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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
Thinking of planting grape hyacinth in your garden, or around your home? This beautiful flowering plant can be something different and unique, that's not commonly seen amongst gardens around the globe.The draping bulbs of grape hyacinth are sure to create a stunning spring spectacle, no matter where they’re planted. While not related to true hyacinths – a flowering garden staple – grape hyacinth still deserves a spot in your landscape. They get their unique name from their pretty blooms that look like a cluster of grapes mixed with tiny hyacinths. Their blooms are small, but they come in a variety of colors that brighten any space. Grape hyacinths have a lot more going for them than just their looks. They’re extremely low maintenance, cold-hardy, and naturalize quickly, allowing them to be planted in a variety of ways. They make striking additions to beds and containers, perfect for cottage gardens. These unique bulbs also add a pretty twist in meadow and woodland gardens, as well as non-traditional urbanized spaces. There are more than 40 species of grape hyacinth, each with its own unique quirks and colors. Though blue is the most common color, some varieties come in different shades of purple and pink, while others are bright yellow and even white. The most traditional grape hyacinth is the Muscari aucheri ‘Blue Magic,’ which of course has striking grape-blue flowers. Grape hyacinth belongs to the Muscari genus, which is part of the asparagus (Asparagaceae) family. Muscari is a Greek word meaning ‘musk’ which refers to the flower’s delicious fragrance. Grape hyacinths are native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean and made their way across Europe throughout the 13th century. They became increasingly popular in the 1500s, and by the middle of the century, they were commercially cultivated. By this time, these bulbed flowers had reached the Americas, too. Despite this relatively long history, grape hyacinth’s popularity dates back much further. Archeologists in Iraq found evidence of them amongst many other types of flowers at a burial site dated back almost 50,000 years. Today, they are still used for display purposes, mainly in spring gardens. They’re known for their striking appearance in the ‘Blue River’ display at the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland. But these flowers don’t need to be planted in a world-renowned spring garden to be appreciated. They still make quite the spectacle when planted in small groups in home gardens. In the Mediterranean, many species star in both gardens and kitchens. The bulbs, flowers, and buds of some varieties are particularly popular in dishes from Crete and southern Italy. Some species’ bulbs are often boiled, pickled, and used as a substitute for onion. Others add a nutty flavor to dishes when they’re pickled in vinegar. Part of Grape Hyacinth’s allure is their self-seeding nature and ability to naturalize easily. While this is great, many gardeners opt to propagate their plants to quickly increase their stock. Propagation is also a great way to share your favorite plants with friends and family at no cost. Luckily, there are two easy ways to propagate them – from seed or by dividing the bulbs.
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Once the warmth of summer comes on, cucumbers are a favorite addition to summer salads and sandwiches. Growing cucumbers at home is surprisingly easy, and you’ll find that the ones you grow are far superior to anything you can buy at the store. Whether used to make pickles, eaten fresh from the vegetable garden, or used for their juice, cucumber is a great source of vitamins and micronutrients. They’re packed with water and fiber, two things essential to our health. And they’re low-calorie, making them a favorite food of the diet-conscious. Let’s not forget that the plants themselves are a bright green and will enliven your vegetable garden space with a mat of dense, fat leaves. Hiding within those vines or bushes can be an abundance of delicious food if you just follow this guide! Cucumbers By Use Generally, there are two, sometimes three, categories that cucumbers fall under in terms of how they’re used. Slicing cucumbers or fresh-eating cucumbers are those which are used in salads. These tend to be crisp, juicy, and tasty in most fresh-use situations. Many slicing cucumbers also have thinner skins. Pickling cucumbers have thicker skins and slightly denser, drier flesh which takes well to absorbing pickle brine. These are a common storage cucumber. While pickling cucumbers can still be eaten fresh, they’re most popular for pickling use. Sometimes there’s a third category, the snacking cucumbers. These are used both for fresh eating and for pickling, but tend to be much smaller in size than either pickling or