Posts for 'Plants' Category

Indoor plants should be welcomed in any home or apartment because of the creation of a pleasant indoor environment. A small indoor plant adds both color and a scenic picture to both tables and windows. The larger indoor plants seem to meld with the furniture groupings. The curious thing about these plants is why some indoor plants prosper and others just wilt and die over time. The important factor here is that most of the foliage plants, purchase for use as indoor plants,have as their origin tropical areas and conditions. Here then is your basic reason why a great many indoor plants require a humid and indirect  lighting environment.

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The Fountain Plant can be a beautiful and fulfilling addition to an aquarium and has a normal variety that reaches 8 inches (20 cm) in height, as well as a dwarf variety (Ophiopogon japonicus var. kyoto) that only reaches 4 inches (10 cm) in height. It grows at a moderate rate and produces long narrow leaves, and goes best as a foreground plant, a midground plant, or along the sides of the aquarium. It is best to usually group several plants together, with small spaces between each one.

Although the Fountain Plant is a fairly hardy plant and can survive in most conditions, the water should be regularly checked to help it thrive. It needs a pH between 6.5 and 7.5, and minimal light to keep it growing and looking healthy. Make sure to perform regular water changes and fertilize regularly after each change. The bottom substrate should be nutrient-rich. Propagation of the Fountain Plant is done by planting cuttings from the side sprouts of the main plant.

There are plants that I never get questions about. Nothing ever troubles these sturdy specimens and gardeners never need to coax them along. If you are a new gardener or are starting a new garden in challenging conditions (such as any new subdivision), include these proven hardies. These five made the list because they are like good friends -- easy, nice to have around, but never demanding or aggressive. You'll also find these five plus five more tough, fabulous plants online at calgaryherald.com/garden.

1. Auricula primrose (Primula auricula). It may seem unlikely that a plant would dare to bloom as early as April, but this rubbery-leaved beauty is unafraid of the worst of our weather. This primrose is just one of many hardy primroses that have no trouble with our difficult springs.

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At the start of gardening season, I was confident this year would be no different than any other in regard to tomato blight. I made a point to calm fears about a return of the late blight epidemic that plagued gardeners last season.

But all this rain has changed my tune. Late blight has been confirmed in Beaver, Indiana, Somerset, Cambria, Blair and Westmoreland counties. It might also be in Allegheny County. It's not time to panic, but for the first time in years I've sprayed my plants just to be safe.

The key to battling any fungal disease is prevention; plants need to be treated with a fungicide before any signs of damage. As an organic gardener, I reach for two products.

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Any gardener has seen it happen. One plant in the backyard thrives, while its neighbor of the same species is plagued with infection. Why? One reason may be genetic.

Researchers have discovered that more resistant mouse ear cress plants have a variant of a gene known as ACD6. Plants with this variant produce more quantities of a chemical that battles pathogens.

But there is a trade-off. Plants with the variant gene also tend to grow more slowly and have fewer and smaller leaves than those that that are less resistant to pathogens. The results of the study are published in the June 3 issue of the journal Nature.

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Raised by Lynne Dibley of Dibleys Nurseries and exhibited at Chelsea for the first time, the flowers have yellow lower petals in striking contrast to the baby blue upper petals. The first year that the Plant of the Year competition has been run by the RHS, ‘Harlequin Blue’ was on a shortlist of 20 new plants drawn up by top nurserypeople, breeders and plant experts.

Roy Lancaster led the committee which made the final vote on Monday and the full selection of plants will be on display in The Great Pavilion at Chelsea. Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’ makes a compact plant with masses of flowers and is available from Dibleys Nurseries. It was by far the favourite plant, according to an RHS spokesman, who said it received 29 votes.

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The annual survey of willd flowers by the charity Plantlife found plants that can tolerate high levels of nitrogen from the artificial fertilisers used in farming, like the common nettle, cow parsley and lords-and-ladies, are flourishing.

But more delicate species that need ancients woodland or open glades, like wood sorrel, meadow clary and lady's slipper orchid, are struggling. The charity claim every county in the UK is losing, on average, one species of wild plant every two years.

Plantlife are so concerned about the state of the country's wild flowers, the charity is launching a more extensive survey this year to try and find out where plants are in danger. Volunteers are being asked to look out for 99 species in an assigned grid square, including rare plants like bogbean, cowslip and cornflowers.

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United States Department of Agriculture scientists say they're developing technology that may significantly extend the life of cut flowers and potted plants.

The USDA's Agricultural Research Service project is led by plant physiologist Cai-Zhong Jiang in collaboration with Michael Reid of the University of California-Davis.

Jiang, Reid and co-researchers said they've found spraying low concentrations of a compound known as thidiazuron, nicknamed TDZ, significantly and sometimes spectacularly extends the life of potted plants' leaves and flowers.

TDZ, a synthetic version of a naturally occurring plant compound known as a cytokinin, is not new, the researchers said.

But preliminary studies with cut flowers, reported by Reid and co-researchers in 2000, were the first to demonstrate.

The value of TDZ for a commercial floricultural species -- in that case, alstroemeria.The cyclamen experiments conducted by Jiang.

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There are few things without which your home is incomplete and one of them is garden.

A garden at home brings a refreshing change in our life and adds purity to the air we breathe in.

While the interior decor of our homes are instrumental in creating aesthetic ambience within the four walls, the presence of.

A home garden in the surroundings gives a captivating look to the exteriors.

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If limited time or garden space challenges you to decide between an ornamental landscape and a vegetable or fruit garden, you may want to look at both of these areas from a new perspective.

The concept of incorporating edible plants into an ornamental garden is not new. Many of us are already doing it. Adding a pot of rosemary or parsley to your patio certainly qualifies.

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