Blog entries

Topsoil - Choosing The Right Topsoil For Your Gardening Needs

whittier fertilizer — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:24:54 +0100

Topsoil is a necessity for plant growth and photosynthesis to occur. While it is true that naturally occurring topsoil erodes quickly, it is possible for man to take components and make a substitute close to the original.

Regarding the different type of topsoil, there are three primary ones occurring in nature. Those are sand, loam, and clay. Give each the finger test to determine classification. What this means is that if the substance slides easily between your fingers, it is most li...

Not Quite the Corpse Flower, My Stinky Stapelia's Still Pretty Cool

Rhonda Hayes — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:06:18 +0100

It's not like it has never bloomed before, but this is the first time I have actually seen this funky flower. Stapelia gigantea usually waits for me to leave town and then blooms for everyone else to see; the dry cleaner delivery guy, the vacation pot-watering guy, and the flies that are specifically attracted to the putrid perfume for pollinating.

This succulent plant, sometimes known as starfish cactus or carrion flower started with the spiny nub of a passalong plant propagated.....

Planting Sod - How To Lay A Sod Grass Lawn And Care For It

whittier fertilizer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:30:17 +0100

With sod, it used to be that you just took what Mother Nature gave you. Today, you have a lot more choices. But before you pick out the one that best catches your eye, there are some considerations which you cannot ignore. Do you live in a heavily shaded area? Does the sun beat down 24/7? How much use will the sod get out of family barbecues, camping out under the stars, or neighborhood wiffleball games? Knowing the answers to these questions will ultimately determine which of the following i...

Fennel, Fennel, How Do I Love Thee?

Rhonda Hayes — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:44:01 +0100

I'm not talking about fancy fennels; not bulb fennel, not bronze, but green fennel. Foeniculum vulgare, yet there's nothing vulgar about this versatile herb. Fennel, fennel, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

With apologies in advance to Elizabeth Barrett Browning....

Read more at The Garden Buzz

Bulbmania & Botanical Illustration at Kew Botanic Gardens

Tania Marien — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:03:48 +0100

New at Classes Near You > England:

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
www.kew.org

Drop-in Art Workshop at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery. –
Monday August 30 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Create a collaborative piece of art with artist Stuart Simler and fellow artists. This workshop will be taught in conjunction with the exhibition, Bulbmania – Flowers from the Kew Collection (August 28, 2010 – January 3, 2011).
Distance and Detail: Drawing and Paint...

Where on Earth is The Garden Buzz?

Rhonda Hayes — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:25:51 +0100

I've been on vacation; Griswold-style with my husband and two college-age children. It's still possible at this stage to tolerate a little togetherness and have fun too. Working around everyone's schedule we managed a visit to the greater Seattle area.

I thought it best to explain my absence as I'm en route home. You never know who might have your address and want to pilfer a petunia or perhaps a flat-screen TV.

Until I can post again, enjoy these photos of la...

Name That Allium: Plant ID Help, Please!

Rhonda Hayes — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:18:01 +0100

Rarely do I lose a game of 'stump the gardener'. If you can identify this allium from the rest of the usual suspects, I'd love to hear from you.

See the photos at The Garden Buzz

Thanks!

Online Botanical Art Classes Get Thumbs Up

Tania Marien — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:51:22 +0100

Artist and educator, Mark Granlund, has been leading a discussion about online learning and botanical art. A couple of weeks ago, readers were invited to take a poll asking them to state their interest in online classes. Of those polled, 96% said they would take an online class in botanical art.

How about you? Would you like to learn how to document the plants growing in your garden?

Take Our Poll

Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea: Shabby Chic With a Good Heart

Rhonda Hayes — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:47:31 +0100

It was about time for a pink hydrangea with all the star qualities of Annabelle. Always fresh looking and ever dependable, blooming profusely until frost and PINK; that's Invincibelle Spirit.

But there's more...

With every purchase of an Invincibelle Spirit by Proven Winners, $1 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. What a great way to pay tribute to survivors and fallen fighters of this pervasive and cruel disease.

Read the res...

Portulaca: Grandma's Moss Rose Goes Green

Rhonda Hayes — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:27:25 +0100

Grandma flowers, you know 'em when you see them. My first thought would be those red and white pinwheel petunias. But for many it's the moss rose.

