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Experienced gardeners are well aware of this reality and have even come to enjoy the ephemeral nature of their outdoor spaces.
gardening experts
Growing mustard greens in your garden allows you to put a pop of zingy flavor into your salad mixes. A cool-season crop of peppery leaves also adds interest to the garden. Rebecca Hendricks has a step-by-step guide for you.Mustard is an excellent cool-season crop with interesting leaves ranging from purple to bright green. Mustard can taste mild, or it can be spicy and peppery. It is a favorite in southern gardens. Growing mustard greens is simple, and they are high in antioxidants, a good source of fiber, and high in vitamins A and C. Mustard greens are popular in a variety of dishes, from microgreens to curries and stir-fries. They have been consumed for more than 5,000 years. They were originally grown in Asia and the Mediterranean, and today, countries like India, Nepal, China, and Japan are the leading growers of this delicious green. In addition to being prized for its leaves, mustard can be grown for its seeds, which are used to make the condiment mustard. Mustard greens include a variety of species such as black mustard, white mustard, brown mustard, and more! Other members of the mustard family include tatsoi, mizuna, and bok choy. Mustards are also related to other Brassicas such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower. Growing mustard is easy and can provide nutritious leafy greens and seeds. Let’s talk more about it. What are Mustard Greens? Mustard is an easy to grow annual cool weather leafy green that is grown for its spicy leaves, seeds, and edible tuber root. There are several common varieties of mustard, including black mustard (Brassica nigra), white mustard (Sinapis alba), and brown mustard (Brassica juncea). Brassica nigra, or black mustard, is considered invasive in some places. It produces allopathic chemicals that prevent other plants from growing where it is growing. Garlic mustard, or Alliaria petiolata, and brown mustard, Brassica juncea, are also considered invasive in some locations. The best way to stop their spread is to cut off any flowers that form to prevent them from going to seed. You can also cut it down at soil level and remove all organic matter.
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Galangal seems exotic to most in the United States, but it's a staple spice abroad. Used extensively in Asian cuisine, this root vegetable is fun to grow. Learn how to grow this culinary staple with Melissa Kruse-Peeples at home!During the Middle Ages, the spicy and pungent root known as galangal was a hot commodity. It was widely traded from its native Indonesia and China throughout Europe. Its popularity in the Western world diminished, and until recently, you would have been hard-pressed to find someone who would even know what galangal was. Awareness of galangal is increasing thanks to its popularity in a diversity of Asian cuisines, particularly Thai food. While popularity has increased, sourcing fresh galangal roots can be a challenge. Why not grow your own? Galangal is in the ginger family and grown from the root or rhizomes. Growing galangal is easy. It is a relatively low maintenance perennial. Originally from Indonesia and Southwest China, it is attractive with a tropical look for your garden. Galangal has two forms: greater (Alpinia galanga) and lesser (A. officinarum). The first is larger, as it can grow up to six feet in height, and is the more common culinary root. The lesser version has a stronger taste and is most commonly used for medicinal purposes. It has a smaller stature, reaching around three feet in height.
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Are you considering planting some daisy fleabane near your home or in your garden? Daisy Fleabane goes by a few names and has some very unique health improving properties. In this article, you'll learn all about this beautiful plant and how to successfully grow and care for it. Daisy fleabane, also known as annual fleabane and eastern daisy fleabane, is much more than meets the eye. Incredibly hardy, native to almost all states in the United States, and herbaceous with powerful medicinal qualities. The daisy fleabane is a flower any gardener in the United States should consider, for a variety of different reasons. It’s easy to plant, and easy to care for. In fact, it’s considered a weed by many people all over the world. With delicate white petals and a golden center, it springs forth in early spring and can stick around until late fall. Its long flowering season and general hardiness make this plant an excellent pioneer species. Where it’s Found After wildfires or other major destructive events, the daisy fleabane is amongst the first to show up on the scene. You may see it growing in the charred fields of a once vibrant forest or the field of a recently chopped forest. In the city, it can be seen emerging from the cracks of abandoned parking lots, dotting the tracks of old railway lines, and growing triumphantly from the patch of barren earth where the sidewalk ends. Even amongst pioneer species, it’s strong. In its endemic North America (where it grows in 43 of the 48 contiguous United States), it often beats out invasive weeds in pioneering new growth. The plant’s strength against alien weeds makes it an excellent plant for low-impact wildflower gardens. This is a herbaceous plant with some medicinal properties. In addition to its use in homeopathic medicine, it also contains properties that can help reduce obesity. History and Cultivation This wildflower was once used to repel annoying bugs, though it has proven to be ineffective.The daisy fleabane has a rich and storied history, beginning before recorded history. The plant gets its name from its past