage form along with color, fall shade, and popular edible crops.

Blueberries are generally absolutely wonderful edible landscape plants. They're just not as difficult to nurture as many seem to believe. There are many cultivars that will range in kind and color together with fruiting. From exceptionally small and very small mounded forms so that you can large and sprawling and tall versions, blueberries come in a lot of flavors. Add some peat into each original planting hole and additionally mulch with compost or pine fine needles is all the pH adjustment they need, nothing at all complicated. They all endure adorable and sweetly scented spring bouquets of pink in addition to white. They all get attractive bushy vegetation in a nice good green, sometimes cutting edge growth being green or pink. They both bear delicious green or pink plant in the summer. And they also all glow exceptionally red in the tumble. They are super healthy, doing well in most most climates, even that coldest areas.

Elderberry has come to this forefront as a rather potent and effective natural medicine. You'll find it happens to be a beautiful shrub well suited to the surroundings. There are cultivars to choose from with purple leaves too, making these individuals a striking inclusion to the landscape (especially when planted involving chartreuse colors associated with foliage in various plants). The leaf form is beautiful and unusual. Your flowers are predominantly fragrant and very popular with pollinators. The all berries are easily made into jellies and jellies along with juices. While usually treated as a big perennial, they can get to shrub like ratios in one season plus they need lots of house to spread out. They can be super easy to grow, in addition to being a native vegetable you're doing your native ecology a enjoy by using elderberry within your landscape. You will need to seed more than one elderberry to guarantee good fruit specify. They prefer extensive sun but might tolerate some tone with grace. They just do not like to dry out which means they're not with regard to xeriscaping or parts of the landscape which get dry.

Viburnums are common in the panorama as they are delightful shrubs for all in the reasons we absolutely adore landscape plants- wonderful habit, form, designs, and variance within cultivars. Specifically for your edible landscape, a American Cranberry Rose bush, or Viburnum trilobum, is an especially useful edible landscape plant selection. The blueberries aren't especially consumed fresh, but just as before they are very pleasant as a jelly and jam. Another American native plant, creatures love them additionally. Viburnums can handle a lot more shade than additional shrubs, and tends to make a great understory herb.

Pine typically provides thoughts of colossal tall trees which is fairly accurate to be able to assume- but pinus radiata now comes in countless cultivars that are shrubs in the surfaces that it's dizzying. Mugo pine specifically is normally well suited for landscape benefit from as is very famous. Better too can be, you can get a great once a year crop of mouth watering pine nuts coming from mugo pine! There are a number forms and colorations of mugo this tree, so you'll have a fantastic time shopping for certain evergreen material to fit your edible landscape properly.

Shrub roses are old garden bushes and plants. More voluminous and easier to increase types of roses work nicely in the landscape, together with leave behind extremely edible and fabulous rose hips meant for harvest. Rose body are very high in vitamin supplement C and can be generated into teas and additionally jams. Rose sides make excellent concentrated amounts like rosewater which might then be used around cooking, and even inside homemade cleaning supplements and room fresheners. Roses themselves need aggressive pruning however , otherwise are relatively undemanding. The roses are a delight, and plenty of new cultivars from landscape roses are hardy, disease challenging, and beautiful. Rosa rugosa is a ancient version of an terrific landscape and indigenous rose that's wholesome and disease protected, and leaves behind massive red and yellow hips in the drop.

In warmer zones, rosemary can improve to shrub just like sizes and will make a great shrub. Indeed, rosemary is an imperative in cooking. It's also possible to use rosemary with homemade cleaning products- especially in natural soaps where it is actually scent works well to get masculine (or possibly not of course) aromatic bars and the tiny needles themselves make for terrific exfoliators. Rosemary is normally grown as a perennial, but can naturalize in warm sufficiently areas in excellent sun. It can stand some drying out nevertheless enjoys consistent seepage.

If you thought ones edible landscape possibilities with trees and shrubs ended up being liberating, wait unless you start looking at perennial choices. There are many perennial edibles to choose from, most notably for root usage. Some normal perennial herbs ideal for landscapes include rosemary (mentioned above for a shrub but in many cases can be kept being a smaller perennial), sage, thyme, oregano, chives, ginger (in hot areas), and lavender. Mint is a especially hardy and competitive perennial, but a spreading nature shouldn't always make it a great landscape plant. Mint is better kept planned and planted in pots in addition to contained. Agastache can be described as less common at this point very wonderful organic that makes an excellent landscaping plant. So is usually tough Echinacea which consists of beautiful blooms, that now come in various colors aside from green and white. Cheyenne Spirit is an Echinacea mix with crimson, orange, coral, white, and other colors this warm up the surroundings with long lasting flowers. You can use the blossoms and leaves at all these plants designed for culinary uses as well countless jobs throughout the house.

There are plenty of perennial plant life that are not natural in nature, although offer vegetable meals. Artichoke is a lovely perennial in milder climates. It's very odd and stately mode make for a great focal plant. Harvest that flowers before they will bloom, as be the artichoke you eat. Asparagus, or what we realize as asparagus, happens early in the spring and coil as a thick spear (that's the section we eat), nonetheless leaving some of the spears alone to grow along with develop the rest of the months rewards you using tall and wispy foliage that contrasts and fills within well among many other plants. Edible rhubarb is a large leaved plant that can be collected in the early spring because of its stalks. Super robust, its one perennial crop enjoyed with the coldest of temperatures and is most popular combined with strawberries (another great perennial edible for the landscape) around pies. There is elaborate rhubarb that is also larger and more awesome than the type that is definitely commonly grown inside gardens, and while all those are edible to boot they are larger together with woodier. Various freezing hardy cabbages and additionally kale are really ornamental and provide flavorful and nutritious green vegetables through the season. They will easily reseed for most areas and are terrific at filling in spaces. The blooms any time allowed to bolt within the warm season usually are 4 petaled, quite often yellow or crimson, and very pretty.

Blood plants are often ignored in the landscape while they are typically cultivated with gardens and concerning farms for their results, but if you take a look at strawberries in full poor growing and scattering mounds of attractive green foliage, you will recognize that they also make a excellent landscape ground protect. Many varieties undertake need some fixing measures as they can be good at spreading, however , this can also end up of advantage inside the landscape where clean spots are complicated to cover.

Daylily factories are very popular panorama plants, but not many men and women know that the flower arrangements of daylily are extremely edible and delightful. Mild, crunchy, indeed floral, they are amazing in salads and even on sandwiches. Daylilies are hardy and never picky and are produced everywhere. There are many types and colors in addition to sizes of daylilies. One can spend a week looking at on the internet catalogs of daylilies from breeders. Commonly, most affordable, and the the majority of versatile daylily it's stood the try of time still is actually the Stella D'Oro.

Ornamental annuals could be more than petunias along with impatiens. There are many yearly plants that have edible leaves and think about that work correctly in the landscape. Like pansies and violas have blooms which might be very edible together with beautiful. If a single thing, they make exquisite garnish. Freeze violas in ice cubes and additionally drop a viola filled cube towards a cup of popular or cold dinner for a beautiful emphasis. Candy viola roses in sugar with regard to storage and have used them later on cakes. Pansies and violas go back yearly in most aspects, but they are typically viewed as annuals. These people like full sunrays and in toasty areas benefit from color. They are easily grown up in pots nevertheless naturalize beautifully within borders. Other very ornamental annual roses that work superb in the landscape tend to be nasturtiums and calendula. Nasturtiums can be compact and mounding, and also long and trailing. Calendula is usually lime, daisy-like, and is superb as garnish, around salads, or inside drinks. Both Nasturtiums and calendula can be available in the springtime in flats, although usually are easily immediately seeded into the surfaces. Fun with young ones!

Lettuce can be an definitely stunning leafy landscaping annual, wonderful inside front of the edge. Lettuces come in quite a few colors and shapes and textures. People look best with the cooler seasons, nonetheless can easily be reseeded if thy bolt and become unsightly. Another solution to lettuce of which performs all period long and is nearly as tasty and even more wholesome is orach. Orach is a relative with the common weed "lambs quarters" but is additionally related to spinach. Orach is usually sold since seed, and is available in colors of vibrant pink, red, natural, and chartreuse.

And, we come to vines. Vines offer a clean opportunity to try an item slightly unusual, numerous ornamental landscape vines are also highly edible and beautiful, however , aren't well known. Hops are one superb example. Hops are widely-used in beer helping to make. They are the efficient flowers on a gentle little vine that is definitely well behaved in addition to super hardy. Hops love to climb wall. Another very easy to help care for and sturdy vine that makes delightful food is the kiwi. The hardy kiwi version of the kiwi many of us are familiar with would make smaller fruits, they are certainly mouth watering. Hardy kiwi arrives as male along with female plants, therefore you need both to help make fruit. They often need green foliage this is splashed with smart bubblegum pink. Kiwi vines grow massive, so they need a good sized support- over 10 feet if possible.

There are many edible landscape shrub selections! Not to get overlooked and very valuable, consider putting ones own beautiful landscape to get results for you and your family unit.

1 note · View note

diygabl · 6 years

Text

PERENNIAL HERBS

Want to grow fresh herbs at home? There's no need to replant these herbs! They grow back year after year.

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) (A biennial but if you let it seed, it will be perennial.)

Zones 4-9 I call this a big babe herb. With flowers, can get six feet tall and four feet wide. Good for the back of a border

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Zones 4-9 One of my favorite edible flowers. Tastes just like a box of Good 'n Plenty. Probably a mid-range plant or front of the border.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Zones 3-7 This herb is a summer tea favorite. Once you have this herb, you will have it forever. Cut down by a third throughout the summer if you don't want it to bloom. Once you have let it bloom, it will seed wherever. I was pulling out little lemon balms in the garden today! Put this one in the front so you can clip it and use it. Has a musky lemon scent.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Zones 3-9 If you have cats, you'll maybe want a fence around it to keep them off of it. They do love it. I have never grown this but I would say it would be a mid-range or front of the border herb.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Zones 3-9 Janice already has this in her garden. It is a staple in my herb garden. Love those edible flowers in my omelet in the spring. This makes a lovely border especially when it is blooming. Cut down and chop up and freeze for winter use. Mid-range or front of the border.

Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)

Zones 3-9 The difference in garlic chives from regular chives is that garlic chives have a flat leaf and chives have a tubular or round leaf. Garlic chives have beautiful white flowers in August when you are looking for a flower in the herb garden. Just make sure you cut those flowers the minute they finish blooming or you will end up with a garden of garlic chives. Leaves are very good in stir-fries. Mid-range or front of the border.

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Zones 3-7 This is a good sugar substitute with an additional anise flavor. It reminds me of tansy. It does march along. Not super invasive and it does like the shade. It would be a good back of the border herb.

Bloody Dock (Rumex sanguineus)

Zones 4-9 This is a red-veined sorrel. It is very ornamental. It does not have the lemony taste of regular sorrel. Does well in water or by a pond. It has gently spread itself throughout my garden and/or its seeds were composted and it has been spread that way. Front of the border of your herb garden.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Zones 3-10 Trying to give you herb flowers as well as just herbs. This flower is a favorite of butterflies and the seedheads are loved by the finches and other birds in my garden. They do get sown around by the wind and the birds. One of my favorite flowers in the mid to late summer. They are not just purple either. Lots of color choices, but the granddad is the purple one. Mid-range for an herb border. Two or three plants together make a nice stand of flowers.

Elecampane (Inula helenium)

Zones 3-8 This is another big babe herb. I have always wanted to grow this plant but haven't always been able to find it. It has leaves similar to the mullein and the flowers are small and resemble a double sunflower. It would be a back of the border herb. It is used for dyeing and the root is used in the manufacture of absinthe.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Zones 4-9 I have trouble growing these flowers. They do need some shade. Although when I have grown them in shade, they reach for the sun. They are a poisonous flower and are a source of digitalis, the heart drug. They are a mid-range flower in the herb garden.

