How To Prevent Rusty/Stuck Jar RingsWash the glass jars used for pressure-canning fruits and vegetables to remove salts and prevent rusty jar rings.
ATP Podcast #63: 3 Years of ATP, Misting Systems, and Tomato Buying TipsThis week we're celebrating three years of All Things Plants! Yes, it was July of 2011 that we started this site. We'll reflect a bit on the past 3 years of running the site. Additionally, I'll talk about my new automated misting irrigation system in my greenhouse, along with my other plans to improve my propagation techniques. Trish will talk about how to select and buy tomatoes: shapes, sizes, uses and types.
Composting HintMake composting easy for everyone in the family to participate. Put a small attractive compost bucket next to the kitchen sink. With a composting bucket close at hand, you can catch each banana peel and all the coffee grounds.
Vegetable Canning SafetyIt's always good to remember that vegetable-processing times should be followed exactly to ensure that your home-canned veggies (or other foods) are safe to eat.
Bog GardenDo you have a spot in your garden that’s always damp? Well, if so, don’t despair. Use it to build a bog garden.
Easy Trellis for Seasonal VinesSeasonal vines such as native passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) can become unruly in the summer garden, but they can be garden stars with this easy trellis.
What a Novice Has Learned About Gloriosa in the Last MonthA month ago I had no idea what a Gloriosa was. I just happened to see jmorth's photos of it during my perusal of the forums. I decided then and there that it was a plant that I wanted to acquire and successfully grow. I am still very much a novice, but I have gained enough knowledge (some through painful mistakes) to offer some insights to those of you who may want to have Gloriosa but, for whatever reason, have never tried them. My teachers have been the posts here at ATP, some much appreciated advice from our resident expert on Gloriosa, and my own experience.
ATP Podcast #62: Vines and ClimbersIt is Vines and Climbers week at All Things Plants, so today we're going to talk about these climbing friends of the garden. What kinds of support structures do we like? And what are our favorite vines that we recommend to other gardeners? Are there vines that should be avoided? We'll talk about all that and more!
Honeysuckle Vine Can Evoke Strong FeelingsNot only can it evoke strong feelings with its powerful fragrance, but the much-maligned Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) can also evoke feelings of anger if it escapes into your landscape or beyond. Fortunately, there are other species of this vine that can provide the positive characteristics of honeysuckle without as many of the negative ones.
A Mobile Way To Grow VinesYears ago, before my discovery of masonry ladders, I used to grow epic numbers of morning glories and other vines every year in containers. I wanted something that was mobile, had something to climb, and was easy to swap plants in and out of. I came up with "Pots in Pots."
The Vine Weevil and Its Larvae -- Top of the Hit ListThis insect appears near the top of every list of annoying insects. It is very destructive and action should be taken if you come across it. The adult weevil does not do terminal damage to a plant. It may make notches in the leaves, but most plants can shrug it off. The damage is done by the hundreds of larvae that grow from their eggs. These larvae live on a diet of plant roots, and with a bad infestation, they can chew until your plant is severed at the ground. They also cause so much root trauma that when the plant explodes into growth in spring, it dies because it cannot take in the necessary water to support its leaves.
The All Things Plants Most Popular Vines and ClimbersToday we open Vines and Climbers week by giving a list of the top 25 vines in our database, judged by how many contributions have been made to the various plant entries. Enjoy the list!
Chinese Takeout and TransplantsChopsticks make great gardening tools. So do many other kitchen utensils.
Let There Be LightGet inventive; re-purpose what you have on hand in a closet or in the shed, or hit the thrift stores and yard sales. Supplemental lighting doesn't have to be expensive or beautiful.
ATP Podcast #61: Edging Options to Border Your GardenToday we're going to talk about bordering your garden. What kinds of edges should you use? Or should you even use borders? If you do, what kinds of borders are out there? Trish has a lot of ideas on the subject and she'll share them with us today on this, our 61st episode of the All Things Plants podcast.
Recycle Those Shipping BoxesUse shipping boxes a second time to help prevent weeds.
Compost Happens!Here are some nuts and bolts on basic composting. If you don't get it right, don't worry. It all turns into dirt in the end.
Hoop it up!I was trying to think of an easier way to keep bloom-laden butterfly bushes from flopping over, and I came up with this idea.
Royal Horticultural Society - Award of Garden MeritWhy not choose from among the best varieties of a plant? The RHS takes pride in trialling varieties in order to make recommendations, and it has a catalogue of those varieties that have been awarded the AGM. It is not perfect for all the many extra thousands of varieties around the world, but it can be a useful reference for us.
The Gooseberries Are GrowingIt happened every spring as I walked up the dusty one-lane road past Aunt Bett's house. She'd yell out the back door: "The gooseberries are growing! Hurry! I see the robins!" And I'd take off in a run, straight up the mountain to the gooseberry patch.
Grapes of Wrath, Wine or RaisinsGrapes! These amazing little round balls of sweetness are also great for our health, no matter whether they are fresh off the vine, served dry and wrinkled, or sipped slowly and savored as wine.
ATP Podcast #60: Growing Blackberries and StrawberriesIn this week's podcast, we'll discuss everything you need to know to grow blackberries, and Trish will share her tips on success with strawberries.
Protecting Pawpaws (and Other Fruits) from PilferingSave nylon mesh produce bags to protect fruit as it begins to ripen. The bags expand as fruit grows and help protect it from predators. Also, since pawpaws often ripen and drop off the tree within a short period of time, you can retrieve your fallen fruit from the bag.
ElderberriesLiving in Washington State for two years resulted in my first introduction to elderberries (Sambucus sp.). A friend took me on a hike into the woods and showed me where they were and how to identify them. The resulting jelly was wonderful.
