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Roses, Gadgets And A Novel Herb Bed

hughe — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:37:49 +0000

After two months without any rain and unseasonal high temperatures the last three weeks have reversed the trend with heavy showers and longer periods of rain nearly every day. As a result my roses bloomed a month earlier than usual and so now have finished their first flush, but made a great show for a few weeks. The picture shows my current favorite Gertrude Jekyll which has a particularly strong and delicious fragrance.

Of course the rain has started the lawn growing again and encouraged the weeds so there is plenty to keep me busy. I’m not sure whether it’s the sun or the rain that has affected my Japanese maple, but some of the top leaves have shrivelled and turned brown. I thought that I had planted it in a spot that would give sufficient shade, but it now looks as though I will have to move it to a new position where it will receive greater protection from the afternoon sun.

In the lead up to Father’s Day there were the usual articles with gift suggestions, but one that caught my eye was this by Jim Ewing writing in the Clarion Ledger. “Organic ‘gadget’ dads can check their ERGs, ORPs, Brix and sap!” describes gadgets for soil testing that goes way beyond ph levels. His light hearted look at these tools includes a link to the catalog where you can discover the full scientific details. Read more..

And finally a true herb bed with pillows made of Mexican Heather and nightstands which are actual working beehives. Read more..

Garden Statues And A Grass Lamp

hughe — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:29:19 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Garden statues come in all shapes and sizes, but this one I found is rather more ambitious than most. “At 22 feet long and 11 feet tall, this Jurassic-sized replica is the largest sculpture we have ever offered! Realistically sculpted with rows of menacing teeth, a fearsome tail and scaly skin, our prehistoric artifact is cast in quality designer resin and hand-painted with powerfully convincing color and texture. This display-quality sculpture transforms any home, garden, restaurant or hotel into something truly magnificent!” The quote is from a highly critical article on this monster that is supposed to be a Tyrannosaurus rex. Here’s some more: “I mean, come on, who in their right mind would want such a terrible mockery of a dinosaur sitting out in their yard? The only, and I mean only, possible use for something like this is to place outside your neighbor’s bedroom window at 2am and then tap on the glass. Does that justify the $7500 you’d have to spend? Uh, not even close”. Read more.. (Please note that the dinosaur shown in the picture is not the one described in the article.)

The title of this next item is “Grass Lamp Reminds You the Grass Is Always Greener In the Country” which almost sounds like a haiku and is just about as useful. As the author explains “While you can’t grow a crop of tomatoes in Marko Vuckovi‘s Grass Lamp, the grass will flourish under the lamp’s light and remind you the grass is always green—in a country house”. Read more..

Finally a useful tip. Maybe this is common knowledge, but I have not seen it before. Simple instructions showing you how to dry herbs in the microwave. Could be useful at this time of the year. Read more..

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Gray Water And A Travelling Garden

hughe — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:40:48 +0000

When you see a headline “Giant Man-Shaped Travelling Garden” and below it a picture of a plot measring 60 meters square planted with herbs in the shape of a man, there is clearly a problem. How can a large herb garden firmly rooted in the earth travel even a few meters, let alone from town to town as this giant claims to do? Obviously it cannot, but what this story is about is a crew of Japanese landscape designers that travel around during the summer creating their giant in different locations. Like a travelling circus, but using shipping containers rather than tents, they arrive at a site and plant their giant. The containers are then used to teach visitors about the medical uses of the herbs. The reason for the giant is that the herbs are planted in the areas of the body for which they are beneficial. As well as the education of their visitors there is an added benefit in that they use funds raised to go towards building playgrounds in developing countries. Read more..

In times of water shortages and hosepipe bans we are often encouraged to reuse “gray water” from our baths and sinks for the garden rather than just let it drain away into the sewers. But now it seems that this may not be such a good idea after all. Here’s a warning from the Health Mininstry in Israel that studies of gray water showed that it had often had very high levels of e.Coli bacteria. “The Ministry said that the public could be in danger from infection if it uses gray water for private vegetable and fruit gardens, or even if it is used on lawns where children and pets play”. Read more..

Garden Statues And A Grass Lamp

Plastic Essentials, Herb Scissors and Squirrels

hughe — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:30:58 +0000

Some people think that squirrels are cute little creatures. The way that they sit upright with their bushy tails erect using their front legs like hands to eat nuts and other goodies. Or we marvel at the way that they leap from branch to branch in the trees with such agility. But not if we’re gardeners – for us squirrels are one of the most annoying pests. And manufacturers of garden supplies know this well so there are a plethora of remedies available in the stores to deter these critters from damaging our crops. But just how effective are these? Gary Bogue writing in Contra Costa Times tried seven repellent brands with disappointing results. Read more..

With the title “Can We Ever Have Enough Gardening Tools?” you might expect to be presented with a long list of the writer’s favorite implements, but Suzanne Thompson restricts herself to two both made of plastic. Read more..

Here’s another headline I couldn’t resist: “The best herb scissors in the world”. In fact these are for use in the kitchen rather than the garden, to chop your herbs after you’ve picked them. “At just under $11, they’re a time-saver that won’t drain your wallet!” Read more..

Roses, Gadgets And A Novel Herb Bed