Recycled sweet onion

I've been growing plants all of my life, from seeds and seedlings, by layering, dividing, from cuttings and pits. I've witnessed grafting and I've always been interested in testing a new growing method myself. Yet, growing vegetables from scraps is new to me. For years I've been composting all the kitchen scraps, even my grandmother did that, but never thought of growing a new plant from a leftover that usually gets discarded.

But, being a curious cookie that I am, I decided to test if a scrap can grow into a food, as soon as possible. Most every source on the topic suggests to put scraps in water. I guess I haven't really read the description carefully enough because when I first used a sweet onion for dinner, I went out and pressed the cut bottom straight into the soil of the nearest planter.

Can you imagine my disappointment when the next day I found out that the root bottom of my onion was supposed to be submerged in the water - in order to regrow?

Luckily I don't give up very easily so I kept carefully watering my misplaced scrap of onion with watering can every day. The surface of the scrap was leveled with the soil and it looked fresh for a week - until one morning, I discovered the first signs of growth!

Image credit

That was very exciting - especially since it happened pretty much by mistake. I'm pretty sure that keeping the growing media moist all the time was a big part of my unexpected success which encouraged me to plant another onion scrap in the same large planter. 

Two days after I took the first photo (above), the growth of new sweet onion greens is now obvious and very encouraging. I have no idea if a new onion will grow from these scraps - or all I can expect are some onion greens, delicious in salads.

What I do know is that I am about to find out how far scraping for food can go and that I'll probably plant every vegetable leftover from now on.

By the way, in the meantime I submerged another onion scrap in water with no success. There were no roots on the bottom and no growth on the top of the leftover.

Image credit 

Photo above: my recycled sweet onion scrap 12 days after it was planted. My first vegetable scrap, growing into a food... yay!! :)

Sur La Table Onion Holder (Google Affiliate Ad)

I promise to update this post later on - with the progress and final result of this growing experiment. Bear with me, please.
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You can grow African violets

The rights to distribute newly discovered African violet plant (Saintpaulia ionantha) were first sold to the German company, Ernst Benary, in 1893. A year later, this Seed company provided seeds to the Harris Seed Company in Philadelphia.

The real popularity of African violets in this county began after 1927 when the Armacost and Royston Nursery in Los Angeles released a number of hybrids including ‘Blue Boy’ and ‘Sailor Boy.’ Through the first chain-store venture in plant selling, Woolworth & Co. distributed these new hybrids throughout the U.S., making African violet famous nationwide.

Photo Crocheted African violet - courtesy of planetjune

Now, let's take a look at how to make your African violets grow large and bloom profusely. There are a few rules to follow:

• grow them in highly organic potting mix
• keep the potting mix uniformly moist
• during the active growth period plants must be fertilized regularly with a balanced African Violet Plant Food
• since they are tropical plants, African violets should not be exposed to the temperatures below 55 degrees F
• 
  
  
  the most important requirement is light: an African violet should not be exposed to the full sun. In winter, they would most likely do best on the east window of your home and in summer, north window should do.
  
  

For watering, some growers use various wick watering systems. I just water my African violets when the soil really dries out. When all the conditions above are manged correctly, your plants are very likely to produce 3 flushes of blooms in a year.

Photo African Violet - courtesy of sallysue007

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• Purchase The Best Indoor Plant (stepbysteptips.com)
• How to Start Indoor Gardening (backyardgardeningtips.com)

Growing African Violets Under the Full-Spectrum Fluorescent Light Bulb Light

African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) was discovered by Baron Walter Von Saint Paul in 1892. He found that precious little plant about an hour from Tanga on the nowadays border of Tanzania and Kenya.

Photo African Violet courtesy of Betsy J...

The baron soon took in that the plant was different. So he decided to send some specimens to his father in Germany. He revealed son's find with a botanist at Royal Botanic Garden in Hanover.

Botanist's name was Herman Wendland, and he realized that the plant was new to science. He named the genus after the Saint Paul family "Saintpolia" and coined the species name "ionantha" which in Latin means "violet like."

Since, African Violets quickly made their way to become the most popular blooming houseplant in the world. They are easy to grow by following a few simple rules.

Photo above: African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) grown from leafs

These are the African violets I grew from four leaves (for the first time ever) with no special care except watering when the soil looked dried out (as on the photo). I'm assuming that full spectrum light would enable anyone to grow plants indoors year-round even though your home has no place with ideal natural light conditions.

The full spectrum light bulbs are no longer very expensive (one of the best prices you find at the website below - click on the link and find out for yourself!), they save energy and have several more benefits which I'll be writing about in my next post.

