Know More About The Dangers Of Our Christmas Plants

With the holidays and holiday decorations in full force, it's important to know the dangers of your Christmas plants. There are traditional holiday plants that are poisonous to both humans and animals alike that can severely hurt someone. Of course we want to get into the holiday spirit with mistletoe to kiss your loved one, the staple of your holiday- the Christmas tree, and poinsettias that represent the Christmas holiday. However, not knowing their dangerous potential could put your loved ones in danger.

The berries on your hanging mistletoe are extremely poisonous. We recommend removing the berries before decorating your house with this holiday decoration. If ingested, the berries can cause diarrhea, vomiting, excessive salivating and urination, heavy breathing and a fast heart rate. So, avoid leaving the berries intact when hanging this plant.

The poinsettia flower is a pretty, brightly colored red plant that just screams Christmas. However, there is a lot of controversy whether it is poisonous or not. The flower itself is not dangerous, but the sap that comes from the leaves can cause vomiting and mouth and skin irritation. If your pet or child ingests any part of the plant, you can treat it with soap and water.

In comparison to mistletoe, the berries on a holly branch are poisonous as well. Not as poisonous as the mistletoe berries, holly berries can cause gastric intestinal distress, diarrhea and vomiting in small children and pets. If ingested, contact your physician or veterinarian immediately.

Lastly, we have the all mighty Christmas tree- a real one that is. Bringing a real pine tree into your home can be dangerous, especially to pets. If your furry friend ingests the pine needles there is a danger of their internal organs being pierced by the needle. Decorating an artificial tree is the route to go if you have curious pets that could potentially ingest the pine needles. Plus, an artificial tree will not drop pine needles, dry out, and are not a fire hazard unlike a real pine tree.

Facts About Sugar Maple Trees

The scientific name of sugar maple is Acer saccharum. Sugar maple tree is a native of North America and is the most commonly found species amongst the seven other types of maple trees. It grows in abundance throughout South Ontario, Nova Scotia, New England, Texas, Georgia, Canada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic states. Sugar maple tree facts are pretty interesting to know. Especially kids can utilize the content to make environmental science project works or for their scrap books.

Facts About Sugar Maple Trees

Maple trees are usually grown in gardens as landscaping plants owing to its beauty and the extensive branching system. You might be well accustomed with maple syrup that has an extensive use for making desserts and is a common serving over dining table. Sugar maple trees are found in almost all places in the United States. We describe the facts here.

1. The normal height of sugar maple trees ranges between 70 to 100 feet. The trees have an average diameter of 5 feet. The trees when grown under optimal condition can even exceed the height of 100 feet. One of the important facts that kids should know is, the tallest or the largest Sugar Maple tree has a height of 110 feet and a width of 5.6 feet. This tree is present in Bethany, West Virginia. During the initial years of its growth the bark appears dark gray in color but matured trees have a very rough textured dark brown colored bark.

2. Sugar maple has singlet leaves that are dark green in color. The undersurface of the leaves are comparatively less dark. The size of the leaves lengthwise is 3-5 inches and they are very smooth. The buds are arranged on the twigs in an opposite fashion and are pointed sharp, appearing brown in color. The color of the flowers ranges from pale yellow to greenish yellow and they are arranged in clusters. The plant is monoecious containing both male and female reproductive organs. The male flower is pistillate while the female is staminate.

3. The tree normally flourishes during the month of January within temperatures ranging from 0 to 50 °F. Sugar maple is also adapted to summer temperatures prevalent in those geographical locations. It can tolerate summer temperatures of 90 to 100 °F. The tree can sustain annual rainfall of 20-50 inches but the heavy frost during the month of September and November is harmful for the plants. Like temperature, sugar maple is capable of growing under a different soil varieties. If you are growing sugar maple at your home, then make sure the soil is well drained, fertile and has good texture. Maintain the moisture conditions of the soil ensuring there's no water clogging or dampness. The optimal pH should range from 5.5-7.3.

4. Sugar maple produces huge quantities of seeds, that forms food for the seed eater animals. Seeds are capable of germination and hence, you can use the seeds for propagation of plants. You will find the trees blooming with flowers during the seed bearing season. Sugar maple produces sap and while pruning maple trees you have to be careful that the sap doesn't fall on you. Pruning is usually done during late summer or fall season. Large quantities of sap is collected during January to April that is industrially used to manufacture maple syrup.

5. Sugar maple trees are susceptible to a number of diseases. The most common diseases are gall and canker disease, caused by fungal attack. Sclerotium bataticola and Rhizoctonia solani are some of the plant pathogens that attack these plants during seedling stage. The plant is more vulnerable to stem, vascular and foliage diseases due to fungal and bacterial attack. Thus, the plants are carefully investigated for healthy growth and reproduction. Sugar maple also has considerable economic importance as the trunks are used for lumbering and the sap for syrup.

How To Successfully Grow Tomatoes In Your Garden

If you stop by any garden stand on the side of the road or stroll into any grocery store, you're going to find that tomatoes are rather expensive. That farmer's stand has good-tasting tomatoes, but they cost a ton, and the grocery story's best deal is going to leave you with nasty-tasting, dry fruit. So the answer here for the tomato lover is to grow them at home!

When growing tomatoes, the great thing is that you never have to settle for a single variety. There are of dozens of different tomatoes you can grow, from the large heirloom variety to the smaller types like Roma and cherry. Try planting different types of tomatoes for an increased variety. Also, make sure you're growing plants that thrive in your environment.

One of the best ways to grow tomatoes is to purchase them already started in containers, but there are a few things to watch out for. You want plants that are lush, dark green and very moist. You want strong plants with thick stalks and plants that appear to have fuzz on them. The healthier the plants are, the more likely they are to grow.

Until you decide to transplant your tomatoes, they should be kept well watered and in the sunlight. Just because they're in those black planting trays doesn't mean that they don't need all the love and care of a garden plant. Take care of your plants long before you put them in the ground if you want the best results.

Before planting your tomatoes, you should focus on the quality of your soil. If you're thinking that you can just dig a hole in the dirt and let nature take its course, you have another thing coming. Sure, this might work one out of ten tries, but you'd be much better off amending your soil with all-natural organic compost, and topping it off with organic mulch. Give your plants something to thrive on.

The thing about tomatoes is that the fruit of the plant doesn't grow consistently. You're going to have some full-grown tomatoes that begin to ripen on the vine while other tomatoes are just starting to bud. You can't wait around, though; you have to harvest as the tomatoes begin to ripen. As soon as they're plump and green, you can pick them. Wait longer if you want vine-ripened tomatoes.

Aphids, also known as plant lice, absolutely love feasting on tomatoes. They enjoy other plants as well, but it's something about tomatoes that really draw these buggers. So make sure you go through and pick off the aphids by hand, avoiding the use of harsh chemical sprays and such.

Every plant needs sufficient sunlight, but tomatoes thrive on it. The more sun they're receiving, the quicker and healthier they'll grow. So make sure you're growing in full sunlight if you want the best results.

How To Plant Potatoes Well

Potatoes are easy to grow in holes, trenches, under mulch or landscape fabric, or in containers. Grow potatoes in full sun and well-drained soil or mulch.

Plant potatoes when the soil temperature is at least 50°F. Potatoes grow best when the air temperature is between 60 and 65°F.

Grow potatoes from seed potatoes—small tubers grown especially for planting to produce a crop. Keep plants evenly moist as tubers develop and enlarge.

New or baby potatoes are harvested early in the season 75 to 90 days after planting. Main-crop or mature potatoes require 135 to 150 days to harvest.

The traditional time to plant potatoes is in spring as soon as the soil can be worked, about two to four weeks before the last expected frost. Spring planted potatoes grow best in beds covered with plastic or raised beds that warm quickly. Keep beds covered with compost or straw until plants emerge. Protect newly emerged plants from frost and insects by covering the planting bed with a floating row cover.

