With the arrival of August, and the month of
September just around the corner we need to start
planning our fall vegetable garden. There are numerous
vegetables that require a cool growing season rather
than a warm growing season. For my readers that reside
in USDA Zones: 11, 10, 9, and 8 you get the benefits of
having two vegetable growing seasons, one in the spring
and one in the fall. As the weather cools in your area,
and as gardeners we start thinking about fall and what
fall brings to us; it’s time to start gardening again.
With this in mind I would like to mention the wonderful
benefits of a fall vegetable garden.
Home-grown vegetables have a richer, fuller taste and
tend to be fresher than store bought since you pick them
yourself. Home-grown vegetables are easy and inexpensive
to grow as well. Vegetable gardening can involve the
entire family from the little ones to the teens. As well
as being an educational tool, the time the family spends
in the garden is quality time spent together, and can
give one a sense of pride.
In today’s economy more and more families are finding
ways to save money, and one way to save money on your
grocery bill would be to start your own vegetable
garden. Vegetables can be grown from seeds or vegetable
starts, and more retail garden centers this year are
reporting that vegetable starts and seeds are up from
last year’s sales; and as a result of our current
economy more families decide to spend more time at home
and in the garden.
Some of you maybe thinking to yourself I have never
grown vegetables before, and I don’t think I can grow
vegetables. One of my task as a professional
horticulturist to a private estate was to grow
home-grown vegetables, and my thoughts were exactly the
same; and as a Texas Certified Horticultural
Professional I would advise our retail gardening
customer’s on how to grow vegetables, but I never grew
vegetables professionally. I took my vegetable gardening
advice that I gave to my retail gardening customers, and
my horticultural experience and put all that knowledge
to the test. The results of the vegetable garden test
are in the pictures included in this article.
The vegetable garden that I planted last year had a
wide variety of root vegetables and above ground
vegetables. Root Fall vegetables would include:
potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, rutabagas,
parsnips, beets, radishes, shallots, and asparagus.
Asparagus is the only fall perennial vegetable. You need
to find a place where it can grow undisturbed for many
years. The key to growing root vegetables is giving
enough space in between each plant so the actual root
(vegetable) will mature and not be misshapen because of
planting to close. I grew Georgia Sweet onions from
onion sets, Cherry Belle radishes, and Tall Top Early
Wonder beets, all from seeds. The wonderful aspect of
radishes is that the radishes mature in 22 days, and to
have radishes all season replant your seeds every ten
days. I was amazed and thrilled at how easy it was to
grow vegetables from seed. The above ground Fall
vegetables include: peppers, tomatoes, (with the peppers
and tomatoes there are varieties to plant for the fall
versus varieties for the spring), spinach, lettuce, snow
peas, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, mustard,
cauliflower, chard, and collards. For the above ground
vegetables I grew from vegetable starts, green peppers,
tomatoes; and from seed there was Snow Peas,
Black-Seeded Simpson lettuce, Mesclun Sweet Salad
lettuce, Little Caesar Romaine lettuce. For recommended
varieties to your area, contact your local extension
office.
When planning your vegetable garden, either from
vegetable starts or seeds don’t forget to add a little
color to the garden. In the last couple of years seed
companies have established several different colors in
vegetables. You can now purchase peppers, carrots, and
tomatoes seeds that will produce a wide range of colors.
You can purchase bell pepper seeds that come in ivory,
lavender, chocolate brown, yellow, and orange. Wouldn’t
some or all of those colors look wonderful in a fresh
tossed salad or homemade stuffed bell peppers? Carrot
seeds now come in colors of yellow, white, golden
yellow, red, light and dark purple, and of course your
typical orange. Your family will just go wild over the
variety of colors that will adorn the family dinner
table each evening. Tomato seeds are now available in
different shades of red, orange, yellow, and even a dark
brown. With all the vegetable colors that are available
on the market today, you can now color coordinate your
dinner plate with home-grown vegetables, and become the
ultimate gourmet chef without paying a gourmet price
tag.
Vegetable plants can be grown in a container or a
special designated area in your yard. When considering a
container versus a designated area there are a few
considerations to be reviewed before deciding.
Containers are excellent for growing a small amount of
vegetables and a good choice, if you have a nice sunny
patio or have a small sized yard. When growing
vegetables in your yard the designated area that you
choose should be in raised beds versus planted in your
local soil. Vegetables plants require a loose and peat
moss soil mixture. Purchasing landscape timbers or
landscape edging at your local hardware store or home
improvement store can easily do this.
Deciding a Location: Choose an area
that gets 5 - 6 hours of full sun; and if, you have an
area that receives more than 6 hours of sunlight that’s
all right, too.
Deciding a Container(s): Choose a
container that is 14 inches or larger, but the lettuces
and radishes can be grown in smaller containers than
recommended above.
Deciding a Soil: There are several
potting soils on the market and choosing one is a matter
of your gardening preferences. Some of the chooses are
inorganic verses organic, with moisture control or
without moisture control, with timed-release fertilizer
or without fertilizer. Some potting soils are especially
formulated for vegetables.