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Vegetable Gardening With Children

Here's a video of a fun vegetable gardening project with children. They sure look like they enjoyed preparing garden beds and planting very much... :)

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Attract birds

Transcript of a how to video How To Make Your Backyard a Bird Haven:

Quit hogging our own backyard. Make it a haven for your fine feathered friends!
You will need:

• undisturbed trees or shrubs, large enough to provide bird shelter
  
• native plants that provide seeds, berries and nectar
• water source such as a stream, pond or bird bath
• wildflowers
• one of more bird feeders
• and bird houses matched to your local species
• optional: logs

Step 1: Identify which trees and plants already attract your local bird life

Step 2: Add native trees, bushes and flowers that provide seeds, berries or nectar for wild birds.Consult your state horticultural or autobahn society for suggestions - or ask the local nursery. Think twice before getting rid of dead or dying branches and stumps which provide shelter to many bids. Consider adding logs to your landscaping.

Step 3: Include water in your yard. A bird bath, fountain, stream or pond will do the trick.

Step 4: Consider replacing some of our lawn with a wildflower meadow. Even a small patch of wildflowers and tall grass will attract wild birds.

Step 5: Hang bird feeders close to trees so birds can be sheltered and ideally inside of the window so you can enjoy watching them.

Step 6: Build or buy a bird house and then put it up. Check with your local library, fish, wildlife department or autobahn group to see what bird houses suit your local species. Keep your cats inside. It is estimated that house cats cause up to 1oo million bird deaths each year in the U.S.

Step 7: If a bird builds a nest in your yard, leave it in place even after the babies have flown. The birds might return next year.

Did you know?
The study by the National Autobahn Society showed that many common birds, from meadowlarks to field sparrows have recently suffered major population declines.




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How plants are useful to us

Every plant has its role in the chain of natural life on planet Earth. And I'm not talking about cleaning the air, preserving the top soil layer, providing food for humans and animals alike - or anything like that.

This morning, after I was done with watering, I grabbed my grass shears and cut the grass around the round flower beds edgers. The grass grows faster there - than anywhere else on the property. No wonder, it gets more nutrients (that escape from better soil in the flower bed) and escaped water.

Photo courtesy of Fiskars Garden

While cutting the grass blades and laying them carefully over the bare spots of soil in the nearest bed, I all of a sudden realized how very beneficial every plant is, even the kind that most people call a weed. If nothing else, a weed can become a mulch or a compost, providing nutrients and preserving the water - helping other plants thrive.

So, even the 'plant that mastered every aspect of plant life except for where to grow' (definition of a weed I read somewhere) - deserves some appreciation when turned into a mulch or compost.



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How to keep deer away

Photo "Deer, Oh Deer..." - courtesy of law_keven

Probably everyone agrees that deer is a beautiful animal, a pure joy to see when grazing on the edges of woods and pastures and mountain slopes.

Unfortunately, every home owner's feelings of joy can quickly turn into disappointment if this same graceful visitor of one's yard starts munching on the beautiful plants in our carefully planned and maintained backyard.

There are some plants that deer dislike but to protect most of them, we better quickly find out how to keep deer away.

How about an easy, affordable and effective solution, made from natural and food based ingredients, OMRI Listed® and approved for organic gardening by the USDA's National Organic Program?

Havahart® Deer Off® II 

 

The video below will show you how easy Deer Off®II is to use, no matter how big or small your yard.

NEW! Deer Off® II Battery-Powered Sprayer, RTU - also repels rabbits and squirrels - working two ways: by taste and odor. If the critter gets past the odor, it'll be repelled by the taste.

This is the first repellent on the market with a battery-powered sprayer, making application easy and hand fatigue a thing of the past - and therefore also very suitable for large lawns.

Its formula is weather-resistant, lasting up to 90 days, should not leave a visible film or residue - and will not change the color of plants or foliage.

Deer Off® II Battery-Powered Sprayer new formulation contains 4 times more of the active ingredient, dries odorless to humans - and is made in the U.S.A.



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How to attract birds and butterflies

To make your outdoors even more beautiful and natural, arrange your backyard so it becomes bird and butterfly-friendly. It doesn't take much more than choosing the right plants - and watching the video below. And the results just might astonish you...

Enjoy!





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Daffodil flower

Daffodils have always been one of my favorite spring flowers. My grandmother had them all over her backyard, underneath the grape vines. I'll never forget that sight and the fresh smell of spring ground, bursting with life.