Protect growing potato tubers from light, fluctuations in temperature, pests, and injury by keeping them covered as they grow. Use soil, compost, mulch, hay, straw, or landscape fabric to keep tubers covered. As potatoes grow, tubers push upwards and are easily exposed to light. Tubers exposed to light turn green and contain a chemical called solanine which can be poisonous.

Trench planting is the traditional method for growing potatoes. Dig a trench or hole 4 to 6 inches deep, put the seed potatoes in place one foot apart, and backfill with 2 inches of soil. When the plant grows to 6 inches tall, add soil to cover all but the top leaves; fill the hole or trench as the foliage grows on and continue to hill up loose soil around the plants.

Seed potatoes can be set on the surface of a planting bed and covered with soil; as with trenching, continue to hill up or mound soil above the tubers. At the end of the season, the plants will be covered by a low mound of soil.

Potatoes can be grown across the surface of a planting bed by simply covering seed potatoes with mulch. This method requires no digging.

Loosen a few inches of soil across the planting bed then lay seed potatoes on the soil cut side down about one foot apart. Each seed potato should have two or three eyes. Cover the seed potatoes with one foot of mulch—shredded leaves, leaf mold, or clean hay or straw.

When shoots and leaves have emerged from the mulch and grown about 6 inches, add more mulch—enough to cover all but the top most leaves. Repeat this process. After several weeks, begin to check under the mulch periodically for developing tubers. The mulch should always be several inches thick over the tubers keeping tubers from turning green.

Mulch, unlike soil, is not rich in nutrients so the yield may be less. Feed mulch grown potatoes with fish emulsion— after sprouts emerge and again just before plants flower.

To harvest new or mature potatoes, lift the mulch and take what you need; be sure to recover still growing tubers so that they do not green.

Potatoes can be grown under black landscape fabric with almost no effort. Place seed potatoes on the planting bed one foot apart then place black landscape fabric over the planting bed. The black fabric will exclude light as though the tubers were underground. As plants emerge they will begin to push up the fabric; cut slits in the fabric to allow the plants to grow up. Make sure that as plants grow, tubers are kept under the fabric and not exposed to sunlight. To harvest potatoes enlarge the slit or roll back the fabric to expose the tubers.

There Are Some Tips For Growing Green Tea

If you are looking for weight loss options, then green tea is one of the most effective weight loss measures that a person can take. A slim and toned body, flat abs and a sleek look is the dream body the youth of today would like to sport. In this race of various weight loss products to convince people, green tea wins the bait quite effortlessly.

Green tea is a health drink made out of oxidized leaves of the camellia sinensis plant and is a useful natural remedy for weight loss and other health related problems. Green tea can also make a refreshing morning and evening beverage along with providing you with a complete health package. Though there are many varieties of this herbal tea available in any local store, the thought of growing these plants at home is indeed interesting.

Growing Green Tea

Things Needed

• Sandy soil
• Mulch
• Green tea plant cuttings

Steps:

1. You can either buy seeds of the green tea plant or purchase some plant cuttings from a green tree nursery or from the local greenhouse. If you are planning to sow seeds, you must be prepared to patiently wait since it takes a long time for the plant to grow into adult plants.
2. Once you have bought the cutting from the nearest store, plant them in sandy soil in an open space in your garden or backyard. Make sure that you water the plant frequently without fail and also use suitable fertilizers from time to time in order to speed up the growing process.
3. The green tea plants should be approximately placed at a distance of 3 feet from one another. You will have to plant green tea in a sunny to semi-shaded area which is the suitable condition for healthy growth of the plant.
4. You will have to plant the cuttings in a place where they get enough support and protection from the house wall, tree or any other structure against strong wind. Green tea needs to be cropped back every 4 years in order to regenerate the bush and to maintain proper height. Also make sure that you put sufficient mulch around each plant. Mulch will protect the plants from weeds and will also help in maintaining the moisture of the soil.
5. Tea plants undergo two development phases, the growth phase and the dormant phase. The dormant phase of the plant starts in the winter, therefore as soon as the shoots emerge out during the spring season, the new shoots should be plucked for tea. Whereas in the summer season there will be many flushes throughout the year and in this season the two uppermost leaves and the new buds can be plucked for tea during each flush.
6. Here is what a new gardener should keep in mind. If you have opted to sow seeds to grow tea plants, then you will have to wait for at least three years before your plant is ready for harvest.
7. Once your plant is ready for harvest, make sure that you harvest only the youngest of all tea leaves and buds. You should pluck the terminal three leaves along with the terminal bud while harvesting the new leaves and buds.
8. Once you have plucked the tea leaves, it's time to enjoy the aromatic taste of the tea. Allow the plucked leaves to dry out from direct contact with the sun for few hours.
9. Once dry, steam the leaves in a pan over the stove to a temperature of 500 degrees F for about 14 minutes. Move the pan continuously to prevent the leaves from burning due to excess heat.
10. Store the dried leaves in a cool and dark place until you are ready to use them. In this way the tea leaves will not lose its aroma.

Tips For Growing Organic Strawberries

Gardening can scare some people away because you cannot rely on traditional methods used in the home garden such as ready to use fertilizers and herbicides. However organic gardening can be easier and more economical for these reasons, you don't have to spend time applying chemicals every couple of weeks or worrying about how to apply them. Growing organic strawberries is not only very simple but produces the absolute most delicious strawberries you can find anywhere.

As a basis for your new strawberry garden you will want three things, a well-draining soil base, a nutrient rich organic additive like compost or natural manures and finally a raised bed to put your new soil materials into. If you don't compost, don't worry almost all nurseries carry generic compost and often high quality natural fertilizers such as bat guano.

You should begin by constructing your raised bed so that you have an idea of how much soil you will need, for strawberries I would suggest an 8 inch high bed with an adequate length and width to plant at least 25 strawberry plants.

The reason you want at least 25 strawberries is because you should assume each plant will only make around 3 - 4 berries during the growing season. While they may make more, you will likely lose some berries to pests and there is nothing more disappointing than working hard on a strawberry garden that produces only a few berries.

Now you want to fill in your bed, you can use soil from your yard but if it does not drain well you should add perlite or a drainage additive into it before putting it in your bed. You will also want to put a layer of compost starting about 2 inches below the soil surface and be sure to make it a generous layer as it will feed your plants throughout the whole season.

After you finish filling in your raised bed it's time to plant your strawberries, you can either use a flat of berries that you buy or plant seeds according to their package's instructions. If you plant mature plants you should consider applying a layer of mulch to help keep a higher soil temperature and increase water retention; if you planted seeds you should wait till your plants develop some to apply this layer of mulch.

Do You Know Lotus Is Important To The Ancient Egyptians

The lotus appeared in legends originating from ancient Egypt. It played an important part in ancient Egyptian religion. The pure white lotus flower, the only plant to fruit and flower simultaneously, emerges from the depths of the muddy swamp. Growing from the mud at the bottom of ponds and streams, the exquisite Lotus flower rises above the water and is usually white or pink with 15 or more oval, spreading petals, and a peculiar, flat seedcase at its center.

It is a symbol of the sun, of creation and rebirth. Because at night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. According to one creation myth it was a giant lotus which first rose out of the watery chaos at the beginning of time. From this giant lotus the sun itself rose on the first day. A symbol of Upper Egypt .The lotus flower played a prominent role in the version of the creation story that originated in Heliopolis. Before the universe came into being, there was an infinite ocean of inert water which constituted the primeval being named Nun. Out of Nun emerged a lotus flower, together with a single mound of dry land. The lotus blossoms opened, and out stepped the self-created sun god, Atum, as a child. A slightly different version of the creation story originated in Hermopolis. In that version, the sun god who formed himself from the chaos of Nun emerged from the lotus petals as Ra. The lotus is a flower which opens and closes each day. His history went on to say that the petals of the lotus blossom enfolded him when he returned to it each night.

The Lotus flower has for thousands of years symbolized spiritual enlightenment. Indeed, this flower essence's purpose is to accelerate spiritual evolvement and enhance healing on every level within the system.

