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Ex Officio’s latest brand extension is a line of pastel-colored gardening clothes called MUMZ. The apparel comes with the same embedded insect repellent as their hiking and camping BUZZ OFF brand. I’m not sure if it’s sexist of me to …

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Hi everyone

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

Frost Damaged Plants

QUOTE: If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not the heart of man become in its long journey toward the stars?
- G.K. Chesterton

The appearance of wilting leaves, and leaves that have a water logged look can be a sign that your plant is suffering from frost damage.

Another sign of frost damage can be the appearance of brown patches on the leaves.  Other signs are shown when the shoot tips on your plants start to die back.  If the flowers on the plant don't open fully or they become discolored and then start to die off, then these are also signs that frost damage might have occurred.

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

There is no treatment for frost damage other than to remove the damaged portions of the plant in an effort to make it look a little healthier. Provided the damage hasn't been too severe you might not lose the plant.

Sometimes frost damage is not noticeable for a few days after a frost has occurred and this is particularly so if the frost was a very light one.

The best way to protect against frost damage, or to reduce the effect that frost might have on your garden is to choose the best plants for your climate conditions.  If you are living in an area that is susceptible to frosts then your best course of action is to choose plants that are frost-tolerant.

By planting in areas that are exposed or where frosts occur more frequently you will increase the chances of losing plants to frosts so it is wise to plant in sheltered spots or areas other than where there are frost pockets.

You can offer some protection to your plants by wrapping them in Hessian cloth or frost cloth until after the period of frost has passed.

There will be times in such climates where it is not possible to know when there will be a frost and these out of season frosts can kill a whole plant.

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

Thanks,
Annie
My Gardening Home Blog

Hi everyone

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

Moving Plants

QUOTE: Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are
- Alfred Austin

While winter is the ideal time to move plants they can be successfully moved at any time throughout the year provided care is taken.

Smaller plants, under three feet high, are the easiest to move.  The first step is to trim the plant by about one third.
The next step is to dig the plant out ensuring that the root ball is approximately the same diameter as the plant.
The plant can then be transplanted in the new position in the garden and the soil around it firmed.

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

The procedure with bigger plants in the 3-foot to 5-foot range is much the same but will take a little more time.
Once you have dug around the plant to a depth of approximately 1 to 1 1/2 feet, you should leave it for a week before finishing the removal.  After a week ease the plant out by digging under the roots and trim off long or damaged roots before transplanting.

For bigger plants and trees the procedure gets a little more involved.  The first step is to dig down deeply on two sides of the plant, through the roots at the drip line.  The plant should then be left for a week or two before the same procedure is repeated on the other two sides of the plant.  As with the smaller plants you will need to trim the plant back by about one third before starting.  After having dug around all sides of the plant you should wait another couple of weeks before digging under the roots.  Again, you will need to trim off long or damaged roots in preparation for the transplant.

Let another week or two pass before removing the plant and wrapping the root ball with Hessian to protect the roots.

You should have already prepared a new hole that will be slightly bigger than the root ball of the plant you are replacing.  Add compost, mix and slow release fertilizer before transplanting the plant.  Top up the soil and water it well.  Provided you have taken good care along the way the plant should settle in to its new location without any problems.

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

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

Hi everyone

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

Which Ones are the Weeds?

QUOTE: Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
- Henry Ford

I have always wondered who ever determined what was a weed and what was a flower.  There are some delightful looking weeds that grow in the garden even when we don't want them to be there.

I guess the best explanation of what represents a weed, and what represents a flower is, a weed is a plant that is growing somewhere that it shouldn't be.

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

I'm sure that if we started planting these plants that we call weeds, the ones that we call flowers now would start sprouting up everywhere.

I have known people who will happily leave weeds in the garden if they think their color and style will add to the variety of their garden.

More often than not however, we fight the never-ending battle to eradicate these unwanted residents from our gardens only to have them grow back faster than ever.

Adding a covering of mulch will help to reduce the return of weeds.  Another method that helps is to lay dampened newspaper on the ground before covering it with mulch. This is very effective.

The problem with weeds is the fact that many of these plants are better at seeking out the nutrients in the soil and by doing so they are using the goodness that we want for the plants that we choose to have in the garden.

Many weeds also attract insects to the garden that can affect the condition of other plants.

No matter how diligent we are at removing weeds from the garden they will always reappear as their seeds are transported by insects, the wind, and even on the clothing and shoes that we wear.

Replanting from one garden to another can easily introduce new weeds so it is always important to check the soil and the roots of the plants that you are moving to ensure you aren't transplanting weeds also.

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

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

Long gone are the days when I used to travel with only a backpack, or move to a new country with only two suitcases full of clothes, books. Oh, and a guitar, which unfortunately didn’t make it back to Canada. …

Source: Bonsai Girl

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grow lavender.jpg Of all the fragrant plants that we can grow in our gardens, lavender is a popular choice. It perfumes your hand as you run your fingers through it and will taint your clothes even if you mildly brush against it. …

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Even if it is still a little rainy in Vancouver, it can always be sunny in Second Life. One of my favourite clothes designers, Fallingwater Cellardoor of Shiny Things fame, also designs fantastical flowers and plants. …

Source: Kate

Allergens make gardening a much more difficult choreSkieston Standard Democrat, MO - 17 minutes ago“When you’re through (gardening), and you go in, get those clothes off and take a shower to help get the pollen off. That’s the best thing you can do,” …

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Mission Impossible? Are you thinking of Spring? I know I am. Getting out without layers of clothes and heavy boots. To take in a breath of fresh air that doesn't burn your nose hairs. To look up at the sky and see blue. …

Source: Successful Organics