Hey, has anyone heard of rubbing olive oil on the leaves of rubber tree plants? I've never heard of this. Are there health benefits or is it just for shiney leaves?

This one has these really cool columbine-looking pods with seeds....



This one smells like rotting flesh and is very large and phallic.



Anyone? Anyone? I am in Portland OR, zone 6.
I love them both and have been wondering for a while, to no avail.....

These A-mazing flowers are from a bush in front of the house, and they smell soooooo so so SO good I don't even know what to do with myself. It's a bog leafy bush, taller than the house. I think they look like apple blossoms, but if I knew, I wouldn't be here wasting you good people's time. :)

Thanks!

PS Oh, my goodness do they smell good.

I have lamely gotten out of the habit of posting birthday wishes for friends in my journal. *blush* Well, absent-minded Shari is going to try remembering again -- and what better person to start with than my dear friend beckerbuns! :D Becky, you're one of the most kind, loving, patient, intelligent, funny and fun people I know, plus you're a truly amazing mother whose kids are lucky to have you! I wish you nothing but the BEST on your B-Day, and always! *hugs*

This isn't necessarily an "organic" gardening question, but I thought you lovely folks might know....what's the best placement for a bird bath? Sun? Shade? Near the bird feeder?

Even though my gardens still are in desperate need of weeding, some things are growing very nicely. Here are the pictures.
( flowers here )
You can see by the pictures just how bad the weeds are. I can finally get weeding in the gardens as the rains are behind us now and the ground has dried out more.
As for the squirrels, there are lots around, and they think the feeders are for them. Even the cats don't bother them. I can go right up to them and they know they are safe. Little stinkers!

The monsoon winds blew down or otherwise mangled most of the sunflowers, which were, until now, providing much needed shade to the more tender plants beneath them.  I've nearly lost a couple native squash vines and the jack-o-lantern pumpkins to powdery mildew, and now I notice the Roma tomatoes have blossom end-rot!  90% of the bush bean I planted succumbed to curly-top and withered and dried while the okra around them watched in horror.  Grrrr!

I may have to pull up alot of my spring plants to make way for the fall.  I'm thinking of replacing the bell peppers, since they seem to be ripening too fast at the moment, and what small fruit they set just gets sunburned.  Do you think they'll be ok, produce normal fruit again, once the heat subsides?

I think I'll try adding some bonemeal to the roma tomato plant, and see if the problem corrects itself.

But, all is not lost:

When I order plants through the mail, I usually order from Burgess. Never had any trouble with them, and everything I've gotten from them has thrived.
This year, I ordered three sub-zero climbing roses called Rhode Island Red, and two climbing roses called Orange Velvet, from a nursery called Richard Owen. I took a chance on them, even though I've never ordered from them before.

Two of the Reds are still not growing. I'm not giving up on them yet, as I've had dormant climbers that have remained "sticks" for over a year, then for no reason I can grasp...just go nuts and start growing.
However, the third Red has gotten about eight inches tall so far, and has begun blooming.
With the brightest...
YELLOW...
roses.
Not even sure if they are actual climbers.

The Oranges are growing, I just am waiting to see what kind of rose they REALLY are.
I'm also going to contact them and find out what their replacement policy is.

Surprisingly enough, since then, I've picked up three new additions to the rose garden.
A Carribia, a Pinata, and a JFK, from all places...Walmart. Who incidentally, has a plant guarentee that states if the plant dies within a year, it gets replaced. Who knew?

Hi, my name is Lisa...I just joined after finding the group through my "hgtv" interest.
I was pruning a rhododendron yesterday and noticed that we have quite the bumper crop of baby grasshoppers - they were hanging out on the underside of the leaves and their little molted shells were sticking around under there too.

We have cats and dogs at this house, so we cannot use stuff that is harmful to them, but I'd really like to off those grasshoppers. I would LOVE some advice on that! Thanks. :)

Remember that gorgeous yellow rose bud I posted here yesterday which was just beginning to open?

It rained heavily during the night, and now it looks like this:




It looks as though we'll have about three more like this by morning too! I love this; it's such a lovely colour and reminds me of a lion's mane in shape.

Took a hike today and I was curious if anyone could identify these plants. Bear in mind i'm in Nova Scotia.

