'rattlesnake' pole bean, a prolific, easy heirloom

Would you like to find out how to grow garlic?  It’s such an easy crop to grow!

I am often asked to recommend plants for problematic garden areas during my call-in radio program or after public-speaking engagements. As a result, over the years I have developed a list of my top picks for sunny and shady gardens depending on whether the soil is dense, heavy, and clay-based, or lean, sandy, and quick-draining. Fortunately, I have experience gardening with both soil types, and so I know that each presents its own challenges and opportunities. Here are a few options for perennials, trees, and shrubs that can survive and even thrive in the trickiest soil conditions.

With so many of us stuck at home and not being able to get to the craft stores, I thought I'd share a quick tutorial for making a ladybug mosaic using a sponge ball and left over mosaics. If you don't have a sponge ball,a roundish rock or polystyrene ball will work to.

1. Sunflowers. One of the most rewarding plants to grow from seed is the sunflower. You can sow seed in March – May. April is a great time. For best results. Try sowing seed in 3 inch pots. Protect from slugs and keep well watered. After a few weeks the seedlings can be planted out. Sunflowers will need staking. But part of the fun is seeing them grow so rapidly. – Growing Sunflowers

Cyclamen are easy and rewarding houseplants to look after as long as you control the watering.

Some orchids are temperamental but this Phalaelenopsis has give unstinting blooms for eight months on the trot without any trouble. Growing on one stem which branched into three side shoots there were upto 20 flowers on the Orchid at anyone time. The variety must be resilient as we gave it no special treatment but these Phalaelenopsis or Moth Orchids are one of the easier Orchids to grow.

Are you keen on the idea of growing your own vegetables, but not really sure where to start? This list of ten easy to grow vegetables is a great first step on your grow your own journey.

Byzantine gladiolus or sword liliy (Gladiolus communis subspecies byzantinus) is an old fashioned favorite that has been growing in Southern gardens for hundreds of years. A true perennial, this survivor is commonly found in old cemeteries, abandoned home sites, and ditch banks. Native to the Mediterranean, these heirloom bulbs have adapted to our warm Southern climates and are hardy to at least USDA planting zone 6.

I just love this plant! I think it’s the color and texture that I find so attractive. The silvery-grey, spiky foliage contrasts with rounded bright blue flower heads. Wherever it is in the garden, it stands out and makes a definite statement. This native perennial grows to about 30″ high with multiple branching stems. In nature, it is found in swampy wetlands, and it grows beautifully in our Carnivorous Plant Exhibit at the South Carolina Botanical Garden (SCBG).  But this plant is versatile. It is also at home in soils with average moisture; it is planted near the SCBG Visitor Center on top of a well-drained hill. This variety is rare and increasingly threatened by development in its natural range. It is, however, now available in the nursery trade.

USE KALE, cabbage or another green if you prefer, to make this Italian-style porridge that’s quick, filling and perfect for those of us who consider such things as soupy polenta to be comfort food—and also love garlic. (Count me in on both scores.) This recipe was inspired by something a friend scribbled down from the old public-television show “Cucina Amore.”Other references call this farinata–the word just translates as porridge or gruel–Farinata di Cavolo Nero (or Farinata with Tuscan Kale). To confuse things, lately the term farinata is often used to refer to a thin, unleavened savory pancake of chickpea flour (also called a socca)…but here we’re in the cornmeal gruel business.ingredients:½ lb. kale or cabbage or mix 6 cups water or vegetable broth (if the broth is salted, or you like a lot of Parmesan, adjust salt below) 1 teaspoon

The way I cook is all about big potsful of things, and freezing or canning for later: cook once, eat multiple times. For the price of 1 pound of dry beans and a few simple ingredients, the yield is enough for six or eight portions, most of which are frozen in small containers for later use.This easy recipe takes very little active prep, but lots of waiting on each end for soaking and then baking. We gardeners are patient types, no?baked-bean tips and tricksDon’t want to pre-cook the beans? Soak them for 24 hours, changing water several times, and plan to bake them longer, perhaps all day. No good tomatoes in winter? I avoid needing to use canned by freezing a few bags of whole paste types at harvest time (above) for just this

ICOUNT TOMATO GRAFTING AMONG MY NEWEST OBSESSIONS. I know, I know; did I need another obsession—and particularly one that offbeat? But after a season of widespread tomato troubles and my generally leery feelings about counting on a plentiful crop from heirlooms in particular, why not considering turning to grafting for an edge? Growing a desired though perhaps less vigorous variety on tougher rootstock has been the trick in many crops (think roses, fruit trees, and many other ornamentals). Tomatoes, it turns out, are no exception. Into the world of grafted tomatoes we go…