slicing cucumbers. Sometimes these are referred to as cocktail cucumbers. However, snacking cucumbers can easily be categorized in one or both of the other categories. Cucumbers By Growth All cucumbers are a form of vine, but not all cucumbers are bush types. Bush cucumbers tend to be more compact and good for small-space growing. These are considered great greenhouse plants, hydroponic plants, or container plants. The best containers for cucumbers are right in our store. Try the 5-gallon Air Pot the next time you grow bush cucumbers. Some form of support or trellis may be needed, but bush cucumbers usually only take up 2-3 square feet of space. In addition, some greenhouse or hydroponic types are self-fruitful, meaning that they don’t need outside pollination. Vining cucumbers are those which splay out long vines from a central plant base. These are often grown on a trellis if space is limited, but may also be grown flat on the ground. These can take up a lot more real estate than a bush cucumber might, but they make up the vast majority of cucumber varieties. How To Plant Cucumbers Cucumbers are extremely frost-sensitive, so you don’t want to plant cucumbers too early. At the very earliest, plant your cucumber seeds at least two weeks after the last possible frost date. You should only plant in warm soil, at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit is needed for seeds to germinate. Those of us who like planting cucumbers indoors ahead of time can use a seedling heat mat set to 70 degrees. Sow seeds 3-4 weeks before you want to transplant your young seedling plants. This should get them off to a great start. Cucumbers are a full-sun plant, so no matter where they’re placed, you’ll want at least eight hours of sunlight a day to keep them happy. Bush cucumbers are quite happy as container plants. When space is limited, these are perfect options for planting cucumbers. By comparison, vining cucumbers can take up quite a lot of space, so plan ahead for these. You can also train and grow cucumbers up a trellis to reduce space. Or grow cucumbers upside-down using a modified five-gallon bucket or an upside-down tomato plant container. Just be careful to regularly pick your produce so that you don’t put stress on the plant’s roots! These plants can be susceptible to various fungal plant diseases if they’re too tightly packed together. This is especially true if their leaves are regularly wet and don’t dry out quickly. Container-grown cucumbers are growing in popularity, and we’ve got a fantastic video with tips for keeping them producing throughout the season! Transplanted cucumber plants grown up a trellis can be spaced about a foot apart, where bush plants prefer about 36″ apart. Vining types that aren’t grown upward should have at least 60″ spacing to enable them to spread. Directly-sown cucumbers should be handled in a similar spacing pattern as transplanted cucumber seedlings. Place 3-4 cucumber seeds in each 1″ deep hole, and once they’ve germinated, thin down to the strongest plant or two. Find more cucumber spacing info in our piece on the topic. Often, people will plant their vining cucumbers in hills. Make a mound of soil, 3-4″ tall, and plant your seeds in the center of the hill. The vines will then grow downward and around the mound. And, to set you and your plants up for success, plant some cucumber companion plants nearby.
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The tropical June plum tree, a relative of the mango, produces an equally tasty fruit.The June plum tree produces an uncommon tropical treat, not to be compared to the popular plum fruit. The flavor of a June plum resembles a pineapple and mango with the crunch of an apple. The fruits can be eaten unripe or ripe, which can either make the flavor mellow or tangy. June plums are a rare commodity that you probably won’t find at the grocery store. This fruit tree would be an excellent addition to the home garden if your climate permits. June plums thrive in the heat but cannot tolerate frost. They offer more than just fresh fruit. Use the tropical fruit to make juice, jams, and sauces. It can also be pickled and added to dishes for flavoring. The young leaves are also edible and commonly consumed in Southeast Asia, either raw or steamed. Use the leaves to tenderize meat. Fortunately, June plum trees are also very easy to grow. Grow in the ground or in a pot but make sure they have full or partial sun. They are an ideal candidate for a patio fruit tree. They have very few problems in regard to pests and diseases. As long as June plum trees can be protected from frost, there’s no reason not to grow your own!June plum (Spondias dulcis) has many different common names, but the most common are ambarella, golden apple, Jewish plum, and Tahitian plum. Spondias dulcis is in the family Anacardiaceae. Also included in this family are mangos, cashews, and pistachios.