Johnny-Jump-Up (Viola tricolor)

Zones 4-9 Very front of the border. Many gardeners get these to reseed in the garden. I have not had that luck. Love these little faces in the herb garden. Need some shade to keep going into summer. An edible flower and easy to start from seed.

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)

Zones 4-8 Horehound is a lovely little plant with gray pebbly leaves. Make cough drops to help soothe your cough. Front of the herb garden border.

Horseradish (Armorica rusticana)

Zone 3-10 Horseradish was the 2011 Herb of the Year and can be very invasive in a garden. You might make a horseradish garden on its own. It would be a perennial herb, but just be aware that it will take over the garden unless you control it either in a pot that is deep because you are harvesting the root or by exiling it to its own bed. Has a beautiful flower in the second year.

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Zone 3-9 Very aromatic and maybe not in the best way. Slightly bitter leaves used in soups or stews and with game meat. I do love the tiny blue or white flowers around July 4th. I would use it as a hedge in the front of the border. I need to use this herb a bit more often.

Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Zones 3-10 I have this in the back of the border. It is another big boy herb! It does alright in shade. It is a native of the eastern US. It has rosy purple flowers in the fall. Richters catalog talks of when the leaves are crushed the smell is vanilla. Another plus!

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)

Zones 3-8 This beautiful clumping herb is a beautiful addition to your herb garden. It has chartreuse flowers. The leaves are like little capes hence the name mantle. I would use it in the front of the herb garden.

Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina)

Zones 4-9 Wooly leaves that are a delight for children. Were used as bandages for wounds. Front of the herb garden for these. Silvery leaf color is a nice contrast for other herbs in the garden.

Lavender 'Hidcote' or 'Munstead' (Lavandula angustifolia)

Zones 4-8 These are two of the hardiest lavenders. These lavenders are the ones I would recommend you use to cook with. Any angustifolia cultivar would be edible. The other lavenders are too camphorous and not hardy in Zone 4. Mid-range or front of the herb garden for these.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Zones 3-8 Most mints are invasive. If you don't want it everywhere in the garden, put it in a container. Spearmint is one of my favorite mints. Not as strong as peppermint. Delicious in tea blends. Richters calls it the best cooking mint. There are tons of mints not all of them are hardy to Zone 3 or 4 so make sure you check before buying it.

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

Zones 4-6 This is a bee magnet and very fragrant. It is beautiful with fresh flower arrangements and it dries very nicely. It can be used in the back of the border or mid-border. It does run but is not invasive like regular mints.

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)

Zones 3-10 I put this in because Janice loves this in the garden and Janice, I have good news that Richters in Canada sells seeds for a reasonable price. Check it out through the link above. I had this in my garden for quite a few years. A beneficial insect magnet. I would put this in the back or mid-range part of your garden.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare dulce) or Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare dulce 'Rubrum')

Zones 4-9 Both of these fennels can be used in cooking. Regular fennel has green fronds and bronze fennel has purple ones. I have had bronze fennel at various times. Just cut the flower heads before they seed everywhere! Use either of these in the back of the border.

Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Zones 4-9 I really love this species of herb. Garden sage is so versatile. It can be used for cooking or in potpourri or for an herb wreath. I love the gray-green leaves in contrast with other herbs. I would use this herb in the mid-range part of the herb garden.

Garden Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

Zones 4-8 Mostly famously used in sorrel soup. It is a spring herb that has a bright lemony flavor. It has an interesting red flower spike that dries very well. The leaf is shield-shaped. We use the small early leaves in our salads. I would use this herb in the front of the herb garden.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

I would find a place of exile for this herb. It is used to repel ants and a couple of summers ago it was a haven for the various stages of the ladybug. So it doesn't repel good insects! Don't be too quick to get rid of this herb. It has fern-like leaves and can be in the back of the border but it does run so it can take over a bed if not careful. Not for culinary purposes, but mothchasers can use a bit of tansy. It has very nice yellow button flowers and I have made a very nice wreath with tansy at the end of the season.

French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus sativa)

Zones 3-7 This is the only tarragon to use in cooking. It is not propagated by seed. If you purchase tarragon seeds, you have the more inferior Russian tarragon.

English Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Zones 4-9 This is the one thyme to have for cooking. Silver Thyme (Thymus vulgaris 'Argenteus') Zones 4-8 I have some problems getting this through the winter. Sharp drainage is key. Lemon Thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) Zones 4-9 Can be creeping or upright. I really love the flavor of this thyme. Does it have anything to do with a lemon? Maybe. Mother-of-Thyme (Thymus praecox) Zones 4-8 A very robust creeping thyme. Used in cooking. All thymes are good in the front of the border.

Other thymes may be hardy. Need to check your zones.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Zones 4-9 Fern shaped leaves and white flowers that have a very fragrant scent of vanilla. I don't have this enough in my garden. It needs a bit of shade in the heat of summer.

#perennial #perennial herbs #organic gardening #gardening

152 notes · View notes

tipsycad147 · 5 years

Text

Many Uses of Mint for Health and Home!

Mint leaves for tea, food, health, home, and garden!

By Margaret Boyles

Pixabay

What do you know about the mint family, Lamiaceae, the sixth- or seventh-largest of the flowering plant families. There are so many benefits of mint leaves: in food, drink, health, home, and garden!

Meet the Mints

There’s a lot to admire about the family of plants that provides most of our common culinary herbs (e.g., basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, thyme, summer and winter savouries), many of our favourite tea herbs, and dozens (perhaps hundreds) of traditional medicinal herbs, not to mention many aromatics for use in flavourings, perfumes, and cosmetics.

You’ll also find some of them among our favourite landscaping plants. Think salvias, agastaches, and lavenders, bee-balms, hyssop, and Russian sage. All summer, they produce nectar-rich blossoms, which attract bees and beneficial pollinators along with an occasional hummingbird.

Many, if not most mint-family members contain strongly aromatic oils (think lavender, rosemary, basil, thyme, and sage), which account for their many uses as seasoning, flavouring, and perfuming agents.

Most of the mints that I grow also have telltale square stems and delicate pinkish, lavender, or blue flowers. One outlier that’s become a favourite in my summer herb garden: the bright red bee-balm that seeds itself all over the place, makes a great cut flower, and serves as a tasty tea to boot.

I grow most of the annual and perennial culinary species, plus bee-balm, lemon-balm, and hyssop in my garden (or, cold-sensitive species such as rosemary and lavender) in my greenhouse year-round.

Wild Mint Varieties

Out of curiosity, I started researching this plant family a couple of weeks ago because of the numbers of wild, invasive mint species that sprawl impressively, though uninvited, over my lawns and gardens. These perennials spread through underground stems (rhizomes) as well as seeds.

The spearmint, especially nasty, has woven an enormous network of tough, quarter-inch-thick rhizomes under an entire flower bed, spilling out into a large section of lawn, sending up a new plant every inch or two from the underground nodes. I’ve pulled up yards and yards and yards of the ropey invaders, but they still keep coming.

Wild catnip has invaded my biggest vegetable garden, seeding itself especially thick around the edges of the asparagus bed. We haven’t had cats for a couple of years to enjoy rolling around in the fresh leaves, though I’ve pulled many of the small plants to dry for winter tea. But the catnip I’ve pulled and disposed of would make a cup or two of soothing nighttime tea for every resident of Merrimack County.

The ground-ivy comes up all over the lawn, but especially enjoys wandering into tilled soil. Once the snow melts and the spring rains come, it spreads rapidly into the vegetable garden beside our pond, turning into a thick mat sporting delicate purple flowers.

Although I find it annoying, it’s nowhere near as difficult to eradicate as spearmint. I’ve learned I can pull up a large mat of it using a spading fork stuck in at a shallow angle. During one of these digging exercises, I had an epiphany: What if I tilled up the poor, weedy soil around our septic system clean-outs and planted a few of these ground-ivy mats to grow as a ground cover in the unsightly spot? I plan to do just that right after our regularly scheduled septic-system maintenance this week.

Medicinal Use of Mint Plants: Use Caution

One thing I’ve learned from my research is that most Lamiaceae have been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Many, perhaps most, are currently under investigation for potential uses in human and veterinary medicine, as insecticides or insect repellents, and as antifungal or antibacterial protection for crop plants.

These are potent plants, full of phytocompounds that plants manufacture to protect themselves against harmful bacteria, viruses, and other assaults from the environments they evolved in.

If herbal medicine interests you, please approach the mints, especially their essential oils, tinctures, and concentrated extracts, with care. This goes for both over-the-counter and homemade remedies.

Although many have been used by traditional healers around the world for centuries, most herbs haven’t undergone rigorous testing for safety and efficacy, especially in pregnant/nursing women, children, elders, and people with chronic illnesses.

Seek out as much information as you can from books, online sources, and experienced herbalists in your area. Inform your healthcare practitioner whenever you begin using an herbal remedy.

Most herbalists recommend staying away from ingesting essential oils as medicines unless under the care and observation of a medical provider experienced with herbal medicines. Out of an abundance of caution, herbalists also urge pregnant and breastfeeding moms, as well as people with serious chronic diseases to avoid even using mint-family essential oils in massage oils.

Many mint-family species contain potent phytocompounds that affect the endocrine system, sometimes dramatically. For example, sage and peppermint, even as tea or food flavourings, can reduce the milk supply in breastfeeding women. The essential oil of pennyroyal, historically used to induce menstruation or as an abortifacient, can be lethal if ingested in a large enough dose to accomplish those purposes.

Some mints contain strongly psychoactive compounds. Among the most potent: the hallucinogenic Salvia divinorum, whose use and/or sale has been banned in many nations, as well as half of U.S. states.

But there are many safe uses for mint-family herbs besides beautifying your gardens.

Safe Uses of Mint Plants

Tea: What we usually call the “mints” (peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, etc., in the genus mentha, and catnip, in the genus nepeta) are traditional tea herbs. They’re beloved not only for their delicious taste and invigorating aromas, but also for easing queasy stomachs, calming anxiety, and promoting restful sleep.

Flavor cubes: Freeze a few trays of strong mint tea, then use the ice cubes for cooling summer drinks.

Hair rinse: Add one part strong mint (especially rosemary) tea to one part cider vinegar for a conditioning rinse you can either leave in or rinse out. The vinegary smell dissipates after drying.

Facial astringent: Add a few finely minced leaves of fresh peppermint or other mint to a cup of witch hazel. Store in a glass jar for a week or more, shaking occasionally. Strain the herbs from the mixture after a week.

Mouthwash: Chop a quarter cup of fresh mint, bee-balm, lemon balm, basil, thyme, or oregano leaves and infuse in a quart of boiling water. When cool, strain the herbs and store in the refrigerator.

Breath freshener: Just chew on a few mint leaves. Sage teas and extracts have been used for centuries as a mouthwash for oral infections. Don’t use chew mint-family herbs if you’re breastfeeding, as even small amounts or sage and peppermint may reduce milk supply.

Scent up a space: Use the essential oil of your favourite mint-family plant in a diffuser, or using a cotton ball, spread a few drops on a light bulb.

Moth repellent/scented sachet: Tie a few branches of strongly scented mint (peppermint, sage, lavender, rosemary, bee-balm) together, or pull off a handful of leaves, and stuff them into the leg of an old nylon stocking. Suspend by a string inside a garment bag, tuck into bags of stored woollen clothing, or just place in your drawers to let your clothes soak up the scent. Refresh periodically to keep the scent fresh.

Dream pillows and nighttime face masks: Lavender is such a well-known relaxant, many folks buy or make their own pillows or face masks to lull them to sleep. To make your own, crumble a few dried lavender flowers into the flax seed you’ll use for the pillow stuffing.

Lavender mist: An easier way to use lavender to help you off to dreamland: Mix a few drops of lavender essential oil with a cup of vodka in a spray bottle. No, don’t drink it! Just mist your pillowcase, your sleep mask, or even your nightshirt lightly before turning in. It may take a bit of experimentation to get this whole thing right.

Ant Repellent: A few stems of mint, gently crushed and placed near suspected entry points really does deter ants, though you need to replace the mint with fresh material every few days. Some gardeners clip bits of mint over mulch beneath veggies of interest to insects, which may confuse pests in search of host plants.

