While castor oil has a lot of memories for older generations, it is now used by gardeners for purposes that your grandmother never knew about. The short and sweet version is that castor oil is produced from the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) …
Gypsy Moth Information – Everything You Need To Know
I don't know if you've ever had a serious Gypsy Moth outbreak but I remember when they invaded the bush behind us. We had a "hot spot" and they darn near defoliated the entire bush until the spray planes hit them with Bt. You can argue about the use …
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War Has Been Declared In My Garden
I knew this was coming but it came a little faster and from a different direction than I expected. This was a very new, healthy Hens and Chicks this spring. It was planted in the top of the stone wall surrounding our front garden. This …
What Kind Of Plants Come Back Every Year?
Annuals are killed off by frost Biennials grow leaves in year one, flower in year two and die after that. Perennial flowers come back every year. Until they die - which could be anywhere from 3 to 50 years. So just because a plant is labelled …
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This is what cold damage looks like in petunias
This is what cold damage (and a bit of wind to add to this plant's misery) looks like in petunias. Peter Petunia took one for the team to share this misery with you. Those white spots aren't a disease, they're physiology issues where the leaf …
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When You Just Can’t Resist Planting Something
I just couldn't resist. Yes, it's a silly thing but... (seriously folks) we've not had a hard frost in several weeks. And yes, it's April 25 and our regular last frost date is somewhere about 3 weeks in the future. But I just couldn't …
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