The blue lotus was found scattered over Tutankhamen's body when the Pharaoh's tomb was opened in 1922. Many historians thought it was a purely symbolic flower, but there may be some reason to believe that ancient Egyptians used it to induce an ecstatic state, stimulation, and/or hallucinations, as well as being widely used as a general remedy against illness, and to this day is used as a tonic for good health, consumed as an extract.

How To Care For The Bamboos

As said by the Environment Protection Agency in the US, scientific evidence reveals that indoor air can be more severely polluted that the air outside even in the most metropolitan or highly urbanized locations. With people spending approximately 90 % of their existence inside their residence, searching for ways to clean indoor air has become a very important task. One way of eliminating air pollutants and toxins is through keeping household plants. Ornamental plants placed indoors also help combat effects of outgassing, and assist in balancing the humidity within the home.

More and more people have become more partial to having ornamental bamboos inside their homes, and its easy to see why. Indoor bamboos not only add visual interest to your home and garden, it also makes the space feel quiet, contemplative, and calm. They don’t only look clean bamboos are also easy to maintain. If you wish to have bamboo plants in the house, below are some guidelines and other issues to take into account.

Bamboos require the same things as other indoor plants. For one, it has to have soil where water drains readily but not rapidly. The soil should also be nutrient-rich. Bamboos also thrive when given with a high-nitrogen, low potash fertilizer during the growing season.

Bamboos are fast-growing plants, so if you want to grow them in a container it is important to use a container with adequate room. In most cases it is a good idea to pick a container that is adequate enough to have a space of at least a couple of inches between the fringe of the root ball and the edge of the container. Any type of bamboo will spread in the container, and when it fills the container with root and rhizome, it has to be transferred to a roomier one, or in the case of bonsai bamboo culture, you can restrict growth by taking out a third of the roots before putting the plant back into a pot of fresh soil.

Bamboos also require sunlight. There are various bamboo species and they vary when it comes to how much sunlight they require. Generally speaking, the bigger its leaf, the less light it needs. You also have to take into account which environment the bamboo will thrive in. Case in point, cultivating temperate bamboos indoors where it is cooler may lead to leaf drop which takes away the plants aesthetics and create problems for housekeeping as well. Growing bamboo plants indoors also necessitates regular manicure. Periodic pruning will help keep the bamboo stay healthy and beautiful. Some people are fearful about pruning bamboos. Fortunately, these plants are are not very demanding when it comes to pruning and will take pleasure in the attention you give it.

Growing Cherries In Your Garden Is Not So Difficult

Growing cherries in your garden is not so difficult as you imagined, but you still need to follow some tips. You can either use cherry seeds or buy a sapling. However, cherry seeds are best as they are not effected by pests. As fall is coming, you can sow the cherry seeds now so that it germinates by spring. Do not just rely on one cherry seeds. Take out seeds from half a dozen cherries. Wash them and refrigerate for 6-8 weeks. Make sure the packet has small holes to let air enter inside. Take out the seed and wash in water. After defrosting, germinate the seeds in the garden soil or pot.

Make sure you plant the cherry seeds in a place where there is adequate sunlight. The plant should get at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight. Cherry plants can grow in any type of soil. Just make sure that the soil is not soggy or else the plant can damage. If you have planted the seed in a temporary place, you can transplant it after the seedlings to another place after the seeds start to sprout. Make sure that the plants are at a distance of 6 inches.

Sweet cherries are especially susceptible to diseases such as brown rot. If the flowers turn brown and the plant starts to dry, you can be sure that your plant has been attacked by brown rot disease. Make sure that the soil is clean. Remove dried leaves, fallen cherries from the ground as they are home to diseases and pests. You can also spray sulphur. It is an organic method to control brown rot. Spray sulphur when the flower buds turn pink, when the flowers are open and when the leaves fall.

Give sufficient water to the cherry plants as they can become soggy if the soil is moist. You can water the seedling on alternate days. If you have planted the seed in pot, water it small amounts on alternate days. If you have planted in the garden soil, make sure the plant gets sufficient water to grow. Ideally you should water the plant when the soil becomes dry. If the soil turns from dark to light brown, you should water the plant.

This is very important to grow and care for the cherry plants. If you do not prune the cherry plants, they can suffer from brown rot. It is very easy to prune cherry plants or trees. After the tree is in the soil for an year, you can prune the plant. You can prune the cherry plant during winter too. Prune in the horizontal fashion to foster fresh growth. You can prune the cherry plants annually to allow new branches to grow and also avoid them from brown rot.

Is Hoodia Cactus Really Benefit To Weight Loss

The South African Hoodia Cactus is known by many different names in the Western world but the san Bushmen still call it by the name familiar to them, Xshoba or Xhooba. Besides using this Hoodia Gordonii for appetite and thirst suppressants the San Bushmen also used it to heal minor ailments and even infections. In the Western world the scientific label is Hoodia Gordonii. In reality the plant where Hoodia is derived from is actually a succulent but many people wrongly name this species of plants cactus rather than the correct name; succulent. This particular succulent or cactus-like plant only grows in the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa.

The African hoodia cactus is known by many names. You've undoubtedly heard about hoodia cactus extract by now as it has been covered by numerous major media sources, including the BBC, CBS, The Today Show, and much much more. If you are into herbs and natural cures, you've undoubtedly heard of the Hoodia Gordonii cactus, the latest natural diet discovery for suppressing the appetite. There are dozens of hoodia plant, but only the hoodia gordonii species harbors a seemingly magical active ingredient that tricks the brain into thinking its full and, therefore, assists with weight loss. Hoodia Gordonii is a spiny, bitter, and succulent aloe plant that resembles a cactus which grows in the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa.
It is important to note that there are more than twenty different varieties of hoodia, but only hoodia gordonii is believed to contain the natural appetite suppressant. Involvement in the next anti-obesity wonder is believed to eventually make a boatload of money for the Africans that never ends, considering that companies are expected to shell out even more continued money to purchase Hoodia cactus. Now, having said all of that, here are some things to be aware of to get a better picture of the health risks of hoodia gordonii cactus.
There are certain health risks of hoodia gordonii cactus for diabetics because the active ingredient tricks the brain into thinking you're full. However, because obesity is such a large and growing threat in the Western world it was logically concluded that if people could be made to consume less calories, the hoodia gordonii plant could be a boon to the weight loss dreams of millions of people.

Plant The Gerberas At Your Own Home

Now we can see gerberas in more and more weddings now, gerbera flowers belong to the daisy flower family. The daisy flowers is a symbol for virtue and a lack of corruption. Most consider gerberas to have an especially merry touch owing to their bright, diverse shades.

There are many more colors, such as pinkish versions and red ones, while yellow and orange gerberas are often seen. An average gerbera can be over half an inch in diameter. Gerberas take well to indoor use after being plucked, and are quite hardy.

 The brightness of gerberas is perfect for those who love a lot of brilliant colors. Many of the people growing gerberas say that they are ideal for brightening up a yard. As long as you are in a place that gets a lot of light from the sun and have the will to tend to your plants, you can keep gerberas.

Because of their robustness, these flowers are excellent for vase use. Gerberas are a popular choice for flowerbed work as well. You may want to think about giving your most important girl a gerbera arrangement made up different shades, because they are so pretty. Of the five most popular flowers in the world, the gerbera is one. Sprouting gerberas requires adherence to a specific rule. They are sun-loving beauties and must have an adequate dose of morning sunshine everyday.

 Most enthusiasts begin by purchasing some gerbera seeds, saying they are the best way to start. There are seeds available in most flower shops, as well as mixes used to get beginners started. Many enthusiasts say that gerbera flowers grow best when planted in a sterile soil substitute as opposed to normal soil.

If you plan to grow gerberas at your own homw, please remember these, do not go over a centimeter into the soil or medium when poking holes for the seeds. All growing media for these seeds must be sufficiently damp. You can prevent drying out of the medium by using a clear cover that permits sunlight to penetrate.

Move a seedling to a larger container once you see the first leaves coming out. A number of gerbera enthusiasts suggest the use of already-established plants for those who are not confident about their ability to tend to seeds. Starting from the seed planting to flowering, you should expect as long as 4 or even 5 months to get a plant that has a flower.