"Living Naturally" is all about living a naturally healthy lifestyle. Margaret Boyles covers health tips, ways to avoid illness, natural remedies, food that's good for body and soul, recipes for homemade beauty products, ideas to make your home a healthy and safe haven, and the latest news on health. Our goal is also to encourage self-sufficiency, whether it's relearning some age-old skills or getting informed on modern improvements that help us live better, healthier lives.

Goddess Bless! GrannyMoon

★☽✪☾★ http://GoddessSchool.com https://twitter.com/GrannyMooninVA https://grannymoon.wordpress.com/

0 notes

davekendrick · 5 years

Photo

7 Bee-Friendly Weeds You Should Keep Around

Bees

can’t survive without access to a variety of pollen- and nectar-rich blooms, but often, what we consider pesky, unwanted weeds are actually beneficial plants that attract hordes of happy bees. As an added benefit, many also draw butterflies and a variety of beneficial insects to your garden. The best thing we can do for bees is to put the hoe back in the shed, say goodbye to the toxic chemicals, and make peace with those bee-friendly weeds. Here are 7 common, easy-to-grow weeds that you should keep definitely around.

Dandelions (

Taraxacum

spp.) – Although

dandelions

tend to get a bad rap, these weeds are actually quite beneficial to both us and the bees. Keep them around and this bee-friendly plant will bring in the pollinators galore. Plus, you can harvest the greens and puffy yellow flowers for yourself. They’re edible and nutritious.

Creeping charlie (G

lechoma hederacea

) – The

creeping charlie weed

is rivaled only by dandelions in terms of its difficulty to control, but why go through the trouble. Bees love the small purple flowers and its scalloped foliage is attractive in the landscape too, earning its other name of ground ivy.

Creeping thyme (

Thymus serpyllum

) – There are many

creeping thyme

varieties, and some are considered weedy plants because of their spreading capabilities. That being said, these plants provide a nice carpet of fragrant blooms that bees find quite enticing.

Bee balm (

Monarda

spp.) – Most people love adding

bee balm

to their gardens even though in some places the plant is considered as nothing more than a pesky landscape weed. But the plant’s name says it all and bees find the blooms nearly irresistible.

Wild geranium (

Geranium maculatum

) – Typically found growing along roadsides or woodlands, this hardy geranium can also make itself right at home in the garden. Also called

cranesbill geranium

, the plant may produce blooms of pink to purple with some types that are white.

Joe pye weed (

Eutrochium

spp.) – Why would you grow this weed in the landscape? Why not would be more like it, as the pinkish-purple flowers of

joe-pye weed

attract not only bees but a multitude of butterflies with its sweet nectar.

Anise hyssop (

Agastache foeniculum

) – Not sure why anyone would consider this plant a weed, as

anise hyssop

is anything but, with the exception to its self-seeding which can be remedies with pruning or deadheading. The bees will appreciate its presence in the garden almost as much as you since the plant makes a useful herb and flavorful tea.

This is is a syndicated post. Read the original at blog.gardeningknowhow.com

viahttps://creativegardens123.com/7-bee-friendly-weeds-you-should-keep-around/

0 notes

goddessgardener · 4 years

Text

Goddess Gardener Pivots

“I should like to enjoy this summer flower by flower as if it were to be the last one for me.” Andre Gide

Summertime and the living is easy! Or is it?

This year will be a year like no other highlighted by the frightening health pandemic and sorrowful civil unrest. As the economy slowly re-opens, people are clamoring to shop, dine, socialize, get haircuts, and have their teeth cleaned. The line of masked individuals waiting outside reopened stores for their turn to enter is a testament to the yearning to gather. Protesters fill the streets across the country demanding needed national changes. It’s time to listen, re-evaluate, and educate ourselves. Connecting with the natural world is one prescription for finding healing and balance.

While I was researching grants to assist the literacy charity, Be the Star You Are!® (www.BetheStarYouAre.org) financially survive during this crisis, I marveled at a constant question: How have you pivoted? At first, I had no idea what that question meant. What did we have to do to pivot? Where were we supposed to pivot to? After many Zoom conferences, meetings, webinars, and phone meetings, I finally understood.

But how can pivoting apply to gardening? The entire world is experiencing chaos. People who have spent minimal time with nature, who have never thought of growing anything, have become interested in planting and protecting. I’ve had emails from individuals from many walks of life who want to get their hands in the dirt as they are sheltering at home. As they decide to pivot, nature is a salve. When times are stressful, gardens become a refuge. Shoveling, digging, pruning, planting, and watching seedlings grow into something to admire or eat are therapeutic endeavors.

Whether you decide to grow a few herbs on a windowsill, tomatoes on a balcony, or an abundance of your favorite vegetables, flowers, and fruit in a large garden, there is nothing better than a summer of flavor and colors grown in your personal paradise. When you pivot to your garden, you’ll slow down a bit and feel appreciation. Research consistently indicates that being around growing plants benefits you physically, psychologically, and emotionally. You’ll decompress, gain more muscle mass, increase aerobic endurance, reduce stress, and experience more joy.

Summer has always been my most favorite season because of the delightful warm weather and bountiful baskets of fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs that I harvest from my orchard and potager. The plethora of glorious blooms constantly changes keeping my elation peaked. Unlike most people, I prefer not to travel in the summer months to other destinations. Instead, the beauty of my backyard becomes the playground for family and friends where we barbecue, engage in lawns games, watch the flamboyant sunsets, and wander the grounds watching the parade of wildlife.

Flowering plants are hummingbird, bee, and butterfly magnets while the seeds attract the birds. Agastache, echinacea, hollyhock, and roses enchant for months. In my orchard, the loquats, mulberries, tangelos, citrus, and plums are ripe. The birds, deer, turkeys, squirrels, and I skirmish for our fair share. Soon apricots, prunes, and peaches will be ready for harvesting and the wrangling will begin again. I adore these encounters with nature. There is abundance for all.

My field of chamomile is richly fragrant and the petals when plucked and dried will make a comforting tea. The seeds from nigella (love in the mist) have scattered throughout the orchard creating a sea of blue. Bumblebees race from star-shaped blossom to blossom grabbing the sweet nectar. Roses mixed with osteospermum (African daisy) will provide continuous blooms into the fall with frequent deadheading. Lovely on the shrub, the blue hydrangeas are almost as stunning in a dried arrangement. An intriguing plant is arum italicum, also known as Italian Lords and Ladies. In late spring, the creamy-white flower is cupped at the base of the plant resembling its relative, Jack-in-the-Pulpit. In mid-summer, striking red-orange berries rise in a columnar formation where the foliage has died back. This tuberous perennial plant self-sows and can become invasive if your yard is small. If you have a woodland area where bergenia, heuchera, or hellebores thrive, it is quite stunning. Beware, all parts of the plant are poisonous. Don’t let it grow in your vegetable patch!

This summer is destined to be unusual. I plan on adhering to Covid-19 directives to shelter-in-place while refraining from attending large gatherings or even small ones. I’m working from home, wearing a mask and gloves whenever I venture out, constantly maintaining a minimal six feet distance between others, and am continuing to sanitize everything. Hopefully, we won’t go back to what was considered normal in the past and instead take better care and be more aware, of one another and the health of our planet.

This year I am happy and grateful to enjoy the summer flower by flower. My planet pivot is to play in my personal garden paradise.

What’s your planet pivot?

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong. Wash your hands. Cover your face!

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for July

PIVOT for stress relief to your garden sanctuary.

PREVENT grubs (the larvae of June bugs) by treating your lawn with an organic granular treatment to get rid of larvae. Raccoons, skunks, and moles enjoy grubs as a source of protein.

BOND with children or a partner by planting edibles you will enjoy together.

DRESS for the dirt by donning gloves, sunscreen, hat, and an apron. If you are doing heavy weeding, wearing overalls is a win.

DRY three to five sprigs of blue hydrangeas for a long-lasting summer arrangement.

COLLECT the white blossoms of chamomile for a soothing tea.

PLANT Lilliputian miniature roses in a container for a moveable dash of color.

PICK a basket of mulberries if you are lucky enough to have a tree.

GROW citrus to maintain a constant supply of vitamin C. Dwarf varieties of lemons, limes, tangerines, tangelos, oranges, and grapefruit are available to be grown in half barrels.

PREVENT fires by removing debris, dead branches, and refuse from around your home and yard.

CUT all tall grass and keep lawns and shrubs watered.

SAVE rose petals to make bath balms and rose water splashes.

SUCCESSION planting is the key to a plentiful supply of summer greens including lettuces, arugula, beets, carrots, and radishes. Sow your favorite seeds every three weeks as you consume.

CHECK yourself for ticks after every outdoor excursion. (To date, I’ve removed three!)

ADD hydrogen peroxide to fountains to purify the water without harming the birds.

MAINTAIN social distancing and wear a mask when you leave your home.

TAKE care of Mother Earth.

BE SAFE on Independence Day.

Photos and more at https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1409/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Planet-pivots.html

Happy gardening. Happy growing. Have a flowerful 4th of July!

Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is available for hire to help you prepare for your spring garden. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.

Buy copies of her best-selling books, including, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers at www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store.

Cynthia is available for virtual writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures.

[email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

#summerflowersprotestscrisiscovid-19vegetablesfruitsplantinggardening cynthiabrian starstyle goddessGardener growingwiththegoddessgardener la

0 notes

bethestaryouareradio · 4 years

Text

Planet Pivots

"I should like to enjoy this summer flower by flower as if it were to be the last one for me.” Andre Gide

Summertime and the living is easy! Or is it?

While I was researching grants to assist the literacy charity, Be the Star You Are!® https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org financially survive during this crisis, I marveled at a constant question: How have you pivoted? At first, I had no idea what that question meant. What did we have to do to pivot? Where were we supposed to pivot to? After many Zoom conferences, meetings, webinars, and phone meetings, I finally understood.

This year I am happy and grateful to enjoy the summer flower by flower. My planet pivot is to play in my personal garden paradise.

What’s your planet pivot?

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong. Wash your hands. Cover your face!

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for July

PIVOT for stress relief to your garden sanctuary. PREVENT grubs (the larvae of June bugs) by treating your lawn with an organic granular treatment to get rid of larvae. Raccoons, skunks, and moles enjoy grubs as a source of protein. BOND with children or a partner by planting edibles you will enjoy together. DRESS for the dirt by donning gloves, sunscreen, hat, and an apron. If you are doing heavy weeding, wearing overalls is a win. DRY three to five sprigs of blue hydrangeas for a long-lasting summer arrangement. COLLECT the white blossoms of chamomile for a soothing tea. PLANT Lilliputian miniature roses in a container for a moveable dash of color. PICK a basket of mulberries if you are lucky enough to have a tree. GROW citrus to maintain a constant supply of vitamin C. Dwarf varieties of lemons, limes, tangerines, tangelos, oranges, and grapefruit are available to be grown in half barrels. PREVENT fires by removing debris, dead branches, and refuse from around your home and yard. CUT all tall grass and keep lawns and shrubs watered. SAVE rose petals to make bath balms and rose water splashes. SUCCESSION planting is the key to a plentiful supply of summer greens including lettuces, arugula, beets, carrots, and radishes. Sow your favorite seeds every three weeks as you consume. CHECK yourself for ticks after every outdoor excursion. (To date, I’ve removed three!) ADD hydrogen peroxide to fountains to purify the water without harming the birds. MAINTAIN social distancing and wear a mask when you leave your home. TAKE care of Mother Earth. BE SAFE on Independence Day.

Photos and more at https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1409/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Planet-pivots.html

Happy gardening. Happy growing. Have a flowerful 4th of July!

Cynthia is available for virtual writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. [email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

keywords: #summerflowers,protests,#crisis,#covid-19,#vegetables,#fruits,#planting,#gardening, #cynthiabrian, #starstyle, #goddessGardener, #growingwiththegoddessgardener, #lamorindaweekly

0 notes

geohoneylovers · 5 years

Text

Plants & Flowers Producing True Honey

Flowers & Plants Attracting Bees

Pansies

Whimsy, joy, colours – pansies have it all, and bees love them. They are great for containers or ground cover.