  

A few years ago I bought some flowering bushes from one of the online nurseries and received a bag of tulip bulbs and a bag of daffodil bulbs as a free gift with that purchase. Obviously, the staff at that nursery didn't care much about the fact that some people live in zone 9 or higher and these bulbs might never get a chance to produce a single bloom.

And that's exactly what happened. I faithfully planted all the bulbs, hoping that somehow, one of these beautiful springs, they will make my day with the blooms that so unmistakably remind me of those care-free days of my childhood.

Nothing happened - for at least four years. The greenery came out every spring - and not a single tulip or daffodil flower.

This last winter was different. A lot more frosts and lower temperatures that usually and a few days ago I noticed a flower bud on one of the daffodil plants in planter next to our driveway. It made me so happy I felt like dancing the dance of joy... :)

This morning my first and only Florida daffodil flower was opened and beautiful. Right away I had to grab a camera and snap some photos. Can you tell I've been playing in Corel with my snapshots for a little while?

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Secret World of the Orchid

Secret World of the Orchid
Originally uploaded by Fort Photo

The Orchid Lovers Club of Spring Hill , invites you to attend our monthly meeting. We usually have an informative speaker, a show table of Orchids grown buy our members, Orchids for sale and an Orchid raffle. You don’t have to grow Orchids to attend our meetings. Feel free to join us for an enjoyable and informative afternoon.

Our meetings are held on the 3rd Saturday of each month, starting at 1:00 pm. We meet at the Enrichment Center, inc. behind the Oak Hill Hospital / 11375 Cortez Blvd. ( Route # 50, behind the hospital )

For more information, call –

Hernando County / Ed - 352- 597- 2895

Citrus County / Judy- 352- 563- 2288

Pasco County / Pat - 727- 856- 3485



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Backyard Garden Pollution

Especially if you live in an urban area, be aware that there might be lead present in the soil around your house - which makes eating your home-grown veggies risky.

This kind of pollution is primarily widespread  

Backyard Garden Sunset
Originally uploaded by RevrendMaynard

• around old homes - flakes of previously used lead paints
  
• near busy roads - remnants of leaded gasoline
• around suburban homes, built near apple orchards - lead arsenate used to be a regular pesticide

Your  best bet to avoid the pollutants and still enjoy all the benefits of home grown food crops is to build a raised bed, filled with
organic topsoil - or use planters.

In case you're determined to stick with your native earth, have it tested (look under "laboratories" in your phone book or pick up a home test kit which is less reliable but cheaper solution).

It's also good to know that

• corn
  
• squash
  
• peas and
  
• tomatoes

are known to have a reduced lead uptake.


Sources:
Mercola
The Boston Globe

The herbs

A few days ago I received this email from one of my subscribers:

"I have been growing a few coriander seedlings and one pot thrived and the other curled up its leaves and died. I couldn't understand this so searched the web to see if I had done something wrong. What I found was that coriander doesn't like too much water and the one that died was fully out in the weather when we had had a good amount of rain. The other was sheltered. I guess I drowned the poor wee things! Oh well, I am starting off again. The extra pot was for a friend, so now they will just have to wait another few weeks before the new seeds get going!

All part of learning to grow herbs."

Patricia guessed/researched right. Too much water won't do any good to most of the herbs. There's a general rule for most of the herbs we grow at home:

• they like a sunny spot, 
• soil that's not too rich and 
• they prefer to be on the dry side.

When growing herbs in planters, shelter them when possible and when sheltering isn't available, make sure the drainage is excellent.

Below is a very cute cartoon in two parts where popular herbs: parsley, basil, rosemary, bay leaf, dill and sage are very well represented through unique and entertaining characters.

Enjoy! :)

The Herbs - Parsley's Tail - Part 1/2

The Herbs - Parsley's Tail - Part 2/2

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Frost and lost plants

We had another frost this morning even though the weather forecast said the low temperature was supposed to stay in low forties... :(

So I didn't cover any of my plants last night and - sad enough, I lost some of my nasturtium plants. Luckily I have quite a few more (and more seeds) - and I plan to be more careful from now on.

I am sorry I haven't protected my banana trees. I really enjoy watching their tropical appeal through my kitchen window. All of their leaves froze after two light frosts in October but two of them already recovered by now and grew two beautiful, big new leaves. And now they're gone.

Photo: Beautiful banana tree leaves in July

I also lost a couple of cotton plants. I've seen many cotton fields for the first time in Georgia this past October - and they looked enchantingly beautiful to me. So I picked up some seeds and planted them in different planters around the house. They sprouted only a few days ago and I was really looking forward to observing their development and was getting more and more excited about the possibility of growing some organic, home-grown cotton. Now I need to make sure to keep the rest of them.