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Thinking of planting an Iris virginica in your garden? This carefree aquatic plant, usually found in the wild across the Southern and Eastern United States, is the perfect addition to any water-heavy spots in your garden. Gardening expert Madison Moulton examines the best ways to plant, grow, and care for the Southern Blue Flag. Nestled the balmy heat of the Southeastern United States, from Virginia to Louisiana and into Texas, sits Iris Virginica – a delicate herbaceous perennial. The small, intricate blue blooms top long stems, surrounded by spiked green leaves that contrast in texture and structure. Looks are not the only thing this showy plant has going for it. It is also incredibly low maintenance, growing well anywhere it is provided wet soil. This makes this Iris which has a striking blue flower, an ideal addition next to ponds or streams, or as a part of a water feature. Although it resides largely on the South coast, this plant will thrive in a range of climate regions. No matter where you reside, you won’t regret adding this plant to your water garden. What Is Iris Virginica? The Virginia Iris is a member of the Iris genus, containing hundreds of species and cultivars with similar detailed, interesting flower types. The genus name comes from the Greek for ‘rainbow’, seemingly referring to the colorful flowers found across these fascinating species. Iris Virginica is Native to the Eastern and Southern coastal regions of the United States, it features bluish-purple blooms surrounding a yellow and white center. The yellow patch is believed to guide pollinators to the nectar inside the center of the flower. Each petal is decorated with deep violet veins that stand out against the light base. The delicate flowers are surrounded by clumps of sharp green leaves that add volume to the plant. This plant is commonly compared to its Northern counterpart, Iris versicolor. Both Iris species are incredibly similar, growing in the same wetland conditions and sporting similar flowers. However, Northern Blue Flag is understandably more cold-hardy, growing well in USDA zones 3-9. Southern Blue Flag (and Northern Blue Flag, too) is mostly found in the wild and not typically grown in home gardens. They are skipped over in favor of their more popular ornamental relatives. However, this shouldn’t stop you from growing it in your own backyard. These plants provide the classic Iris look we all love in wetland conditions. This makes them ideal for tricky spots like ponds, or planted in rain gardens, where they will grow without fuss. They are also native to the US, a great alternative to some of the invasive Iris species that disrupt the local environments. Propagation There are a few ways to correctly propagate the iris virginica. In the wild, Virginia Iris spreads by dropping seeds or slowly extending the rhizomes. When left to spread on their own, the clumps can become congested, preventing further prolific growth and flowering. When kept in your garden, it is best to divide and replant the rhizomes every few years to promote flowering. Alternatively, you can harvest the seeds and replant them immediately, straight into the garden. Dividing Southern Blue Flags Division is best done in late summer or early autumn. When the leaves begin to yellow, you’ll know the plants are ready to be propagated. Divide after the plant has finished flowering to enjoy the best of its blooms for that season and limit the risk of bacterial soft rot. To divide, gently lift the plant out of the soil with a fork, ensuring you do not damage the rhizomes. Depending on the age of your plant, you may be able to pull the rhizomes apart, but if not, they can be cut with a clean, sharp knife. Use this time to remove any unhealthy rhizomes or dying leaves. New, healthy rhizomes will be plump with plenty of leaves, while older ones will have a woody texture. Cut the leaves to around a third of their height. This allows the plant to focus its energy on rhizome regrowth, limiting any potential transplant stress. Replant the viable rhizomes back into the garden, ensuring they have plenty of sunshine and water to reestablish themselves. Propagating From Seeds When propagating from seed, plant immediately after harvesting when the seeds are still ripe. You’ll know the seeds are ready when the pod turns brown and dries out. Iris virginica seeds do not respond well to being stored and, if allowed to dry out, will no longer be viable. Plant the seeds straight into the garden in fall and they should emerge again come springtime. Planting This particular plant should ideally be planted in early spring. Rhizomes are best planted in fall, but potted plants can be transplanted into the garden in early spring to get the most of their late spring and summer flowers. Plant around 2’ apart to give the plants enough space to spread. Ensure the area you are planting in has plenty of sunlight and receives a good amount of water throughout the day. Ideal spots include bog gardens or rain gardens, or along streams and rivers. This perennial can be planted as a border plant in garden beds, but will need constant watering to thrive. When planting in beds, ensure you pair it with other water-loving plants to match their needs. As they need consistently moist soil, most other common bedding plants will succumb to root rot under the same conditions. Care One of the great benefits of growing this plant species is its remarkably carefree nature. When given the right environment, this plant will grow and flower reliably for many years without too much intervention from you. Light When it comes to light, this plant needs plenty of sun to produce its showy flowers. In most regions, it is best planted in a full sun position. However, in hotter areas, it may benefit from some shade in the afternoons. The more shade this plant receives, the less likely it will be to flower.
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