Pussy Willow

These North American wetland shrubs have a beautiful greyish hue and fur-like blooms.

Siberian Squill

These beautiful blue blooms have a stunning presence that you can enjoy for a few weeks each year.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are known to announce their arrival by poking out of the snow. They are great for climates with mild to cold winters.

Peony

With their colours and sweet scents, these flowers will attract bees, hummingbirds, and possibly your neighbours too.

Milkweed

Milkweed not only serves as food to bees, but it is also the only host to monarch butterflies.

Bee Balm

As you may guess from the name, bees love these North American prairie flowers. The blooms almost resemble little fireworks and come in befittingly vibrant shades too.

Lavender

Bees love them for their nectar, humans love them for their scent and flavour. Everyone wins, and with many different varieties of lavender to choose from, you’ll likely find one that will settle happily in your garden.

Phlox

With their star-shaped blooms, these plants are a beautiful addition to any garden and can make a great ground cover.

Zinnias

Zinnias come in many colours and will attract both bees and butterflies to your space. They are relatively easy to plant and will bloom in abundance all summer long if dead flowers are removed.

Marigolds

Like zinnias, marigolds are annuals that can bloom all summer long if properly groomed. Their edible blooms can brighten up your salads as well as your garden, and they are even known to repel pests and animals, such as nematodes.

Goldenrod

These flowers are sometimes considered weeds because of their ability to spread easily but kept in check, they are an invaluable resource for bees and have medicinal value as well.

Chives

Resist eating their tasty purple flowers and the bees will thank you! This perennial tolerates cold climates rather well and is a great way to add a fresh, oniony taste to salads, dishes, or eggs.

Liatris

These flowers, found in purple, pink, and white, bloom on grass-like spiky leaves that can grow 1 – 5 feet tall.

Mint

Mint is invigorating with its fragrance and flavour – and bees go crazy on their flowers too. Mint is a great choice if you’re looking for a herb that’s low maintenance.

Sage

It’s great in stuffing, sauces, and herb pots! Bees love sage’s beautiful flowers, and these perennials are rather easy to grow.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums can keep bees buzzing in your garden well into autumn. Their edible blooms will bring a burst of colour to your outdoor space.

Black-eyed Susans

These are flowers that attract bees, butterflies and bring a burst of yellow to your garden.

Borage

Also known as starflower, borage’s star-shaped blooms start out pink and mature into a beautiful blue.

Thyme

Irresistible to bees and pun-lovers alike, placing one of these shrubs by a walkway will prove to be a wonderful way to pass the thyme.

Oregano

This perennial has pink, purple, or white flowers, and its late blooms will be appreciated by your bee friends.

Calendula ~ Calendula officinalis

Shorter, bushy plants full of orange/yellow, daisy-like flowers that provide both pollen and nectar for pollinators.

Salvia

Description: The term “salvia” includes a massive group of plants, with something like 800 or 900 different species! Culinary sage is salvia too.

Nasturtium ~ Tropaeolum

Description: Easy to grow, sprawling, edible, lovely nasturtium! The peppery arugula-like leaves are edible, as well as the flowers. The blooms come in a variety of colours.

Verbena ~ Vervain

Description: Verbena is a huge family that includes over 250 species of both annual and perennial plants. Most of them produce flowers that pollinators go wild for!

Hyssop ~ Agastache

These tall showy, long-lasting spikes full of hundreds of individual blooms are essential in a pollinator garden! Also called “hummingbird mint”, they’re a favourite nectar source for our sweet little bird friends.

Heliotrope ~ Heliotropium

Description: These fairly compact plants range from 1 to 3 feet high, with dark green fuzzy foliage. The plants produce very fragrantly, vanilla-scented flowers.

Yarrow ~ Achillea

Description: Clusters of small yellow, pink, white, red, or lavender flowers. One of our favourite varieties is “Moonshine” yarrow, which has silvery-sage, fuzzy foliage.

Blazing Meadow Star ~ Liatris

Blazing Meadow Star is a known “monarch magnet”. These perennial plants can reach over 4 feet tall.

Penstemon

Penstemon range from less than a foot tall to over 5 feet tall. The nectar-rich flowers also come in a wide range of colours, shapes, and sizes.

Pincushion ~ Scabiosa

Round, frilly, tufted flowers that appear in lavender, blues, pink and white. Most varieties are short, averaging around a foot tall. Both annual and perennial varieties exist.

Bachelor’s Buttons ~ Centaurea

Their 2” thistle-like blooms bring interest to the garden, attract butterflies, are edible, and are perfect for cut and dried flower arrangements.

Anise hyssop/Agastache foeniculum

Anise hyssop is considered one of the premier plants for feeding pollinators. One can see bees on the flowers from the morning until dusk.

Astilbe, False spirea/Astilbe spp.

Astilbes are excellent at creating soft, colourful displays underneath trees, in low light corners, or in shady borders.

Chrysanthemum (open types)/Chrysanthemum

Gardeners and councils who want to plant the right flowers to attract bees usually choose them based on how easy they are to plant, and by watching which ones the insects already visit.

Betony/Stachys Monieri

This species forms large, rounded clumps of green, long and narrow, textured leaves. It is lovely even when it's not in bloom.

Blanket flower/Gaillardia

This is a species that is nourished by neglect, and that thrives in sunny, dry, and rocky conditions.

Clematis/Clematis spp.

Clematis stans are dioecious semi-arboreal, with pale purple-blue, nodding, tubulous flowers in a paniculate inflorescence. Both male and female flowers produce nectar from the base of the calyx tube during a flowering period of 3 or 4 days and are pollinated by two bumblebee species.

Common poppy, Red poppy/Papaver rhoeas

A must-have for any wildflower meadow or garden, this easy-to-grow annual delights with bright blooms throughout the summer season.

Common yarrow/Achillea millefolium

Yarrow attracts butterflies, bees and other insects, making it a nice addition to a pollinator garden.

Coral bells/Heuchera spp.

Annual flowers like coral bees are readily available at the garden centre, but most have been bred for showy flowers or vigorous growth and do not produce enough pollen and nectar to be good food plants for bees or butterflies.

Fennel/Foeniculum vulgare

This perennial herb is a member of the carrot family and originally comes from the Mediterranean.

Foxglove or beardtongues/Penstemon spp.

They are tubular in shape and about 1" long, with the corolla, divided into a lower lip with 3 lobes and an upper lip with 2 lobes.

Globe thistle/Echinops ritro

Echinops, the blue hedgehog thistle or globe thistle, is a perfect sphere of blue that appeals to every pollinator around.

Hyssop (naturalized in North America)/Hyssopus

officinalis Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) Labiatae, is a compact, bushy perennial usually grown in herb gardens, but is great in flower gardens in masses, as a hedge or border, and in pots. Because of its medicinal smell Hyssop has a history as a cleansing herb that attracts a bee.

Large-leaved aster/Eurybia Macrophylla

Asters and goldenrods attract loads of late-season pollinating insects. In the wintertime, they provide food and habitat for many birds and small animals that feast on the seeds and find shelter in the dried stalks.

Allium

Many garden varieties are available, these are bulb forming perennials. Some are very showy, with huge flower heads.

Antirrhinum, snapdragon

Like their relative the foxglove, mainly visited by long-tongued bumblebees such as B. hortorum. Short-lived perennials, often grown as annuals.

Apple

Apples are a good source of forage for queens in April and May, and of course, the bee visits ensure a good crop. owers and are very attractive.

Aquilegia

Nectar is hidden at the end of very long tubes, so it is visited by long-tongued bees.

Bistort

A very tough, spreading, low growing perennial. Good ground cover. A bit hit and miss with bees, but seems popular with Bombus hypnorum in particular.

Buddleia davidii, Butterfly Bush

A fast-growing shrub, to 9', great nectar source for butterflies and popular too with bumblebees. I often see young queen Bombus Terrestris on this, fattening up before going into hibernation in July/August.

Cirsium rivulare

A great one for male bumblebees in high summer, this species is not spiny like its wild relatives and is quite at home in a herbaceous border.

Comfrey, Symphytum officinale

Visited by long and short-tongued species, the latter often robbing from holes bitten in the tops of the flowers.

Cotoneaster horizontalis

Favoured by short-tongued species such as the early bumblebee, B.pratorum, and the tree bumblebee, B.hypnorum.

Crocus

Great for queens when just emerged from hibernation. Joan of Arc comes highly recommended.

Echinops, Globe thistle

Pretty and unusual perennial, with mauve flowers producing spiky balls on tall sturdy stems in high summer.

Echium vulgare, Viper's bugloss

A stunning biennial wildflower growing to about 4', flowering in July and August and absolutely loved by bees of all types for its copious nectar.

Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

No cottage garden is complete without foxgloves, hardy biennials that are loved by long-tongued bees such as B.hortorum and B.pascuorum.

Geranium spp.

Geraniums are hardy perennials that come in a broad range of colours, but most are moderately attractive to short-tongued bees.

Globe artichoke

Huge plants, related to thistles, with massive composite flowers that bees flock to in July/August. Grows to 6' or more.

Helleborus foetidus

Flower in late winter, great for early emerging queens. Unusual looking herbaceous plants, usually less than 1' tall.

Hollyhock

Bees seem to go for the nectar but ignore the plentiful pollen, often becoming smothered in it.

Honeywort, Cerinthe major

An unusual annual, preferring sunny locations. Produces huge amounts of nectar, but I've always found it hard to keep this plant going in my garden.

Jacob's ladder- Polemonium caeruleum

Very pretty little perennial, up to 2' tall, and often overlooked as a plant for bees. Easy to grow perennial, tolerates most conditions, flowers in May-June.

Hyssop, Hyssopus officinale

An understated, low-growing perennial herb, can also be used in cooking though not to my taste - I prefer to leave it to the bees!

Iris (Iridaceae)

There are many species of iris grown in gardens - generally with spectacular flowers that are good for bees.

Catmint

A fantastic cottage garden classic, extremely popular with bumblebees, and flowering for a long period from early summer to autumn. Hills Giant is one of the best varieties for bees.

Phacelia tanacetifolia

Perhaps the single most attractive plant for bees on the planet! An easy-to-grow annual, flowers in 8-10 weeks from sowing and keeps flowering for quite a while.

Pulmonaria, lungwort

A great early spring nectar resource for hungry queen bumblebees, visited by long-tongued species, especially Bombus pascuorum.

Red Campion

A lovely perennial wildflower with a very long flowering period, from May to September. Visited by Bombus hortorum.

Red clover

A staple of bumblebees in the wild, red clover used to be a very common UK plant.

Sainfoin

A rare perennial wildflower in the UK, stunning pink flowers, and like most legumes, popular with bees.

Salix spp/ Sallow/ pussy willow

Trees, some growing to 30' or more. Sallows are dioecious, being either male or female. Dwarf varieties can be bought for smaller gardens.

Salvia spp/ Meadow Clary

When a bee probes for nectar, this triggers the stamens to curl down and deposit of blob of pollen onto the bee's back.

Sedum spectabile

A succulent herbaceous perennial, flowering in September and loved by male bumblebees and butterflies. Grows to about 1', can be spread by splitting plants.

Thrift

A lovely low-growing perennial plant found in the wild on rocky coastal headlands. Flowers in May and June. One for the rockery or in pots.

Tufted vetch/ Vicia cracca

A scrambling climber, a wildflower that takes well to the garden, and great for long-tongued bumblebees. Popular with the very rare Bombus distinguendus.

Wisteria A legume, hence related to peas and clovers, a family much loved by bees for their protein-rich pollen.

Pseudogynoxus chenopodioides (Mexican flame vine)

The vibrant orange blooms on this climbing vine are one of the best (and only) vine flowers that attract monarchs. It also attracts swallowtails, hummingbirds, and bees to our northern butterfly garden.

