Garden Plants and Gardening Forum - The Grow Spot http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/ The Grow Spot is a gardening community with forums on Urban Gardening, Organic Gardening, Growing to Eat, and more. The Grow Spot is also resource for information on all sorts of garden plants, flowers, trees and all things that grow. No green thumb required! en Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:03:35 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/images/evomisc/rss.jpg Garden Plants and Gardening Forum - The Grow Spot http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/ <![CDATA[Tropicanna canna 'phasion']]> http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/tropicanna-canna-phasion-56750.html Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:03:32 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden

This is one Canna I grow for the foliage as well as the flowers. It is hardy in zones 7-11 prefers full sun to partial shade. It will also do well in a large pot, and will grow up to 4' in the container, and 6' in the garden.

I love the shades of the multi-hued leaves, and it will be crowned with brilliant tangerine orange flowers. This year due to our cooler than usual summer, the plant is slow in showing it's lovely blooms.



Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/tropicanna-canna-phasion-56750.html A cure for spammers http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/a-cure-for-spammers-56749.html Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:52:27 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Garden Amateur (http://gardenamateur.blogspot.com/) Of course we all hate spam and spammers. So... This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Garden Amateur

Of course we all hate spam and spammers. So far my quiet little backwater of a blog has been free of spammers, but in the last couple of days I've been spammed repeatedly by someone who I can describe only as electronic pond-scum.

Dozens and dozens of my posts have been smeared with the stupid ads of a spammer from far far away, and so I've been forced to turn on the option in my Comments section which means any comments to my blog need my approval prior to making it up onto the site. Sorry about this, but for the meantime I'll be doing this until I think it might be safe to return to normal. So there might be a wait occasionally before you see your comments appear. That's a bummer because I love comments!


The only thing that I can offer by way of constructive suggestion is that anyone caught spamming should be jailed for one year and fed nothing but Spam. That should cure them.


However, I hate to conclude this little text-only posting with jails and revenge in my heart. So please accept 50,000 thanks from me to all the good people who visit my blog. My little visitor-counter thingy at the bottom of the page finally ticked over past that little milestone this week, and so please accept 50,000 thanks all you wonderful people who have visited my blog with the best of intentions (even if you sometimes leave confused!). As far as I can tell, the good people outnumber the spammers by 50,000 to one.

















Read More at Garden Amateur... ]]> Gardening Around the Web Garden Amateur http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/a-cure-for-spammers-56749.html Wednesday whimsy http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/wednesday-whimsy-56748.html Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:15:11 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden








Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/wednesday-whimsy-56748.html So, there you are! http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/so-there-you-are-56747.html Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:01:18 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden

I put this plant in the garden about three years ago, and it is only now that it has decided to bloom. I believe it is a variegated phlox.



Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/so-there-you-are-56747.html New Growth http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/new-growth-56746.html Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:58:37 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Scarecrow's Garden

Scarecrow's Garden Log: 28:08:2010:

The second round of Almond trees are blooming.


Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min -2.6C
Lowest Max 10.5C
Highest Max 14.3C
10.8mm Rain

What's the weather been like in the garden?
Cold, wet and very windy all week!!




With weather that bad there's only one thing to do!


A trip up north to visit the Grandtwins!



The nine week old twins loved
their first toys (tiny rattles)
from their Poppy Doc!!


Propagation:
Seeds:
Bean 7 Year Phaseolus coccineus (Seeds from a friend last year)
Bean Winged Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (Eden Seeds)
Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan syn. Cajanus indicus (Seeds from a friend in Qld)
Seakale Crambe maritima (Pheonix Seeds)
These all went into punnets and were put into the very crowded hothouse!

Planting out:
Small Parsnips were dug up and planted around the edge beds in the hope that they will flower and attract beneficial insects.

In the Garden This week:
New growth is everywhere. The garden is slowly waking up.

The plum tree is bursting to bloom!


New Rhubarb leaves are unfurling.


The Tagasaste is in bloom.


Even the early planted Dutch Cream Potatoes
are emerging...
...they are covered at night in case of a snap frost!

With the extra rain this year weeds are everywhere! Fortunately a few of them are lettuce seedlings and I have been harvesting the leaves for the salad sandwiches we take with us when traveling.

Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Cabbage Ethiopian***60g
Cauliflower Mini***581g
Lettuce Green and Red mix***50g
Parsley Curled***50g
Radish Cherry Belle***35g
Shallots Red***30g

Eggs
19 From the 5 Farmyard Ferals
14 From the 4 Barnevelders
20 From the 5 Faverolles

To see how the various Garden areas fit on our half acre block check out the newest Map of our place HERE


Read More at Scarecrow's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/new-growth-56746.html Thursday harvest http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/thursday-harvest-56745.html Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:57:39 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden

Royal Burgundy bush beans, scarlet runner beans, cut and ready for dinner tonight, sungold tomatoes and cukes for the salad. There is nothing as sweet as homegrown vegetables to grace the dinner table. I already have several packages of beans in the freezer, and the way the beans are producing, there will be many more.


Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/thursday-harvest-56745.html Wednesday whimsy http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/wednesday-whimsy-56744.html Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:52:00 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden








Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/wednesday-whimsy-56744.html Little miracles http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/little-miracles-56743.html Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:51:49 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Garden Amateur (http://gardenamateur.blogspot.com/) A few blog postings ago I mentioned that... This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Garden Amateur



A few blog postings ago I mentioned that there are several plants in this garden which are very much Pam's, and here is another one.


It's her air plant, a tillandsia, and unlike the various other 'Pam' plants here, this one really is hers in every sense. I am not allowed to touch it. I can talk to it, but it's Pam's job to mist it with water regularly. And look how happy the little person is! Pam's tillandsia is in beautiful bloom at the moment. The flowers are quite tiny, just half an inch or so in length. But what a lovely colour they are.
Pam has always loved tiny flowers, and she's the reason we have native orchids in our garden, too. This tillandsia bloom won't last long in the garden, but its short stay is imprinted in our memory, and we'll look out for it next year. I love it when Pam bustles into my office and says "get out the camera, my tillandsia is looking great. It won't last long." And it's not the only flowering tillandsia we have, either. In November, we should see the other one do its thing...

And what a tiny little thing it does! Some readers will know of the plant known as Spanish moss or Old Man's Beard, a trailing tangle of fine strands. Well, it flowers too, and these minuscule blooms appear later on in spring, around November.

The first time I came across these blooms I didn't actually notice them on the plant, they are so tiny. I detected them as little green dots on a photo I had taken. So I went outside, had a very close-up look and found these itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny little flowers. Now we're on the lookout for them every year.

As I mentioned earlier, it's Pam who is responsible for adding various native orchids to our garden, although these are my responsibility when it comes to feeding, watering and care. They are sending up their flower stalks now and should be in bloom in about a month from now, sometime in September I guess. This lovely little bloom is half an inch wide, from wingtip to wingtip, and it has a sweet scent, too.

Pam is forever teaching me all sorts of things in her own quiet, persistent way, and out in the garden a love of tiny flowers is definitely one of the most important and valuable things I have learned from her. In fact it isn't just tiny flowers which I now love and appreciate, it's all tiny things as well. If you bother to stop and look, there is just so much happening in each and every square inch out there, and much of it is both fascinating and beautiful.







Read More at Garden Amateur... ]]> Gardening Around the Web Garden Amateur http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/little-miracles-56743.html Back to Winter http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/back-to-winter-56742.html Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:11:34 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Scarecrow's Garden

Scarecrow's Garden Log: 07:08:2010:

Friday Night's crescent moon faced upwards like a cup
and heralded the weekend rain.


Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min -3.1C
Lowest Max 8.9C
Highest Max 13C
5mm Rain

What's the weather been like in the garden?
After a miserable start to the week the sun finally showed it's face on Thursday. That was after a very icy morning of -3.1C. The temperatures struggled to rise above 10C all week just managing to climb to 13C on Saturday. So much for the hint of Spring last week!

Propagation:
None this week

In the Garden This week:

I have begun to dismantle the old chook pergola in the old chook run as it is no longer in use. Now that the gum tree has died in that corner I have some more space to grow. We have cut down the lower branches of the Almond tree that has grown over from the property at the rear of our place. This tree has also died in recent years, the prolonged drought in our region is taking a toll on the older trees and they are dying off one by one.

This will give me some new Wicking Beds with space to grow some rambling pumpkins and also another bed for potatoes!

Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Beetroot Golden***267g
Kale Mixed***84g
Radish Cherry Belle***81g
Silverbeet Mixed***50g

Eggs
10 From the 5 Farmyard Ferals
16 From the 4 Barnevelders
17 From the 5 Faverolles

To see how the various Garden areas fit on our half acre block check out the newest Map of our place HERE


Read More at Scarecrow's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/back-to-winter-56742.html More Spring Seeds http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/more-spring-seeds-56741.html Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:11:34 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Scarecrow's Garden

Scarecrow's Garden Log: 14:08:2010:

More spring seeds have been sown, greens this time!

Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min -2.8C
Lowest Max 8.7C
Highest Max 15C
11.5mm Rain

What's the weather been like in the garden?
Frosty mornings, strong windstorms and some more rain...winter is hanging in there!!

Propagation:
Seeds:
Amaranth Leaf Amaranthus gangeticus (Eden Seeds)
Amaranth - Grain Amaranthus hypochondriacus (Eden Seeds)
Basil - Large Sweet Italian Ocimum basilicum (The Lost Seed)
Basil - Mrs Burns Lemon Ocimum basilicum (The Lost Seed)
Basil Purple Ocimum basilicum cv purpurascens (Phoenix Seeds)
Corn Salad Valerianella locusta (Phoenix Seeds)
Fennel Florence Foeniculun vulgare var. azoricum (Phoenix Seeds)
Lettuce Red and Green Mixed Lactuca sativa (Mr Fothergill's Seeds)
Kohl Rabi Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes (DT Brown)
Onion Spring Allium fistulosum (DT Brown)
Queen Anne's Lace Ammi majus (Cornucopia)
Silverbeet 'Rainbow Mix' Beta vulgaris (4 Seasons Seeds)
Spinach Malabar(Ceylon) Red Basella rubra (Cornucopia)
Spinach Malabar Green Basella alba (Eden Seeds)

Potting up:
Tomatoes:
  • Black Russian
  • Kotlas
  • Green Zebra
  • Red Oxheart
Globe Artichokes
Nasturtiums

In the Garden This week:
Not all the greens seeds needed to go on the heated tray (luckily) so these are just on a shelf in the hothouse.

The tomatoes are germinating well and some have been potted up already. They have been moved to the hothouse for growing on.




The Violet Sicilian and Mini Cauliflowers
will be ready to harvest soon!

Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Broccoli Nutri-Bud***97g
Cabbage Ethiopian***25g
Cauliflower Mini***55g
Chicory Red Ribbed Dandelion***14g
Kale Mixed***98g
Radish Cherry Belle***27g
Silverbeet Mixed***314gg
Shallot Red***15g
Tomato Tigerella***35g (found in the hot house!!!)

Eggs
15 From the 5 Farmyard Ferals
15 From the 4 Barnevelders
11 From the 5 Faverolles

To see how the various Garden areas fit on our half acre block check out the newest Map of our place HERE

Websites or addresses for the seed suppliers are listed on the page My Seed Suppliers Here


Read More at Scarecrow's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/more-spring-seeds-56741.html Lizards On The Move! http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/lizards-on-the-move-56740.html Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:11:34 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Scarecrow's Garden

Scarecrow's Garden Log: 21:08:2010:

The warmest day this week saw the first lizard on the move!


Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min 1.5C
Lowest Max 10.3C
Highest Max 18C
22mm Rain

What's the weather been like in the garden?
Again a week of mixed weather that included a very loud thunderstorm! No icy mornings and one warm day before it was blown away by strong winds again.

Propagation:
Seeds:
Cucumber Crystal Apple Cucumis sativus (Phoenix Seeds)
Cucumber Crystal Apple Lemon Cucumis sativus (The Lost Seed)
Cucumber Lebanese Cucumis sativa (Phoenix Seeds)
Cucumber White Wonder Cucumis sativus (The Lost Seed)
Kale Tuscan Black (Cavalo Nero) Brassica oleracea (Diggers)
Lettuce Crispmint Lactuca sativa (Diggers)
Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus (DT Brown)
Pumpkin Hercules Butternut Cucurbita moschata (New Gippsland Seeds)
Pumpkin Lady Godiva Cucurbita pepo (The Lost Seed)
Pumpkin Potimarron Cucurbita maxima (Diggers)
Pumpkin Queensland Blue Cucurbita maxima (Phoenix Seeds)
Pumpkin Waltham Butternut Cucurbita moschata (The Lost Seed)
Rockmelon Delicious 51 PMR Cucumis melo subsp. melo (Phoenix Seeds)
Squash Winter Delicata Cucurbita pepo var. pepo (Phoenix Seeds)
Squash Winter Sweet Meat Cucurbita pepo var. pepo (Phoenix Seeds)
Sunflower Sun King Helianthus annus (DT Brown)
Watermelon Blacktail Mountain Citrullus lanatus (Phoenix Seeds)
Watermelon Golden Midget Citrullus lanatus (Diggers)
Watermelon Sugarbaby Citrullus vulgaris (Eden Seeds)
Zucchini Cocozelle Cucurbita pepo (The Lost Seed)
Zucchini Golden Cucurbita pepo (Eden Seeds)
Zucchini Romanesco Cucurbita pepo (Phoenix Seeds)
Zucchini Rondo De Nice Cucurbita pepo (Eden Seeds)