Deciding a Fertilizer: There are
several fertilizers on the market and choosing one is a
matter of your gardening preferences. Some of the
chooses are water soluble, granular, time-release,
slow-release, organic, or inorganic. Choose a fertilizer
that is formulated for vegetable plants.
Choosing an Insecticide:
Choosing an
insecticide is a matter of your gardening preferences,
and while I was growing the vegetable garden I had an
IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach method. I
would only use Safer Soaps or Horticultural Oils on all
the vegetables that I grew, and realistically I hardly
had to spray the vegetables at all. I was constantly
watching for any insect or worm that would start eating
my prize vegetables, and when I did see one I would
simply dispose of the insect.
Choosing a Vegetable Support: Some
of the vegetable plants that I mentioned above will need
to be staked or in need of a vegetable cage such as
tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peas, cantaloupes, and
sometimes peppers.
Watering: Of all the ingredients
that I have mentioned for vegetable gardening success,
water, is the most important to a successful vegetable
garden. The soil for your vegetables will need to be
consistently moist at all times, and the water source
should be city water or treated water. This is one of
the reasons for one of last’s years E. coil outbreaks;
the vegetables that were recalled received untreated
water during the growing process. More gardeners are
starting to grow their own vegetables this year versus
last year due to the recent E. coli outbreaks in
store-bought produce. Just another reason to start
growing your own vegetables, you supply the water, you
supply the insecticide, and you know exactly what
ingredients went into your vegetables. For states that
are currently under water restrictions, you can water
your food crops, personal food garden, or personal
vegetable garden without penalty. Wash all vegetables
before eating or cooking.
Planting: There are a few vegetables
that do not like to be planted next to each other, and
the vegetable combinations to avoid are: Onions with
peas or beans. Tomatoes or squash with potatoes. Carrots
with dill or fennel. Beans with onions and garlic.
Planting tomato Plants: Another
planting rule that has always worked for me is to plant
your tomato plants deeper than the original soil line,
even if you grow your tomatoes from seed. When you are
ready to plant your tomato plants remove two sets of
leaves or four leaves total and plant the tomato plant
that deep in the soil. You just do this with tomatoes
and the reason for this procedure is that tomatoes will
establish more roots along the stem where you removed
the leaves, and tomatoes require a lot more water than
the other vegetables mentioned in this article, and
tomatoes are one vegetable that is a heavy feeder, i.e.
tomatoes require a steady supply of fertilizer.
Put on your
gardening gloves and reap the rewards and benefits
of a fall vegetable garden. Tastier vegetables than
store bought that you harvest on your own. As a
vegetable gardener you know the ingredients, and there
is nothing more rewarding than tasting the “vegetables”
of your labors.
As a horticulturist I have always had
houseplants in my home and I would like to explore with
you the health and medical benefits of having these
wonderful creatures around. As a child I remember there
were always houseplants
around the home. Having
houseplants around the house became second nature to us;
it was like having another brother or sister around, it
just did not talk back to you. It was not until years
later that houseplants received recognition for all the
benefits that you receive from them. Several studies
have been done on the benefits of houseplants and how
houseplants in your home or office remove indoor
pollutants, and toxic chemicals from the air. These
studies have shown which houseplant removes what indoor
pollutant or toxic chemical from the air. There are many
health benefits that people receive from plants in the
home or work place.
As newly built homes and offices were
being constructed to be more energy efficient, the homes
and offices become airtight and sealed, and the quality
of air inside these newly built homes and offices led to
indoor pollution or what is called sick building
syndrome. Newly built homes or offices are loaded with
indoor pollutants such as: benzene, trichloroethylene,
and formaldehyde. There are more indoor pollutants and
toxic chemicals, but these are the big three, and are
found in numerous household products and building
materials. Formaldehyde is found in many building
materials, and consumer products including paper towels,
garbage bags, facial tissues, carpet-backing, plywood,
and particleboard. Benzene is found in adhesives,
caulking compounds, ceiling tiles, electro photographic
printers, floor coverings, paints, particleboard,
photocopiers, wall coverings, stains, and varnishes.
Trichloroethylene is found in duplicating machines,
electro photographic printers, and photocopiers.
A NASA study was a huge stepping-stone
to raising public awareness of the benefits of
houseplants. NASA’s 2-year study done in conjunction
with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America
(ALCA) showed that certain houseplants remove a specific
indoor pollutant better than other houseplants studied.
The study also showed that some
houseplants would remove
more than just one indoor pollutant. Another study
involving houseplants showed that employees that work in
office buildings that had interior plants in their
lobbies and also in their offices had a lower rate of
sickness, had better employee morale, and had a lower
rate of employee sick days, when compared to employees
that did not have interior plants at their work place.
In a recent study published in February involving
houseplants and patient recovery times, researchers
monitored hospital patients that had undergone the same
exact surgery. One group of patients had houseplant(s)
in their room, and the other group did not. The group
with plants required less pain medication, were in less
pain, and had a faster recovery time than the patients
that had the same surgical procedure done, but did not
have houseplant(s) in their hospital room.
In the book “How To Grow Fresh Air” by
Dr. B. C. Wolverton, He mentions 50 interior plants that
remove indoor pollutants from your home or office. The
plants in his book were rated according to ease of plant
care maintenance, pest resistance, efficiency of
chemical removal, and transpiration rates.
