Author: Lilac

Posted on

How to get lilacs to bloom (Part II)

lilac with butterfly by andrealeev

I have planted all my lilacs near some other big shrub or tree because my property is mostly wooded or has something growing on it- I have little choice of where to plant plants that I want. I know that lilacs do NOT like their roots crowded; but I have few options. I had planted the lilac that is blooming near the Rose of Sharon when they were little, so though they are all huge, perhaps the roots would have had a better chance to establish themselves when the shrubs were all small.

The lilac that has a few flowers is near a crape myrtle and who knows what size the crape myrtle roots are (compared to the Rose of Sharon roots.) I do wish someone would do a study of roots of plants and have diagrams and size charts so we gardeners can know what is underground as well as what we can see.

Continue reading “How to get lilacs to bloom (Part II)”

Posted on

How to get lilacs to bloom (Part I)

taas kukkia by Marko_K

My old fashioned lilacs, Syringa vulgaris, are blooming. For the first time in years, the flowers are blooming on my side of the yard as well as my neighbor’s side of the yard. Most years the flower display is best on my neighbor’s side. But, hey, what are good neighbors for?

The lilacs that I have that are in bloom are from my parents’ farm. These lilacs were babies from lilac shrubs that were on the farm for over 100 years. As far back as I remember the lilacs always had such a beautiful display of blooms every spring that my mother made huge bouquets of lilacs for us and for family and friends.

I have my lilac growing in between two Rose of Sharon shrubs, just as the lilacs had grown when on the farm so that I have lilacs in bloom in the spring and Rose of Sharon blooming in late summer.

Continue reading “How to get lilacs to bloom (Part I)”

Posted on

Edible wild plants and weeds (Videos)

Wild Violet by Mr.Mac2009

TheGardenLady has been writing a series about weeds in your garden that are edible. There are many videos showing the edible weeds. Remember only eat weeds if you are with an expert- unless you are absolutely certain that you know what you are picking. In many cases the plant has poisonous lookalikes so one has to be positive about identifying plants. Remember that not all plant parts may be edible. And just because the weeds are edible does not mean they will agree with your digestive system.

This GardenLady knows it is fun to get something for nothing. But she never advocates doing anything that is unsafe. So always beware and err on the side of caution. Only when you know what you can eat safely, then you will have a way of enjoying Nature’s true bounty while saving money.

Continue reading “Edible wild plants and weeds (Videos)”

Posted on

Wild garlic

Allium vineale 3/4 by snappybex

Another weed that we have in North America that came from Europe did not seem to come here because early settlers brought it as food, but rather because the ships they came in brought soil as ballast and this weed stowed away in the soil. This is wild or field garlic, a cool season perennial that prefers drier areas. It grows in small grass-like clumps from late fall through early spring and is a nuisance in lawns, pastures and gardens. Wild garlic has an oniony smell. It can reproduce by seed, aerial bulblets, and underground bulbs. Wild garlic does not have a spreading root system and thus does not spread rapidly throughout fields. Dig up a clump of wild garlic foliage and you will find an assortment of bulbs and shallow roots.

Continue reading “Wild garlic”

Posted on

We insult Mother Nature by referring to common purslane as “weeds”

Common Purslane by pellaea

I have not seen it growing in my garden yet, because common purslane – Portulaca oleracea is a summer annual weed species that is abundant throughout the world invading vegetable gardens, bare areas, low-maintenance lawns, ornamental plantings, and agricultural areas. Though not a native, no one knows how common purslane arrived in North America. And though it is considered a weed here, it is used as a leaf vegetable in other parts of the world.

Common purslane is considered one of the most nutritious greens on the planet. It has more Omega 3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant, more beta carotene than spinach as well as high levels of magnesium and potassium. (see here)

If you don’t want common purslane growing n your garden, it is not a difficult weed to eliminate- if you have a small garden. Hand pulling is very easy especially when the plant is young. And using mulch to smother weeds is always a good idea. Though TheGardenLady does not recommend chemicals, there are many herbicides on the market that will kill purslane. Read instructions carefully and be doubly careful using chemicals near or in your vegetable garden.

