Caladiums are not as difficult to care for as many people think, and they make a beautiful addition to any home or garden.
21.07.2023 - 22:49 / awaytogarden.com
NO WONDER I AM CONFUSED ABOUT how long seed lasts; every expert has a slightly different take on the matter, making memorization of any absolute rules impossible. As I’ve been looking through my on-hand supply of leftover vegetable seeds, in particular, I kept saying to myself, “Now does lettuce last two years or five?” and knew it was time once and for all to make a handy reference chart comparing how long different seeds last, according to whom.Most seed will last a couple to several years—but there are disclaimers to even that general a statement. As living things, seeds are perishable, particularly if not kept cool and dry (such as in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator or freezer). Humidity, in particular, is death to seeds.
Treated and pelletized seed will also have a different shelf life from seed in its natural state. The condition of the original crop the seed was harvested from will also, of course, affect its perishability.
The years of viability in my chart above, then (citing Fedco and Johnny’s Selected Seed catalogs, and the Iowa State and Virginia Tech extensions) are averages, not guarantees—and all presume responsible storage tactics (not that you left the packet in a wheelbarrow in the garage all summer, or in your overalls pocket).
SO WHERE IS THERE CONSENSUS? Onion seed lasts just a year, everyone seems to say, with parsley and parsnips other very short-lived in storage. Muskmelons last about five years; watermelons slightly less. Corn about two, maybe three, and likewise for peas and beans. But you can see the disagreement around things like lettuce (some say two, some six years) and spinach (one to five).
The best way to be sure if your leftover seeds are viable: Do a germination test. But this is
Caladiums are not as difficult to care for as many people think, and they make a beautiful addition to any home or garden.
Mustard pickles are a yummy treat. This recipe is quick and easy to make – and it’s oh, so, delicious.
Rachel Platt in the 'Chained to Tech' Tatton Garden. Image Source: Julie Skelton Photography.
Propagating wandering jew plants is very easy and makes a cost-effective way to expand your collection.
Since I put this list together 7 years ago but I have now started to favour Kings Seeds (Suffolk Herbs) for my vegetables. I also get many more seeds from clubs and organisations rather than merchants.
Marigolds are super easy to grow and the perfect care-free bedding plant for containers, borders and mass plantings. If you need a lot of plants, you can save seed from spent flowers and grow them yourself next year to save money. Since marigolds reseed in the garden easily all by themselves, leave a few dried flowers to drop seed. Keep in mind t
Discover the Most Long-Lasting Flowers for Yard and Garden! From perennials to stunning annuals, let’s explore the perfect floral choices to transform your yard and garden into a beautiful long lasting oasis.
While I’ve spent a fair amount of time tending to outdoor plants, my experience with indoor plants was relatively non-existent. The curiosity of the feline members of my household was such that having plants or even cut flowers was not prudent. After one incident with a broken glass vase, I decided cats and indoor plants did not make a good combination.
Here are the Best Long Lasting Flowers for Yard and Garden! From perennials to stunning annuals, let’s explore the perfect floral choices to transform your yard and garden into a beautiful long lasting oasis.
A rescue mission a few years back landed it in the sun again, and that’s what the bush clover wanted.Lespedeza thunbergii, a legume or pea relative as the shape of its flowers and foliage quickly gives away, is hardy in Zones 4-9. Give it sun, and not much else—well, except a very large space to grow into, as the arching stems of a mature bush clover will reach 6 feet across or wider, and stands nearly 6 feet high. My resurrected, relocated ‘Gibraltar’ is closing in on 8 feet across today.Various white forms, like ‘Albiflora’ or ‘White Fountain,’ are another possibility (I like the gaudier purple) and because he must always outdo us, plantsman Tony Avent offers the 4-by-6-foot ‘Spilt Milk,’ with purple flowers but wildly variegated foliage as its name implie
Aha! Enter Andrew Beckman, then-garden editor at my former employer Martha Stewart Living, who was also my weekend neighbor and gardening buddy until he moved West to become editor of garden book publisher Timber Press.Normally, I don’t start tomatoes until April 15 here in Zone 5B, but the year we shot these photos, we were trying something new, which required a little headstart. The slides show Phase 1–starting the seeds–of our grafted-tomato experiment (aimed, as you may recall if you read my wintertime post about grafting, at giving heirloom types more vigor and better yields). But you can use the same ho
Thankfully, for the latter areas, I have old clumps of lower-light plants to divide, including those in this new slideshow of my top 54 shade subjects. I included some woodland-garden shrubs and trees for those seeking to manufacture some shade of their own—or wanting to add more understory structure to what nature has provided.a mostly alphabetical tour of 54 favorites for shadeplant profiles of shade subjectsPerennialsAstilboides tabularis Aralia cordata and Aralia racemosa Cimicifuga, or Actaea, racemosa Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’ Epimedium Ferns:Japanese painted, and Autumn fern plus a wider range