Here are a few of my favorite
houseplants that remove indoor pollutants and toxic
chemicals from the air. I have chosen these
plants for their excellence in improving the air quality
in interiors, and also for their ease of care.
Bamboo Palm – Chamaedorea
seifrizii. The Bamboo Palm is easy to care
for, is more resistant to bug infestations, will give
you an overall of 6-8 feet, and will take any type of
light conditions. Bamboo Palm has a high transpiration
rate, which means during the dry winter months with
dryer air coming from your heating system the air will
feel less
dry. Due to the Bamboo Palm’s upright growth
it is an excellent plant to place in bare, empty corners
or anywhere you need a little more . This palm removes
high rates of benzene, trichloroethylene, and
formaldehyde.
Chinese Evergreen –
Aglaonema spp. The Chinese Evergreen will remain one of interior
landscapers favorites because of its durability indoors.
The plant is easy to care for and is fairly resistant to
pest infestations. The overall is about 3 feet and maybe
placed in any type of light conditions, except direct
sunlight.
Lady Palm – Rhapis excelsa.The Lady Palm is another excellent choice for
removing indoor pollutants. The palm is fairly slow
growing and is easy to care for.
Janet Craig Dracaena –
Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig'.
There are two cultivars of Janet Craig Dracaena. There
is Janet Craig Compacta variety that can be used as a
table plant and there is Janet Craig Dracaena that makes
an excellent floor specimen. Both varieties can be
placed in dimly lit areas, and can tolerate neglect.
English Ivy – Hedera
helix. English Ivy is a vining plant and
can be used in hanging baskets or trailing down the
sides of pots. The plant will take any type of interior
light conditions, and I have realized during the winter
months to let the soil dry out between watering. There
are several cultivars to choose from, but anyone you
choose will be an excellent choice. The English Ivy
removes high levels of formaldehyde.
Ficus Alii – Ficus
maclellandii ‘Alii’. Ficus Alii
will enhance your home interiors with its stately tree
shaped form. The Ficus can be grown as a bush or as a
standard (grown as a tree). This Ficus is not as picky
when it is moved and is easier to care for than Weeping
Fig. The Ficus will tolerate lower levels of light than
Weeping Fig and does not drop its leaves.
Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum
spp. The Peace Lily will enjoy any type of
light conditions, except being in direct sunlight. Peace
Lily will group nicely around other plants, and reaches
an overall of 2 to 3 feet. This plant has been rated as
one of the top performers of removing benzene,
trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air.
Corn Plant - Dracaena
fragrans ‘Massangeana’. Corn Plant is a
wonderful plant to have around because of its ease of
care and the natural upright, columnar growth habit of
the plant. This plant can be placed in Low to Bright
light areas, and is one of the plants that removes
formaldehyde from the air.
Golden Pathos – Epipremnum aureum.
Golden Pothos is a beautiful plant to use in hanging
baskets or anywhere you would like a trailing plant. The
plant can be placed in any type of light conditions and
can tolerate neglect.
Warneckii Dracaena -
Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’. Warneckii
Dracaena will brighten up your living space with its
green and white foliage. The plant makes an excellent
specimen that will tolerate lower light conditions, and
will remove benzene from the air.
Dragon Tree - Dracaena
marginata. Dragon Tree has wonderful green
with red-edged foliage and with age will develop a small
trunk. The plant needs medium to high light, and removes
trichloroethylene from the air.
Syngonium - Syngonium
podophyllum. Syngonium is a vining plant
that can be used in hanging baskets or trailing down the
sides of pots. The plant will take any type of light
conditions and is very easy to care for.
Weeping Fig - Ficus
benjamina. Weeping Fig will enhance your
home’s interiors with its stately tree shaped form. The
Ficus can be grown as a bush or as a standard (grown as
a tree). This Ficus is picky when it is moved, and does
not like to be placed in drafty areas. Once Weeping Fig
has adjusted to its new interior home the leaf drop will
stop. Weeping Fig requires high to medium light, and
removes formaldehyde from the air.
Schefflera - Schefflera
actinophylla. Schefflera at one time was
one of the most popular interior houseplants, but as new
varieties of houseplants were introduced to the market
its popularity lessened. Schefflera is a good plant for
beginners, and can tolerate some neglect. The plant has
a tendency to attract some pests, and to prevent this,
mist the foliage monthly.
Schefflera - Schefflera
arboricola. This variety of Schefflera is
bushy in nature, and will take less light than S.
actinophylla. There are several new cultivars on the
market that will give you a variety of colorful foliage.
Heart Leaf Philodendron –
Philodendron scandens oxycardium. Heart
Leaf Philodendron is one of my personal favorites
because you can place this plant anywhere in your home.
It can be used in hanging baskets or trailing down the
sides of pots.
Moth Orchid – Phalaenopsis
spp. The Moth Orchid is an orchid for
beginners and will give you years of enjoyment. After
the flower has faded trim back underneath the faded
flower(s), and sometimes a new flower spike will emerge.
I give my orchids a weak solution of water-soluble
orchid food bi-weekly.