The direct sunlight is necessary for gerberas, so be certain that you place your plants in places where they get a steady supply of it. Be careful that you do not flood the soil in which you have planted your gerberas, even if you do always water them. The right fertilizers can really improve the blooming of your gerbera plants.

The bright, cheery colors of gerberas make them among the happiest-looking flowers the world has seen. These flowers can really make you feel happier if someone you love gives you an arrangement with them. They are effective antidotes to depression and troubles.

All The Parts Of The Caladium Bicolor Contain Toxic Substances

The Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent. (1801) is native to the open forests of tropical South America (Brazil, Colombia, French Guyana, Guyana, Surinam and Venezuela), in areas characterized by evident seasonal changes.

It seems that the name of the genus is the Latinization of the name in Malay language “kaladi”; the name of the species comes from the Latin “bicolor” = of two colours, with obvious reference.Common names: “caladio”, “caladium” (Italian); “angel wings”, “elephant’s ear”, “fancy-leaf caladium”, “heart-of-Jesus”, “mother-in-law plant” (English); “caladium”, “palette de peintre” (French); “caladio”, “coração-de-Jesus”, “papagaio”, “tajà”, “taià”, “tajurà”, “tambatajà”, “tinhorão” (Portuguese); “alas de angel”, “caladio”, “capotillo”, “corazon de Jesus”, “manto de la reina”, “orejas de elefante”, “paleta de pintor” (Spanish); “Buntblatt”, “Buntwurz”, “Kaladie” (Ger- man).

Deciduous, rhizomatous, perennial herbaceous, with peltate, sagittate or hart-shaped leaves, of various tones of green and variously spotted, veined and dotted of red, pink and white, 20-40 cm long and 10-20 cm broad on fleshy petioles, long up to about 60-70 cm, directly from the rhizomes.

The inflorescences, rather negligible and shorter than the leaves, are formed by a 6-10 cm long spadix, narrowed in the median part, contained in a yellowish white spathe tending to the green at the base; the flowers are unisexual, the masculine ones occupy the upper part of the spadix for 3-5 cm of length, the feminine ones are grouped in the lower part for 1-2 cm of length, separated from the masculine ones by a sterile zone of about 2 cm.

Plant poisoning is caused by chemicals in plants that have undesirable affects upon animals and humans. Some poisons must be ingested whereas others, such as chemicals in poison-ivy, only require contact to elicit response in sensitive humans. Some chemicals must be modified before they are poisonous to animals, such as prunasin and other cyanogenic glycosides.

Plants that cause dermatitis are discussed in this program if the reactions are severe. The more obscure dermatologic plants are not included. For more information on plant-induced dermatitis [see Mitchell, J. C., Rook, A. 1979. Bota
nical dermatology. Greenglass Ltd, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 787 pp.].

Other excluded plants are those that only cause mechanical injury, poisonous blue-green algae, and plants causing hay fever.

While the Information System is oriented primarily to a Canadian audience, much of the information is useful elsewhere. Certainly the plants grown in and around homes can be grown throughout the temperate regions of the world. Indeed, many house plants are tropical in origin. Other plant species included here have been introduced to North America as well as other temperate regions of the world. The information on the native plant species is applicable wherever they grow in North America.

Elsewhere, it is cultivated as annual, pulling out the tubers from the ground in autumn, as soon as the leaves have fallen, in order to conserve them in sand or other inert material in a dry and ventilated location, with temperatures not lower than +12°C, treating, if the case, with fungicides, and to enter them again by the beginning of spring, when the temperatures are favourable.

The plant, more particularly its countless hybrids and varieties, is also cultivated, since long time, in pot for indoor decoration, paying attention to keep constantly humid the substratum during the vegetative period, and to stop completely watering during the resting time, when the plant loses its leaves, and resuming them after the vegetative recommencement.

All the parts of the plant contain toxic substances, particularly calcium oxalate, which can cause reactions, even serious, if chewed and swallowed.

The Bloodberry Plant Is Poisonous, Especially The Leaves

Description Perennial herb, sometimes woody at the base, 300-900 mm high with spreading branches; finely hairy when young. Leaves light green, thin textured, ovate to ovate-elliptic, on long slender petioles. Flowers, white or greenish to rosy, small, in slender, loose, many-flowered racemes. Flowering time from October - June or all year. Fruits, glossy, bright red berries, with one hairy seed per fruit. a species of flowering plant in the pokeweed family, Phytolaccaceae, that is native to the Americas. It can be found in the southern United States, the Caribbean, Central America, and tropical South America. Common names include Pigeonberry, Rouge.


Herbaceous bushy perennial standing up to 120cm (4ft), sometimes woody at base; leaves ovate to oblong, thin, to 3-10cm (1-4in) long, petioles slender; racemes slender, loose, to 20cm (8in) long and have wavy margins; flowers pink to white flowers grow on a spike measuring 3-5cm (1-2in) in length; the top of the spike has reddish-pink buds and the base has bright red to orange fruit, 5mm in diameter. Rivina humilis blooms from May to October. Grows well in the Caribbean and tropical America.

　　
Distribution Native to North, Central and South America and West Indies. It is widely naturalized in Indo-Malesia and the Pacific Islands. In Australia it invades rainforest margins and shady places and in other islands like Fiji, it occurs in coastal areas and along roadsides. Rivina humilis
　　
Habit at Ualapue, Molokai - Credit: Forest and Kim Starr - Plants of Hawaii - Image licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, permitting sharing and adaptation with attribution.
　　
How it Spreads Bloodberry spreads mainly by seed. The attractive bright red colour of the seeds makes the rivina a choice food for many kinds of birds which allows seeds to be easily dispersed. For small infestations, seeds can be collected and destroyed. Plants with no seeds can be hand-pulled and hung up to dry. Seed heads can be removed to minimize new growths. Ideally control should be done before the plants have the chance to form berries and/or flowers. There are no herbicides registered for this plant in South Africa. Rivina humilis
　　
Flowers fruit and leaves at Ocean Ridge Hammock Park, Florida - Credit: Forest and Kim Starr - Plants of Hawaii - Image licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, permitting sharing and adaptation with attribution.
　　
History in South Africa Blood berry was introduced to South Africa as an ornamental. The earliest record is a specimen in Pretoria National Herbarium collected in 1944 at Lower Tugela in Stanger, KwaZulu-Natal and in 1946 at Queens Park in East London, Eastern Cape. Its color comes in the form of soft pale pink flower spikes followed by bright red berries, often with several clusters of each covering the plant. The berries are loved by birds and deer seem to leave the plants alone as well. If Pigeonberry is not watered during extreme drought it may go dormant and return later. Other names for this plant are, Rouge Plant and Baby Peppers though it isn't edible.
　　
Environmental and economic impacts Bloodberry is a dwarf-like plant hence the species name humilis, and is shade tolerant. It threatens plants that grow at lower altitude in forests. Following disturbance of natural vegetation, this plant interferes with the re-establishment of native forest vegetation as it forms dense monocultural stands. All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the leaves. Although birds will eat the berries, they are somewhat poisonous to humans. 　　

