AS SHE OFTEN DOES, naturalist and nature writer Nancy Lawson—perhaps known better to some of you as the Humane Gardener after the title of her first book—caught my attention the other day.
18.01.2024 - 10:25 / balconygardenweb.com / Raul Cornelius
You might have heard about heart leaf philodendron or marble queen pothos – such nice names, no? But have you come across plants with bizarre names? Well, you are in for a treat!
Botanical Name: Dracaena trifasciata
This name was derived from its pointed tips of tongue like, leathery leaves. They look surely as sharp as your mom in law’s tongue!
Botanical Name: Monotropa uniflora
The common name relates to its bizarre coloring, which is due to a lack of chlorophyll. If you spot one in the dark, you’ll mistake it for some ghost for sure!
Botanical Name: Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Also known as Buddha’s finger due to unique and fragmented finger-like fruits, the fingers display a cluster-like hand and can be between 5 and 20 in number.
Botanical Name: Kalanchoe delagoensis
This fast-growing plant has got its bizarre name because of the leaves that multiply easily anywhere it falls on the soil. The plant produces tiny plantlets in thousands, too!
Botanical Name: Orchis italica
This weird-looking orchid has got its bizarre name due to, well, look yourself at the picture! Don’t you see a number of naked men there!
Botanical Name: Mammillaria hahniana
This cacti looks like a bun made of some grey and fine aged hair of an old lady. Despite the name, it is one beautiful specimen!
Botanical Name: Cotyledon orbiculata
The oval-shaped leaves of this plant have red-edges, which look a lot like the ears of a pig, hence the name! In sunlight, the coloration gets richer.
Botanical name: Achillea Ptarmica
The strong-scented flowers make people sneeze – the reason why it has that name! People used it to make sneezing powder in ancient times and help people combat sinuses.
Botanical name: Galium aparine
Ahmm! Well, do we really have to explain this
AS SHE OFTEN DOES, naturalist and nature writer Nancy Lawson—perhaps known better to some of you as the Humane Gardener after the title of her first book—caught my attention the other day.
Q: I have a winter flowering jasmine, growing profusely on a 3m-high north-facing wall. For most of its six years, it has produced an abundance of flowers, from early November until March. During the recent summer, I took a lot of its stems, which had bunched at about 2m, and gently stretched them out along a series of horizontal wires. This November I can only see a handful of flowers (less than 10). Did my gentle summer manipulation cause this drop in flowers and if so, how? CD, Co Dublin
If there’s one thing celebrity recipes are guaranteed to do, it’s spark a (lightly-controversial) conversation in the comments of their social media. Reese Witherspoon did just that after she shared a new creation with the world on TikTok January 18: a mug of snow mixed with cold brew topped with salted caramel and chocolate drizzle.
These blooming specimens are according to the twelve months of the year to ensure you get flowers 365 days annually!
Aloe has many benefits — it's a natural remedy for sunburn, promotes skin health, and aids in wound healing. Use it for hair care, acne treatment, and as a makeup remover. But that's not all, it's for improving digestion, soothing minor burns, and repelling insects. You can create homemade lip balms and hand sanitizers with its gel, too. With potential health advantages like blood pressure regulation and immune system boosting, aloe is a versatile plant. Read more below!
Bagworms are caterpillars that make homes using twigs and silk. If you see bags hanging from your plants, they might be bagworms, causing harm by eating leaves and adding weight to branches. You can remove them manually, use insecticides with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), or invite birds and wasps to control them. If the problem persists, consult a pest control professional.
DAVID CULP is a self-professed Galanthophile, a lover and passionate, longtime collector of snowdrops in all their various incarnations. He’s also a host of the annual Galanthus Gala symposium, which happens the first weekend of March in Downingtown, PA, and virtually online, too, for those of us who want to join in without even leaving home, as I did last year, and will again this time around.
These tallest jade plant varieties can grow really tall if you live take care of them in a right manner along with some pruning and support!
Ever seen plants that look like a person's funny bottom? Nature has a sense of humor, giving us plants that playfully resemble human butts. From cheeky succulents called Lithops to comically bottom-shaped Butternut Squash and peaches with a peachy behind, there's even a plant named «Horse’s Balls.» Find out more below.
Discover the funny side of gardening with plants that resemble boobs and breasts! From Breast Milk Fruit to Boob Cactus, these plants might make you giggle. Just be careful, some lookalikes are poisonous, like the Nipple Fruit. Learn more below.
Planting narcissus is about timing. In cold places, like the North, plant in fall from late September to late November. In warmer areas, plant in late fall to early winter. For moderate regions, mid to late fall is best. If planting indoors, chill bulbs for 12-15 weeks, then plant in well-draining soil. Place the pot in a cool, dark spot until shoots appear, then move to a sunny place. Learn more below.
Anyone in search of planting ideas for their garden in the colder months is spoilt for choice when it comes to sources of inspiration. Up and down Britain there are sterling examples of gardens planted for winter interest: Cambridge University Botanic Garden boasts one of the earliest; Wakehurst Place is home to one of the more recent; then there’s Bodnant, Dunham Massey, the Savill Garden – the list goes on. One thing they have in common though is that they’re all quite large, and gardeners could be forgiven for feeling they need a separate ‘winter area’ or hefty acreage to create anything worthwhile in their own plots. Not so, says David Jordan, senior gardener at Anglesey Abbey, who cares for its well-known Winter Garden and has a host of winter plants to recommend that will easily integrate into your existing garden.