All the Dirt on Gardening

Vines and climbers can change a garden scene in a matter of weeks if the gardener puts the right plant in the right place. Added summer privacy, shade, color, fragrance and beautification are just some of the reasons to select a vine for your garden. In addition, many vines provide fruit or vegetables as well as attracting birds and butterflies. The good news about climbers is that they are vigorous; since they usually have good air circulation where they grow, they rarely contract diseases. And for gardeners with a small space, the vertical growth can add considerable beauty without using much ground space. There are a few key considerations for making the best choice. Shade or sun – A plant that needs full sun will suffer in the shade and will not bloom very well. A shade loving plant such as a climbing hydrangea will be burned by the sun no matter how much water it receives. Annual or perennial – Some beautiful vines and climbers have to be planted every year from seed. But...

It's the time of year to remove the final remains of many vines that grew into the shrubs and onto fences last year to make room for this year's growth. Some climbing plants like the Euonymus and climbing hydrangea can be left without pruning right now, but the other perennials such as grapes and hops need attention. Last year I allowed morning glories to climb up to the top of crape myrtle trees where we could enjoy their jewel tone colors where we have our morning coffee in the summer. Now they have to be pulled down and the seedlings thinned for this year. Hops - new growth emerging thisweek The hops vine, it turns out isn't truly a vine. It's a bine. Vines use tendrils, hairs, suckers and the like to hold onto their supports. Bines use stems and hairs to hang on. By spring, the plant is completely dead to the ground so the woody remains are pretty easy to pull out of the support fence. However beautifully and reliably hops covers chain link fence for me e...

One of False Aloe's names is Rattlesnake Master. Sounds ominous, doesn't it? False Aloe or Polianthes virginica is a perennial for dry, rocky areas. The nondescript flowers are green on six-foot stalks and supposedly have an Easter lily fragrance. 2BNtheWild has photos . And check out the photos at the Vanderbilt site . The USDA plant profile ( here ) says that its plant family is Agavaceae (Century-plant family), the Genus is Manfreda Salisb. – tuberose and the species, Manfreda virginica (L) Salisb. ex Rose  – false aloe, is the only one in the species with a native range that includes Oklahoma. The others are from Texas. The roots were used in a variety of medicines back in Henrietta Herbal's day , 1898. Dropsy, snakebite, worms and diarrhea were some of its applications. They are supposed to grow in partly shady areas with average to rocky soil in zones 4-9 so I started seeds for the rocky spots at the back of the wooded area where the rains have washed away most...

Gnomes used to be very popular garden decorations and they are still used in European cultures. A 2,000 year old Swedish gnome is the oldest one known. Scientific testing proved that it was made of a hardwood that no longer grows. The new “Gnomes Deluxe Collector’s Edition” explores this and all manner of gnome history, fact and fiction. It is written with humor and beautifully illustrated and even includes two pages of North America and European maps that indicate the areas where gnomes live. Just so you’ll know when you see one, a male gnome wears a red cap with a peak on top. He has a full beard. His clothing includes a blue smock, brown-green pants and either felt boots or wooden shoes. Rosy red cheeks, grey eyes, laugh lines and a turned up nose complete the picture. Female gnomes wear gray or a khaki skirt and blouse, and a green pointed cap. Most of them are plump figured and have blond hair. Gnomes all wear the same distinctive clothing so that birds do not mistake ...

Every day another daffodil variety opens in our garden. These are some of today's.

Drayton Hall, 9 miles northwest of downtown Charleston on River Road, was one of the highlights of our recent road trip.  It is the oldest surviving example of Georgian Palladian archicture in the U.S. The privy building seated 7. Think about it. There still is no indoor plumbing and the house was occupied into the 21st century. The last family member dropped extension cords from the nearby visitors building to run her refrigerator.  The well was a more recent addition that came after the rice fields had long gone. The circles were a 3-tiered horse and buggy zone. There are no gardens to visit ... yet  because the Trust is taking its time to study and reconstruct the grounds to be historically accurate and the money to do large scale projects is being raised. from the website - Through the centuries, both the house and landscape have evolved, and while the house has remained substantially intact, the landscape has been transformed by hurricanes, earthquakes, wars...

Two companies, Pepsi and Seventh Generation are using new packaging to avoid fossil fuel packaging. Pepsi bottles introduced Tuesday are made from 100 percent plant material and will be tested next year. This story was in the online Christian Science Monitor - excerpts here and the full article is at this CSMonitor link . The bottle is made from switch grass, pine bark, corn husks and other materials. Ultimately, Pepsi plans to also use orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps and other leftovers from its food business. The new Pepsi bottles are scheduled to begin appearing in 2012. PepsiCo Inc. unveiled a new bottle Tuesday made entirely of plant material that it says bests the technology of competitor Coca-Cola and reduces bottles' carbon footprint. Ultimately, Pepsi plans to also use orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps and other leftovers from its food business. "This is the beginning of the end of petroleum-based plastics," said Allen Hershkowitz, a senior s...