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Garden
Backyard Cuttings
News of note for the gardener.
By JUDY STARK
Published January 13, 2007
HUG A TREE FRIDAY Friday is Arbor Day in Florida, a day to acknowledge the importance of trees and promote the planting of new ones. (The day is observed on different dates in each state to accommodate growing seasons.) Trees provide much of the oxygen we breathe, and they consume large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, during photosynthesis. Learn more about Arbor Day at www.arbor-day.net. Florida's state tree is the sabal palm. Don't water your floor Prevent water damage to your floors with these houseplant care tips from Southern Living magazine: Place a cork disc between the floor and the saucer beneath the plant. Use a plastic saucer at least 2 inches wider than the pot to prevent water overflow. Cork discs and saucers are available at home centers. A taste of Italy Arugula, borlotti beans, chard, cardoons, endive, radicchio, zucchini - if you want genuine Italian seeds to grow these culinary favorites, you could go to Italy, but it may be faster and less expensive to visit Seeds from Italy at www.growitalian.com. This Web site (and its catalog) offer 390 varieties of Italian vegetables, herbs and flowers, all traditional, open-pollinated, heirloom Italian varieties. "We are the U.S. mail-order distributor for Franchi Sementi SPA of Bergamo, Italy, Italian seedsmen since 1783," the company says. Seeds will be featured this year on Ciao Italia, the PBS cooking show, and in Country Garden magazine. Request a free catalog at the Web site, or call (781) 721-5904 in Winchester, Mass. Putting ashes to work If you've been firing up the fireplace recently, save those wood ashes. This Old House magazine suggests these garden-related uses: Planting tomatoes? Boost their calcium by putting a quarter-cup of wood ashes in the hole where you place each plant. Spread them around garden beds to repel slugs and snails. Compiled by Homes and Garden editor Judy Stark
[Last modified January 12, 2007, 09:18:23]
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