Continue reading “We insult Mother Nature by referring to common purslane as “weeds””

Posted on

De-Clutter your Garden this Spring

Garden Shed by cmkalina

Spring has arrived and it’s not just the season to de-clutter your closet and spring clean your kitchen. Your garden can often need just as much attention at this time of the year and as the weather gets warmer, de-cluttering your garden can prepare your outdoor space for summer. If your social calendar is filling up with barbeques and social gatherings, these tips will help you whip your garden into tip top shape.

Step One-Analyse your Space

The de-cluttering process should begin with taking a good look at your garden. Are there certain areas that have become overgrown? Can you see any areas that could be improved? When analysing your outdoor space, take a second to think about the bigger picture. What does your dream garden look like?

Continue reading “De-Clutter your Garden this Spring”

Posted on

The Dandelion (Part II)

Spring Salad by badlyricpolice

Dandelions are good in salads and sandwiches. You can cook with the leaves. The flowers can be used to make lemonade, beer or wine. The roots are made into a tea. For interesting dandelion recipes check out this blog.

If you consider the dandelion a weed and want to get rid of them, to do so is difficult because the dandelion seed can be windborne for several miles. Also, the dandelion has a long, strong taproot that is capable of penetrating the soil to a depth of 10 to 15 feet, though it is most commonly 6 to 18 inches deep. Solitary new dandelion plants along fence rows, roadsides, flower beds, and in turfgrass should be dug out. There are tools specifically for digging out dandelions- Amazon.com carries a number of these.

Continue reading “The Dandelion (Part II)”

Posted on

The Dandelion (Part I)

Abandonando el hogar by gonzalo_ar

Everyone knows the dandelion. And everyone knows that the common name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves.The Latin name is Taraxacum officinale.

The flowers at this time of year are quite lovely, but everyone knows the seeds will soon emerge and as soon as they do, dandelion seed will spread everywhere -by the wind, by children blowing the seeds, by animals rubbing against the seed ball or animals and birds. They say that the seed can spread as far as 5 miles from the original site.

Continue reading “The Dandelion (Part I)”

Posted on

How to deal with hairy bittercress and other weeds

Cardamine hirsuta, Lamium purpureum, Glechoma hederacea by AnneTanne

There is a cute little weed with tiny white flowers that is growing in many gardens and lawns in the United States, Europe  and Asia.  It is a winter annual that grows in spring. A winter annual is a plant that germinates in the fall and winter so that you may think it is dead because you don’t see it in those seasons and then in the spring it comes up, seemingly all over the place. (see here)  Some of the common names of this plant are hairy bittercress, pepperweed, snapweed, and land cress. Its Latin name is Cardamine hirsuta and it is in the mustard family which means it can be eaten. Mustards are winter annual plants. Hairy bittercress likes to grow in disturbed soil, in a sunny area that may be a bit wet. It is also found in greenhouses and newly potted plants and gardens.

Continue reading “How to deal with hairy bittercress and other weeds”

Posted on

A Good British Gardening and Landscaping Website

Now That’s a Vegetable Garden! by UGArdener

 

TheGardenLady is always looking for new, good websites to recommend. I love good gardening and landscape gardening ideas. And since I love British Gardens, when I can find a British website that has garden-related material, I am doubly interested.  Don’t misunderstand, I also use my favorite websites, the tried and true, such as Wikipedia, which has encyclopedic information.

Recently I discovered “SuperSavvyme” a British website. This site meets a lot of the criteria that TheGardenLady looks for. They have straightforward, inexpensive and easy tips for landscaping, such as how much garden paths add to your garden landscape or how much lighting adds to your garden with ideas of types of lighting to use.  They have tips on various plants to use in your garden- the rose growing column was particularly helpful, especially if you want to plant new rose bushes or want to know when to prune your existing rose bushes.

Continue reading “A Good British Gardening and Landscaping Website”