Photo: Cotton field in Georgia - courtesy of amyxoxox

Anyway, all the above events kept me busy for quite a few hours this afternoon. I moved some pots closer to the house, to protected areas - and covered everything else that might get damaged if the temperature drops to freezing again.

Hopefully this works and I can grow more plants and have lots of blooms around Christmas - instead of losing one flower or herb after another. Besides, this is supposed to be Florida...



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How to grow herbs from seeds

These are seedlings of holy basil herb (Ocimum sanctum). They are tiny but I only planted the seeds - in a planter indoors - on Sunday (four days ago). I was incredibly surprised that they sprouted this early - I guess I managed to provide perfect conditions for once... ;)

However, sprouting of seeds depends on many factors and there's no way to control them all. My best advice would be to do your best and then let Mother Nature do her job.

Some seeds like parsley can take weeks before they sprout (which takes patience and faith... ) and others just can't wait to grow as fast as they can.

Tiny seeds should not be planted too deep. They only have to be covered with soil (like 1/4 of an inch is more than enough).

Also, when planted in the garden just before heavy rains, the seeds can be washed away.

The fastest way to grow herbs from seeds is by using planters. Moisture and sun exposure are much easier to control in that smaller growing environment (than in the garden) - and they can be kept them indoors or out. As soon as they are big enough to handle (they have to have at least a pair of true leaves), they can be transplanted.

Yet, some herbs don't like having their roots disturbed - which is hard to avoid when transplanting. No worries, for those sensitive plants there's a simple and cheap solution. I'll describe it tomorrow.

One last thing - not every herb will grow everywhere in the world. I know about some varieties that just wouldn't grow (or at least not thrive) in Florida - although the most skilled gardeners have been trying hard for years.

Find more posts on how to grow seeds here




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Nasturtium blooms in the kitchen

Although nasturtium blooms look like they are made of parchment paper, fragile and delicate, they are surprisingly durable.

Their taste is spicy and that's where their common name comes from: "Nasus Tortus" (sounds like "tortured nose" to me... :) - means convulsed nose, referring to the faces people made when tasting this surprisingly tangy-flavored plant.

Ways to take advantage of Nasturtium's flavor and decorative color:

• as garnishes their blossoms look vibrant and last long
  
  
• whole or chopped blooms look great as decoration in creamy soups, salads, butters, cakes, platters, appetizer etc.
  
  
• blooms added to the spinach salad create quite a dramatic effect
  
  
• nasturtium, added to cheese spreads is a winning combo
  
  
• add them to tea sandwiches
  
  
• an idea for stunning look: open-faced cucumber sandwiches on white bread, decorated with orange nasturtium blossoms and violets
  
  
• recipe for a zesty herbal vinegar: use five blossoms per cup of vinegar, place them in decorative bottle, cover them with hot (not boiling!) white wine vinegar for a day, then strain the spent flowers out and add fresh one as decoration
  
  
• stuffed Nasturtium blooms make a sensational, tasty hors d'ouvere: guacamole, chicken salad, egg salad and seasoned cream cheese mixtures all work well for that purpose - as long as their ingredients are really finely chopped to fit in the tiny throat of the flower
  
  
• for tea-time or snack-time treat wrap blossom around a mixture of raisins, walnuts and orange peel in cream cheese
  
  
• Nasturtium buds and green seeds can be pickled and used in place of capers

Note that nasturtiums will grow in partial shade and produce lush foliage but not too many blooms. In full sun they produce the most blooms and their peppery flavor gets stronger and stronger as the summer sun gets hotter. For a milder taste therefore, choose flowers grown in shade or semi-shade.



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Another breathtaking Nasturtium bloom

Bi-colored nasturtium bloom

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Colors of Nasturtium flowers

Traditional colors of nasturtiums are bright orange and yellow but lately the range of their blossoms are becoming more and more exciting:

• brilliant vermilion red blooms - "Empress of India"
• shades of tangerine, soft salmon, deep mahogany and cherry rose - "Whirlybird"
• the color of a cut white peach with an accent of raspberry in the throat - "Peach Melba"
• soft cream toned colors in delicate double flowers - "Butter Cream"

Can you make your garden any brighter?



