Gardenig in Japan. Tips & Guides

Friend of the GPOD Cherry Ong is taking us along today to visit Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue, Washington.

Today we’re visiting with Helaine McDermott from western Connecticut.

If you’re new to gardening, you might be wondering where to start. To help you get to grips with the basics, we’ve created lots of helpful guides and tips on gardening for beginners.

Dive into a comprehensive guide on Orangeola Japanese Maple information, covering its rich history, care requirements, and everything you need to know.

There are so many gardening techniques out there. Some are new techniques, some are old techniques, and some a blend of old and new. Electroculture gardening is an example of the latter. Electroculture gardening techniques have been studied since the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, but many of us have never heard of them. That’s because until recently electro gardening was deemed to have little to no benefit, often because those initially interested went chasing after another possible more profitable enterprise. New studies are proving that electroculture does influence plant growth as well as having other beneficial effects. Intrigued? Keep reading the following information on electroculture for beginners.

If you’ve ever wondered when to prune Japanese maple trees this article should prove very helpful. Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are among the loveliest small trees you can add to your landscape, but people are often confused about their care, especially when it comes to pruning. There are so many different forms and cultivars, each one more beautiful than the next, but sadly, you can destroy their beautiful shape and foliage by pruning incorrectly. The good news is that by understanding how and when to prune Japanese maple trees, you’ll maintain their health and form. Read on to learn more about Japanese maple pruning and how to do it right.

If you are looking forward to having a colourful specimen in your garden that also acts as a focal point, then do check out these Maple Trees with Unique Leaves and Colors!

My name is Judy. I have been gardening for many years but with no formal training. I have learned a lot by trial and error. My husband and I moved to the Hampton Roads area of Virginia (Zone 7B) four years ago, to an existing house surrounded by woods but a yard bare of any trees or flowers. The soil is clay, poor and full of moles, and the local deer population is hungry, so I have had challenges to overcome. I am continually improving soil and editing plants that surprised me in the way they developed. Each year I have focused on expanding my garden into new areas. This year’s project was my hellstrip of sorts, the narrow strip of land between my driveway and the woods.

 Fireglow Japanese Maple is a fantastic specimen for anyone looking forward to create a natural focal point of colors in their garden! Let’s have a look at it!

Wendy is sharing her beautiful garden with us today. We’ve visited her stunning garden before (Beauty From Wendy’s Garden).

Japanese Maple Fireglow vs Bloodgood – this is the discussion of the hour and now it’s time to delve into the vibrant world of these cultivars.

Invasive Plant Species in New York pose a significant ecological challenge. These non-native plants disrupt local ecosystems, outcompete native species, and threaten biodiversity.

Dive into the world of autumn magic with the Best Blue Pumpkin Varieties! From the Blue Prince to the Japanese Shishigatani, learn about these stunning blue pumpkins and the true blue pumpkin meaning.

Shrubs growing in shade perform a variety of functions – from serving as a leafy foil to other plants, to lighting up dark areas with bright flowers or impressing with dramatic foliage. Small or low-growing shrubs can even be used for ground cover.

Keith Irvine, in chilly Zone 3 in Canada, shared his gorgeous vegetable garden with us last week (Keith’s Vegetable Garden), and today we’re visiting a different section of the garden.

Here are all the details you need about Baltic Blue Pothos Care!Make this stunning plant a part of your houseplant collection.

Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow in the vegetable garden, herb garden, or kitchen window. The highly aromatic basil leaves protect other plants from pests and attract pollinators as well. The basil plant also prevents insects like Japanese beetles, bean beetles, and worms. Instead of requiring protection, basil helps its neighboring plants. Let’s have a look at the Basil Companion Plants. 

After a week trapped inside by work, on Saturday morning I happily pottered around the garden for several hours. I started in the front garden, cutting back the comfrey and stuffing it into buckets to make liquid feed, since the flowers have faded to the point where the bees are no longer interested. I also harvested the wild strawberries that had been wafting a ripe aroma around the place for several days. In doing so I disturbed a frog that was hiding under their leaves. Two hops and it had disappeared again; I almost didn’t work out what had caused the movement. We know we have frogs in the garden because they hop out when we’re working on the unruly corners, but other than that we rarely see them. Which is fine, they’re doing a grand job of pest control.

Header image: Suited up to simulate the conditions of working outside on Mars. Jonathan Clarke (the author, left) with visiting engineer Michael Curtis-Rouse, from UK Space Agency (right). Jonathan Clarke personal collection, Author provided.

Alison Tindale tells explains everything you need to know about Chinese artichokes!

We half-finished the back garden last year, in that we installed and planted half of the raised beds. In truth, we did a lot more than half, as we had all of the paving done and installed the two sheds. But the wet weather over the winter stalled progress, and it has remained unfinished. It has been frustrating, but has become even more so since the sowing season arrived and I faced the fact that the plants I wanted to grow this year had no home to go to. And so it is with great excitement that I can say that weather, time and energy coincided over the weekend, and we have broken new ground!

I love growing unusual edible plants – not only are they potentially useful and easy to grow (because the pests and diseases they suffer from are not widespread), but they can be beautiful too.

If there’s a plant that’s destined to explode onto the Grow Your Own scene this year, then it has to be agretti (Salsola soda). Agretti got good press last year as being a vegetable sought-after by chefs; it didn’t hurt that seed was in short supply! Suppliers have taken note, however, and there are plenty more sources this year.

A few days ago I received an email, asking me the following question:

In previous years, my garden plan has revolved around what I want to grow. There are a lot of unusual plants that grow, or might grow, in our climate, and I enjoy trying them out. With my experimental impulses mainly focused on the Hydroponicum, I have been thinking about what we would like to eat from the garden.

The political weather has been stormy of late, and as the sun has come out to play at last, the garden seems the safest place to be. There’s a lot to be done to get it ready for the growing season, so time spent outside is never wasted. A lot of what I’m doing at the moment could best be termed ungardening, clearing out the contents from last year’s containers, and reusing the potting compost in the bottom of new pots, or as a soil improving mulch.

It’s time to cut down on your carbon footprint and help lock carbon in the soil, and the good news is that this doesn’t have to be a self-sacrificing activity, it can be a win-win situation if you choose to grow your own food!

Last weekend, as the temperatures soared, I found a certain amount of solace in learning more about how plants are being grown in Antarctica – the coldest place on Earth. 

Header image: One of the Vanguard satellites being checked out at Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1958. NASA

Join Emma the Space Gardener as she explores gardening on Earth… and beyond! In this episode, Emma talks to Grace Crain, a researcher on the MELiSSA project developing circular life support systems. 

Header image credit: China Manned Space Engineering Office

Join Emma the Space Gardener as she explores gardening on Earth… and beyond! In this episode, Emma takes the time machine for a spin to explore the early history of seeds in space. Plus you’ll find out which plants will be best for terraforming Mars, why greenhouses may soon be made from solar panels, what’s included in a Russian space tourist package and more!

Header image: Lettuce cultivated in a sealed bag (Left: before harvesting; Right: before collecting on the ground). Image credit: Takanaka Corporation

Plant RNA Regulation Redux in MVP (MVP-Plant-01) profiles and monitors shoot and root development in plants in microgravity, in order to understand the molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks behind how plants sense and adapt to changes in their environment. This understanding could contribute to the design of plants better able to withstand adverse environmental conditions, including long-duration spaceflight.

Food for the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) is usually delivered well in advance. They get a few fresh treats whenever a cargo ship arrives (or if they grow their own!), but they’re a bit too far away to order take out.

Header image: Mars’ asteroid-sized satellites Deimos and Phobos. Image credit: ESA