utility. People in ages gone by used to dry the plant or burn it in small bags (called sachets) to ward off fleas, gnats, and all manner of annoying buzzing things. Although today it’s generally thought that this is an ineffective insect repellant, the name stands. This plant is a member of the aster family, a huge family of flowering plants with more than 23,000 members. Common and beloved relatives include sunflowers, marigolds, dahlias, and many, many more. As is the case with the other flowers of the aster family, the flower we call a daisy fleabane flower is many flowers clumped together. The outer ring of the fleabane’s golden center consists of a ring of “ray” flowers, each of which has one petal. These ray flowers’ laterally extended petals give the plant its characteristic look. Meanwhile, the disc flowers in the center have small tube petals that extend outward from the flower’s face. That fact that flower is many small flowers helps pollinators like bees to work very efficiently. It’s recognizable by most people, as these small but mighty flowers tend to spring up everywhere and in nearly all 48 of the contiguous United States. It has alternate, simple leaves with green stems. The stems are somewhat hairy, while the leaves are many. Compared to other aster plant species, it has dense foliage, with large leaves beginning at the base. These basal leaves are easily identified, as they are coarsely toothed or cleft and quite large. Leaves further up the stem, meanwhile, may not always be cleft. The flower head is white with a yellow center. The petals range from white to lavender, while the center florets are always a rich, vibrant yellow. Propagation Propagation is an excellent way to expand your garden. It’s a highly tolerant and hardy plant, which means even first-time gardeners typically experience success when attempting propagation. The two most common ways of propagating it are by division and by growing the plant from seeds. As we’ve mentioned above, daisy fleabane sends up many flowers at once when it is time for pollination season. This means that the plant clumps together in the growing season to help maximize pollination efficiency. Gardeners have long used division (dividing the clumps) to stimulate the plant’s growth and increase the size of their gardens. A less common but equally easy way for propagation is done with seeds.
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If you’ve heard the snap and crack during a winter weather event, you’ve experienced the dread of a fallen limb or, worse, an entire tree. Garden expert Katherine Rowe looks at the best care for trees after a heavy snowfall to prevent further damage. Trees are the “bones” of the garden and those strong, magnificent bearers of everything from ornamental appeal and shade to soil stabilization, carbon sequestration, and wildlife nesting and forage. While able to withstand all kinds of conditions, heavy, wet snowfall and ice are a lot (literally) for tree branches to hold, causing them to be damaged under the weight. Winter and early spring storms can bring snow, ice, and high winds to cold climates. They also do severe damage in warmer areas that traditionally don’t experience wintry conditions. Specimens with multi stems or brittle limbs are most susceptible to breakage, but all trees can incur damage in winter extremes. How we address heavy snowfall is important in aftercare for susceptible branches, and the proper management keeps us from doing unintentional damage. Preventative measures help overall tree health in withstanding winter weather. Know the Most Susceptible Trees Both deciduous and evergreen tree species are susceptible to damage from heavy snowfall and ice. To hone in on those in your landscape with the greatest tendency to break, here are a few to keep an eye on: Weak-wooded and fast-growing deciduous species like cottonwood, ash, elm, willow, poplar Multistemmed selections like birch, arborvitae, juniper Trees with more than one central leader (main branch) Wide spreading canopies, horizontal branching Those with poor form (deep v-shaped or narrow angles) and deadwood Aged specimens After Care Once the snow falls or ice forms, there are measures to address weighted stems and any resulting breakage. One of the best first steps is to wait until ice and snow naturally melt in warming sunshine, usually a quick process, to assess the damage. For personal safety, we can’t overstate the importance of not standing beneath or working on large trees or branches impacted by heavy snowfall and winter damage. Limbs and entire trunks can snap or uproot at any time due to wet, saturated conditions. Interacting with branches can promote movement and cracking or dislodge hangers. Let snow and ice naturally melt in these cases, and enlist a certified arborist to assess preservation measures post-storm. Snow If heavy snowfall, not ice, is the main event, tend to young and small trees to dislodge the pack and prevent damage. When limbs bend under the weight of heavy snowfall, it’s tempting to give them a hardy shake. Vigorous shaking, though, can cause too much bounceback as stems are flexible. The snapback with the snow lifted may cause splitting. Instead of big shaking, do so lightly. You can also sweep the snow off the branch in an upward motion, keeping the weight off the end of the bending stem. Alternatively, lifting the branch is a safe means of displacement. Using a broom handle or other pole, lift the limb from below for subtle movement. Stand aside and watch for falling branches and snow as you lift. Don’t hit the stem to shed snow; it can damage bark and tissue. Ice Ice storms often do the most damage, sweeping lots of small and large debris from trees in a single event. To view the destruction of a severe ice storm is equivocal to the aftermath of a hurricane. A layer of ice makes stems