Your All Things Plants newsletter for February 13, 2012

Some numbers from last week:There were 3 new articles published last week:

Article for Team "Spring Bulbs", or Team "No Bulbs For Me"?
By Trish Whitinger on February 12, 2012

Signs of spring - do you grow early spring bulbs? Come share with us! (36 comments)

Article for A drought-tolerant garden
By C. Tee Menser on February 10, 2012

The year 2011 was a violent weather year in the US with at least 12 weather-related disasters exceeding a billion dollars in damage. Some say it was earth's most extreme weather year since 1816. Much of the country suffered from record heat and drought . . . and so did the yards and gardens. (37 comments)

Article for The benefits and drawbacks of snow in the garden
By Chris Rentmeister on February 7, 2012

There’s no doubt that snow can be beautiful and offer many benefits to gardens, but unfortunately it can also cause problems. Let’s take a look at how our landscapes can be affected by this frozen precipitation. (23 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

Gardening tip for February 13, 2012 February 13, 2012:
Gardeners love their plants and their pets. Many popular house plants such as Ivy and Philodendron are poisonous to cats. The following list contains a few of the more common house plants toxic to them: Arrowhead Fern, Amaryllis, Anthurium, Avocado, Cactus, Caladium, Chrysanthemum, Creeping Fig, Crocus, Croton, Daffodil, Dieffenbachia, Euphorbias, Fiddleleaf Fig, Holly, Hydrangea, Ivy, Easter Lily (most lilies are highly toxic to cats), Mistletoe, Narcissus, Philodendron, Tomato leaves.

Tip and photo by SongofJoy - (0 comments)

Gardening tip for February 12, 2012 February 12, 2012:
Lions and Tigers and Toads, Oh MY! Well, nix the first two but the latter is a must in your garden! Ninety percent of a toads diet consists of insects as well as other small creatures (think cutworms!) Encourage them to linger by providing a toad abode (upturned flower pot, box, etc) and a shallow pool for drinking and cooling off in on hot days.

Tip by Horseshoe
Photo by gardengus - (9 comments)

Gardening tip for February 11, 2012 February 11, 2012:
Invest in a sturdy garden scoot. It saves wear and tear on knees and back, and if the handle locks in place, you have support to help you stand up. A basket or tray keeps tools handy or carries produce back from the garden.

Tip and photo by patrob - (27 comments)

Gardening tip for February 10, 2012 February 10, 2012:
Worn out or threadbare towels can be useful a little longer by hanging them in the potting shed. When you're done working and rinse off the first layer of dirt before going inside you'll have something to dry your hands on besides your shirt. When they get really nasty then pitch them.

Tip and photo by gingin - (8 comments)

Gardening tip for February 9, 2012 February 9, 2012:
I save & use containers like this to start seeds in. They are deep enough, have drain holes in the bottom, vent holes in the top, the top snaps shut & when the seedlings get large enough, you can leave the top open so they can grow higher. I use a single layer of a piece of paper towel in the bottom to keep the soil from going out the drain holes. By the time it's time to transplant the seedlings the paper towel has broken down into almost nothing. AND you can write the name & date right on the top with a magic marker!

Tip and photo by flaflwrgrl - (29 comments)

Gardening tip for February 8, 2012 February 8, 2012:
Chopped Banana Peels: Mix in the soil of potassium loving plants.

Tip by plantladylin
Photo by mcash70 - (17 comments)

Gardening tip for February 7, 2012 February 7, 2012:
If you live in zone 9 or 10, you can grow the 'Spider Plant' (Chlorophytum comosum) outdoors. This plant, which is native to South Africa, makes a wonderful ground cover. Just start with one and watch the baby plants spread around the mother. They can easily be moved if they get into areas where you don't want them.

Tip and photo by Dutchlady1 - (10 comments)