Turns out Grandma was one pretty smart lady. She didn't have time for fussy flower...

Orchids are Primary Subjects of Artist's Botanical Paintings (plant labels & twist-ties too!)

Tania Marien — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:06:48 +0100

When she was a little girl, Pam Kessler's father taught her how to look at plants. These innocent observations sparked an appreciation for nature in the young naturalist and marked the beginning of a career as an accomplished botanical artist. Pam's paintings are in private and public collections...

Artist Documents All Known Species of African Violet

Tania Marien — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:28:27 +0100

Reinhild Raistrick returned to her native Tanzania to visit the original locations of the wild African violet. With much excitement, she returned to a country that had been home to her family since 1895. In no time at all, she was once again speaking fluent Kiswahili and Kishambaa and was quickly accepted as a “local”. Eas...

Lean on Me: Emergency First Aid for a Favorite Plant

Rhonda Hayes — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:51:34 +0100

If you're a regular reader, you know I have a soft spot in my heart for self-sowing plants. With more chutzpah than hubris they are the little plants that could. Take my Thalictrum or Meadow Rue "Lavender Mist".

Imagine my horror when a recent rainstorm snapped his slender stem nearly in half...

Read more at The Garden Buzz

Short Trees, Tall Dog

Mitch Shirts — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Life in the Garden:

Where I live, in San Diego, we have a flock of wild parrots (like the one below) that hang around almost all year. They are very cool, very pretty, very loud and very hungry. This time of year (Summer) when there is a lot of fresh, wonderfully ripe fruit, and sunflower seeds in my yard, they feel free to use my trees as an all you can eat buffet. They fly in as a flock of about 6-10 and they sit as high up in our trees as they can and eat, eat, eat. I can't s...

San Diego Garden Blog

nadia quiros — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 19:50:02 +0100

Come on over to www.nadiaknows.com and check out my garden blog! A place to share and grow and be inspired.

Water wise gardening... organic gardening...succulents...edible landscaping...day trips...

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: July 15 (Part 1)

Rhonda Hayes — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:35:27 +0100

I'm both happy and sad to say that the garden tour is over; it was sweaty, life-consuming work but so much fun to share the results. Many of us gardeners on the tour feel think our gardens never looked better and feel like we need to conduct another tour before the weeds come back!

Have you ever hosted a tour in your garden? I'll blog later about all the mishaps that came prior to the big day. But for now, enjoy a little of what's blooming at The Garden Buzz.

Incrediball: The Hydrangea from the Big and Tall Shop

Rhonda Hayes — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:57:37 +0100

It's been described as the "Annabelle on steroids". This is one big hydrangea.

If you don't belive me when I say these blooms are huge, behold the hand-to-hydrangea comparison in the photo.

My hands are not delicate or dainty yet they are not quite hams. I like the think of them as sturdy Dutch peasant hands that slipped through the DNA from my paternal great grandparents. These hands are not meant for displaying jewels but for digging in the dirt...

Read the ...

Planting a Vegetable Garden at Home:

whittier fertilizer — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:01:49 +0100

When planting vegetables, careful planning is the key to success. Before you even determine which seeds you’d like to plant, you must designate a space for your vegetable garden and come up with a detailed plan. Find the sunniest place in your yard and start there. If you don’t have a large enough plot for everything you’d like to grow, you may chose to construct raised planter beds. It is not unusual to grow vegetables in containers on pat...

Negotiating a New Tree

Mitch Shirts — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:21:39 +0100

Life in my Garden:

It seems we need a new tree to replace my old friend the Paulownia mentioned in my last post Bugs in the Mulch. According to the powers that be (my beautiful wife and kids) it needs to meet a number of specific criteria.

I was hoping to be able to put another two or three fruit trees in one hole like I've done in the backyard (as explained here at one of my favorite websites Dave Wilson Nursery - they call it back yard orchard cult...

Bugs in the Mulch

Mitch Shirts — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:26:28 +0100

My name is Mitch, I'm the person who thought up and runs www.theMulch.com. This is my first in a series of blog posts about the trials and tribulations of trying to build a home garden and a gardening website called www.theMulch.com. My hope is I'll be able to relieve a little stress, provide a little insight, get some good ideas, and gain a little clarity for my fogged up brain (ga...