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May 22, 2007

Topiary Shears that work!

Filed under: Things from the Garden — Garden Gate Guy @ 3:21 pm
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This is for the gardener looking for perfection. These shears make prune almost fun. Slicing through new growth, soft foliage or wet material is one of the most demanding tasks for a cutting tool. It is in effect a specialist job. It’s no good expecting secateurs to do it – they were designed specifically to cut through woody material and will just chew up anything soft, leaving ragged, unsightly AND unhealthy edges.

These shears, with their razor sharp blades will slice through soft stuff like butter and what’s more, they’ll keep doing it long after other similar tools have blunted.

This design of shear (developed from sheep shears) is particularly good for Topiary because:the grip position places the hands right over the blades giving maximum possible cutting control – essential for precious topiary shapes.and the single handed operation leaves one hand free to ‘fluff up’ the foliage
Burgon & Ball Topiary & Garden Shears are also ideal for lawn edging, dead heading, opening compost sacks, cutting wet pond weed and dozens of other trimming jobs around the garden.

Burgon & Ball shears out perform any others of similar design by miles!
Topiary Shear

Check this product out!

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January 25, 2007

Hayrack Planting

Filed under: Things from the Garden — Garden Gate Guy @ 3:39 pm
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Soil
This is the key to a successful hanging basket that thrives and brings colorful flowers for many months.  Start with a professional potting mix; I suggest using a Scott product.  It is important that the soil contains organic materials like pine bark or core to help in water retention. 
     

Moss
Appling moss to a basket adds both texture and longevity to liner.  It is important to use a clean moss, we recommend Oregon Green Moss. 
           
  started-mossed-basket.gif mossed-basket.gif

Fertilizer
                       
The food for flowers campaign!  You want flowers….you need to give them food.  Slow release fertilizer is recommended for continuous feeding.   Osmocote granular, Sta-Green and Sierra tablets are all great fertilizer that are needed for a 4” annual.  Sierra Tablets are formula and per measured to take the guesswork out of fertilizing. 
 Planting
            How to buy plants:  best variety/hybrid, not always the biggest
            When to buy plants: make sure to select materials for the up coming seasons
 
Design
            Develop a theme
            Use Contrast
            Group plants by light requirements
            Water
Water
            Great baskets require water: morning not afternoon and may require twice daily. 
               
 
Maintenance
             Dead Heading or picking off old dead flowers
            Pruning old flowers promotes new growth
            Rotations of dead plants sometimes make baskets look fresh
 planted-mossed-basket.gif

 
   

  

  

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Hummingbird Plants for The South

Hummingbird Plants 

Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans  Giant Blue Sage, Salvia guaranitica Cypress Vine, Ipomoea quamoclit Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeana  Mimosa, or Silktree, Albizia julibrissin Shrub Verbena, Lantana camara Butterfly Bush, Buddleja davidii. also spelled Buddleia 

Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus Common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea  Cigar Plant, Cuphea ignea  

