Weeds can be tenacious foes, reminding us of the truth of the maxim, "Know thine enemy." Proper weed identification can be the gateway to knowledge that has been compiled over...
reBlogged
to weeds
on Sep 3, 2007, 3:50AM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to weeds on 2007-09-04, 00:53:37
The other day I was traveling down Lohman Ford Road when I caught a flash of bright purple color out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough there was another clump, and another. The tall purple spikes of Blazing star are growing along the road bank south of the now defunct Issimo restaurant. Yesterday I noticed more stands of this striking perennial along RR 1431 just below the newspaper office.
Blazing star or gay feather is a member of the Liatris family and several species are native to Texas. A favorite
nectar plant for butterfliesand bees, Blazing star has also been called Colic Root alluding to it's use as an intestinal antispasmodic and Devil's Bite, perhaps because the powdered root was used for treating snake bites.
reBlogged
to liatris
on Sep 3, 2007, 2:20AM
Posted by jb Reblogged by Old Roses to liatris on 2007-09-04, 00:53:29
As gardeners mature their buying preferences change. Where once the Bunnings or Home Depot nursery may have catered for most of your needs, eventually a distaste for the average will take over and your gardening palate will crave tastier morsels.
[Enter stage door left] Urbanweeds is a boutique nursery that seem to be the new trend in garden centres. Chic. Modern. And definitely catering for the chardonnay set - or at least those aspiring to be. . . .
reBlogged
to nursery
on Sep 2, 2007, 7:43PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to nursery on 2007-09-04, 00:53:18
If you're someone who struggles to keep plants alive in their pots then utilizing the wonders of modern medicine may be a good option. Each plant is sustained by its own water and nutrient source that is very visible - as an intravenous feed. If the drip feed runs out, it's time to refill. . .
reBlogged
to containers watering
on Sep 2, 2007, 7:09PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to containers, watering on 2007-09-04, 00:52:56
Grease, starch and salt –The State Fair specializes in three of my favorite food groups and my waistline is very lucky that it comes only once a year. Thought I consumed my fair fare with the eating local challenge in mind, mostly all bets were off.
When I asked a few vendors where they sourced their food, many shrugged and told me to come back when the manager was around. I wasn’t trying to be a fair foodie, but many folks misinterpreted my curiosity as snobbery. . . .
Walking through the meadows and fields of late summer in Iowa is a lively experience; grasshoppers are everywhere, clattering off through the tall goldenrod in front of you. Our commonest hopper is the red-legged grasshopper, recognized by... well, by its red lower rear legs (tibias), primarily. It is occasionally called the short-horned grasshopper, because it has relatively short antennae.
reBlogged
to insects
Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-09-04, 00:50:46
The bananas and plantains, that is. I was sure posted this during the week but for some reason I don't see it - must have been dreaming or something.
The bananas in front were somewhat sheltered so a few of them remained standing.
The ones in the backyard got hit hard - all of them had to be chopped off because they were all broken.
And likewise the plantains. These are still young - never had any fruit from these, but they will spring from the root.
In fact, they have continued to grow from the heart and have already put back on a couple of leaves, but I'm not sure they will still be able to bear fruit. They are very resilient, and I'm pleased with their recovery so far.
reBlogged
to weather
Posted by Jade Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-09-04, 00:49:46
It must have been one of the days early on in the holiday, when it was hot and sunny. And there was I in the middle of the garden, in full sun, digging out the borage in the rose beds. And panicking because I had so much to do before I went back to Italy. And as I sweatily dug and pulled roots, I started to think how nice it would be to have some help. And the idea of the Garden Bloggers' Dream Team was born. . . .
reBlogged
to blogs
Posted by Sue Swift Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs on 2007-09-04, 00:48:42
I need an organic way to get rid of ants in the garden. They've taken up their own farming endeavor of Aphids and I've realized that my efforts to get rid of the aphids are futile as long as the ants are still around.
reBlogged
to pests
on Sep 2, 2007, 12:18PM
Posted by ~Ms. Purity~
Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-09-04, 00:47:05
I thinned some beets and cooked them up. Delicious. There were even a few 1-2 inch roots. Its a mix of three colors of beets, yellow, red and purple. To cook, I wrapped the larger beets in foil and baked them at about 375 about 20 min. I sauteed some onions and yellow peppers (delicious ones from the Belmont CSA farm) in olive oil and butter, then sliced and added the cooked beets. Last I added the beet greens and cooked everything until the greens wilted. The best beet green I've had!
This spring, we used landscape stones from other places around the property to make "endcaps" for the garden beds. See this May 15th post for how it looked then. My raised beds don't have boards around them, but I found it very helpful to have the stone endcaps between the beds and the grass (there is no grass in between the beds). Above, are the east ends of the beds.
Yes, I am a used book junkie. But this addiction sometimes yields unexpected rewards: when a 1920 copy of Helena Rutherford Ely’s A Woman’s Hardy Garden arrived in the mail this week, there was a wonderful old garden sketch tucked between the pages.
Meticulously drawn in pencil on onionskin paper, the sketch is labeled in lavish [...]
reBlogged
to books
on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM
Posted by valwebb Reblogged by Old Roses to books on 2007-09-04, 00:43:26
My garden and my tile studio share a plot of land once known for an abundance of rabbits.