Stem
　　
Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1 m tall but can flower and fruit when much smaller.
　　
Leaves
　　
Leaf blades about 4-12 x 1.5-4 cm, petioles about 1-3.5 cm long. Leaf blade quite thin, wilting quickly when picked. Twigs glabrous, longitudinally grooved, rather pithy. Scattered pale-coloured hairs usually present along the midrib on the underside of the leaf blade. Petiole with two rows of glandular hairs on the upper surface.
　　
Flowers
　　
Racemes erect, glabrous, about 4-12 cm long, pedicels about 2-3 mm long at anthesis, subsequently elongating. Tepals about 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous. Anthers glabrous.Ovary subglobose, glabrous, style short with an extension running down the side of the ovary.
　　
Fruit
　　
Fruits bright red, about 3.5-4 mm diam. Testa brown, surface hairy. Embryo horseshoe-shaped, surrounding a central pocket of endosperm, cotyledons rolled longitudinally like a cigar.
　　
Seedlings
　　
Cotyledons orbicular to almost cordate, glabrous, about 9-11 mm diam, petiole about 8-10 mm long, almost as long as the cotyledon. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade lanceolateor broadly lanceolate, petiole almost as long as the leaf blades. Upper surface of the petiole, near its junction with the leaf blade, densely clothed in short, glandular (?) hairs.Petiole grooved on the upper surface.
　　
Distribution and Ecology
　　
An introduced species originally from tropical America, now naturalized in CYP (Torres Strait Islands), NEQ and southwards as far as north-eastern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 900 m. Usually a weed associated with man-made or modified vegetation types but also grows in disturbed areas in lowland and upland rain forest and monsoon forest. Also found in closed vegetation types near the sea. Also occurs as a pantropic weed.
　　　　
By cultivation it has been distributed through not only all tropical and subtropical regions, but also in many of the temperate countries of the globe. The valuable purgative known as castor oil is the fixed oil obtained from the seeds of the castor oil plant. Besides being used medicinally, the oil is also employed for lubricating purposes, burning and for leather dressing.
　　
It is very variable in habit and appearance, the known varieties being very numerous, and having mostly been described as species. In the tropical latitudes most favourable to its growth, it becomes a tree 10-12m (30-40ft) high.
　　
The handsome leaves are placed alternately on the stem, on long, curved, purplish foot-stalks, with drooping blades, generally 12-18cm (6-8ins) across, sometimes still larger, palmately cut for three-fourths of their depth into seven to eleven lance-shaped, pointed, coarsely toothed segments. When fully expanded, they are of a blue-green colour, paler beneath and smooth; when young, they are red and shining. The flowers are male and female on the same plant, and are produced on a clustered, oblong, terminal spike. The male flowers are placed on the under portion of the spike; they have no corolla, only a green calyx, deeply cut into three to five segments, enclosing numerous, much branched, yellow stamens. The female flowers occupy the upper part of the spike and have likewise no corolla. The three narrow segments of the calyx are, however, of a reddish colour, and the ovary in their centre is crowned by deeply-divided, carmine-red threads - styles.
　　
The fruit is a blunt, greenish, deeply-grooved capsule less than an inch long, covered with soft, yielding prickles in each of which a seed is developed. The seeds of the different cultivated varieties differ much in size and in external markings but average seeds are of an oval, laterally compressed form. The smaller, annual varieties yield small seeds- the tree forms, large seeds. They have a shining, marble-grey and brown, thick, leathery outer coat, within which is a thin, dark-coloured, brittle coat. A large, distinct, leafy embryo lies in the middle of a dense, oily tissue (endosperm).
　　
Description: The flowers are in slender terminal racemes. The individual flowers are small and have 4 rounded, pink, white, or green sepals. The round, red berries contain a red dye and are often present at the same time as the flowers. The leaves are green, petiolate, and ovate, lanceolate, or triangular in shape. The stems are slender.
　　
Special Characteristics
　　
Poisonous – The entire plant is poisonous, especially the leaves. Although birds will eat the berries, they are also somewhat poisonous to humans.

Mimosa Pudica, The Sensitive Plant Can Thrive In One Of Two Types Of Life Cycles

Mimosa pudica, also known as sensitive plant or sleeping grass, is a small, short-lived, perennial most valued for its interesting foliage. The plants are not tolerant of cold temperatures and die back when exposed to frost. In the United States, Mimosa pudica is grown most frequently as a houseplant, where its growing environment can be strictly controlled, or as an outdoor annual. In tropical climates, the plant may become weedy or invasive when not controlled.
　　
Mimosa pudica requires full sun to partial shade and rich, moist, well-drained soil to thrive. When growing in containers, a soil mixture made of two parts peat moss, two parts loam and one part sand is recommended to provide adequate drainage and fertility. Weekly watering keeps the soil moist but not soggy, which sensitive plant prefers. Plants benefit from weekly fertilizing during the spring and summer months using a balanced fertilizer diluted to half-strength, but feeding should be reduced to one per month during winter. Mimosa pudica needs warm growing conditions and temperatures should not drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit or yellowing of leaves and stems may occur.
　　
The methanolic extract of leaves of Mimosa pudica at the dose of 200mg/kg body weight per oral was studied for the hepatoprotective effect using Carbontetrachloride induced liver damage in wistar albino rats. Methanolic extract showed significant (p<0.05) hepatoprotective effect by lowering the serum levels of various biochemical parameters such as serum glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvates transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phospatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBL), total cholesterol (CHL) and by increasing the levels of total protein (TPTN) and albumin (ALB), in the selected model. These biochemical observations were inturn confirmed by histopathological examinations of liver sections and are comparable with the standard hepatoprotective drug Silymarin (100mg/kg bodyweight i.p.) which served as a positive control. The overall experimental results suggests that the biologically active phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, glycosides alkaloids present in the methanolic extract of plant Mimosa pudica, may be responsible for the significant hepatoprotective activity and the results justify the use of Mimosa pudica as a hepatoprotective agent.
　　
Mimosa pudica is best propagated from seed. For the best results, soak seeds in warm water overnight or until they become swollen, and sow immediately in seed-starting soil mix, covering with soil two to three times their thickness. Keep the growing medium moist at all times. Do not over-water or allow it to dry out completely. Place in bright light and wait for germination, which takes two to three weeks at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant into pots when seedlings reach about 4 inches in height, and resume regular care for the remainder of the plant's life.
　　
Mimosa pudica is an evergreen sub-shrub that reaches no larger than 5 feet in height and produces small, globe-shaped flowers in summer. The plant's most fascinating feature is its fern-like leaves that close and fold up when touched. This reaction is known as a seismonastic movement, or a physical reaction to shock. At night, the leaves also close as a reaction to the absence of light, which is known as a nyctonastic movement. The plant's common name derives from this sensitivity to outside stimuli.
　　
In young plants, the Mimosa pudica has erect stems that transform to 5-foot long creeping or trailing stems. Pale, lilac pink flowers in summer look like fluffy balls, yet each cluster holds individual flowers. Leaves of most species are bipinnate, where leaflets give rise to other leaflets. The sensitive plant folds its foliage at dark and reopens in light. Fruit consists of two to eight pods. Each pod holds brown seeds. Certain species have poisonous roots.
　　
The sensitive plant can thrive in one of two types of life cycles: as an indoor annual ornamental with showy flowers; as an outdoor perennial plant in the tropics. Habitat includes moist, waste ground, open plantations, and well-drained soils with open sun. The Mimosa pudica can exist as a dense ground cover, with thorny stems that make grazing difficult and prevent reproduction of other species. The sensitive plant is drought and frost tender, and sensitive to over-watering. On dry, wild lands, this plant poses a fire hazard.
　　
A fungus distributed by the soil, Fusarium oxysporum, enters through the plant roots, and blocks the vascular or water conducting system. This fungal pathogen prevents the transportation of vital water and nutrients to the leaves. Wilting and death can result.
　　
Mimosa vascular wilt disperses by wind, water, animal actions, birds and human activities. Disease spreads from infected trees to healthy trees. With no known cure for mimosa vascular wilt, avoid spreading the fungus, such as by moving the soil. If the mimosa is in tree form, remove and destroy the trees by burning.

Gardenias Which Have A Fresh Calming Fragrance Are Symbolic Of The Spirit Of Motherhood

If you are among those people who have been searching for a plant that has an amazing fragrance, then you definitely have found it in the gardenia . For anyone blessed with a green thumb, your gardenias are going to be items of beauty with their white-colored scented blooms. This particular plant grows fastest in tropical climates. So if you reside in a tropical climate, gardenias should be abundant.There are a lot of people out there that have no luck with growing gardenias but then there are still those few that have very good luck with growing gardenias. Sounds to me like you have some magic powers when it comes to growing plants. At least when it comes to plants that no one else can grow. Let's first agree that although these Gardenia flowers sparkle like moondust with their pure white petals, although they send off a thick unforgettable fragrance so enchanting it goes right into perfume, growing them is pure science.Gardenia is a genus of flowering plants comprised of about 142 species belonging to the family of Rubiaceae.