Dendrobium Orchid -
Dendrobium spp. The Dendrobium Orchid is
an orchid for beginners and will give you years of
enjoyment. After the flower has faded trim back
underneath the faded flower(s), and sometimes a new
flower spike will emerge, or a new plantlet will emerge.
I give my orchids a weak solution of water-soluble
orchid food bi-weekly. Dendrobium Orchid removes
formaldehyde from the air.
Anthurium – Anthurium
‘Lady Jane’. Anthuriums will give you tropical
foliage and flowers.
Oakleaf Ivy – Cissus
rhombifolia ‘Ellen Danika’. Oakleaf Ivy is
excellent to use in hanging baskets, or trailing down
the sides of pots. This plant has beautiful oakleaf
foliage, and will take any type of interior light
conditions. I have realized during the winter months to
let the soil dry out between watering.
Here are a few guidelines to
help you care for your houseplants:
Water: As a general
rule, I water my houseplants once a week or biweekly
depending on the plants light requirements. The less
light the plant is located in the less frequently you
would have to water versus a plant that is located in a
high light location. Plants that are located in high
light areas should be checked once a week for water, and
plants that are located in low light areas should be
checked every other week for water. This rule has always
been a successful way to guide a new plant owner to
success.
Fertilizer: I
fertilize my interior plants with a water-soluble plant
food once a month or I use a time-release indoor-outdoor
fertilizer. If I were using a time-release fertilizer,
bimonthly I would give my plants a treat by applying a
half recommended strength water-soluble plant food for a
little extra boost. The orchids that I mentioned in this
newsletter would need a fertilizer recommended for
orchids, but you may use an orchid food for your
houseplants, too.
Containers: For newly
purchased houseplants I would keep them in their
original pots and just purchase a wicker basket, a
ceramic, or a brass container as a pot cover. When
putting the plants in a decorative container don’t
forget a plastic saucer to put in the bottom of the
decorative pot, and especially with wicker baskets.
Lighting: There are
several houseplants to choose from and each has their
own light requirements. Some houseplants tolerate the
darkest corner in the room, while other houseplants need
the brightest area of the room. When choosing
houseplants pick the one best suited for the room and
also the lighting of the room. You don’t want to pick a
houseplant that will overwhelm the room, or pick a
houseplant that gets dwarfed by the room size.
Placing: For a home
that has 2,000 or less square feet, use a total of 15
houseplants that have a pot size of six inches or more.
I would recommend placing one to two houseplants in the
rooms that are occupied the most for best removal of
indoor pollutants. Depending on the size of my rooms, I
use at least two or more houseplants in every room.
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In recent years, the natural habitat
of the butterfly has gradually diminished due to the
rapid growth of modern cities and suburbs. In an effort
to increase the butterfly population within suburbia,
utilization of butterfly gardens by
homeowners
introduces a small haven for the butterfly within
today’s cities. In addition, the garden provides the
homeowner with endless entertainment; and the sights,
sounds and fragrances of the garden offer the owner
peace and contentment as well as a feast for the senses.
Attracting butterflies to your garden
is an art. Nutrition for the butterflies, how to
attract butterflies year-round, deterrents and
preferences all must be taken into consideration. An
abundance of nectar rich flowers, plenty of food source
plants, rocks for sunning and a water source all need to
be provided. The more nectar and food source plants
that you plant, the more butterflies your garden will
attract.
To bring numerous butterflies to your
garden you need to plan for masses and clumps of color
perennials and annuals. Both perennials and annuals
should be planted, but perennials are more useful since
they bloom year-round, thus attracting butterflies
throughout the year. The blooming periods of the
annuals should be staggered also in order to
attract
butterflies year-round. To attract numerous and
different species of butterflies try to plant a
selection of native and non-native plants to your
garden.
Shade and wind are deterrents to
butterflies and will repel them from the garden. To
counteract this, provide a sunny location (they need to
be able to warm their wings); and place the taller
plants in back to create a windscreen. Butterflies are
most active between 11 AM through 3 PM; thus, a location
should be selected that will provide sun during this
time period.
Flower shape is more important than
flower color in regards to attracting butterflies to
feed, and old-fashioned flowers that retain scent and
nectar are the best for attracting the adults.
Butterflies prefer single flowers with
tubular shape and
upright blooms for feeding, and they also prefer flowers
with bright colors and a distinct scent, with red and
yellow being their favored colors.
Aspects to consider when selecting
your butterfly plants are: The favorite butterfly colors
are warm colors: red, orange, yellow; the flowers should
have a sweet odor and a platform to land-on. No
butterfly garden is complete without these must have
butterfly garden nectar (N) and food (F) plants:
Achillea millefolium – Yarrow (F), Anethum graveolens –
Dill (F), Asclepias curassavica – Scarlet Milkweed (N &
F), Buddleia davidii – Butterfly Bush (N), Helianthus
annuus – Sunflower (F), Heliotropium spp. – Heliotrope
(N), Impatiens spp. (N) (red & orange colors), Lantana
spp. – Lantana (N), Menta spp. –
Mint (N & F), Monardella odoratissima – Mountain Mint (N & F), Penta
spp. – Pentas (N), Petroselinum crispum – Parsley (F),
Salvia spp. – Salvia (N), Stachytarpheta jamaicensis –
Porterweed (N), Tagetes spp. – Marigolds (N & F),
Tagetes lucida – Mexican Marigold Mint (N & F), Verbena
spp. – Verbena (N), Zinnia spp. – Zinnias (N). These
simple plants are the tried and true to butterfly
gardening and will attract butterflies to your garden.