Potting up:
Tomato - Green Zebra, Kotlas, Ida Gold, Sunrise, Red Cherry, Silvery Fir Tree
Tomatillo
An organic Orange Sweet Potato (Kumera) was put into a container and placed on the heated propagation tray to see if it will sprout!

Planting out:
Grapevines x 2 on the Chook Run fence.

In the Garden This week:

Yet more Tomatoes and the Tomatillos have been potted on and placed in the hothouse.

More spring seeds have been sown.
Yes more than I'll ever use BUT
FIRST they have to germinate,
THEN the have to survive any frosts until planting,
THEN they have to survive any frosts after planting!
If too many survive at the end (they usually do) then there are friends and fellow community gardeners to share the leftovers with.

The Onions in the Dog Pen Beds have taken off with the rain we've had. That's a volunteer Coriander growing in the middle of the row!


Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Beetroot Golden***150g
Cabbage Ethiopian***60g
Chicory Red Ribbed Dandelion***30g
Kale Mixed***150g
MangelWurzel***550g
Parcel***65g
Parsley***75g
Parsnip Hollow Crown***1026g
Radish Cherry Belle***35g
Silverbeet Mixed***250gg
Shallot Red***30g

Eggs
18 From the 5 Farmyard Ferals
17 From the 4 Barnevelders
14 From the 5 Faverolles

To see how the various Garden areas fit on our half acre block check out the newest Map of our place HERE

Websites or addresses for the seed suppliers are listed on the page My Seed Suppliers Here


Read More at Scarecrow's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/lizards-on-the-move-56740.html Great website for gardeners http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/great-website-for-gardeners-56739.html Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:59:53 GMT The following site is a very helpful site that will soon be offering trees, plants, and vines for people that are interested in gardening. For... The following site is a very helpful site that will soon be offering trees, plants, and vines for people that are interested in gardening.

For more info. visit Fruit Trees, Grape Vines & More! - Home ]]> Gardening Around the Web fruitstrees http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/great-website-for-gardeners-56739.html Wednesday whimsy http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/wednesday-whimsy-56738.html Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:32:30 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden








Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/wednesday-whimsy-56738.html I am glad surprises never end http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/i-am-glad-surprises-never-end-56737.html Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:23:18 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: KeeWee's Garden

I bought this Amaryllis last year and enjoyed the blooms for many weeks, and when it had done flowering I left it alone during the winter months and started re-watering it come spring. All I got for the care it received, was a lot of healthy leaves, so I decided to sit the pot out in the flower garden. Soon I saw that the leaves had died so I assumed the plant was lost, then a couple of weeks ago, much to my surprise, I noticed new growth, which turned out to be new flower stems emerging from the top of the bulb. This is the first stem to produce two lovely flowers and the other stem still growing. I am so glad this lovely plant did not die.


Read More at KeeWee's Garden... ]]> Gardening Around the Web http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/i-am-glad-surprises-never-end-56737.html summertime http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/summertime-56736.html Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:10:59 GMT This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Digging In The Dirt (http://jengarden.blogspot.com/) Image:... This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Digging In The Dirt


These are from June/ July. I love Shasta daisies, I just wish I could figure out a way to keep them from falling over once they get really tall. I've used string before, but it didn't work out particularly well.


I love the chocolate brown stem on these! I took this photo on a walk - it's not my hydrangea, although I think I'll look for one like this. I wonder what color the flowers turned out to be. (maybe time for another walk.)


I found this while doing some cleanup - it's the skeleton of a poppy seed pod. I think it's beautiful.


crocosmia! I still need to move it, as I have for many years. The little orange cat makes himself a summertime cave at the base of the plant and I guess I don't want to ruin it for him.


Read More at Digging In The Dirt... ]]> Gardening Around the Web Digging In The Dirt http://www.thegrowspot.com/know/f9/summertime-56736.html