Duranta erecta (sapphire showers)

Purple ruffled flowers with jagged white edges are attractive to bees and butterflies, as well as the gardener. AKA Duranta repens, ‘golden dewdrops’, or ‘geisha girl’.

Echium fastuosum (Pride of Madeira)

The beautiful purplish blooms with red stamens are popular with bees and butterflies, especially monarchs!

Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop vervain)

This monarch's favorite is also constantly visited by a large variety of butterflies, bees, and birds.

Callistemon spp. (Bottlebrush)

Bottlebrush is native to Australia but grows well in warm regions of the US attracting monarchs, other butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Pentas lanceolate (Egyptian star cluster)

While there are many new cultivars and pentas hybrids, many pollinators seem to prefer sipping nectar from this early heirloom variety. However, most pentas will attract and support pollinator life in your garden.

Oligoneuron rigidum (Stiff Goldenrod)

There are many species of goldenrod, but this species is reported to be a particular favorite for migrating monarchs. It also attracts other butterflies and beneficial pollinators.

Lantana Plants

A trailing lantana variety with intense purple blooms. A great choice for spilling off raised beds or growing in hanging pots.

Lantana Camara ‘Miss Huff’

While monarchs rarely touch our other lantana varieties, I was pleasantly surprised to see them visiting Miss Huff on a regular basis, along with lantana regulars like the eastern tiger swallowtail above.

Anaphalis margaritacea (pearly everlasting)

Pearly everlasting is one of our earliest blooming northern butterfly plants, and typically the first host plant to receive butterfly eggs each season.

A must-have butterfly plant addition for attracting American Ladies and their offspring.

Prunus serotina (wild black cherry tree)

A preferred host plant for Eastern Tiger swallowtails, Coral Hairstreaks, Red Spotted Purples, and those amazing Cecropia Moths! If you’re looking to support butterflies and moths this option gives you several chances

Ptelea trifoliata (hoptree or wafer ash)

Another host that conveniently stays under 20 feet. Its musky spring blooms are a pollinator favourite, and it’s also a caterpillar host for both eastern tiger and giant swallowtails. Pictures to come as our stick matures.

Ruta graveolens (common rue)

A small citrus butterfly plant that hosts black swallowtail caterpillars, as well as the caterpillar that transforms into the largest U.S. butterfly.

Zanthoxylum americanum (northern prickly ash)

The Northern Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) is a Host Butterfly Plant for Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillars.

Zizia Aurea (golden Alexander)

This lesser-known member of the carrot family grows 2-3 feet high and puts forth small, sunny blooms in late spring. It is a host plant for eastern black swallowtails.

Rosa ZLEEltonstrack (‘above and beyond’)

The white and apricot blooms have been an early bee favorite, so plant this spring beauty to support your local pollinators.

Collarette Dahlias

Like zinnias, dahlias come in a rainbow of colors. They’ll attract some monarchs, but bees absolutely love the blooms that keep bursting until first frost. After the plants die back, you can dig up dahlia tubers to store and plant next season

Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio spiderwort)

Ohio spiderwort puts out a profusion of purple blooms in the morning, then fades as the day starts to sizzle. They’re a popular destination for bumblebees in our garden. Try Four O’clocks as a companion plant since they’re on polar opposite bloom schedules.

Joyful Butterfly

Nectar Seeds and Plants to help bring home the joy of butterflies.

Almost Eden

Beautiful, unusual, exotic and native plants for butterflies.

Ways to attract Bees

Give them cover

Bees need a break from the sun and heat. Planting ground cover can give them a place to hide out between feedings and flying.

Give them something to sip on

Place shallow dishes of water in the yard and around flowers, or keep a fountain going (place pebbles in it for bees to sit on) so they can hydrate as needed.

Try some colourful bee balm

Bee balm is a gorgeous perennial that can attract bees to your yard while also dressing up your landscape.

Keep colour in mind when planting

Bees love blue, purple, and yellow flowers and plants.

Plant flowering vegetables

Consider planting flowering vegetables such as tomatoes and zucchini.

Try planting flowering fruits

Consider planting flowering fruits like strawberries and apples that will blossom before they bloom to fruit.

Forget about pesticides

Use natural pest protection such as herbs, sage burning, and the use of ladybugs in your garden.

Plant single petal flowers

Choose from flat and single petal flowers like Queen Ann’s Lace or Black-Eyed Susans since they are easier to feed from.

Don’t kill or aggravate them

Teach children not to kill or swat at bees. Let them just sniff around and feed and if left alone, they will leave you alone.

Visit www.geohoney.com to get more details!

#wildflower honey #sidr honey #honey iherb

0 notes

athertonjc · 6 years

Text

Box Hill Project – Garden Design

The 19th and 21st centuries have merged seamlessly at our Box Hill project.

Back in 2013 we were engaged by our wonderful clients to enhance the landscape around their charming 1880’s Melbourne property. It’s a incredible buzz when a project of this nature is entrusted to us and not something we take for granted.

Empathic to the history encapsulating their home, our garden loving clients were desperate to give this ‘old girl’ the surroundings it so richly deserved. Paying homage to its heritage, we worked with existing garden features and hardscape elements to ensure practicality and functionality remained, whilst replenishing its beauty and warmth through the use of seasonal planting and landscape design elements.

The brief called for a perennial packed front garden, in keeping with the traditional home, whilst creating a more contemporary garden at the rear.

The front door is located to the side of the property, so it was important it had a sense of arrival. To achieve this we widened the existing front path to 1500mm wide to give it scale before opening the paving to a 3x3m squared section outside the front door to act as an external foyer. We also used structural plantings with an ‘old world’ charm to flank the front door, consisting of Viola at ground level with layers of boxed hedge, Salvia and Camellia sasanqua. In contrast to the naturalistic mixed perennials, we transitioned to a deliberately simple layout at the rear consisting of lawn, a pool and an outdoor room. To ensure a smooth fusion we used a mauve and blue colour palette as well as bluestone paving throughout to link the front and rear spaces.

We inherited varying plant varieties and some unsalvageable infrastructures with this garden. The outdoor room, where a stable once stood, was restored meticulously in its initial footprint using the original brick and we also recycled beams hand-picked from the King Lake district. We reused the original bricks so they retained their character and sense of ‘old world’ charm. A huge sliding gate (2.2m x 2m) made from recycled spotted gum on a metal slider at the entrance of the outdoor room, enabling the area to be enclosed, creating a more private outdoor space. Our clients are keen entertainers and cooking enthusiast so an area to make (and eat!) pizza was high up on their wish list.

Our aim was to create a relaxed look for this garden design by choosing plants that were of a mixed size and maturity, with seasonal plants that will grow to differing heights to add interest. To really maximise the success of these spaces, we used a select mix of perennials that have intrinsic beauty throughout all seasons – deliberately choosing those where their flower and seed head look as good when they are decomposing as they do when they are alive. Set on 1300m2, the generously sized garden beds allowed us to use more varieties of planting than usual. Eight different perennials were used in the mix: Echinacea purpurea, Geranium Renardii ‘Philippe Vapelle’, Verbena bonariensis, Nepeta faassenii, Salvia and Sedum varieties, Iris and Agastache ‘Sweet Lili’.

Our clients, who love nothing more than immersing themselves in the garden (undertake their own maintenance) understand and respect the perennial lifecycle. They embrace the ‘down time’ whilst choosing to top up here and there with their own season friendly varieties, to truly maximise its impact. We are genuinely thrilled with how this garden is maturing, with ongoing tweaks made by such committed and passionate garden enthusiasts.

It is our belief that people are universally drawn to a space that has a naturalistic, comforting feel, and that’s exactly what we have tried to achieve with this garden. Working in partnership with our clients to employ a range of landscape design elements and planting solutions – we love the finer details in this project and believe it’s those that elevate this garden to something truly spectacular.

This beauty was recently captured in all its autumn glory and will continue to thrive with the seasons to come.

Design by – Ian Barker Gardens

Constructed by – Ian Barker Landscapes

Photography by – Erik Holt Photography

Pool – Enki Pools

The post Box Hill Project – Garden Design appeared first on Ian Barker Gardens.

from Ian Barker Gardens https://www.landscape.net.au/box-hill-project-garden-design/

#Ian Barker Gardens

0 notes

josephkitchen0 · 6 years

Text

A List of Plants That Attract Bees

By Alan Harman, Michigan – For thousands of years, bees have been helping feed people, but now in the face of an onslaught of chemicals and disease, they’re in need of a helping hand. One course of action you can take is growing plants that attract bees.

Both wild and managed bee populations have been in decline for the last 25 years, but since 2007 the loss of bees has accelerated dramatically as a result of Colony Collapse Disorder. It’s a mysterious malady that sees the bees simply fly from their hives never to return.

Beekeepers are investing a lot of time and money seeking a solution to the bee population decline, but in the meantime, gardeners can be the frontline troops in the fight to save not just honeybees, but all of nature’s pollinators. All they need to do is create a bee garden.

Our best chicken secrets revealed with this FREE guide!

Even old pros say they got dozens of tips for their flocks by reading this guide. YES! I want this Free Guide »

“Now more than ever, it is critical to consider practices that will benefit pollinators by providing habitats free of pesticides, full of nectar and pollen resources, and with ample potential nesting resources,” Rufus Isaacs and Julianna Tuell of Michigan State University’s (MSU) Department of Entomology say in a briefing paper.

A gardener can attract a diverse array of other wildlife, including butterflies and hummingbirds.

There are about 3,500 species of native bees in the United States, and plants that attract bees changes with the regions and the season.

Black-Eyed Susans

Gardeners can color-code their properties, as bees are especially plants that attract bees are typically blue, purple, orange and yellow flowers, particularly those with short tubes or no tubes. Long-tongued bumblebees prefer flowers with deep corollas and hidden nectar spurs, while hummingbird-pollinated flowers are more likely to have red flowers with deep tubes, experts say.

Plants that attract bees need to be in full sunlight and in groups. Bees often overlook flowers grown in shade as well as those grown singly or in twos or threes.

Plants that attract bees should be close to water, such as a birdbath, fountain or farm pond design, not only to lure bees but also to sustain them. Barrels of water that trickle out onto pebbles can be an attractive feature bees will use.

Bees especially need water in areas such as the Southwest where temperatures can get so high the honeycomb can melt in the hive.

“You need a supply of water so bees can bring it back and distribute it around in the hive, retired MSU entomology professor George Ayers says. “They then form groups and fan their wings to evaporate the water and cool the hive. The question to ask is if you don’t provide a good clean supply of water, where might they (get) it from?”

Professor Gordon Frankie of the University of California at Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources, says in a report published on the university’s website, there are many factors that make a garden attractive to bees other than the flowers it contains.

“Simple things like the layout and light exposure of your garden can have a huge effect on the number and variety of bees it attracts,” he writes.

One of these actions is to leave bare soil for ground-nesting bees to dig small tunnels where they lay their eggs and rear their young. Frankie says the increasing use of garden mulch, promoted as an “eco-friendly” method for suppressing weeds and conserving water, has made life harder for ground-nesting bees.

“Leave some ground that is not actively being worked,” he says. Ayers says bee gardens are important as honeybees try to survive the onslaught of bee-killing Varroa destructor mites.

“I used to go around to botanic gardens and arboreta and see the plants the bees really like,” he says. “Since the advent of the mites that isn’t really possible any longer.”

Ayers, who has had a 60-year interest in entomology, says the secret of a successful bee garden is to plan a variety of plants that attract bees that bloom from early spring through summer into the fall.

He is America’s foremost authority after spending almost a quarter of a century researching bee-friendly flora. While his work is primarily aimed at beekeepers, it also has contemporary applications for country gardeners with an interest in plants that attract bees.

While purple loosestrife is an attractive plant, it is a noxious weed in some parts of the country, so check before you plant it.

Ayers’s original concept was what he called diversionary plantings, a plan to lure bees away from the danger of fields and crops treated with pesticides.