Planning the Garden
Survey the area of where you are
planning to place the garden. The area should have full
sun from 11 AM to 3 PM. Butterflies are most active
during this time frame and you want to entice
them to
your garden. The plants can be purchased at local
garden centers, Home Depot, and Lowe’s in your area,
usually Home Depot and Lowe’s has a nice selection of
butterfly garden plants. Plant the trees first, the
shrubs second, the annuals and perennials last. The
annuals and perennials are your main attractors for
nectar and larval plants and will also act as filler
plants too.
Gardening Tips and Guide Lines
Position the plants three feet
away from the foundation of the house by doing this
will give the homeowner room for maintenance.
Plant shrubs, annuals, and
perennials in a zigzag arrangement °◦°◦°◦°◦°.
Consult the recommendations for
spacing requirements on the individual plant
information tag.
Odd numbers mimics nature, thus,
always plant in odd numbers.
Provide a mixture of spring,
summer, and fall blooming species that are both
annuals and perennials.
Large-leaf shrubs and trees
provide shelter and hiding places for the
butterflies during rainstorms.
Butterflies require rocks for
sunning, and a water source. A terra cotta saucer
can provide water and small rocks can be placed in
the saucer for sunning.
When planning your butterfly
garden, butterflies are attracted to masses of color
so group 7-11 plants together of the same color.
Then group 7-11 plants that strongly contrast or
compliment the color.
The greater the variety of nectar
plants and larval host (food plants) provided, the
more variety of butterfly species will be attracted
to your garden. After planting your butterfly garden
and as the year’s progress you will see more and
different varieties of butterflies. I designed my
sister’s butterfly garden in Texas, and each year
she reported more butterflies and different species
of butterflies.
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As the weather warms in your area, and
as gardeners we start thinking about spring and what
spring brings to us; it’s time to start gardening again.
With this in mind I would like to mention the wonderful
benefits of a spring vegetable
garden.
Home-grown vegetables have a richer,
fuller taste and tend to be fresher than store bought
since you pick them yourself. Home-grown vegetables are
easy and inexpensive to grow as well. Vegetable
gardening can involve the entire family from the little
ones to the teens. As well as being an educational tool,
the time the family spends in the garden is quality time
spent together, and can give one a sense of pride.
Home-grown vegetables have a richer,
fuller taste and tend to be fresher than store bought
since you pick them yourself. Home-grown vegetables are
easy and inexpensive to grow as well. Vegetable
gardening can involve the entire family from the little
ones to the teens. As well as being an educational tool,
the time the family spends in the garden is quality time
spent together, and can give one a sense of pride.
In today’s economy more and more
families are finding ways to save money, and one way to
save money on your grocery bill would be to start your
own vegetable garden. Vegetables can be grown from seeds
or vegetable starts, and more retail garden centers this
year are reporting that vegetable starts and seeds are
up from last year’s sales; and as a result of our
current economy more families decide to spend more time
at home and in the garden.
Some of you maybe thinking to yourself
I have never grown vegetables before, and I don’t think
I can grow vegetables. One of my task as a professional
horticulturist to a private estate was to grow
home-grown vegetables, and my thoughts were exactly the
same; and as a Texas Certified Horticultural
Professional I would advise our retail gardening
customer’s on how to grow vegetables, but I never grew
vegetables professionally. I took my vegetable gardening
advice that I gave to my retail gardening customers, and
my horticultural experience and put all that knowledge
to the test. The results of the vegetable garden test
are in the pictures included in this article.
The vegetable garden that I planted
last year had a wide variety of root vegetables and
above ground vegetables. Root vegetables would include:
potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, rutabagas,
parsnips, beets, radishes, sweet potato, and shallots.
The key to growing root vegetables is giving enough
space in between each plant so the actual root
(vegetable) will mature and not be misshapen because of
planting to close. I grew Georgia Sweet onions from
onion sets, Cherry Belle radishes, and Tall Top Early
Wonder beets, all from seeds. The wonderful aspect of
radishes is
that the radishes mature in 22 days, and to
have radishes all season replant your seeds every ten
days. I was amazed and thrilled at how easy it was to
grow vegetables from seed. The above ground vegetables
include: peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, spinach,
lettuce, peas, beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, and
cantaloupes. For the above ground vegetables I grew from
vegetable starts, green peppers, tomatoes, and
strawberries; and from seed there was Tender Pod bush
beans, Black-Seeded Simpson lettuce, Mesclun Sweet Salad
lettuce, Little Caesar Romaine lettuce, and Early Long
Purple eggplant. For recommended varieties to your area,
contact your local extension office.