Gardenias are evergreen shrubs which can grow from two to twenty feet or more in height in their natural habitat. The leaves are glossy, dark green growing from about one to ten inches long depending on the species. Gardenia flowers are white or yellow in color and develop either a single or a cluster of blossoms. The flowers of many species are known for their intoxicating sweet scent.

Gardenia taitensis, also called Tahitian Gardenia and Tiare Flower, is one of only a few plants indigenous to Polynesia. This evergreen tropical shrub can grow as tall as twelve feet. The flowers are white, composed of five to nine petals and very fragrant.Inhabitants of Polynesia use these highly fragrant flowers as necklaces. These floral necklaces are called "Ei" on the Cook Islands, "Hei" on Tahiti and "Lei" on Hawaii.On some Pacific islands wearing these gardenia flowers indicates one's relationship status. When the flower is worn on the right ear, the person is available. When the flower is worn on the left ear, the person is taken.

The flowers of Gardenia taitensis are used to make Monoi Tiare Tahiti, which is a perfume oil, by infusing the flowers in coconut oil. This process is called "Enfleurage". The process uses odorless fats that are solid at room temperature to capture the fragrant compounds released by plants.In addition, the flowers are also used in highly priced perfumes, like Tiare by Ormonde Jayne and Tiare by Chantecaille.Other popular Gardenia species include Gardenia brighamii, Gardenia cornuta and Gardenia nitida, to name a few.

Gardenia plants prefer partial sun and should be protected from the hot afternoon sun during the summer months. They grow and flower well under grow lights where night temperatures should not go below 60 to 65 degrees which translates to 15 to 18 degrees Celsius.

No fuss, no muss. And you can get up close and personal with your Gardenia, you can eat your Gardenia, and there will be nothing poisonous there to make you sick. I love that most of all. If you keep your Gardenia potted, it will most certainly dry out very quickly. Growing one of these is not like growing them indoors. The great outdoors is full of surprises, and these Gardenias do not take dry soil kindly. Watch it very carefully if you do that. I do believe however the fresh air is good for everyone after a winter indoors.

Cactus One Plant Named "Children Of The Sun"

Most of the Cactuses are thorny plants, no water lover, but being precious in full light. Therefore the cactus plants were called "children of the sun".

During the summer, keep your cactus outside; thorny cactus loves sunshine, the cactus with few thorns has to stay in light, without sun. Put the cactus with no thorns in semi-light. As a trick, we recommend you to add in pot over the soil some small river stones .which are very helpful in the hydrating and moisture process. In this case, you don't have to water it, just maybe spray the soil.In winter, the plants have to be kept in light places with moderate temperature (10-12 degree centigrade). The watering will be rare, maybe once in two weeks. Our advice is not to water it. Anyway, if you do it, don't reach the plant.

There are hundreds of varieties perfectly suited for you home. Every species comes with its own specific care instructions and needs. It is important to find out from the nursery or wherever you bought your cactus just exactly how to care for the plant. Most are relatively low maintenance but some of the more exotic species have specific and exacting requirements.

The most common cause of death of all cacti is not watering them properly. When you plant your cactus cutting, do not water it for about two to four weeks. Then, water your cactus cutting every 2-3 weeks. It's important to remember that cacti thrive in the desert and that there's not much water in the desert. So, do your cactus a favor and treat it like it's in the desert.

 As a trick, let in free air the cutting to heal it self for a few days, then pot it in sand. Keep it without watering, just spraying sometimes, in warm and light shady place.

Types And Identification Of The Fir Trees

Most of the cut conifers sold as Christmas trees are nothing, but fir trees. They belong to the family Pinaceae, and classified under the genus name Abies. Sharing taxonomic plant family with the pines, there are about 48-55 fir trees types. Nearly all the varieties have short needles, measuring a few inches in length. These evergreen trees are prized for their adorable, pyramid like canopy shape. One of the interesting fir trees facts is that the evergreen foliage is retained for more than 5 years before shedding. They are fast growing evergreen trees, adapted in moist, well-drained soil, and areas with cool summer temperatures.

Fir Trees - Types and Identification

There are two characteristic features that help in fir tree identification. The first is the presence of a small-sized suction cup at the base of the needle leaf that connects it with the twig, and secondly the development of erect and cylindrical shaped cones. The purplish female cones are developed in the topmost branches below which has the green, pendant shaped male cones. The female cones after fertilization ripens and breaks open in autumn to release seeds. Popular fir trees types that are grown as houseplants or specimen trees are discussed below.

Noble Fir Trees
These are tall fir tree types that can grow to as high as 200 feet, and 5 feet diameter. In fact, they are the largest varieties of all true fir species. The leaves are silvery green in color and ranges from 1-1 ½ inch in length. The high popularity of noble firs (Abies procera) as Christmas trees is attributed to long-lasting leaves that retain for a longer period, even in cut trees. They are also used for making outdoor wreaths and garlands.

Fraser Fir Trees
These fir trees types (Abies fraseri) are named after the renowned botanist, John Fraser who have studied them in detail. The adult trees at maturity grow to about 80 feet. The needle leaves are flattened, ½ to 1 inch long, dark green in color, possesses strong fragrance and arranged spirally in the branches. The distinctive features of these landscaping trees are their small size and upward directing branches.

Douglas Fir Trees
Can you believe the Douglas fir trees live for more than 1000 years? Yes, these highly fragrant, Christmas trees survive for 500 years and more on an average. They are not true firs, hence the scientific name for these evergreen trees is Pseudotsuga menziesii. The foliage is flat, bluish-green in color and measure about 1 to 1 ½ inch in length. Distinctive features include forked bracts, winged seeds and furrowed barks.

Balsam Fir Trees
Balsam fir trees (Abies balsamea) or blister firs are native to the cool regions of North America and Northeastern America. The leaves are ¾ to 1 ½ inch length, and barks of young trees have conspicuous resin blisters. These evergreen trees attain a height of about 15-60 feet at maturity, with a spread of about 25-30 feet. These fir trees types are common Christmas trees, especially in Northeastern America.

Grand Fir Trees
Also called giant fir trees, they are represented by the scientific name, Abies grandis. The common name is coined with reference to its height, which measures about 300 feet. They are easily identifiable from other types of fir trees by their lustrous green, needle-shaped leaves, arranged in two rows in a single plane. When crushed, the leaves give a citrus scent. Giant firs are planted as ornamental trees in formal gardens and large public parks.

If you have a fir tree at home, check the leaf scars left on the twigs after you pick the needles. Nearly all fir trees types are economically important for production of aromatic oils, herbal medicine and paper. Though the wood of these coniferous trees is valuable for making rough timber and plywood, it doesn't meet the qualities of a good timber.

How Plans Fight Diseases

Scientists have shed new light on how plants fight diseases caused by bacterial pathogens.  Plants are like all other living things in that they are susceptible to disease. Generally this type of plant is quite hearty when cared for properly and is only typically susceptible to a couple of different types of diseases. If you know what the diseases are and what to look for, you can usually catch the disease early on so it can be treated as quickly as possible. The more quickly the rubber plants disease is treated the less likely it is to affect the plant long term.

Oedema is one type of rubber plants disease.  This is a disease that comes about when the roots of the plant soak up water faster than the water can be used by the plant.  What happens is that the root structures fill with water and the water pressure builds up in the cells of the leaf, which causes the leaves to look blistered.   

Oedema will often look like blisters on the plant.  They may start out the same color as the rest of the plant but then change to a more hardened form and turn white, tan or brown and even take on an almost wart like appearance.  Usually if the problem is not treated the leaves will begin to drop off the plant, the plant will begin to look weak, and then it will stop growing all together.  This disease is almost always seen in the later parts of the winter, but may also occur when the soil the plants are in is warm and wet and the air is cool and moist as well. 

