Archive for January, 2009
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
The “green thumb” is probably the best gardening tool but for those who are not so gifted, there is a wide variety of gardening tools to help you by. For a well-maintained garden, garden tools can help a lot. It is important to understand that a garden tool is different from the range of tools that agriculturists and horticulturists use. They are either hand maneuvered tools or power tools made to handle home-based garden requirements. Garden tools are made of wood, metal and plastic. If you are a serious gardener, you should have the following essential gardening tools.
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Sunday, January 11th, 2009
SQUIRTING CUCUMBER
Although squirting cucumber seed is rarely on sale, the plant is far too amusing to ignore. Seed merchants, take note! Otherwise, you will have to collect it yourself if holidaying in a hot area, where squirting cucumbers grow like weeds in sunny, open spots and on dung-heaps. Make sure you are wearing old clothes and sunglasses – contact lenses are unsuitable – before you begin to collect them. Approach the plant cautiously and look out for one of the gherkin-like fruits with a yellowed stalk. Hold a small bag next to the stalk, with its open end facing the fruit. Use your other hand to push the fruit upwards. It will break off the stalk and squirt a jet of yellow fluid -containing the fruit – into the bag. Dry the seed and sow it directly in the garden the following spring. The low-growing plants need a warm position. The female flowers produce fruit about 1V2 in long. As soon as they are ripe, you can play a sticky trick on someone – mind people’s eyes, though.
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Thursday, January 8th, 2009
MALABAR SPINACH
The western species of spinach would run to seed prematurely in the tropics, but inhabitants of Africa and Asia have an alternative, Malabar spinach, named by the British after the Indian district where the vegetable is still cultivated. The plant grows there as a perennial climber, but in cooler climates it must be cultivated as an annual by sowing it indoors at about 68 °F and growing the plants on until they can be put out-of-doors at the end of May. They may be planted in a large pot to climb up a trellis or cover a pergola. It is important, though, to stand the plants in a warm place and to give them plenty of water and plant food.
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Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
As they are just over V2 in wide, you really need a magnifying glass to appreciate the beauty of these small flowers. They are borne on a creeping plant that forms a small mat of minuscule, bright green leaves. The plant is actually a perennial that will tolerate about 12 degrees of frost in well-drained soil. There is, however, a problem in that, in Australia, it grows in very damp places and, in the Netherlands, likes moisture-retentive soil. It is therefore best to grow it in a patio container in partial shade. The plant is divided and on sale every spring. Laurentia fluviatilis ‘County Park’ bears lavender-blue flowers about 5/8 in wide.
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Monday, January 5th, 2009
Coolaroo’s designs are eternal and unique. This patio umbrella features a knitted fabric that provides up to 90% UV block and reduces temperature underneath by up to 32%. Because of this, this patio umbrella retains its good looks season after season. Coolaroo’s “breathable” fabric is much cooler underneath than other fabrics, making for a more pleasurable experience. It is easy to clean and is mildew resistant. This umbrella includes a crank lift with 3-position tilt aluminum pole angles to provide shade at any time of the day. It is color coordinated for a stylish appearance. It is very functional and nice looking.
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