When planning your vegetable garden,
either from vegetable starts or seeds don’t forget to
add a little color to the garden. In the last couple of
years seed companies have established several different
colors in vegetables. You can
now purchase peppers,
carrots, and tomatoes seeds that will produce a wide
range of colors. You can purchase bell pepper seeds that
come in ivory, lavender, chocolate brown, yellow, and
orange. Wouldn’t some or all of those colors look
wonderful in a fresh tossed salad or homemade stuffed
bell peppers? Carrot seeds now come in colors of yellow,
white, golden yellow, red, light and dark purple, and of
course your typical orange. Your family will just go
wild over the variety of colors that will adorn the
family dinner table each evening. Tomato seeds are now
available in different shades of red, orange, yellow,
and even a dark brown. With all the vegetable colors
that are available on the market today, you can now
color coordinate your dinner plate with home-grown
vegetables, and become the ultimate gourmet chef without
paying a gourmet price tag.
Deciding a Location: Choose an area
that gets 5 - 6 hours of full sun; and if, you have an
area that receives more than 6 hours of sunlight that’s
all right, too.
Deciding a Container(s): Choose a container that is
14 inches or larger, but the lettuces and radishes can
be grown in smaller containers. I would like to suggest
when growing tomatoes or peppers to put one plant per
container.
Deciding a Soil: There are several
potting soils on the market and choosing one is a matter
of your gardening preferences. Some of the chooses are
inorganic verses organic, with moisture control or
without moisture control, with timed-release fertilizer
or without fertilizer. Some potting soils are especially
formulated for vegetables.
Deciding a Fertilizer: There are
several fertilizers on the market and choosing one is a
matter of your gardening preferences. Some of the
chooses are water soluble, granular, time-release,
slow-release, organic, or inorganic. Choose a fertilizer
that is formulated for vegetable plants.
Choosing an Insecticide: Choosing an
insecticide is a matter of your gardening preferences,
and while I was growing the vegetable garden I had an
IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach method. I
would only use Safer Soaps or Horticultural Oils on all
the vegetables that I grew, and realistically I hardly
had to spray the vegetables at all. I was constantly
watching for any insect or worm that would start eating
my prize vegetables, and when I did see one I would
simply dispose of the insect.
Choosing a Vegetable Support: Some of
the vegetable plants that I mentioned above will need to
be staked or in need of a vegetable cage such as
tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peas, cantaloupes, and
sometimes peppers.
Watering: Of all the ingredients that
I have mentioned for vegetable gardening success, water,
is the most important to a successful vegetable garden.
The soil for your vegetables will need to be
consistently moist at all times, and the water source
should be city water or treated water. This is one of
the reasons for one of last’s years E. coil outbreaks;
the vegetables that were recalled received untreated
water during the growing process. More gardeners are
starting to grow their own vegetables this year versus
last year due to the recent E. coli outbreaks in
store-bought produce. Just another reason to start
growing your own vegetables, you supply the water, you
supply the insecticide, and you know exactly what
ingredients went into your vegetables. For states that
are currently under water restrictions, you can water
your food crops, personal food garden, or personal
vegetable garden without penalty. Wash all vegetables
before eating or cooking.
Planting: There are a few vegetables
that do not like to be planted next to each other, and
the vegetable combinations to avoid are: Onions with
peas or beans. Tomatoes or squash with potatoes. Carrots
with dill or fennel. Beans with onions and garlic.
Planting tomato Plants: Another
planting rule that has always worked for me is to plant
your tomato plants deeper than the original soil line,
even if you grow your
tomatoes from seed. When you are
ready to plant your tomato plants remove two sets of
leaves or four leaves total and plant the tomato plant
that deep in the soil. You just do this with tomatoes
and the reason for this procedure is that tomatoes will
establish more roots along the stem where you removed
the leaves, and tomatoes require a lot more water than
the other vegetables mentioned in this article, and
tomatoes are one vegetable that is a heavy feeder, i.e.
tomatoes require a steady supply of fertilizer.
An article on
honeybees and crop yield that has just been
published I believe will entice my readers to plant more
than just a vegetable garden this spring. The article
states by planting more flowers to attract honeybees
helps plants defend themselves against attacks from
caterpillars. The study suggests that this could lead to
a new biological control method to try.
Put on your
gardening gloves and reap the rewards and benefits
of a spring vegetable garden. Tastier vegetables than
store bought that you harvest on your own. As a
vegetable gardener you know the ingredients, and there
is nothing more rewarding than tasting the “vegetables”
of your labors. Take advantage of our 10% off spring
coupon of orders $50.00 or more. Hurry the coupon
expires June 30, 2009. Use redemption code: Newsletter
at checkout.
Home-grown vegetables have a richer, fuller taste and
tend to be fresher than store bought since you pick them
yourself. Home-grown vegetables are easy and inexpensive
to grow as well. Vegetable gardening can involve the
entire family from the little ones to the teens. As well
as being an educational tool, the time the family spends
in the garden is quality time spent together, and can
give one a sense of pride. 
