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Doing a garden inventory
With our weather being nicer, my perennials are beginning to pop up. I also had plants in pots that I overwintered. This next week will be quite nice for Northwest Pennsylvania, so I can get a head start on seeing what I have and might need to replace. So far it looks like my plants are surviving this weather roller…
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Does anyone have plant crafts to share?
I saw a bit of a cattail & (?) iris basket weaving video by Herbal Academy and wondered how many of you use plants in your crafts. What do you make? Do you have pictures? Videos? I think botanical printing would be fun.
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What new plants are you planning on trying in 2022?
One of my annual traditions was to cut back my roses the week between Christmas and New Year's but found out that in my location it is best to do it in the hot Summer. So, this year I am going to work on my plan for starting seeds and like last year I am adding new seeds. Some of the new seeds I am going to try…
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Free plants!
Its that time of year in NW Pa. People are cleaning out their gardens or downsizing and free curbside plants are everywhere. I saw a listing today on one of the plant sites and picked up peonies, daylillies and rose of sharon. The rose of sharon I will pot up and sell. Peonies I will pot and keep half of them and give away…
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Medicinal Houseplants
Let's talk medicinal houseplants...name, scientific name if known, light conditions, humidity requirements, size of mature plant, what they are used for, any special tips, etc. Links are certainly welcome to save everyone the trouble of typing out everything. 🙂 I would like to build a list to try to figure out what to…
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Clay soil remediation: I need some gardening advice....
Hey everybody! So, I have a long bed in my gardening that currently has weeds and raspberry plants in it. I want to turn it into a huge potato patch but the soil is all clay. Any sugestions on how to improve it enough to grow a ton of potatoes? Thank you in advance!
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"Bonus" mystery plants in my seed trays
I've also got these in some houseplants! I don't recall putting tomato seeds in my indoor worm compost (maybe it got caught up in scraps), but I've now got one with a banana tree & had one with my lemon tree, one sharing a plug with a smaller motherwort plant, and what I am suspecting could be chickweed in some other…
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Center for Food Safety Has Created a Global Seed Swap Group
"That’s why we at Center for Food Safety launched the Global Seed Network — the first-ever, free, peer-to-peer seed sharing website that connects and unites seed savers from around the world to establish an independent seed supply. Help us protect an independent seed supply by signing up for our free Global Seed Network…
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Hostas
For those lacking space or fitting as much in a small area as possible Hostas can also be a food source. I was never that fond on hostas but they are edible in several stages. I just put in asparagus so until I can harvest them I can use hostas when they first break the ground. The leaves are also edible in different…
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Its that time of year again
Its finally getting nice in NW Pennsylvania and I have to remember to lock my car at every stop. I let my guard down at Ollies when I ran in to buy some potting soil and when I came back to the car the entire front passenger seat was filled with shrubs and fruit plants. Someone had really great taste and chose wisely. Then…
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Can anyone identify this plant?
It volunteered in my greenhouse and is absolutely gorgeous! A local herbalist identified it as burdock but now that it is bigger, I think that was a mistake. That is why it got to become this great monster. I’m in the southeast.
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Useful Tropical Plants Database: edible, medicinal
While (finally) working on my herb order today, and looking up seeds/plants that are available at Richters, I ran across this database site that focuses on the edible & medicinal uses for tropical plants.
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A serious danger to bees
Warning: I was just given a couple of lantana plants that were left over from a friend's yard. The plants were still in store pots. I noticed a plant marker in one of them that said you don't have to worry about aphids because the plant was pre-treated with neonicotinoids and the EPA says they are safe. The label stuck to…
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milk jug planting or winter sowing
I do almost every kind of garden growing you can imagine. I think its to drive the family crazy. "What are you doing now?" A few years ago I tried milk jug planting. Depending on where you are located you plant your seeds in a milk jug or any plastic container. Its like a mini greenhouse without heat that uses the sun and…
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garden fruits
Has anyone grown vine peach (an old native small fruit) or huckleberries in their gardens? The vine peach are rather an interesting fruit. Slow to grow and not as tasty as some but they make the best jams and jellies. I have heard huckleberries are a bit tart but have not tried them. Ground cherries are also a great fruit…
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A Little Holiday Cheer
I did not due a decorated tree inside but I did do a decoration on my front door and my goal is to finally get a Poinsettia to grow a whole year!
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edible flower bouquets
I have a very small cutting garden I use for flower bouquets. It's nice to pop outdoors, cut flowers and have a fresh bouquet in every room. They also make a nice pick me up gift for family and friends. This year I want to have some bouquets that have edibles mixed in. It will be a unique look and add one more use for the…
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A Christmas tree after it’s season. To make use or to throw away?
we decorate Christmas trees from our own garden. Sometimes a fir tree, sometimes an alpine pine. A small tree or a big branch. After the season I cut off the branches, lay them on a cloth to dry and collect the dry needles. I make them into herbal salt for inhalations and baths, I use them for giving flavour to my apple…
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An herbal podcast from Mother Earth News
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Need some winter color?
Plants that bloom during winter. Just that little "pick me up".
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Papaya. Delicious and good for health
As I am now in a country where papaya grows, I looked for more information about this delicious and useful plant. I knew it is useful, but did not know that sooo useful: strengthens heart, prevents diabetes, cancer, regulates blood pressure, even prevents age related macular degeneration. I like eating the fruit, but also…
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Humor: Plant Lovers Anonymous
I wanted to share some of my humor. Are you or a loved one addictive to plants? This all to common problem has a solution: Plant Addicted Anonymous. In our once weekly meetings and online forums we will help teach your family members their wrongs. We will help free them from their addition by encouraging them to give up…
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What Plant is this?
I saw this plant at my school (actually several) and I think that it is an Aronia berry but I wanted to confirm before I harvested any of the berries. What do you all think?
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Does anyone eat Celosia/Cockscomb?
I just came across the fact that Celosia argentea, Cockscomb, is not only edible, but is an important food in Africa. I just thought it was a cool flower. But apparently it is good to eat, very nutritious, and has some medicinal properties as well--looks like it will be in my garden next year!
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Well, where'd YOU come from?
3 very dainty Japanese iris hiding in the weeds along the back ditch. Maybe Dad and the evil weedwhacker did me a favor and helped make these more visible. Wonder how they got there? I had no iris of any kind planted in the yard.
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Staple crops and self sufficiency
Article on easy to grow staple crops. I already have the amaranth and potatoes. Might try one or tow of the others. Tire planters make good trial containers.
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Non Patented, Public Domain Plants that You Should Be Free to Propagate.
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Matchsticks in Plant Pots?
This is a new one to me, but apparently it's been around for a while. I was wondering if anyone has tried it. The article says you can put matchsticks in your potted plants, where they provide fertilizer and pest control,
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Local plant sales
Depending on where you live plant sales may be a possibility again this spring. It great fun to see new plants, learn about them and have new color and use in your yard or patio. The local audubon is having one again this year and its a favorite of mine. You tend to get more herbs and wild plants there. You can buy or swap…
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Fungus Gnats Like It Spicy!
Well, it is fungus gnat hatching time again and this indoor gardener is at war again for the second year. I will flag the time of year in my calendar so I get a head start next year. I had changed my purchased organic potting soil brand and my method for starting and nurturing seedlings. (At this point I have only 3…
