Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Friday September 4, 2009 |
Mock Orange (Philadelphus x lemoinei) | Today's Featured Plant
Mock Orange (Philadelphus x lemoinei)
Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com.
Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword. |
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Q&A: Shrubs to Attract Birds Question: I'm planning on buying some Elderberry and Cotoneaster shrubs to attract birds to my yard. Could you give me some information on these two types of plants, and do they need to be cross-pollinated to produce berries? Also, what are other easy-care and fast growing plants that I attract birds?
Answer: Both elderberry and cotoneaster will produce berries on their own, providing there's ample insect activity when the plants are in bloom. Neither one needs a companion plant to develop berries. Birds frequent gardens where there is food, shelter, water and a certain degree of safety. If you provide these things by planting dense growing shrubs (for shelter and safety), plants that produce fruits for food, supplement their diets with seeds, and provide a birdbath for drinking and bathing, the birds should flock to your yard. You can tempt them even more with strawberries, chokeberry, serviceberry, privet, honeysuckle, holly, currant, and bayberry. |
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Q&A: Harvesting Fennel Question: I love to cook with fresh herbs, so I have quite a few of them. What is the best method for harvesting fennel? I like to use the leaves, bulbs, and seeds.
Answer: Each part of the fennel plant is edible. You can begin snipping the leaves once the plant is well established. Clippings can be frozen for later use; the leaves hold up well when chopped and stored loosely in containers.
It takes about 80 days for the stems to fully mature, but they are edible as soon as they begin to fatten. Just cut them off at the crown. For the plumpest stems, pinch off the emerging seed head (though you'll be forfeiting the seeds) and give them several days to store energy before cutting them back. Some people say that the stems are at their best when the plant is just about to bloom.
Harvesting the seeds requires perfect timing. Watch the plant closely to notice when the seeds turn from yellowish green to brown. They will fall, even in a gentle breeze, when they reach the brown stage. Snip the seedheads with scissors and let them drop into a paper bag. Once the seeds are thoroughly dried, they can be transferred to jars. |
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Tip: Prevent Crooked Carrots If you're carrots are crooked the roots may have run into rocks, heavy soil, or sticks while growing. This causes them to bend. Next year prepare the soil well and remove rocks and debris. |
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Choose from 60,000 Books -- Get Your Free Samples at BookDaily.com ArcaMax Publishing has launched the new BookDaily.com!
Browse, search and read sample first chapters from your favorite authors -- and sign up for free email newsletters with the book samples you want to read later.
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Once you have given the site a look, we welcome any feedback or suggestions.
Visit BookDaily.com now.
-- From the ArcaMax editors |
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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors |
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