Some of you maybe thinking to yourself I have never
grown vegetables before, and I don’t think I can grow
vegetables. One of my task as a professional
horticulturist to a private estate was to grow
home-grown vegetables, and my thoughts were exactly the
same; and as a Texas Certified Horticultural
Professional I would advise our retail gardening
customer’s on how to grow vegetables, but I never grew
vegetables professionally. I took my vegetable gardening
advice that I gave to my retail gardening customers, and
my horticultural experience and put all that knowledge
to the test. The results of the vegetable garden test
are in the pictures included in this article. 
Vegetable plants can be grown in a container or a
special designated area in your yard. When considering a
container versus a designated area there are a few
considerations to be reviewed before deciding.
Containers are excellent for growing a small amount of
vegetables and a good choice, if you have a nice sunny
patio or have a small sized yard. When growing
vegetables in your yard the designated area that you
choose should be in raised beds versus planted in your
local soil. Vegetables plants require a loose and peat
moss soil mixture. Purchasing landscape timbers or
landscape edging at your local hardware store or home
improvement store can easily do this. 
Deciding a Fertilizer: There are
several fertilizers on the market and choosing one is a
matter of your gardening preferences. Some of the
chooses are water soluble, granular, time-release,
slow-release, organic, or inorganic. Choose a fertilizer
that is formulated for vegetable plants.
Watering: Of all the ingredients
that I have mentioned for vegetable gardening success,
water, is the most important to a successful vegetable
garden. The soil for your vegetables will need to be
consistently moist at all times, and the water source
should be city water or treated water. This is one of
the reasons for one of last’s years E. coil outbreaks;
the vegetables that were recalled received untreated
water during the growing process. More gardeners are
starting to grow their own vegetables this year versus
last year due to the recent E. coli outbreaks in
store-bought produce. Just another reason to start
growing your own vegetables, you supply the water, you
supply the insecticide, and you know exactly what
ingredients went into your vegetables. For states that
are currently under water restrictions, you can water
your food crops, personal food garden, or personal
vegetable garden without penalty. Wash all vegetables
before eating or cooking.
with dill or fennel. Beans with onions and garlic.
around the home. Having
houseplants around the house became second nature to us;
it was like having another brother or sister around, it
just did not talk back to you. It was not until years
later that houseplants received recognition for all the
benefits that you receive from them. Several studies
have been done on the benefits of houseplants and how
houseplants in your home or office remove indoor
pollutants, and toxic chemicals from the air. These
studies have shown which houseplant removes what indoor
pollutant or toxic chemical from the air. There are many
health benefits that people receive from plants in the
home or work place.
As newly built homes and offices were
being constructed to be more energy efficient, the homes
and offices become airtight and sealed, and the quality
of air inside these newly built homes and offices led to
indoor pollution or what is called sick building
syndrome. Newly built homes or offices are loaded with
indoor pollutants such as: benzene, trichloroethylene,
and formaldehyde. There are more indoor pollutants and
toxic chemicals, but these are the big three, and are
found in numerous household products and building
materials. Formaldehyde is found in many building
materials, and consumer products including paper towels,
garbage bags, facial tissues, carpet-backing, plywood,
and particleboard. Benzene is found in adhesives,
caulking compounds, ceiling tiles, electro photographic
printers, floor coverings, paints, particleboard,
photocopiers, wall coverings, stains, and varnishes.
Trichloroethylene is found in duplicating machines,
electro photographic printers, and photocopiers.
houseplants would remove
more than just one indoor pollutant. Another study
involving houseplants showed that employees that work in
office buildings that had interior plants in their
lobbies and also in their offices had a lower rate of
sickness, had better employee morale, and had a lower
rate of employee sick days, when compared to employees
that did not have interior plants at their work place.
In a recent study published in February involving
houseplants and patient recovery times, researchers
monitored hospital patients that had undergone the same
exact surgery. One group of patients had houseplant(s)
in their room, and the other group did not. The group
with plants required less pain medication, were in less
pain, and had a faster recovery time than the patients
that had the same surgical procedure done, but did not
have houseplant(s) in their hospital room.
Here are a few of my favorite
houseplants that remove indoor pollutants and toxic
chemicals from the air. I have chosen these
plants for their excellence in improving the air quality
in interiors, and also for their ease of care.
dry. Due to the Bamboo Palm’s upright growth
it is an excellent plant to place in bare, empty corners
or anywhere you need a little more . This palm removes
high rates of benzene, trichloroethylene, and
formaldehyde.
Lady Palm – Rhapis excelsa.
The Lady Palm is another excellent choice for
removing indoor pollutants. The palm is fairly slow
growing and is easy to care for.
English Ivy – Hedera
helix. English Ivy is a vining plant and
can be used in hanging baskets or trailing down the
sides of pots. The plant will take any type of interior
light conditions, and I have realized during the winter
months to let the soil dry out between watering. There
are several cultivars to choose from, but anyone you
choose will be an excellent choice. The English Ivy
removes high levels of formaldehyde.
Ficus Alii – Ficus
maclellandii ‘Alii’. Ficus Alii
will enhance your home interiors with its stately tree
shaped form. The Ficus can be grown as a bush or as a
standard (grown as a tree). This Ficus is not as picky
when it is moved and is easier to care for than Weeping
Fig. The Ficus will tolerate lower levels of light than
Weeping Fig and does not drop its leaves.