"Some scientists have shown that these proteins block signaling transduction pathways in the plant, which eventually weakens plant immunity. We are introducing a fresh perspective on this topic, namely, that the pathogens evolved strategies to directly attack the production of plant antimicrobial compounds, such as isoflavones, thus compromising the plant''s defense mechanism," said Ma.

Once affected it can be hard to reverse the effects of Oedema.  To avoid it, the plants should be kept in places where the relative humidity is below 70% during the winter months.  Plants should be spaced further apart if this is a continuing problem to allow for more air flow.  Most plants may suffer during the winter months but then recover in the spring and summer months due to better water absorption. 

Rubber plants are also susceptible to powdery mildews.  Some plants are able to withstand the mildew but the weaker ones may actually stop growing and even begin to die.  The mildew usually appears on the plant as a gray or white power that coats some or all of the parts of the plant.  The spots often start out as small spots that will eventually overtake most, if not all, of the surface of the plant.

First, the pathogens inject virulence bacterial proteins, called HopZ1, through needle-like conduits into the plant cells. These proteins then largely reduce the production of the isoflavones and promote disease development.

However, by sensing the presence of HopZ1, the plants mount a robust resistance against the pathogen, including the production of a very high amount of isoflavones. At this point, the pathogen must come up with new strategies by either changing the kind of proteins it injects into the plant, not injecting any proteins at all, or injecting virulence proteins in a way that helps them escape detection by the plant. In this way, the virulence bacterial proteins and the plant host engage in an endless "arms race."

Chatillon Rose

There are many kinds of roses and different colors, rose represents the romance. Chatillon Rose is a delicate and romantic polyantha that comes all the way from France. Introduced by a French nurseryman named Auguste Nonin in 1928, Chatillon Rose comes from a class of roses that traces its origins to the rose known as R. multiflora 'Polyantha'.

 

Rose expert Bob Martin advised me that "The first polyantha was produced without pollination from sowing seeds of the mysterious rosa multiflora polyantha." I have found that polyanthas are generally very hardy plants that continually produce large clusters of small blooms, and Chatillon Rose is no exception. As a matter of fact "many blooms" is what the Greek word polyantha means. A very popular class of roses from the first half of the last century, they were also called "poly-poms" by the British.

 

Chatillon Rose in particular has many appealing attributes. It is known for making enormous sprays of lighter than air pink blossoms, which give the impression of flocks of little butterflies. Its flowers are bright medium pink, and the center of each bloom is white with a warm glow of rich yellow stamens. These delicate blooms are bountifully clothed in attractive, medium green foliage on a vigorous upright plant.

By way of growth habit, Chatillon Rose is extremely vigorous and tends to grow larger than many polyantha plants. It produces great masses of flowers, especially if the spent blooms are deadheaded away regularly. Have no doubt that the abundance of blooms will be a fine reward for any deadheading you perform. Since this rose flowers and reblooms so profusely, it is an excellent choice to plant in beds, low hedges and mass plantings, and will provide color and fragrance in the garden throughout most of the year. It is also a splendid plant for containers, and makes a bright splash of color wherever it is planted.

 

Like most polyanthas, Chatillon Rose blooms profusely on new canes that emerge from or close to the ground as well as on old canes. This tendency to have a number of canes and stems at different stages of maturity at the same time is common among polyanthas, and ensures a steady and reliable rebloom factor. This ever-blooming characteristic, known as remontance, combined with hardiness and disease resistance, makes Chatillon Rose a perfect choice for the home garden.

 

Since the 1930's, many new polyanthas have been introduced and classified as shrubs and miniatures, and thus have been more difficult to identify in commerce, while their larger and more spectacular offspring, the floribundas have made a large splash in the marketplace. However, many wonderful p olyanthas continue to be grown and sold, although they are more likely to be found in smaller, boutique nurseries that specialize in antique roses than in the bigger, more commercial venues. Therefore, Chatillon Rose is not widely available commercially at this time.

 

Polyanthas also make wonderful exhibition roses, and classes can be found in most rose shows for polyantha sprays and often three polyantha sprays. Chatillon Rose is a polyantha that does well on the trophy table. See the photo of the beautiful, award-winning spray shown by top Southern California exhibitors, Ron & Modine Gregory, at the 2004 San Diego National Show in San Diego (photo by our multi-talented webmaster, Glenn Fiery).

 

Most polyanthas, including Chatillon Rose, are similar to floribundas in that they produce many small canes and clusters of small blooms, which are under two inches in width. It is no surprise to learn that they are the forerunners to the floribunda roses, which were bred from polyanthas and hybrid teas, and which enjoy such popularity today.

 

Chatillon Rose, like most polyantha roses, is hardy, undemanding and easy to grow. It is therefore a good variety for beginners, since it does not require a lot of effort and attention. It is colorful, fragrant, disease-resistant and floriferous, making it an all-around delightful cultivar.

In conclusion, if you're a modern rose grower who is longing for a nostalgic, turn of the century garden, polyanthas like Chatillon Rose can reward you with the beauty and charm of yesteryear. Let a stroll through your garden take you back to the romance of the past with Chatillon Rose!

 

The Information About Bamboo

The original Bamboo is a grass of Gramineae family and Bambusoideae subfamily. Its size is from inches to over 100′ and can grow a foot or even more a day and there are running or clumping species. But what we'll discuss about and have inside our houses or what is sold by the name of "bamboo" in flower shops, cut and arranged in different decorating ways, is not a real bamboo plant, but a kind of Dracaena sanderia plant native of Cameron.

There are pot and also in water kept bamboos. In both cases the plant has to have roots for the hydration process to be done. Most of bamboo pot plants prefer the light, without full sun and a soil pH of around 6.0 - 6.2. The lack of water is the biggest problem with growing bamboo. However don't ultra water it, because its leaves will become yellow and with an unhealthy aspect. The soil is good to be just moist. When you buy or receive it check up the soil's water level, it has not to exceed 50 %. Anyway don't you water immediately when get it inside, because bamboo has 1 or 2 days period of adaptation at new environment.

Bamboo is one of the few plants that can grow even hydroponic (without soil), resisting more than one year. The water is good to be purified before put the bamboo in or just let for 24 hours to decant and thus chlorine and fluorine substances to evaporate. Change periodic the water in vase and you can add some general flower food. In summer, spray the bamboo's leaves with water even once a day, because it loves air humidity.

Bamboo is a plant with right stem, but we admire in flower shops the spiral shape. Maybe you ask your self how this is possible. It's easy for you to make a spiral from your lovely bamboo. Bamboo is growing and aligning towards the light. All you have to do is to turn around regular the vase where it's put.
 
Don't you put a bamboo near other plants in water or especially not together with cut flowers. It will not resist because of the cut flowers' speedy debased. If that happens, the bamboo will rot too or its leaves will become yellow. This is a sign of bamboo is dieing. Yellow streaking will slowly expand and spread. The only solution is to cut the part of the stem that is affected by bacteria, because it is not a reversible process.
Feng Shui Bamboo symbol.

Bamboo is the plant that brings luck if we admit the feng shui principles. In Chinese language the words "prayer" and "bamboo" have very similar meanings, that's why the idea of having a bamboo in your house which is increasing the religious faith and is protecting more from all the bad energies. The feng shui tradition says that is good to buy or create all by your self a bamboo with 3 or 8 stems, these being considered the lucky numbers and if you choose 8 stems bamboo plant, make sure that 2 of them are a spiral shape.

We recommend you to build something from bamboo wood, maybe a small house for your children play or decorate your place with. Or just put a bamboo ringer in front of your door, because, according to Hindu culture, bad spirits fear of these of which sounds could betray their presence.

Bamboo is one of the most useful plants grown in the world. It's used as food, building material, animal fodder, ornamentation and screening. For example, there is a freeze dried bamboo powder product that is very suitable for food and beverage.

Why Pine Trees Are Evergreen

Almost all the trees turn into yellow in winter,but the pine trees are also green,they are evergreen,why?let me introduce the details to you.
Pine tree is evergreen is because its leaves have evolved into pine needles, so the water is evaporated is very few, keep chlorophyll is more also. And pine trees are not leaves, it is in constant change the leaves, just a falling leaf is not so much, time leaves in the four seasons of different time, not carefully observe, really thought is evergreen!