brittle, and working with them leads to easy breakage. Ice is best left to melt in the sun, as opposed to using hot or cold water to accelerate melting on an above-freezing day. Water adds weight through saturation, and hot water can cause tissue damage in addition. Avoid lifting or shaking icy branches. If the tree shows bending, add a support prop to discourage further weight, but avoid trying to raise the branch. Remove the prop once the ice melts so branches can naturally return to shape. Treating Breakage If damage is minimal (like small twigs and branches), the woody grower will rejuvenate on its own in coming seasons. Breaks that need attention are ragged cuts, hanging limbs, and those not at a growth point. Consider pruning as a means toward recovery if: the tree is otherwise healthy the primary trunk and most significant branches are intact at least 50% of the crown remains the remainder is sound When a limb breaks, it can leave a jagged, splintered cut in the branch or junction point. Make a clean cut when possible to minimize exposed tissue. Reducing exposure prevents subsequent wound damage like moisture and disease intrusion. Trees are adept at healing, and a clean cut is a good foundation for warding off pathogens. New growth emerges at a healthy node before the cut. Trim back any small stem breaks to the first healthy branch. If the end of a large branch is gone, trim it back to a healthy branching node for growth to develop around the tip. On conifers, damage to the central leader is recoverable by pruning it back for new leaders to develop. Continued pruning fosters the best shape for sturdy, wind-resistant forms. Topping, removing, or reducing leaders on all trees results in less structural integrity. They become prone to future weakness and wind toppling. Tree Tying Tying the branches of susceptible evergreen trees is a means of preventing winter damage before a heavy snowfall or storm. This is most feasible for small specimens and young trees. In this method, branches are bundled upward toward the trunk using soft, flexible ties. The aim is to prevent weighty snow from accumulating. It also protects against ice damage. To tie stems, wrap flexible material (bungee cords, fabric strips, nylon hose) around the entire conifer. Create a cone shape with a gentle binding to support stems and shed snow. Remove the ties after the threat passes or late in the season as conditions moderate. Protective Barriers If you have a spot in your yard prone to drifts or piling, like snow sliding off a peaked roof, installing a temporary barrier is an option. These can stay in place all winter to protect individual specimens or go in for the short term before a storm. Wooden Structures Basic wooden structures become reusable forms to hold heavy snowfall off the tree. Repurpose wooden boards to build an A-frame or box structure around the tree. Secure the pieces using nails, screws, or hinges. With the frame in place, use a tarp, plastic sheeting, burlap, or landscape fabric to cover it during the weather event. Staple or tie the cover to the frame. After the weather clears, remove the cover to allow exposure to sunlight, moisture, and airflow. Keep the frame in place for the season, replacing the cover as needed. If leaving the cover in place for extended periods, opt for burlap since it’s breathable. In spring, store the frame for next year or repurpose the wood. Evergreen Boughs Clip evergreen boughs or repurpose your Christmas tree to position against small trees and shrubs. The added coverage collects and displaces snowfall. Arrange the boughs by leaning them against the existing growth so snow slides down and off. The extra insulation also helps against ice. Managing Bent Branches Leaders and stems may show a bent form even after the snow and ice passes. Without breakage present, they’ll likely rebound over time. Resist the urge to prop or tie them up. Let them reform naturally to minimize weakness or breakage. If drooping, bending, or distorting is still evident by early summer, strapping and wooden supports can help train the stems. Use tree staking supplies like flexible straps or fabric strips tied to bamboo or other wooden stakes for repositioning. Take off the strapping in one or two growing seasons to avoid girdling as the tree grows. Preventative Pruning Pruning contributes to long-term health and improves resistance against winter injury. The goal of preventative pruning is to direct growth to retain a sturdy structural form. Leave big cuts and structural decisions to professional arborists. Prune out dead, diseased, or crossing limbs any time of year. Stop any pruning by late summer to avoid generating new growth. Tender stems are susceptible to weakness and winter dieback, potentially damaging the limb in freezing situations. Pruning deciduous trees during dormancy allows full visibility of structure and form while growth is inactive. Pruning when dormant doesn’t promote new growth until temperatures warm. Prune to develop a central leader (primary branch) and a scaffolding structure suitable to the species. Start with young trees to foster the best form and strength.
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We’re hot and spicy… literally!
The most amazing crisp-tender chicken with a honey garlic sauce that is out of this world. So good, you’ll want to use this sauce on everything!
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery. As always, I only partner with brands that I love and truly believe in, allowing me to create more quick and easy recipes to get us through the week without breaking the bank. All opinions expressed are my own.
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Yields the most tender, juicy meat with the crispiest skin! 15-20 min prep time. That’s it! So simple yet SO GOOD
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