Category: Plants

Posted on in Nature, Plant Profiles

Poisonous Leaves

Poison Ivy_Columbus-OH_LAH_3634I was happily photographing wildflowers along the edge of a park in Ohio when our friend, a local, warned me, “Don’t touch that!” I looked down. That plant looked familiar—a sprawling, low-growing shrub with reddish stems and shiny green leaves, each comprised of three leaflets. Wasn’t that…?

Yes, and thankfully I hadn’t actually touched any of it. It’s rather important that those of us who enjoy hiking be able to recognize poison ivy and other plants in the genus Toxicodendron. Toxicodendron means “poisonous leaf”—pretty appropriate for plants whose leaves contain urushiol, an oily chemical that frequently triggers an itchy allergic rash, or worse. (more…)

Posted on in Botany for Gardeners

Good Vibrations

Stachys byzantina - Lambs Ears @DBG LAH 004
Is that why they’re called Lamb’s Ears?

Can plants hear? At first glance, this seems like a silly question. Plants don’t have ears, so of course they can’t hear. But wait—do organisms need ears to hear? What is hearing, anyway?

Given that sound consists of a series of vibrations that are propagated through air, water, or another substance, then hearing must be the ability to sense those vibrations. And while our ears are very good at sensing vibrations, there are other options.

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Posted on in Gardening, Landscaping, Plant Profiles, Xeriscape

Rhus trilobata: A Winner by Any Name

Rhus trilobata_Three-leaf Sumac_DenverZoo_20091007_LAH_3355.nef

All summer, the shrub sat in the back corner of our yard, quietly filling the space between the fence and a dry creek bed. The olive-green leaves were a bit drab, but provided a nice, neutral backdrop for an adjacent Blue Mist Spirea (Caryopteris). The shrub had been a bit late to leaf out, and I was contemplating replacing it with something more interesting. I’m glad I waited. In the last few weeks, that inconspicuous shrub has suddenly become the star of the garden. (more…)

Posted on in Gardening, Seed Starting, Veggies

Save the Seeds

Poppy seedheadsWhile we haven’t had a hard freeze yet, the lack of warm sunshine is telling my plants that the season is about over. Poppy seedheads act like salt shakers—just invert and shake out the seeds. We missed harvesting some pole beans and they’re now overripe, the pods puffy and enlarged. I’m letting them dry on the vine.

I let some of the cilantro mature and bloom, as the flowers attract lacewings and other beneficial insects. Parsley is a biennial, and I overwintered last year’s crop; it also bloomed this summer. Both are producing more seeds than I will ever use. (more…)

Posted on in Gardening

Rainbow Roses and Unicorns

Rainbow roses! Rainbow chrysanthemums! Unique! Have you seen ads like this?

rainbow mum

“20Pcs Rainbow Chrysanthemum Flower Seeds Rare Color Home Garden Bonsai Plant”

Rainbow chrysanthemum is colorful, much beautiful than ordinary chrysanthemum.
People planted it in the garden, creating a colorful world.
All you need just a rainbow chrysanthemum to own a coloful garden.
Most beautiful chrysanthemum in the world.

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Posted on in Gardening, Landscaping

Don’t Wait. Plant Now.

Plants for sale @Lowe's-CS_2008aug02_LAH_5093If the cooler weather and turning leaves haven’t alerted you, the calendar can’t lie. Tomorrow is the first day of autumn. Can our first frost be far behind? It’s tempting to let the change of seasons put a stop to gardening for the year, but there’s still much to do. (See my previous post on “Putting Your Garden to Bed” for ideas.) Of course we know that many spring-blooming bulbs go in the ground now. But how about perennials, shrubs, and even trees? Can we plant (or transplant) them now? Even for those of us who live in places with cold winters, fall is a terrific time to plant.

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Posted on in Public gardens

A Visit to Missouri Botanical Gardens

MissouriBotanicalGardens-St.Louis-MO_LAH_3036

Late August isn’t the best time to visit most gardens, but that was when I had the opportunity to visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I’ve used their horticultural database for years. It’s one of the most extensive online resources available to those of us who want to learn more about plants. Home gardeners in particular should check out the Plant Finder, which offers helpful information on plants you might grow in your yard (just remember, Missouri isn’t Colorado!). Now I had a chance to see the gardens in person. I could hardly wait! (more…)

Posted on in Gardening

It’s Not Just the Zone

ShiawasseeNWR-MI_LAH_4482

We just returned from an intense two-week road trip to the Great Lakes. We visited thirteen states and one province and saw at least a glimpse of all five Great Lakes. You can see our route at right. It was a great trip. We took lots of photos, plus our drive across the prairies of North Dakota means that I’ve finally checked off my bucket list goal of visiting all 50 states! (more…)

Posted on in Birds, Gardening, Landscaping

An Invitation to Hummingbirds

Broadtail Hummingbird_COS_LAH 780My yard is full of hummingbirds! Last summer I faithfully put out feeders full of sugar water, but had no takers. Not a single one. The only hummer that visited was a Broad-tailed Hummingbird that stopped by to check out the lone flower on a honeysuckle vine that was sitting in its can, waiting to be planted. But this year! From mid-July to late August, I probably had over a dozen in the yard at any one time—Broad-tailed, Rufous, and even several Calliope Hummingbirds that hung around for over a week. It was all I could do to keep my two feeders filled.

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Posted on in Landscaping

Come See My Garden!

Front yard_NewSantaFeTrl-COS-CO_LAH_2653I admit to feeling pretty good about my landscaping this year. I’ve been receiving compliments and relishing each and every one. All that hard work is paying off.

This is kind of our third summer in our new house. The first year, nothing got done outside until early August. Once the landscape was finally installed, we had a lovely long fall and the roots had time grow—but of course you can’t see that. Last summer, the woody plants still mostly sat there. I spent the growing season adding perennials, which was tons of fun, but being new, most of those didn’t grow much either.

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