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January 5, 2007

Butterflies for New Orleans

Filed under: Things from the Garden — Garden Gate Guy @ 3:17 pm
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Common Name                                                                     Scientific Name
Swallowtails
Eastern black swallowtail                        Papilio polyxenes
Giant swallowtail                                    Heraclides cresphontes
Palamedes swallowtail                           Pterourus palamedes
Pipe-vine swallowtail                               Battus philenor
Spicebush swallowtail                            Pterourus troilus
Tiger swallowtail                         Pterourus glaucus
Zebra swallowtail                                    Eurytides marcellus
                                    Sulphurs and Whites
Alfalfa butterfly                                       Colias eurytheme
Cabbage butterfly                                   Pieris rapae
Cloudless sulphur                                  Phoebis sennae
Common sulphur                                    Colias philodice
Dainty sulphur                                       Nathalis iole
Falcate orange tip                                  Anthocharis midea
Little sulphur                                          Eurema lisa
Sleepy orange                                       Eurema nicippe
Southern dog face                                  Colias cesonia
                                                Hairstreaks
Gray hairstreak                                      Strymon melinus
Red-banded hairstreak                            Calycopis cecrops
                                    Snouts and Beaks
Snout butterfly                                       Libytheana bachmanii
                                    Milkweeds
Monarch                                                Danaus plexippus
                                    Longwings
Gulf fritillary                                           Agraulis vanillae
                                    Brushfoots
American painted                                   lady Vanessa virginiensis
Buckeye                                               Junonia coenia
Hop merchant                                        Polygonia comma
Painted lady                                          Vanessa cardui
Pearl crescent                                       Phyciodes tharos
Phaon crescent                                     Phyciodes phaon
Question mark                                       Polygonia interrogationis
Red admiral                                           Vanessa atalanta
Red-spotted purple                                 Basilarchia arthemis astyanax
Texas crescentspot                                Phyciodes texana
Variegated fritillary                                 Euptoieta claudia
Viceroy                                                 Limenitis archippus
                        Hackberry and Goatweed Butterflies
Goatweed butterfly                                 Anaea andria
Hackberry butterfly                                 Asterocampa celtis
Tawny emperor                                      Asterocampa clyton
                                    Satyrs
Carolina satyr                                        Hermeuptychia sosybius
                                    Skippers
Checkered skipper                                 Pyrgus communis
Fiery skipper                                         Hylephilia phyleus
Horace’s dusky wing                              Erynnis horatius
Juvenal’s dusky wing                              Erynnis juvenalis
Long-tailed skipper                                 Urbanus proteus
Ocola skipper                                        Panoquina ocola
Silver-spotted skipper                             Epargyreus clarus

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November 5, 2006

Planters

Filed under: Things from the Garden — Garden Gate Guy @ 3:26 pm
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english_hayrack.jpg

Great Baskets

Planting great flowering baskets in not an art but the understanding that if you pack it full of plants, it will look fabulous within minutes of finishing your planting project.  Make sure to select plants that fit your light requirements.  In addition, basket require water…have a plan for watering. 

Try selecting plants that grow larger for the back and middle and plants that cascade for the front and sides. 

Great combinations are Snap Dragons, Petunias, Lobelia and Pansies. 

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October 12, 2006

Herb That Compliment Foods

Filed under: Things from the Garden — Garden Gate Guy @ 9:34 am
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Choosing a spice to compliment your chicken may get confusing because there are so many herbs and spices available to us. Unless you use a recipe, how will you know what spices work with chicken or ham? This list will give an overview of each spice, and what foods they best compliment. Now you can make up your own recipes. 

  1. Allspice: pumpkin pie, apple pie, gingerbread, winter squash, pickling, pate, ham 

  2. Anise: baked goods 

  3. Basil: Italian cuisine, vegetable, sauces, meats 

  4. Bay Leaves: stews, sauces, chili 

  5. Cardamom: baked goods (substitute for cinnamon to give more spice), Indian cuisine (the nation, not Native American) 

  6. Cayenne Pepper: Mexican cuisine, chili, hot and spicy dishes 

  7. Chives: garnish, soups, Mexican cuisine, Italian cuisine, dips 

  8. Cilantro: Mexican cuisine, salsa, guacamole, chili 

  9. Cinnamon: baked goods, rice pudding, Middle Eastern cuisine, cocoa, coffee, tea, chili 

  10. Cloves: baked goods, baked ham, coffee, tea 

  11. Cumin: Mexican cuisine, chili 

  12. Curry Powder: Middle Eastern cuisine 

  13. Dill: pickling, fish, salads 

  14. Ginger: baked goods, Japanese cuisine, peach deserts 

  15. Lemon Pepper: vegetables, fish, poultry 

  16. Marjoram: stews 

  17. Mint: lamb, iced tea 

  18. Mustard: salad dressing, fish 

  19. Nutmeg: baked goods, wild rice, eggnog, coffee 

  20. Oregano: Italian cuisine, vegetables, sauces, meats, fish, poultry 

  21. Paprika: garnish or to add color, fish, egg salad, stews 

  22. Poppy Seeds: salad dressing, poppy seed bread 

  23. Rosemary: beef, lamb, veal 

  24. Saffron: rice, risotto, pilaf, bouillabaisse 

  25. Sage: stuffing, poultry, pork 

  26. Tarragon: fish, béarnaise sauce, poultry 

  27. Thyme: chowders, soups, stews
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