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Growing Nasturtiums

Other common names for nasturtium: Common nasturtium, Garden nasturtium, Indian cress

Photo "Flower Nasturtium" above courtesy of Dave Howell

More reasons for growing Nasturtium:

• the secret to nasturtium's explosion of blooms is: zero fertilizing
• historically nasturtium has also been used topically as a remedy for rheumatism
• about.com about nasturtiums: "Issues treated by Nasturtium include exhaustion, fatigue, lethargy, and depleted immune systems. Nasturtium flower essence is good for anytime you feel under the weather or less that par health wise. It will warm up "colds" and help nurse you back to your normal vitality."
• snails don't like them
• established plants are virtually carefree
• in the garden they self-seed and keep coming back every year
• they quickly cover the given area, producing decorative foliage and endless amount of brightly-colored blooms
• the shape of their beautiful leaves is reminiscent of water lily pads, usually flat and round in deep green color, but some are variegated, speckled-like

No wonder some people call nasturtium: every gardener's dream... :)



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Uses of Nasturtium - Tropaeolum majus

Photo and quoted text below courtesy of pennyeast

With the photography above I found this beautiful description of several uses for Nasturtium plant:

"Nasturtium flowers, leaves and immature seed pods have a tangy taste like water cress, and the colorful flowers really brighten up a green salad. Add some nasturtium flowers to an herb vinegar. The immature pods can be pickled. The mature seeds can be roasted for eating out of hand or used like black pepper.

Nasturtium has long been used in herbal medicine as a disinfectant and wound-healing herb, and as an expectorant to relieve chest conditions. All parts of the plant appear to be antibiotic and an infusion of the leaves can be used to increase resistance to bacterial infections and to clear nasal and bronchial catarrh. The remedy seems to both reduce catarrh formation and stimulate the clearing and coughing up of phlegm.

The leaves are antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, aperient, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, laxative and stimulant. A glycoside found in the plant reacts with water to produce an antibiotic. The plant has antibiotic properties towards aerobic spore forming bacteria. Extracts from the plant have anticancer activity.

The plant is taken internally in the treatment of genito-urinary diseases, respiratory infections, scurvy and poor skin and hair conditions.

Externally it makes an effective antiseptic wash and is used in the treatment of baldness, minor injuries and skin eruptions. Any part of the plant can be used, it is harvested during the growing season and used fresh."



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How to plant seeds?

If you are a complete beginner in growing your own flowers, herbs or veggies, then I have a shortcut to your first guaranteed success for you today. :)

Start small and simple, with easy to grow and possibly fast-growing plant. That just might give you so much pleasure that you'll never want to stop planting seeds again...

Above is a photo of about 1 inch tall nasturtium seedling I planted 10 days ago in an outdoor planter

Today my suggestion is to try to plant nasturtium for several reasons:

• it's really easy to grow
• its seeds are approximately the size of a dry pea - which makes them a lot easier to plant precisely where you want the plant to be
  
• it sprouts in only seven to ten days
• grows really fast afterwords
• the whole plant is edible
• can be grown in the flower bed or in medium-sized pot indoors
• has beautiful flowers which are also edible and starts blooming as fast as in about 5 to 6 weeks
• has beautifully shaped leaves, grows in a bushy manner and looks good even without blooms
  
• in a flower bed nasturtium will reseed itself and keep coming back every year
• planted indoors this plant will provide almost instant greenery and thus improve your living space

You might be wondering about a lot of "HOW TOs", you might have loads of questions and - let me assure you - in gardening (like in most other things) - simple is the best.


There's no need to get all stressed out about the seeds and planting and soil and planters. Simply start where you are, with what you have.


How to plant seeds indoors


These are simplified instructions on how to plant one nasturtium seed - in other words - that's how I do it and it's working for me.


There are many conditions that affect every growth and we can't always control them all. Be creative and if one method doesn't work for you, try something a little bit different. Change one factor and observe the results.

1. any container in the size of at least 4 inches (10 cm) across will do - as long as you poke some drainage holes on the bottom
2. cover the bottom of the planter with paper coffee filter - it prevents washing the soil out of your pot
   
3. fill the pot with store-bought potting mix (garden soil in planters is usually a ticket to failure)
4. use mister or spray bottle to water - until the water shows up in the saucer underneath the planter
5. lay a single nasturtium seed on top of the soil in the middle of your chosen planter
   
6. cover the seed with 1/2 inch (1 cm) of soil
7. place to a sunny spot and check on this about-to-happen tiny miracle every day
   
8. keep the soil moist - but not soggy

How to plant seeds outdoors

Planting seeds outdoors is pretty much the same. Prepare the soil and then follow instructions from the seed packet regarding spacing, depth and sun requirements. For seedlings hand-watering with watering can is the best because those small plants are quite fragile.

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