Your All Things Plants newsletter for July 23, 2012

Some numbers from last week:

26 new members.
146 new threads.
3,283 new posts.
2,076 new images to the plant database.
68 new comments in the plant database.

News from dave:
Introducing "Gardening Recommendations"! Do you have any gardening companies that you'd like to recommend to others? We all have our favorite companies that we buy from time and again, and I'm pleased to announce a new feature that will let you reward your favorite companies by recommending them to others! Introducing Gardening Recommendations, currently in beta form only. You can access it here: https://allthingsplants.com/reviews/ Sometime this coming week I will find a way to make room for it in the tab bar up top and then we'll be officially launched. But in the meantime, feel free to check it out and see what you think. A few of the features: 1) Anybody can add a company to be recommended. Once the company is added you can post your review. 2) Your review can be a simple one or two sentence review, or it can be a full length post. 3) You can include photos in your review! This way you can show what the order looked like when you got it. 4) People can post replies to your review (just like the way people can post replies to your photos in the database, for example). This feature is only a very small beginning. Right now it only supports the recommending of companies, but I have created this in such a way that I can easily extend it to support recommending other things, like books and even other fellow trading partners! Adding those other features will be a phase 2 project. Stay tuned!

The most popular images this week from our database:
Photo of Iris (Iris 'Ostentatious') by ARUBA1334:
Photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Penny Pinsley') by JuliaNY:
Photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Ruby Lipstick') by shive1:
Photo of Yew (Taxus baccata) by NEILMUIR1:
Photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Tusk') by tink3472:

There were 9 new gardening ideas posted last week:

By LarryR
July 23, 2012 What's blooming in July

This month's article is devoted exclusively to our winners. That's right, plural. There are three of them! Come on in, check them out, and see what photos they've chosen for their awards. At left is a photo of this month's mystery flower. (1,150 words - Read the full article)
(4 comments)

By lovemyhouse
July 22, 2012 Garden Tour

Let's travel to Texas, just a little north of Dallas in zone 8, and take a look at what lovemyhouse has done with her home and gardens. Garden Tours are always fun and this is one you'll really enjoy. (1,576 words - Read the full article)
(15 comments)

By RobertB
July 21, 2012 Make your own bug smacker

The Florida rainy season is a welcome sight to all plant lovers, however the rainy season means mosquito season here in Florida. While out working in your yard it is handy to make your own Florida Mosquito Smacker! Here's how. (75 words - Read the full article)
(7 comments)

By threegardeners
July 20, 2012 Make your own moss pole

A moss pole is the best way to grow plants like Philodendrons and Syngoniums. Moss poles are really pretty simple to make; let me show you. (444 words - Read the full article)
(8 comments)

By plantladylin
July 20, 2012 A quick tip on container planting

Soil Saver: For container gardens, to keep the soil from seeping out of the bottom of the container, use a coffee filter on the bottom before putting soil in the pot. The filters will last quite awhile before decomposing. I've also used mesh window screening (cut a piece to fit over the drainage hole(s) and then add your soil.
(6 comments)

By NEILMUIR1
July 19, 2012 The Chelsea Flower Show 2012 (Part 1)

This years Chelsea Flower Show was very patriotic in celebration of Her Majesty's Queen's Diamond Jubilee (1952-2012). (2,208 words - Read the full article)
(42 comments)

By Dutchlady1
July 19, 2012 Observe your environment before selecting plants

When moving to a new area you are probably itching to start planting your yard. I recommend driving, riding a bike, or walking around your new neighborhood for a while to see what grows there in order to not make costly mistakes.
(10 comments)

By wildflowers
July 18, 2012 Glossary tip: Corolla

Two or more petals on a flower, that are usually a color other than green, are known collectively as the "corolla."
(3 comments)

By RobertB
July 17, 2012 Rooting tips for your plumeria cuttings

Place your potted plumeria stick on your pool deck or other cement area to let the sun warmed surface keep the container and it's precious plumeria stick nice and warm. (80 words - Read the full article)
(5 comments)