Your All Things Plants newsletter for November 14, 2011

• 14 new members.
• 141 new threads.
• 2,682 new posts.
• 2,513 new images to the plant database.
• 134 new comments in the plant database.

Early American Gardeners of the Thirteen Colonies By Chris Rentmeister on November 14, 2011 Early gardening and farming was nearly a full time daily job for the initial settlers of the thirteen colonies. The climate and soil were new to them and it took quite some time to discover what fruits, vegetables and crops would grow successfully here. (0 comments)

End of the Year Chat By Trish Whitinger on November 13, 2011 For the rest of the year, instead of the "Which Team" articles, we are chatting about what is going on at your house. Come join us! (39 comments)

Garden Tours: Valleylynn, Lynn Smith By Sharon Brown on November 12, 2011 Let's take a trip this week to Oregon and visit the lovely gardens created by Lynn Smith and her husband, Cliff. It's always fun to step out of our own climate to see what grows well in another, and sometimes it's even more fun to see what our climates have in common. You are going to love what you ... (77 comments)

Honey bees in the garden: Royal Jelly a.k.a. bee milk By Margaret Tucker on November 11, 2011 Royal jelly is another product of the honey bees. It is the stuff that makes a worker bee turn into a queen. You may have heard of the various medical claims made about royal jelly. Is it really a miracle substance or just hype? Let’s take a closer look at royal jelly. (18 comments)

All about packaging plants for shipping By Lee Anne Stark on November 9, 2011 There eventually comes a time when you want to share your plants with someone in another state, province, or country. This is a tutorial showing one of the best ways to package your plants ensuring that they make it to their destination in one piece. (21 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

November 14, 2011: If you have leftover coffee in your coffee pot, once it's cooled, you can water your plants with it. Do not use cream or sugar though. I have no scientific evidence to back this one up but I have a house plant that is 14 years old that gets the coffee remains and it is so healthy. Tip by vic Photo by gingin - (6 comments)

November 13, 2011: If you use polymer crystals in a container, it's best to hydrate them before adding them to the soil. This way you wont end up hydrating them with your first watering and having soil raise up, over, and out of your container. Tip and photo by Shelly - (6 comments)

November 12, 2011: For inexpensive plant markers that won't blow away. Buy an aluminium mini blind (don't us plastic as it may crack) at a garage sale or at one of the big box stores in a sale bin, and 25 to 50 heavy duty irrigation staples. Cut mini blinds in the length you need, 3" to 4", measure and drill holes closer to one side to fit the staples. Write the plant name on the back with a Sharpie, it wont fade in the shade, then on the front using a paint pen or a pencil. Carefully thread it on the staple then spread a little as shown in the photo. Tip and photo by mcash70 - (16 comments)

November 11, 2011: Drill holes in the handles of hand tools to hang easier. Tip and photo by Sheila_FW - (One comment)

November 10, 2011: Keep your tools organized. There is nothing more frustrating than spending precious gardening time looking for your tools. Tip by goldfinch4 Photo by mcash70 - (9 comments)

November 9, 2011: Leave seed heads on grasses over the winter. The birds will appreciate it. Tip by CindiKS Photo by valleylynn - (6 comments)

November 8, 2011: Before the first frost of fall, harvest the last of your herbs. Chop them finely and put them in an ice cube tray, and cover with either water or olive oil. (I designate my blue trays for herbs, so they aren't inadvertently used for regular ice cubes later.) You can do cubes of individual herbs (one cube would equal about 1-1/2 tsp. of dried herb in a recipe), or a combination of compatible herbs, like basil and oregano, or rosemary and thyme. Cover the tray with plastic wrap, and when they are frozen hard, transfer them to labelled freezer bags. Tip by BookerC1 Photo by dave - (10 comments)