Corn Plant - Dracaena
fragrans ‘Massangeana’. Corn Plant is a
wonderful plant to have around because of its ease of
care and the natural upright, columnar growth habit of
the plant. This plant can be placed in Low to Bright
light areas, and is one of the plants that removes
formaldehyde from the air.
Warneckii Dracaena -
Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’. Warneckii
Dracaena will brighten up your living space with its
green and white foliage. The plant makes an excellent
specimen that will tolerate lower light conditions, and
will remove benzene from the air.
Syngonium - Syngonium
podophyllum. Syngonium is a vining plant
that can be used in hanging baskets or trailing down the
sides of pots. The plant will take any type of light
conditions and is very easy to care for. 
Schefflera - Schefflera
actinophylla. Schefflera at one time was
one of the most popular interior houseplants, but as new
varieties of houseplants were introduced to the market
its popularity lessened. Schefflera is a good plant for
beginners, and can tolerate some neglect. The plant has
a tendency to attract some pests, and to prevent this,
mist the foliage monthly. 
Heart Leaf Philodendron –
Philodendron scandens oxycardium. Heart
Leaf Philodendron is one of my personal favorites
because you can place this plant anywhere in your home.
It can be used in hanging baskets or trailing down the
sides of pots.
Dendrobium Orchid -
Dendrobium spp. The Dendrobium Orchid is
an orchid for beginners and will give you years of
enjoyment. After the flower has faded trim back
underneath the faded flower(s), and sometimes a new
flower spike will emerge, or a new plantlet will emerge.
I give my orchids a weak solution of water-soluble
orchid food bi-weekly. Dendrobium Orchid removes
formaldehyde from the air.
Water: As a general
rule, I water my houseplants once a week or biweekly
depending on the plants light requirements. The less
light the plant is located in the less frequently you
would have to water versus a plant that is located in a
high light location. Plants that are located in high
light areas should be checked once a week for water, and
plants that are located in low light areas should be
checked every other week for water. This rule has always
been a successful way to guide a new plant owner to
success.
Fertilizer: I
fertilize my interior plants with a water-soluble plant
food once a month or I use a time-release indoor-outdoor
fertilizer. If I were using a time-release fertilizer,
bimonthly I would give my plants a treat by applying a
half recommended strength water-soluble plant food for a
little extra boost. The orchids that I mentioned in this
newsletter would need a fertilizer recommended for
orchids, but you may use an orchid food for your
houseplants, too.
Placing: For a home
that has 2,000 or less square feet, use a total of 15
houseplants that have a pot size of six inches or more.
I would recommend placing one to two houseplants in the
rooms that are occupied the most for best removal of
indoor pollutants. Depending on the size of my rooms, I
use at least two or more houseplants in every room. 
homeowners
introduces a small haven for the butterfly within
today’s cities. In addition, the garden provides the
homeowner with endless entertainment; and the sights,
sounds and fragrances of the garden offer the owner
peace and contentment as well as a feast for the senses.
attract
butterflies year-round. To attract numerous and
different species of butterflies try to plant a
selection of native and non-native plants to your
garden. 
tubular shape and
upright blooms for feeding, and they also prefer flowers
with bright colors and a distinct scent, with red and
yellow being their favored colors. 
Mint (N & F), Monardella odoratissima – Mountain Mint (N & F), Penta
spp. – Pentas (N), Petroselinum crispum – Parsley (F),
Salvia spp. – Salvia (N), Stachytarpheta jamaicensis –
Porterweed (N), Tagetes spp. – Marigolds (N & F),
Tagetes lucida – Mexican Marigold Mint (N & F), Verbena
spp. – Verbena (N), Zinnia spp. – Zinnias (N). These
simple plants are the tried and true to butterfly
gardening and will attract butterflies to your garden.
them to
your garden. The plants can be purchased at local
garden centers, Home Depot, and Lowe’s in your area,
usually Home Depot and Lowe’s has a nice selection of
butterfly garden plants. Plant the trees first, the
shrubs second, the annuals and perennials last. The
annuals and perennials are your main attractors for
nectar and larval plants and will also act as filler
plants too.
Take Advantage of our 25% Off Coupon on all Orders
$50.00 or More. Hurry the Coupon Expires June 30, 2009.
Use Redemption Code: Newsletter at CheckOut.
Choosing an Insecticide: Choosing an
insecticide is a matter of your gardening preferences,
and while I was growing the vegetable garden I had an
IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach method. I
would only use Safer Soaps or Horticultural Oils on all
the vegetables that I grew, and realistically I hardly
had to spray the vegetables at all. I was constantly
watching for any insect or worm that would start eating
my prize vegetables, and when I did see one I would
simply dispose of the insect. 
tomatoes from seed. When you are
ready to plant your tomato plants remove two sets of
leaves or four leaves total and plant the tomato plant
that deep in the soil. You just do this with tomatoes
and the reason for this procedure is that tomatoes will
establish more roots along the stem where you removed
the leaves, and tomatoes require a lot more water than
the other vegetables mentioned in this article, and
tomatoes are one vegetable that is a heavy feeder, i.e.
tomatoes require a steady supply of fertilizer. .png)
