by Linda D. Harris, Horticulturist, Ferry-Morse Seed Company Winter covers the ground everywhere north of Zone 8. Right now your next garden is still a dream. Begin now to make the dream real. Start planning on paper. Then begin thinking about which seeds to start for the next garden’s flowers, herbs and vegetables indoors. Growing [Continue]
“Pruning Houseplants” by David Tarrant January is a good time to prune certain houseplants, particularly such vigorous growers as hibiscus and bougainvillea. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Chinese Hibiscus) is a beautiful and easy houseplant. With the many indoor cultivars of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, if they are in a well-lit sunny window, they continue to send out the odd [Continue]
“Gardening in the Future” by Mala Gunadasa-Rohling The last month of the Millenium is undoubtedly a time for reflections, both forwards and backwards, for everybody, but I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that gardeners are more aware than others of the passing seasons and years. We keep journals of what we do each season, [Continue]
BELGIUM: Sick Plants… Everyone knows that plants can be infected with viruses, but no one realised, until now, that they develop a fever at the onset of infection. Researchers at the University of Ghent, Belgium, have proven that tobacco plants with mosaic virus develop higher temperatures on the parts of their leaves that are under [Continue]
“Neil Harris, a mistletoe grower in England, is full of Christmas cheer at the thought of a big demand for his crop this year, due to a ban on imported French plants” AUCTIONEERS holding the first mistletoe sale of the year are expecting fierce competition today for restricted native stocks in time for Christmas amid [Continue]
“December” by David Tarrant December brings us the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Its passing kindles excitement of looking forward to longer days and a new gardening season ahead. In ancient times, plants with winter interest were always used as decorations in celebrations marking passing from darkness into light. At the [Continue]