The pine needles longer life expectancy, general is 1 year to 5 years, and not regularly falling leaves.
Pines are native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. In Eurasia, they range from the Canary Islands, Iberian Peninsula and Scotland east to the Russian Far East, and in the Philippines, north to just over 70°N in Norway, Finland and Sweden (Scots Pine) and eastern Siberia (Siberian Dwarf Pine), and south to northernmost Africa, the Himalaya and Southeast Asia, with one species (Sumatran Pine) just crossing the Equator in Sumatra to 2°S. In North America, they range from 66°N in Canada (Jack Pine and Red Pine), south to 12°N in Nicaragua (Caribbean Pine). Pines have been introduced in subtropical and temperate portions of the Southern Hemisphere, including Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Tanzania, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, where they are grown widely as a source of timber. A number of these introduced species have become invasive, threatening native ecosystems.
Pines are evergreen, resinous trees (or rarely shrubs) growing 3–80 m tall, with the majority of species reaching 15–45 m tall. The smallest are Siberian Dwarf Pine and Potosi Pinyon, and the tallest is a 268.35-foot (81.79-meter) tall Ponderosa Pine located in southern Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
The bark of most pines is thick and scaly, but some species have thin, flaking bark. The branches are produced in regular "pseudo whorls", actually a very tight spiral but appearing like a ring of branches arising from the same point. Many pines are uninodal, producing just one such whorl of branches each year, from buds at the tip of the year's new shoot, but others are multinodal, producing two or more whorls of branches per year. The spiral growth of branches, needles, and cone scales are arranged in Fibonacci number ratios. The new spring shoots are sometimes called "candles"; they are covered in brown or whitish bud scales and point upward at first, then later turn green and spread outward. These "candles" offer foresters a means to evaluate fertility of the soil and vigour of the trees.

Pines are long-lived, typically reaching ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more. The longest-lived is the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva, one individual of which, at around 4,600 years old, is one of the world's oldest living organisms. This tree can be found in the White Mountains of California. An older tree, unfortunately now cut down, was dated at 4,900 years old. It was discovered in a grove beneath Wheeler Peak and it is now known as Prometheus after the Greek immortal.

How To Protect Trees In Winter

Winter care of trees and shrubs is an important consideration in cold regions. Shade trees, ornamental shrubs and evergreens are the biggest plant investments you'll make for your garden.
If you live in a cold-weather zone, you know that winter can be hard on garden plants. Here are tips for protecting your valuable woody plants.

Tips for winter care of trees and shrubs
Watering: Good winter care starts with thorough watering in the fall. When the garden season draws to a close, it is tempting to just forget about your plants.
However you should continue to water all woody plants - especially newly planted trees and shrubs and all evergreens in the fall.
Water them well until the ground freezes, and make sure you water adequately through a dry fall.
These plants need the equivalent of one inch of rain per week. (In a wet fall, you can relax.)
Evergreens and broadleaf evergreens don't lose their leaves, so they need a good store of moisture going into winter because they continue to transpire (give off water vapor) through the cold months.
Most winter damage to evergreens doesn't actually come from cold, but from the drying effects of late winter sun and wind. With the soil frozen hard, plant roots can't take up water to make up for moisture losses from transpiration and, as a result, dehydration can cause browning or burning of foliage.
Winter care of trees and shrubs: To wrap or not?
Personally, when considering winter care of trees and shrubs, I don't go crazy with burlap wrap.
It's extra work and doesn't look great.
After all, the whole point of evergreens is to give you something green that's attractive through the winter. Contrary to popular belief, most established evergreens hardy in your regiondon't need to be wrapped.
However, as with many things in gardening, there are exceptions. Some evergreens, such as dwarf Alberta spruce, are prone to winter-burn, so they should be covered, as should newly planted evergreens. New plants haven't had time grow extensive roots that help them take up enough moisture to prevent excessive water losses.
To make a windbreak around vulnerable plants, hammer four wooden stakes into the ground and staple on a burlap covering. Never use plastic, or your plants could "cook" on sunny days. (Remember the greenhouse effect?)
More tips for winter care of trees and shrubs

• If your plants get salt spray from the road, burlap may help, but wrap them with a double layer, not a single layer. To avoid having to cover your evergreens, don't plant them near a road that gets salted, or plant salt-tolerant species such as junipers.
• Protect broadleaf evergreens such as rhododendron, pieris and laurel from the drying effects of winter sun and wind with an anti-desiccant spray such as Wilt-Pruf, which coats foliage with a protective waxy film. You can also wrap with burlap, if you must.
• To help preserve moisture, cover the root area of evergreens and broadleaf evergreens with a three-inch thick layer of leaf or barkmulch.
• Protect upright evergreen junipers and cedars from breakage due to ice and snow by wrapping branches with heavy string or mesh covers sold for this purpose. Once fastened into place, you'll hardly see the string or mesh.
• Protect young trees by putting plastic tree guards around the bottom of their trunks to prevent damage from gnawers such as rabbits and mice. Make sure the tree guards go high enough - over the snow line. Always remove them in the spring because it looks better and you don't have the problem of the guards trapping moisture against the bark in the summer and attracting insects.
• If rabbits are a big problem in your area, winter care of trees and shrubs should include putting chicken wire cages around the plants they find most tasty.
• Prevent rabbit and rodent damage with a pest repellent spraythat you apply on lower trunks, branches and stems. Such products generally have to be reapplied after wet weather.

Artificial Plants Are Becoming Hugely Popular

Flowers and plants are always a delight to see, it creates an atmosphere of a very natural and exciting environment. Live flowers or plants however are very fickle, and need regular care and maintenance to continue looking fresh and vigorous. For busy homeowners and office staff the continuous attention might not be ideal.
Watering (and different plants need different water amounts at different times), removal of dead leaves, possible insect infestation, exposure to sunlight for growth pattern, and soil mess are some of the points associated with the care and handling of live plants. And no-one wants to see a few dead plants and withered flowers around the home or office - it just does not give the impression of a well ordered environment!
Artificial plants are becoming hugely popular for the above reasons and more. All artificials require minimum maintenance - but they DO need maintenance to keep them looking fresh. A quick dust every few weeks and a thorough wash 2-3 times per year will maintain and allow a longer durability. Today, artificial plants and flowers are manufactured to precisely replicate the real ones. Materials used are coated to give good hand-feel and the choices are endless - from delicate orchids to complicated and highly realistic Kurrajong Palms, Bismarkia and Ficus trees.
Most can be purchased online easily and from knowledgeable suppliers. So, now decorating home or office with plants is not a daunting task, in fact you can have an awful lot of fun choosing your favourite plants and flowers in a great many colours and styles, and choosing the ideal planter to coordinate the whole effect.
Flowers and plants are always a delight to see, it creates an atmosphere of a very natural and exciting environment. Live flowers or plants however are very fickle, and need regular care and maintenance to continue looking fresh and vigorous. For busy homeowners and office staff the continuous attention might not be ideal. Watering (and different plants need different water amounts at different times), removal of dead leaves, possible insect infestation, exposure to sunlight for growth pattern, and soil mess are some of the points associated with the care and handling of live plants. And no-one wants to see a few dead plants and withered flowers around the home or office - it just does not give the impression of a well ordered environment!
Artificial plants are becoming hugely popular for the above reasons and more. All artificials require minimum maintenance - but they DO need maintenance to keep them looking fresh. A quick dust every few weeks and a thorough wash 2-3 times per year will maintain and allow a longer durability. Today, artificial plants and flowers are manufactured to precisely replicate the real ones. Materials used are coated to give good hand-feel and the choices are endless - from delicate orchids to complicated and highly realistic Kurrajong Palms, Bismarkia and Ficus trees. Most can be purchased online easily and from knowledgeable suppliers. So, now decorating home or office with plants is not a daunting task, in fact you can have an awful lot of fun choosing your favourite plants and flowers in a great many colours and styles, and choosing the ideal planter to coordinate the whole effe