The studio is an old cottage, and decades ago the garden was occupied by hutches full of furry longears of all colors. When the rabbit man died, his family turned them all loose to roam the property. For [...]
reBlogged
to whimsy
on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM
Posted by valwebb Reblogged by Old Roses to whimsy on 2007-09-04, 00:42:15
Though I don't really want to it to be here yet, all the signs are telling me it is right around the corner like early morning mists, cooler temperatures ...
My garden shows a lot of yellow which I specifically like to be around in fall. Just like in spring I like the garden year to finish with bright and lively colors. Soon enough winter will be around the corner and the dry leftovers of the perennials will be covered with frost and everything resting waiting for spring to arrive. . . .
The holidays are not too far away!. Soon everyone will be venturing into the attic or bringing their decorations up from the basement.
Here's a unique use of Bromeliads to add color and interest to a Christmas tree. Now this may not be for everyone but don't forget Bromeliads during the holidays. They provide long term color and make for long lasting gifts. Yes they are colorful but these houseplants and landscape plants can help you make this holiday season a "green" one! Plus they use no electricity!
reBlogged
to bromeliad
on Sep 2, 2007, 1:52PM
Posted by gha Reblogged by Old Roses to bromeliad on 2007-09-04, 00:39:03
Friday many of you saw the release of what has been dubbed the Texas Tulip (Tulipa praecox). We are almost sold out, and for all of the blog readers, I want to make sure that you know about it and have the opportunity to purchase some. If you would like to read the Dallas Morning News piece by Mariana Greene released this weekend, please click here. Also, feel free to browse http://www.texastulip.com/ to find out more information. . . .
reBlogged
to tulips
Posted by Chris Reblogged by Old Roses to tulips on 2007-09-04, 00:38:52
Many gardeners like to include marigold flowers in the vegetable garden to add a touch of color from this easy growing plant that performs well from spring thru summer and right into the fall season.
Other gardeners grow marigolds in the hope that they will help in the battle against destructive insects and animal pests. A recent question from Sherwin inquired into the benefits of growing marigolds in the garden for companion purposes and as an organic insect control. . .
reBlogged
to marigolds
on Sep 2, 2007, 8:45PM
Posted by Kenny Point Reblogged by Old Roses to marigolds on 2007-09-04, 00:38:02
Welcome to September...my absolute favorite month of the year. The weather in Southern California is the most beautiful this month, without fail. Breezes fill the afternoons, and long days in the garden end with barbeques and salads topped with homegrown tomatoes. . . .
reBlogged
to weather
on Sep 2, 2007, 7:23PM
Posted by Kristi Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-09-04, 00:37:38
I know that many of you who read this blog have lovely gardens that you’ve worked on for years. Others are just starting out and some of you would eventually love to have a beautiful yard, but you’re still trying to figure out how you’d like your landscaping to look. . .
reBlogged
to landscape
on Sep 2, 2007, 2:50PM
Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to landscape on 2007-09-04, 00:36:55
Many things love to come and live off your plants, including bacteria, bugs, birds, and bunnies. If you don't control them, entire crops can be ruined. The result of your careful cultivation, in your garden and in your life, can be lost to predators in a short time. ... Take a look at your life, what toxic relationships, substances and emotions are feeding on your energy and taking away from what you have to give to others. Eliminate them.- Vivian Elisabeth Glyck, 1997
The best advice my father ever gave me was "get rid of the things in your life that make you feel bad." Toxic substances, toxic relationships and toxic jobs are the weeds of your life. Get rid of them to make room for you to grow and bloom.
An unidentified bee species visits a corn poppy
Perhaps, like me, you’ve noticed there haven’t been as many bees flying around this year. If you’re the sort of person who gets...
Not everything in the garden was a complete disaster. Some things had managed to survive despite the neglect they've had to undergo, like these little campanula which were growing out of a crack in the path ...
reBlogged
to flowers
Posted by Sue Swift Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-04, 00:30:00
My foray into the world of Angel's Trumpets began last November, when a couple of gardeners from Dave's Garden were generous enough to send me some 'sticks' for rooting. When I received those foot-long stalks, I had my doubts as to whether anything would come of them. Woe to the unbeliever...
reBlogged
to brugmansia
Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to brugmansia on 2007-09-04, 00:29:29
Hard to believe this is the last week of One Local Summer. Not only has local eating sustained us this summer, posting about our meals has also sustained this blog. With a new baby in the house, I must admit my garden is so overgrown and neglected, it's far from blog-worthy. Without our local meals, this blog would have gone the way of our garden. . . .
The summer azure butterfly (Celastrina neglecta) is to me the embodiment of fleeting, late summer days; delicate, and with its inner wings a clear blue as if a small bit of sky color had come to earth. It is easily recognized by its pale greyish outer wings with spotting and a faint, stitching submarginal line, with fringed wing edges, and its lovely, powder-blue inner wings with a prominent white edge. The summer azure takes me back to summers and meadows of long ago; all gone except in my memory. But, while the grass is heavy with dew from the lengthening early fall night, the sun is coming up over the ridge... I am off to the woods to see what I can see on this beautiful September day.
reBlogged
to beneficials
Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to beneficials on 2007-09-04, 00:28:37
via Bliss on 1969-12-31, 19:00:00
,
Friday many of you saw the release of what has been dubbed the Texas Tulip (Tulipa praecox). We are almost sold out, and for all of the blog readers, I want to make sure that you know about it and have the opportunity to purchase some. If you would like to read the Dallas Morning News piece by Mariana Greene released this weekend, please click 