“We’d plant something that would be super attractive and lure the bees out of the area where they don’t belong,” he says. “We screened a bunch of plants, some 57 of them, and chose plants out of that. But the beekeepers went ‘ho hum’. They weren’t interested—too much work.”

At his home in rural DeWitt, just outside Lansing, the state capital, Ayers uses his own garden to experiment by planting a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants.

As a result, he has eight to 10 species of basswoods (Tilia spp), probably one of the finest collections in Michigan. “You can put together from species around the world a collection of basswoods that will bloom from about the middle of June (at least in Michigan) and into September.”

The trees are also known as Lindens or Limes, and apiarists call them honey or bee-trees. The seeds and twigs are eaten by wildlife. “Some are very floriferous,” Ayers says.

He also points to a shrub from Asia, sevenson flower (Heptacodium miconioides), and says it is a must in any bee garden. “It blooms in the early fall when not much else is blooming and the bees just love it,” he says. “When the calyx opens up, the sepals continue to grow after it blooms and turn red. They persist long past the flowering. It is a very attractive tree.”

Ayers grows the native Michigan holly bushes (Ilex verticilata) along a wetland at the edge of his property. It blooms in the summer, attracting the bees. “If you cover the flowers up with a net, they drip nectar,” he says. “They can be put into places you can’t do much else with. They are not beautiful, but they do really well along a marsh. In the winter they are quite handsome with their many red berries.”

Summersweet (Clethra altinafolia) also enjoys moist soil. It’s a native plant with white flowers and there are pink cultivars as well. “You come out in the evening when it is blooming and the air is just overwhelming with bloom,” Ayers says. “It is quite attractive to bees.”

Chinese chastetree (Vitex negundo variety heterophylla) is a famed plant that attracts bees. It puts out purple flowers. “I like this plant,” he says. “It has a wonderful reputation farther south.”

To introduce the Chinese chastetree to his garden, Ayers obtained seeds from a variety of places, thinking he would select the ones with the best flowers. Almost all of them died in the winter, but he saved the seeds of the survivors and planted them. His bushes now are the third or fourth generation of seeds that survived Michigan’s fierce winters.

“One of the things I think is really neat about this plant is it puts out clusters of seeds that the birds like in the winter. Cardinals seem to like it a lot.”

Growing blackberries and raspberries means growing additional plants that attract bees, Ayers says.

“You can also go out and pick and sell them at the farmers market.”

On a similar commercial basis, he likes American holly (Ilex opaca), or in places warmer than Michigan, European holly (Ilex aquifolium), which produces vast amounts of nectar. “Both have holly-like leaves and are not deciduous,” Ayers says. “If pests (both insect and fungal) are controlled so it doesn’t get holes in it, gardeners could make some money on the foliage at Christmas. But you are really going to have to know how to raise it because it is slow growing.”

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is another important plant. “It seems to maintain itself pretty well and can grow with its feet in water,” Ayers says. “About July, it develops a flower that is spherical, about the size of a golf ball. It attracts butterflies and bees. I think I have seen 10 species of butterfly on it.”

Alsike clover (Trfolium hybridum), available from specialty growers and rural seed suppliers, also can be grown in damp areas. “It’s more dependable than white clover and bees do like it.”

Ayers has a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) that attracts bees but says his property is the northern border of where they can be grown.

“Sometimes when the species is in full bloom and it’s windy, the nectar drops like rain under the tree,” he says. “You could sweeten your cereal with a couple of these flowers it produces so much nectar.”

George Ayers checks out an experimental rapeseed field planted by Russell Freed at the Michigan State University agronomy farm.

Hummingbirds like this tree, too.

Ayers came across the tropical import Diospyros lycioides, often called Karroo Bluebush, Monkey Plum or Red Star Apple, in Arizona when he was visiting the Tucson Botanic Gardens. “The flowers are not very conspicuous,” he says. “I thought there must have been a swarm of bees around until I saw they were working this plant. If I lived in the Southwest and wanted a bee forage plant, I would have that in my garden.”

Ayers says the bee-bee tree (Tetradium daniellii or Evodia daniellii in the older literature), an import from Asia, buzzes with bees. Lansing is the northern edge of where it can be grown. The tree grows 15-30 feet with some reaching 50 feet and blooms from mid-July well into August. It bears tremendous numbers of blossoms that attract bees at a time when other nectar supplies are drying up.

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a perennial that produces very well, but some areas attract only bumblebees and in other areas only honeybees. It smells like licorice and produces flowers around July. “It’s a nice plant to put in a bee garden,” Ayers says.

Among more commonly known plants, catnip (Nepeta cataria) provides good bee forage and growers can sell it at farmers markets to cat owners. Thyme (Thymus sp) is an-other bee garden entry that flowers heavily.

Milkweed plants (Asclepias sp. Linnaeus) are good bee and butterfly plants, most often associated with the magnificent monarch butterflies.

“The milkweed puts out its pollen in sort of a wishbone configuration,” Ayers says. “Down at the end of the wishbone in both arms are little bags of pollen and the bees, when they are working, get it caught on their legs and fly off with the stuff hanging on them.

“Sometimes they can’t get it pulled out of the flower and they die there. Some beekeepers don’t like it, but I think the general opinion is milkweeds are plants that attract bees, and are good for honey production.”

Of all the herbaceous plants he has tested, Ayers says native mountain mint (Pycnanthemum verticilatum) George Ayers checks out an experimental rapeseed field planted by Russell Freed at the Michigan State University agronomy farm.is probably the best in terms of enticing bees. It blooms mid- to late-summer.

Alfalfa is also a good plant that attracts bees, while cactuses fit in a bee garden for those living in the Southwest.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia or its older name Lavandula officinalis) has a great reputation in parts of the world as a bee plant and produces a fine quality, honey. California Poppy (Eschscholzia California), found in the western U.S. and northwestern Mexico, has a good reputation as a pollen plant but produces no nectar. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is also a good honey plant.

Ball clover (Trifolium nigrescens) is a southern plant that’s very attractive to bees. “If I lived in the South, I would have a bit of this stuff around,” Ayers says.

Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) has been called the golden honey plant because this native blooms in the fall when bees are still active and looking for pollen and nectar. It produces a good fall honey flow and is particularly fond of wet areas. “If somebody wants it, they should be very careful where they plant it,” Ayers says. “It spreads to other people’s property.”

Some plants are good bee forages, but not recommended for obvious reasons. These include poison ivy and allergy-producing ragweed.

Entomologists say gardeners should avoid plants horticulturalists call “doubles.” They are bred to develop extra petals to replace the anthers. As a result, they produce little or no pollen or nectar and bees will not be attracted.

Ayers recommends old-fashioned roses with a single petal. “At the Arnold Arboretum in Boston they have a lot of old-fashioned roses, and the rose garden is one of the most attractive locations for bees,” he says.

One plus with a bee garden is you don’t have to be a purist about what you cultivate. Gardeners who want bees and butterflies can leave the weeds to prosper.

Ayers says the weed motherwort (Leonorus cardiaca) is a good bee forage as are dandelions. Motherwort protects itself with a lot of small spines and livestock owners don’t like it because it causes their animals problems when they eat it.

“Dandelions are very important for the spring build up,” he says. “The only people in the world that like dandelions are beekeepers. They love them because this stimulates bees to start making brood early in the year. So when the honey season comes along they have a lot of gatherers to go out and get it.”

Frankie agrees if the aim is to attract ample numbers of bees to improve the health of your garden, it’s worth considering leaving the weeds long enough to be useful in attracting helpful bees. “There is always plenty of time to remove these weeds once their flowers are spent, but before they’ve gone to seed.”

But watch out for the beautiful but obnoxious purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), a good honey plant that is an introduced species that chokes out native faunas. “I wouldn’t suggest anybody plant this because you would have neighbors who hate you,” Ayers says.

In California, several native plants have pollen or nectar poisonous to non-native honeybees. Frankie says these include corn lilies, death camas, locoweeds and California buckeye. Widely distributed west of the Sierra, the buckeye is often planted as an ornamental for its good looks, fragrant flowers, and bold winter branch architecture.

However, Frankie says the use of most native or exotic plants can be one of the most critical factors when planning a bee garden. “Even if your priority is to have a native garden, it can be highly advantageous to include just a couple exotic plants on the basis of their bee-attractiveness. The bees will help your natives to thrive.”

But setting up a garden with bee plants is only half the job, no matter where you live. “All bees require places to hide from predators, to locate and court a mate or establish their nests,” he says. “Thus, they need you to help provide safe havens from predators, parasites, and chemical insecticides.

If the use of insecticides can’t be avoided, bee gardeners should try to use less-persistent products proven safer for bees and other pollinators. They should be applied after dark, when pollinators are safe within their nests.

Frankie also says making bee houses for the solitary native bees is easy. Simply take some scrap lumber and drill various sized holes three to five inches deep but not all the way through. Nail these securely in protected places under building eaves in the early spring.

You can also bundle paper or plastic soda straws and glue them to the bottom of paper milk cartons or coffee cans. Place them in protected shady, dry places in the early spring and the bees will come.

“If you have access to elderberry stems, cut and dry some into one-to-two foot lengths,” Frankie writes. “Different sized starter holes can be drilled into one end and into the sides of the woody stems.

“Sharpen one end like a tent stake and push them into the ground around your yard. The bees will soon find them.”

For a first-hand look at a bee garden, Ohio State University established its concept in 1994 that’s open daily to the public between dawn and dusk. Maintained by the university’s honeybee lab and the Tri-County Beekeepers’ Association, the 4,000-square-foot garden has about 80 species of plants.

All were selected for their attractiveness to honeybees and other pollinating insects, as well as for their appeal as garden plants. The garden is located next to the honeybee lab on the OSU Wooster campus.

The University of Minnesota’s plantinfo.umn.edu website is a great place for finding sources of plants and literature about them.

You don’t have to be an expert to design a bee garden. Many bee-friendly plants are familiar to casual gardeners.

Commonly named perennials include black-eyed Susan, Shasta daisies, yarrow, bee balm, cosmos, violets, Siberian Iris, sunflowers, sedum, asters, Jupiter’s beard, blue hyacinth, holly, trumpet vine and various clovers. Among annuals, marigolds, cosmos, hollyhocks, foxglove and geraniums are good choices.

Experts say gardens with 10 or more species attract the greatest number of bees. Large patches of like flowers should be planted close together to be most effective.

Which plants that attract bees will you be growing this season?

Originally published in Countryside May/June 2010 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

A List of Plants That Attract Bees was originally posted by All About Chickens

0 notes

jeremystrele · 6 years

Text

Heronswood House and Garden Celebrates A Milestone

Gardens

by Georgina Reid

The gardens at Heronswood are a living catalogue of plants featured in their catalogues and books. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Heronswood is one of Australia’s most highly regarded gardens. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

With garden beds full of late summer flowering perennials, March is the perfect time to visit Heronswood house and gardens. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The gardens at Heronswood are used by the Diggers Club as a testing ground for rare and interesting plants.Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The incredible gothic revival home was built in 1866 as a holiday house for a Melbourne law professor. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Some of the Diggers Club team (left to right): Lisa Remato (CEO), Penny Blazey (founder), Clive Blazey (founder), Talei Kenyon (director, Diggers Garden and Environment Trust), Ryan O’Connor (plant manager) and Jac Semmler (seed manager). Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Lilium ‘Tiger’. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The vegetable parterre garden at Heronswood. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Sunflower ‘Evening Sun’. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

A selection of Diggers Club seeds. Did you know they sell 55 varieties of tomatoes?! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

A mixed perennial planting featuring Dahlia ‘Café Au Lait’, Perovskia atriplicifoli,a Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, Echinops ‘Veitch’s Blue’, Verbena bonariensis, Achillea ‘Hella Glashoff’. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Delphiniun ‘Blue Sensation’. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Dahlia ‘Café Au Lait’. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Not only is the garden at Heronswood spectacular, so are the views! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Diggers Club founders Clive and Penny Blazey. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

I first visited Heronswood house and gardens, located at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula, a few months back. Being a Sydneysider, I guess I (sort of) have a reason for taking so long to get myself there, but Melbourne people, you’ve got no excuse. Go! It’s a fabulous garden, overflowing with rare and interesting plants, and surrounding an incredible gothic revival house.