I am new. Just joined. I have a little problem out in both flower gardens. The squirrels have been digging up and moving my bulbs around, and eating some of them. I have lilies growing no where near where I originally planted them, it's like that all over both gardens. Is there a way to keep the squirrels out of there? I have put in garden ornaments that spin when the wind blows, that scares them away for a short time, but is there anything else I can do? Thank you all. 

 

Long time reader, first time post if my memory serves me correctly.

I have no experience with window boxes/window planters of any kind.
I have spent some time today scouring the internet (store websites, flickr, google images and so on) researching various types of window arrangements for plants.

There isn't as much visual information (ie. photographs of how various planters are installed) as I assumed there would be.

Does anyone in the community have any preferences when it comes to these planters?
Information regarding methods used to attach planters is especially useful, as well as helpful hints regarding drainage.

Here is my situation to take into consideration with your helpful replies...
I live in an apartment that is on a second and third floor. The building itself is incredibly old. I would prefer NOT to drill into the brick of the building if at all possible.
Because of where the building is situated we get kind of a tunnel effect during storms with wind, but nothing too crazy.
The windows are original and the wood is not in the best shape but it will hold a screw with some weight pulling on it.

These are the windows I have to work with.

The first bud on my rose bush is now becoming a proper bloom! Isn't it pretty?



Golden Memories Rose

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

this is my favorite holiday. despite all its flaws and its shaky (being nice here) leadership, i love my country!

neither of my parents were born here. my dad was born in germany pre-war and came here because of WWII. he is jewish and his father had enough foresight to see what was happening. he got out just in time. my mom came over from ireland to tour for a year with a nurse friend of hers. and met my dad on a blind date.

fourth of july was always big in my neighborhood growing up. we decorated bikes and had a big parade around the houses, there were bar-b-ques all gathered together in front of our house and watermelons and softball games up at the school and occasionaly we would have live music playing too! i remember us hauling our piano outside for this once.

my plans today are sketchy. mva is off to the beach with a friend for the day (i don't think her friend's mom listens to weather reports....) and i am going to go to the gym and then see what happens! i will probably just go to shoreline to watch the fireworks there. whatever you are doing today, i hope you all have a wonderful fourth!

close up of flowers:( Read more... )

Every other day I'm pulling in something like this:

has anyone ever had a tulip do this:



what is going on?!?

you can see the empty stamen of a normal tulip next to it. the tulips are all done and brown and withering right now, except for this one green bulb looking thing where the flower should have been. they've never done that before.

In Big Sur, Dave Egbert defied the evacuation order and spent Thursday afternoon boarding up the windows of his home, hoping to save it from catching fire.
"I've been putting up this plywood because that's going to protect the house from any radiant heat," Egbert said. "That's the big thing I'm trying to do right now."
Egbert said he uses the house to host a syndicated TV garden show.
"If I don't have a house, I don't have a livelihood," he said. "So I have to keep the house going as long as I can."

*sigh*: http://www.thecoastalgardener.com/

Poor Dave. We're rooting for you, here.

So I found my camera and decided to snap a couple of pictures. ( Large pics behind cut... )

I planted Waldo Peas in my garden and had a about +-50 peas produce. I haven't had anything in about a week and there doesn't seem to be any flowers. Are my peas done? They are supposed to be for hot weather (the Oregon snow peas never came up - all 8 plants). If they aren't going to produce anymore peas then I'm thinking of pulling the plants out and planting some pumpkins. It's in the coolest part of the garden so I think the seedlings should do okay. What do you all think? Also, when is a good time to start planting fall crops? I'm in 7b, NC with HOT summers (90-100 degree days for the most part). I planted too late to enjoy many cooler weather spring plants so I'm looking forward to them for the fall.

Thanks! I love this group!

I thought for SURE I had some old plant markers, but when I went to look for them, I remembered that the stakes had rusted off and I had thrown them away a few months ago.
So I thought I'd ask here if anyone has any exciting plant markers. I remember seeing someone with some fancy copper and glass bead markers.
And then, as tangents go, I found a site that mentioned recycled plant markers and thought, hey, I've got cans!
Anyone using can-cuttings as plant markers? http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-durable-plant-markers/

Then there's this one:
http://www.backyardlivingmagazine.com/Classic-Plant-Markers/detail.aspx

So basically, who's got something cute out there that they want to share?

via jubal51394

This seems like a group that might like this.  And if these are forbidden, I apologize and will not be offended if it's removed.

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?