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The common name of the perennial flower Rehmannia is Chinese Foxgloves, because the tubular flowers bear a resemblance to Digitalis. They do well in shade, even dry shade. And these foxgloves, although not as hardy as digitalis, …

Source: unknown

Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:

Testing the pH of your soil

QUOTE: The rose has thorns only for those who would gather it.
- Chinese Proverb

It is easy to test the pH of the soil in your garden with the use of a simple and inexpensive test kit.  All you need to do with the test kit is take a sample of the soil and mix it with water and then compare the results in the sample to the colors on the chart.  This will tell you whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.

If the soil is too acidic you can add lime to bring it back into balance.  If on the other hand there is too much lime and the pH reading is high you can add more compost to reduce the levels of the lime in the soil.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/gardencenter.html

Soil that is slightly acidic tends to be more fertile.

Old gardeners used to use a simple taste test to determine the condition of the soil.  This method isn't recommended but it can be quite accurate.

If the soil tastes sour then it is likely to be acid. This is also represented by a sour smell.

Vinegar is another way to test whether there is enough lime in the soil, as lime will cause the vinegar to bubble.
Drop some soil into a cup of vinegar and if it starts to bubble then you know there is enough lime in the soil.

For the low cost of a pH tester, you will get a lot more accurate reading and this will allow you to easily monitor the condition of your soils and adjust the nutrients accordingly rather than guessing what is needed and not having optimum nutrition.

You should also take samples at different points throughout your garden, as there can be changes in the soil from one area to the next depending on what has been added over the years and what has been growing in the various sections of the garden.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/gardencenter.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com

This tree I am standing beside was the costliest of them all at the Chinese Garden in Portland. There were far larger ones, older, more venerable from the “back 40’s” of various nurseries and even some trees taken from the Highways …

Source: Steve

Question: Are broccoli raab, rapini, Chinese rape, and rapeseed all the same thing? I have come across each in recipes and don't know if they are interchangeable. Answer: There are many variations of these members of the Brassica, …

Source: unknown

One of the great rewards of gardening is flower arrangements. Plant flowers and foliage that produce the look you love. Try exotic looks with anthurium or gingers and cast iron. Practice the ancient Chinese principle using only 2 …

Source: mkwestmark@wakulla.com

For cash strapped apartment dwellers, a new form of miniature garden combines Japanese bonsai and Chinese penjing into a new American art. Two Green Thumbs Garden Center creates this fun and… [[ This is a content summary only. …

Source: Maureen Gilmer

The art of training the bonsai tree has been enjoyed for ages, and can make for quite the enjoyable and rewarding hobby. In fact, early forms of this practice actually began over a thousand years ago, when the Chinese started growing …

Source: dickblur

Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:

Understanding Soil

QUOTE: All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.
- Indian Proverb

Understanding the role that soil plays in the garden is one of the best assets that you can have as a gardener.
It is this knowledge that will allow you to create a healthier environment for your plants and get the maximum benefits from them.

In doing so, you will also make your own life easier, as a garden that is well managed from the soil up, is a garden that is a lot easier to manage, from one day to the next.

A garden that has good soil that has been fed with good nutrition over time will make growing almost anything easy for even the least experienced gardener.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

So how to you get good soil?

First you need to consider how plants grow and how they get their nutrition and that is through their roots.
Therefore, in order for the plants to grow well, they need to be in soil that allows their roots to get to the nutrition.
Obviously compact ground with little water, little air and poor nutrition will not produce the best plants.

Plants need water and air and this requires soil that has spaces to hold this air and water.
Therefore soil that is aerated will generally produce a better garden.  Once again it is all about balance, as soil that is too crumbly might not hold the nutrients as well, where the water might wash them away.  The soil also needs to be firm enough to support the growth of the plant otherwise it will topple over at the first sign of a wind.

The soil needs to have suitable nutrients and if any of these nutrients are out of balance, the pH scale that measures whether the soil is acidic or alkaline, will show why they are having difficulty absorbing the nutrients.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com

Hi everyone

Welcome to this edition of your Gardening Weekly, today's edition is entitled:

Getting Rid of Garden Pests

QUOTE: A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in
- Greek proverb

There are many different types of pests that can ruin your good work in the garden.  The most common are insects and they can destroy a garden in a very short time if left to their own devices.  Even the neighbor's cat can be a pest if it is always using your garden as a toilet.  Birds can be another reason for concern if they are eating your plants and can become quite smelly if they are nesting in trees or hedges in abundance.
 
Pests will use your garden primarily for food and shelter.  To reduce the amount of pests in your garden you need to create an environment that isn't as inviting.

By clearing leaves and waste from the base of your plants you will reduce the amount of shelter.  This will allow you to work the soil better and eliminate the incidence of in-ground insects that can suck the nutrients out of the soil.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

You can stop cats, rats and mice from digging in the soil by using effective ground cover in the form of mesh where it becomes too difficult for them to get through to the soil.

By keeping your compost in the correct composting containers there won't be any decaying matter lying around the yard that will attract rats and mice.  Having a tidy garden and yard will not encourage them to make their home on your property.  Traps might be needed as a final deterrent for rats and mice.

Spraying your plants with suitable insecticides will also reduce the unwanted insect population.  There are some good natural applications on the market that will do the job of the commercial insecticides or you can make your own effective natural insecticide.

If you prune back trees and hedges you might make them less appealing to birds and this might help to reduce the population in your garden.  Keep in mind that some insects do a good job of maintaining a balance in the garden by eating other insects and birds will also eat insects that could be causing damage to your plants.

Website Of Interest. Check out the following:
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com/soil.html

Thanks,
Annie
http://blog.mygardeninghome.com

Hello everyone

Hope you are all well and have been able to get out into the garden recently!

Anyway, I've found a few more help tips that I thought you might be interested in, so here you go……

Question - Kiwi Fruit.  Can You Recommend One For My Garden?

Answer - One of the most reliable kiwi fruits (Chinese Gooseberry) is a self-fertile variety called "Jenny".  It is a vigorous deciduous climber and has creamy-white flowers in the summer, as well as decorative leaves and sweet tasting green brown walnut sized fruits in the early fall (autumn).  It should be trained against a sunny, south-west facing wall sheltered from strong winds using horizontal wires (15ft in length) to support the stems.  During the growing season, keep the ground moist  in dry weather and remove all weeds.  In cold gardens , this plant can be raised inside a greenhouse.  Use a large container filled with No.3 compost.

Question - Is there a miniature Gunnera I can use as "gunnera manicata" is far too big for my bog garden?

Answer - Gunnera manicata is an enormous, moisture loving perennial with architectural, rhubarb like leaves that can be up to 5ft across and chunky cone shaped flowers spikes in he summer.  Fortunately, there is a much smaller species called "G mgellanica".  This perennial has a low, creeping habit and produces a display of dark, kidney shaped leaves, as well as panicles of small green flowers followed by orange-red fruits.  It reaches a height of about 6in with a 12in spread.  For the best results, position the plant in a semi-shaded area and a damp, fertile soil and a bog garden is ideal.

Bye for now!

The Gardener