Heronswood was originally the holiday destination for Melbourne University’s first Professor of Law, William Hearn, who employed Edward La Trobe Bateman to design the house in 1866. Clive and Penny Blazey purchased Heronswood in 1983, raising their family there, while using the garden as a testing ground for new plant species and different heirloom varieties for the Diggers Club, the mail-order plant and seed service the pair launched in 1978. Nowadays this heritage listed two-hectare property is a living catalogue of the rare plants and heirloom seeds they have helped preserve over the last 40 years.

Clive and Penny began The Diggers Club with an aim to rescue the old varieties of vegetables that mainstream seed companies were removing from their lists. It was a small operation – based out of an old tin shed – but has since grown into Australia’s largest gardening club. It now has over 75,000 members, owns two showcase organic gardens, runs restaurants and nurseries and more. The club’s growth is testament to the Blazey’s integrity and commitment to promoting seed diversity, the availability of open-pollinated heirloom seeds, and organic gardening principles. It’s also a business founded on passion. ‘I’m obsessed with growing and living with plants,’ Clive tells me. ‘I suppose everyone has a vision of creating their own piece of paradise. Gardening connects you to biology, archaeology and the environment. It’s a fascinating pursuit.’

In 2011 the Blazey family gifted ownership of The Diggers Club business and the two family-owned historic properties, Heronswood and the Garden of St Erth in Blackwood, Victoria, to a charitable trust called the Diggers Garden Trust. ‘We wanted to ensure that the things that we’ve championed such as supporting the use of heirloom seeds and sustainable gardening methods and a strong voice against genetically modified and hybridised plants and seeds would continue,’ Clive says. ‘We also wanted to make certain that our two organically certified gardens would remain intact and always be open to the public. The only way to achieve this was to bequeath the properties and garden business to the Trust to be owned by a not-for-profit garden charity.’

March is the perfect time to visit Heronswood house and garden. Nurtured by a passionate team of green-thumbs, the garden is both vast and intimate, magical and educational, and has been recognised as one of Australia’s best. With beds overflowing with hardy late summer flowering perennial plants, succulents, and vegetables, it’s an incredible spot to while away a few hours and get inspired to create your own patch of paradise.

The Diggers Club is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2018 with a range of festivals and events throughout the year. Entry to Heronswood gardens is free for Diggers Club members and children under 16, or $10 for others, For more information, see Diggers.com.au.

Heronswood Harvest Festival March 10th-11th Heronswood Garden 105 Latrobe Parade, Dromana

0 notes

theforgottenfirelight-blog · 7 years

Text

I live in a pretty magical place. Florida gets a bum rap for being the redheaded stepchild of the South. We are like flypaper to crazy people (my friends from Up North regularly refer me to this gem: Florida Man), old people (Heaven’s Waiting Room), and people who are itching to get drunk and sunburned (I can’t believe this place is still around).

My little corner of Florida, however, is actually special. Though Señor Frogs is a bit of a hike, the freshwater marsh that occupies our backyard, or ‘savannas,’ stretch more than 10 miles from Ft. Pierce to Jensen Beach. This preserve is the largest and most intact remnant of Florida’s east coast savannas. From the Florida State Parks site (FSP): “During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), Lt. Colonel Benjamin Pierce first used the term ‘savannah’ to describe a series of ponds and marshes found here. In 1879, Captain Thomas Richards planted the first pineapples, grown from cuttings he transported from Key West. The plants thrived in the sandy, well-drained soils and dozens of plantations appeared along the Atlantic Ridge. From 1895 to 1920, Jensen Beach was known as the ‘Pineapple Capital of the World.’ The park encompasses more than 6,000 acres and joined the Florida Park Service in 1977.” Pretty awesome, no? There are those sneaky pineapples cropping up once again!

We have all sorts of amazing flora and fauna (literally) in our backyard. As a native Floridian, the sight of palm trees, pine trees and your “greatest hits” plantings of the planned communities are familiar. I grew up on a farm, my mom loves trees, but until I had my own little patch of dirt, gardening had never really called to me. My son was very little when I started to see the need to fence in our yard (part of the Savannas charm is that you are on nature’s doorstep, but that also means alligators are, at times, your neighbors. Nicer than some other neighbors, I might add!), but I didn’t want to obscure our beautiful view with a white picket situation. Our house is architecturally inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, so in that vein, I wanted something that would blend in with our surroundings, as well as keep out the majority of the critters.

(Thunbergia grandiflora is an evergreen vine in the family Acanthaceae.[2] Common names include Bengal clockvine, Bengal trumpet, blue skyflower, blue thunbergia, blue trumpetvine, clockvine, skyflower and skyvine.)

On the farm growing up, we would use diamond wire to fence in the colts to keep them from slipping through the three board horse fence that surrounded our property. This fencing is strung together by round posts at three foot intervals and is, in my mind, the perfect setup for a natural trellis. As the fence began to take shape, the overall picture of my landscaping started to grow in my mind. Summers of trips to the Abacos must have made an impression because all I could think about was giant trellises of bougainvillea. I would go to Home Depot, with my little people in tow, and buy 5 gallon pots of bougainvillea when the price was right. It did not take me long to become obsessed. I delved further into the world of native Floridian plants: Native Plant Society. There is a lot to learn! I have a rather large area to fill, so I started off my landscaping plan with the idea of making a giant butterfly garden.

Butterflies love to land on our bougainvillea trellis

If you have small children or are a nature lover (or like me, fall under both umbrellas), incorporating larval and host plants to attract butterflies (and other pollinators) to your yard is a labor of love that will pay big dividends for years to come. In addition to having “floating flowers”, as my daughter so poetically describes butterflies, dancing around your yard, you will also be doing your part to prevent monoculture and improve the overall tableau of flora that will help our pollinators thrive. Here is a great resource for starting your garden of native plants: Gardeners Play A Role In Creating Wildlife Corridors.

(Lantana comes in many colors and pollinators LOVE IT!)

The biggest boon to my butterfly project has definitely been interspersing milkweed plants throughout my existing landscaping. Now! Milkweed is a fascinating plant with over 140 known species (Milkweed: The Most Interesting Plant IN THE WORLD). I’ve primarily planted yellow and red varietals, which continue to surprise me! They get to be really leggy, can get to be at least 3′-4′ tall, and they are incredibly prolific- which means once you plant a few and they go to seed- WATCH OUT- you will have milkweed popping up all over your yard (if you like a more manicured look, they are easy to transplant). I found a fun varietal called “Globe” that gets really tall and sprouts these giant alien egg-sac looking seed pods that burst open when they ready. SO COOL.

Butterflies and pollinators alike love coneflowers and vibrantly colored flowers; so this is a lovely dual purpose aspect of planting with pollinators in mind. Adding color to an otherwise rather green landscape is so much fun, especially when you know what you are planting will only augment the overall health of your ecosystem.

(You keenly-eyed people might notice the milkweed planted next to the red pentas and next to the coneflowers! I’ve done this all over our yard- the bushy, red flowers attract the butterflies and pollinators, and the milkweed is where they lay their eggs and food for the baby caterpillars.)

Vibrantly colored, delicious smelling popcorn cassia (Senna didymobotrya) are super tropical and interesting set piece to add visual interest in your yard. I’ve got mine planted next to some huge dark purple crinum lillies and also in another area, close to some coral honeysuckle that has been grafted from a vine to a small ornamental tree.

There are truly so many larval and host plants to attract butterflies and pollinators; it can be somewhat overwhelming to a neophyte gardener. This landscaping project has taken me years and continues to take shape as my plants begin to mature. I’ve added a lot of fun climbing vines to my trellis/fence because the bougainvillea has established itself (it likes dry roots, but we can have a lot of water, depending on the time of year) and the climbers will attach to anything! Below are photos of my four different varietals of passion vines (the red- passiflora miniata, the purple- passiflora incarnata, the third is the Lady Margaret- Passifloraceae, and the corky stem- Passiflora suberosa) and a visual of just how prolific they are! They use the little curly vines to grab on to things and pull themselves outward:

My advice is try not to get too overwhelmed; there are so many plants to choose from and once you start seeing the butterflies, it’s pretty satisfying. Get started with a couple of milkweed plants and go from there. One of our local nurseries has classes that help gardeners and non-gardeners alike get started with their pollinator gardens (Pinder’s Nursery). This handy table is from their website:

FLORIDA NECTAR PLANTS “Butterfly Attractors”

Plant 3/4 to 2/3 of your garden with nectar plants

Common Name Botanical Name

Key

Annuals/Perrenials

Yellow butter cup Turnera umifolia Cigar plant Cuphea ignea (Sp) (HB) Dianthus Dianthus spp. (Sp) Gaillardia Gaillardia spp (N) (Y) Guara Guara lindheimeri (Y) Bulbine Bulbine fructens (Y) Heliotrope Heliotropium amplexicaule (Sp) Hummingbird Mexican mint Agastache rupestris (HB) Lavendar Lavendola (Sp) Lemon shrub marigold Tagetes lemmonii (Sp) Mexican or False heather Cuphea hyssopifolia (Y) Mexican or Scarlett milkweed Asclepias curassavica (Y) Pentas Pentas lanceolata (shade) (Y) Porterweed Stachytarpheta spp (Sp,F) (HB) Bush Daisy Euryops pectinatus (Y) Tickseed Coreopsis leavenworthii (N) (Sp,Su) Bog sage Salvia uliginosa (Sp-F) Hot Lips sage Salvia Microphylla (Y) Hummingbird sage Salvia coccinea, Salvia spathacea (Y) (HB) Indigo spires Salvia farinanea (Y) Mexican sage Salvia leucartha (Sp,F) Red shrimp Justicia brandegeana (Y) Lantana Lantana camara (sterile form) (Sp,F) Purple Weeping Lantana Lantana montevidensis (Y)

Vines

Honeysuckle lonceri app (Sp, Su) Florida flame Pyrostegia venusta (Sp)

Shrubs and Trees

Butterfly bush Buddleia davidii (Sp, Su) Dwarf powder puff Calliandra emarginata Firespike Odontonema strictum (Shade) (N) (HB) (F,W) Firebush Hamelia patens (partial shade) (N) (HB) Golden dewdrop Duranta repens (Sp-F) Plumbago Plumbago auriculata (sun to partial shade) (Y) Wild coffee Psychotria nervosa (prefers shade) (N) (Sp)

Key: N=Native, HB=Hummingbird, Sp=Spring blooming, Su=Summer blooming, F=Fall blooming, W=Winter blooming Y=Year round blooming

Just get started. The butterflies will thank you!

Butterfly Post I live in a pretty magical place. Florida gets a bum rap for being the redheaded stepchild of the South.

0 notes

reddirtramblings · 7 years

Text

Hello friends! I’m actually making it to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day this month on the actual day! I think it’s the first time this year. Go me!

Tiered borders with Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ black-eyed Susans, Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’ shasta daisies and ‘Bright Eyes’ Phlox paniculata are blooming like crazy from all the rain. Thank goodness for black-eyed Susans! They knit my entire summer garden together.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is sponsored on the 15th of each month by Carol Michel of May Dreams Gardens. Hop over there to see what’s blooming in other people’s gardens all over the world.

Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly on ‘Bright Eyes’ phlox. At least that’s what I think the butterfly is.

One of my favorite views in the garden. Heirloom Phlox paniculata, Tradescantia pallida ‘Purple Heart’, and ‘Peter’s Wonder’ coleus are a study in purple shades.

Some purple dahlia I planted that’s fallen over. I need to prop it back up. This returned from last year. Sometimes they do.

Hemaris thysbe, Hummingbird Clearwing moth on P. paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’ phlox.

Clematis ‘Queen of Holland’ has bloomed off and on all summer. That’s unusual.

