6/6/2020 0 Comments Ecological Functions: Part 6'Pest Repellent' plants are needed in the garden to keep away various critters. Below are examples of plants that repel pests which replaces the need for chemicals. 'Restoration' or 'Reclamation' plants are used to restore/reclaim the soil.
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5/30/2020 0 Comments Ecological Functions: Part 5Another functional necessary in a garden is the 'Nurse.' They are fast growing pioneer plants that support establishment of other plants. 'Nutrient Accumulator' also plays an important role within the garden. These are tap-rooted plants that draw nutrients from deep in the soil making them available near the surface. Nitrogen is a important to have in the soil. Here are some 'Nitrogen Fixer' plants which converts atmospheric nitrogen to plant usable nitrogen. It can also be problematic when there is too much nitrogen in the soil. Some plants have the ability to take up and/or store excess nitrogen. These types of plants are called 'Nitrogen Scavengers.' Another function important within a garden is 'Insectory.' It supports beneficial insects. The pictures below show some examples. Mulch is vital in a garden, It provides a barrier on the soil preventing water from escaping and weeds from growing. Here are some 'Mulch Maker' plants to use in your garden. They decompose quickly providing on-site mulching.
Spring and Summer are a perfect time to start planning your garden for the Fall in South Florida. Each plant that you choose for your garden has a special function. Altogether, there are 14 different functions needed for your garden to flourish. In this weekly mini-series, I will introduce 2 unique plant functions at a time: 1.) Air Cleaner: Cleans the air of pollutants. 2.) Animal Forage: Provides food for domestic animals.
4/30/2020 0 Comments Landscaping your Summer GardenQuite many things should be considered as you plan and plant the summer garden. An important thing is natural landscape or the terrain of the lawn and the garden area. Whenever possible, it would be ideal to work with the landscape than working totally against it or going towards extraordinary efforts in making changes to the natural landscape of the yard as one can quite easily and very beautifully plan the summer garden and go with flow working well along with natural terrain of the yard. You can accomplish this by taking quick surveys of the yard. This would be more than any cursory visual survey. One would need to walk the yard and the corresponding area in which the garden space will be used. You would need to measure terrains and take notes of the inclines and slopes. You would also need to study the soil conditions; checking to see if there are areas which seem particularly inhospitable to plant. If you do find one, consider a water feature or a garden statue/ornament. One must also determine the right amount of shade a particular place would receive and, how shade can be created for those plants, flowers and vegetables when in the direct sunlight. Indirect sunlight suits well to few plants. This could be accomplished if we plant them creatively within shadows of plants, shrubs, and vegetables which grow quite taller or even by using the rocks for creating shade. Incorporating climbing vines on the trellises or fences can create artificial shade is also suggested. After we have a good feel for terrain and the landscape of our summer garden we would need to start planning on which vegetables, flowers, and plants would be used. Vegetable gardens tend to be not very aesthetic in nature often being the easiest for landscaping, as it is more of a need than some beauty. If one is planting some flowery summer garden, it is likely that they are planning to bring in some degree of exotic beauty in their garden. In this case it could be decided if one wants to keep flowers and plants in a specific color scheme or theme. It also important to consider the amount of time you have to maintain a garden. If you are looking for a garden basically the sow and go type, then you must make sure it gets filled with flowers and plants suited for that kind of low maintenance. Many vegetable gardens need good deals of tending so as to flourish and cannot be acceptable in such situations. 11/17/2018 0 Comments Essential Oils in the Garden
When I think of weeds in general, I think of the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: "What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered." They are usually thought of as unwanted (and difficult to get rid of) plants in your garden. I'm here to tell you that 'weeds' can contribute a variety of benefits to your landscape. Some weeds are highly beneficial to the growth and stability of your garden. These benefits include:
1.) Dandelion Preferring hard-pan clay soils, these weeds are commonly found throughout the United States. It would be a mistake to remove them from your yard. Besides making salads, a coffee alternative, and dandelion wine with that plant, it is highly beneficial for gardeners. Dandelions accumulate minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and silicon. Their deep roots also work to loosen the soil surrounding them. Additionally, these weeds attract ladybugs and pollinators seeking nectar. Dandelions should be left to grow and die on their own. If you prefer to rid your garden of the dandelions, cut them back monthly and tuck them under the mulch, leaving roots intact to gain the benefits that the soil craves. 2.) White Clover White clover is another beneficial weed found in your landscape. Lawns that do not collect clippings typically become nitrogen deprived. White clover has the ability to transfer airborne nitrogen and place it within the soil. This is then transmitted to the neighboring plants. Just be sure to prune the white clover away from individual plants to prohibit the weed from smothering your other plants. White Clover also accumulates phosphorus and attracts various insects beneficial for your garden (i.e. ladybugs, and minute pirate bugs). This plant will also provide shelter for parasitoid wasps, spiders, and ground beetles. It also acts as a popular egg-laying site for lacewings. 3.) Frog Fruit This Florida native plant is known for attracting pollinators. This is an ideal plant to have in your landscape as a water-saving ground cover. They can be used on boulders, or the edges of hanging baskets. It is also drought, and flood tolerant and prefers full sun, and partial shade. Besides attracting pollinators for its nectar, it is also the larval host of several butterfly species (i.e. Phone Crescentspot, Buckeye, and White Peacock butterflies). 4.) Chickweed Chickweed loves to pop up in disturbed soil. It would be a mistake to deprive your garden of the various benefits this plant provides. Firstly, it accumulates minerals such as potassium and phosphorus in soil. Secondly, it attracts insects from its nectar. Thirdly, it is edible and has medicinal properties. To get the most out of Chickweed, cut the plants back monthly, tucking them neatly under the mulch of your garden. It is recommended that you should leave the roots of your Chickweed intact to enrich the soil. 5.) Purslane There are many benefits to having Purslane as a ground cover in your landscape. Like most ground cover, Purslane stabilizes soil moisture, and conserves water. What makes this better than most ground covers, is that it has very deep roots that reach nutrients and water that most garden plants can't access thereby enriching the top soil (or the top layer of soil). This weed also breaks up hard soil, allowing other plants to develop a more established root system. Besides being an excellent addition to your landscape, Purslane also good for human consumption. Purslane has a light lemony taste and is used in many parts of the world as a salad green and in cooking. It has the highest omega-3 fatty acid of any leafy vegetable. It has 498 mg of potassium in a 100 gram serving (compared to bananas which have 358 mg) and it also is high in vitamin A, C, and contains beta-cyanins and beta-xanthins, two potent antioxidants. 6/27/2018 0 Comments Three Easy Pruning TechniquesWhen you think of summer in Miami, you think of all the beautiful beaches South Florida has to offer. I, on the other hand, think of pruning. It is an ideal time for two reasons: most of the trees aren't in bloom, and they tend grow faster during this time of the year. It is best to prune your trees/bushes either early in the morning, or in the evening. I love looking at my Sapphire Showers tree (aka Golden Dewdrop) in bloom. Those beautiful small delicate purple flowers attracts so many butterflies! It needs to be pruned regularly otherwise it starts to look like a bush. Here are some easy tips and techniques I follow for crown thinning: 1.) Keep lateral branches as evenly spaced as possible. 2.) Prune away branches that cross other branches. 3.) Never remove more than one-fourth of a living crown at once. |
AuthorLove spending time in my garden whenever I have free time. Besides posting about life in the garden, I will also include tips and tricks with starting a garden. Archives
June 2020
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Photo used under Creative Commons from camerabee