Rain again fell on Little Cedar today. We had several pop-up showers that didn’t last long, but when I went out to take photos, it was so humid my camera lens kept fogging up. Then, I came inside and realized all my pictures were black.

Arrrgh! No, I did not forget to remove my lens cap. I have no idea what happened, but it’s all fixed now. I ran back outside and took more photos as thunder boomed all around me. I was quicker than a frog sliding into a lily pond except I hopped back inside.

You know I have to include a photo of my favorite rose, ‘Carefree Beauty,’ a/k/a ‘Katy Road Pink.’ If this one ever gets Rose Rosette, you’ll find me in the closet having a good cry.

We didn’t get any rain in June and July, but August has been a different story. I think over three inches fell on my little garden, and that makes my heart glad.

Trying to achieve the ever-elusive garden symmetry. Nothing in life is perfect. It’s not supposed to be.

I returned from GWA’s annual meeting in Buffalo, NY, last week, and I’ve been playing catch-up in and out of the garden ever since. I filed two columns with two different editors today and last week. I also harvested a ton of vegetables in my potager and cutting garden. I did a little live video on Facebook of the harvest.

As for blooms, because of the rain, we’ve got some. I wandered my overgrown ornamental garden this morning, and I feel rather bad about my neglect of it. After the garden tour, I lost all interest in these beds and borders.

Perennial garden doing its thing. Tightwad Red crapemyrtle in front. Purple crapemyrtles behind.

I can hear you clucking. I’m sorry. I just worked so hard in it that I lost myself a little. I tried so hard to make it perfect that I forgot why I even garden.

Do you ever do that?

After the tour, I ran off to Garden Bloggers’ Fling and wandered other people’s gardens on tour, grateful that they weren’t mine. When I returned home, I was still tired. I overworked myself, and there’s a lesson, or as my friend, Mary Ann, of Gardens of the Wild, Wild West, would say, a pony in there somewhere. Maybe stop working so hard and trying to be so perfect? Maybe?

(Click on the photos to make them larger.)

Zinnia ‘Giant Wine’ what perfect form you have.

Zinnia ‘Giant Wine’ is one I will plant every single year. Can’t you just see a row of it with a row of the green zinnia ‘Envy?’ Plans for next year abound when I’m not so busy.

Cosmos ‘Rubenza’ from Floret Seeds. I’ve enjoyed all of her seeds this year. Bought them early spring.

Cosmis ‘Rubenza’ closeup.

Probably Zinnia ‘Zinderella Peach.’

Celosia ‘Crushed Berries’ is a beauty in the cutting garden.

Celosia ‘Crushed Berries’

I’m happy to say my vegetable and cutting gardens saved the day and me in July. They just seemed to ask for nothing, which isn’t true of course. I worked steadily in them too before the tour. However, they were ready for harvest, and harvest I did. I still have tons of tomatoes on the vine. I’m going to write another post on the cutting and vegetable gardens as soon as I catch my breath. Anyway, they made me remember why I garden.

Why you ask?

Helenium autumnal, autumn sneezeweed, I bought at Bustani Plant Farm last fall.

Red fountain in potager surrounded by ‘Indian Summer’ coleus, pentas, lantana, ‘Alabama Sunset’ coleus and tropical or cape plumbago.

Plumbago auriculata, tropical or cape plumbago, with Plectranthus scutellarioides ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘Alabama Sunset’ coleus. These are plants that should be in every Oklahoma garden unless you hate them of course. ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘Alabama Sunset’ are both strong growers in full sun. As you can see, these are surrounded by bricks and only get water when I fill the fountain, or it rains.

Because I simply must. I’m a writer and a gardener, and I must garden and write if I am to breathe. And, in these trying times, we must all remember to breathe.

Luckily, the ornamental beds and borders, while as wild as western mustangs, are somewhat contained by their formal edges and straight lines. I’m lucky ornamental gardens are forgiving. I just wish the Monarchs I’ve been seeing would get with it and lay some eggs. I’ll bring their caterpillars inside and raise them for a new generation if they do. I have tropical milkweed and perennial Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed, planted in many places–wherever it’s sunny. Oh, and if you live in Oklahoma don’t feel guilty for using tropical milkweed. It’s not going to kill your caterpillars. It dies all the way to the ground each fall so no worries. I’m saving seed this year to grow my own. I like A. curassavica ‘Silky Gold’ better than the orange one. Not being from Oklahoma State University, the University of Tennessee or the University of Texas, my favorite color is not orange.

Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed up close

Asclepias curassavica ‘Silky Gold,’ tropical milkweed

Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’ with a Oncopeltus fasciatus, Large Milkweed bug.

Cestrum Orange Peel, Becky shasta daisies, Asclepias curassavica ‘Silky Gold’, tropical milkweed and A. tuberosa, butterfly weed.

While Cestrum x cultam ‘Cretan Purple,’ purple cestrum, isn’t as dramatic as the orange version, it is still a beautiful part of the border.

I do, however, like a soft orange bloom, and some flowers are exquisitely beautiful in various shades of orange. Take agastache for example. Agastache Kudos™ Ambrosia is growing in a container on the deck. I never could grow agastache in my garden. The plants always rotted about Midsummer no matter how I prepared the soil. In a weird moment of buying plants online in a snowstorm last winter, I ordered two agastache plants. When they came, I was horrified and told my friend, Faire from Fairegarden. She calmly suggested I grow them in pots since it worked for her in Tennessee. Faire is a gardening guru in my book so I tried it. When it worked so well, I bought two more. I plan to bring these inside my greenhouse this winter and keep them for next year. I just used good potting soil, but if you’re worried, you could work in some sand too. The hummingbirds and I are very happy.

One bloom spike of Agastache Kudos™Ambrosia.

Another plant that’s really pleasing the butterflies and me this year is Stachytarpheta ‘Nectarwand Red’, red false vervain, a Bustani Plant Farm Introduction. Isn’t it beautiful? How about this Pipevine Swallowtail? Be still my heart!

Special thanks to Leslie Kuss of Growing a Garden in Davis, and the Moth and Butterfly Identification Forum on Facebook for their help in identifying this butterfly.

Stachytarpheta ‘Nectarwand Red’, red false vervain, Pipevine Swallowtail. Thanks to Leslie Kuss and the Moth and Butterfly I.D. group on Facebook for their help.

Stachytarpheta ‘Nectarwand Red’, red false vervain, with Pipevine Swallowtail.

Stachytarpheta ‘Nectarwand Red’, red false vervain, which is a Bustani Plant Farm introduction.

Stachytarpheta ‘Nectarwand Red’, red false vervain with butterfly

Stachytarpheta ‘Nectarwand Red’, red false vervain, with Pipevine Swallowtail.

This is why I garden. Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, August Hello friends! I'm actually making it to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day this month on the actual day!

#Celosia #Cosmos #Dahlia #Roses #Tropical plants #Zinnias

0 notes

sensitivefern · 7 years

Text

I shall quote one more intellectual’s impression of the Whitman of this period... John Burroughs, the naturalist, had been powerfully impressed by the ‘Leaves’. As a young clerk in Washington, he met Whitman, and soon became a close friend and companion of his walks. [...] Burroughs, as much an enemy of the genteel age as Whitman himself, was a little timid. Like many nature lovers, he was hesitant in the face of carnal nature when it showed itself to be as instinctive in a man or woman as in a stag or a woodchuck. Whitman loved him, but doubted sometimes whether he was ‘one of us’, a true believer that the flesh and the spirit are intertwined in an equal importance. But he misjudged Burroughs’ devotion, which knew no criticism except when Walt began to write about birds and nature generally, where, indeed, even Thoreau had failed to satisfy the naturalist’s professional competency.

[Henry Seidel Canby]

===

[On] July 28 [1921], Franklin journeyed up the Hudson to a Boy Scout outing at Bear Mountain. A snapshot showed him in shirtsleeves, with arms folded across his chest. It was the last photo taken of him standing unaided.

Franklin traveled once more, to Campobello. Exhausted on arrival, on Wednesday, August 10 he swam the unusually frigid waters of the Bay of Fundy. Returning home, he felt chilled and awoke the next day with a 102° fever and severe back and leg pain. By Friday, he was paralyzed.

It was polio, and this ‘twentieth-century Apollo’ was now a helpless cripple... [...] In December 1921, Harding did what Wilson never would, commuting Gene Deb’s sentence, effective that Christmas Day. ‘I want him to eat his Christmas dinner with his wife’... [...] The House passed an anti-lynching bill, but Southern Democrats blocked Senate passage.

[1920]

===

The Jews firmly believe they are ‘the chosen people’; what they do not know is that that which chose them is the devil. If the reader cannot accept this, he should read again the book of Joshua. There this Jehovah commanded Joshua to kill thirty-one kings and possibly a million men, women and children. If this be not the devil’s work, what is it? And whom did this killer choose to do His dirty work? Jacob, Joshua, Moses and David, criminals all. Yet they were men ‘after God’s own heart’. If so, God must be like His men. This is what the Torah is telling us, and only when the Jews realize it will they understand themselves and their tragic history.

Now this is not anti-Semitism. The scriptural Jews are but symbols of life and that includes us all. Their ancient priests deceived us but so did their Christian counterparts and for 2,000 years.

These see no theistic lesson in Joshua. On the contrary, they use it to show us the rewards of faith in God. He stopped the sun, He divided the sea for His chosen; He sent down manna from heaven for them – and hailstones for their enemies. This is that false security the scriptures offer. On the basis of it fools let serpents sting them to prove their faith, other refuse inoculation and deny their children blood transfusion. Such false faith must be destroyed. A mythical God is a spiritual ‘Maginot Line’ – a comfort when all is well but useless in time of trouble, war, for instance. When that occurs both sides pray to this God, but God is on the side of the heaviest cannon.

[Deceptions and Myths of the Bible]

===

Kamchatka bugbane | Actaea simplex Native to China, Japan, Korea, and other Asiatic regions... grows in damp gullies and wet meadows in subalpine areas... blooms in September... some cultivars include ‘Black Negligee’, ‘Braunlaub’, ‘Brunette’, ‘Elstead’, and ‘Hillside Black Beauty’...

lily of the Nile | Agapanthus If the ground freezes in your area do not grow this plant – in the ground; containers, yes... in fact, ‘they like to be pot-bound’, even the africanus types... ‘Peter Pan’ is the hardiest of the latter category...

Agastache: cultivars of note

‘Apricot Sunrise’ – drought- and heat-tolerant

‘Blue Fortune’ – ‘RHS Award’

Agastache foeniculum – the species

f. ‘Alba’ – aromatic

f. ‘Aureum’ – ‘comes true from seed’

‘Pink Panther’ – aromatic

rupestris – ‘very aromatic foliage’

===

❚The Maginot Line, named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany. Constructed on the French side of its borders with Switzerland, Germany, and Luxembourg, the line did not extend to the English Channel because the French military did not want to offend neutral Belgium. ...Having failed in its purpose, the line has since become a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security.

Ron Howard will direct a film adaptation of J.D. Vance’s best-selling 2016 memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy’

Alabama 'Luv Guv' Robert Bentley quits over relationship with aide

A photograph shows Donald Trump with a diarrhea stain on his golf pants. ...FALSE

Slacktivism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

0 notes

goddessgardener · 4 years

Text

Planet Pivots

"I should like to enjoy this summer flower by flower as if it were to be the last one for me.” Andre Gide

Summertime and the living is easy! Or is it?

This year I am happy and grateful to enjoy the summer flower by flower. My planet pivot is to play in my personal garden paradise.

What’s your planet pivot?

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong. Wash your hands. Cover your face!

Cynthia Brian’s Gardening Guide for July

Photos and more at https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1409/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Planet-pivots.html

Happy gardening. Happy growing. Have a flowerful 4th of July!

Cynthia is available for virtual writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. [email protected]

www.GoddessGardener.com

keywords: #summerflowers,protests,#crisis,#covid-19,#vegetables,#fruits,#planting,#gardening, #cynthiabrian, #starstyle, #goddessGardener, #growingwiththegoddessgardener, #lamorindaweekly

0 notes