Ornamental Japanese Maples are widely available for planting in your garden. The autumn colouring makes these trees spectacular when planted en mass in a woodland or Japanese garden setting.
24.07.2023 - 12:24 / hgic.clemson.edu
Are you frustrated because there are dandelions and other weeds in your lawn? Did you know that dandelion flowers provide one of the first springtime sources of pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects?
I live in the Upstate, and I have a “bee friendly” fescue and clover lawn. Every fall, when I core aerate my lawn to over-seed with fescue seed, I mix in Dutch white clover seed with my grass seed. When the clover blooms in May, my lawn is a haven for many different species of bees and butterflies, and it literally hums with insect activity. Clover is a good pollen and nectar source and is an excellent way to add greater food diversity in a landscape.
Unless you live in a community that is regulated by strict homeowner association rules, consider providing a wide variety of plant material in your lawn that will offer a broad range of food sources. A healthy lawn will not be overrun with unwanted plants, and tolerating some wildflowers in the lawn will be one of the most helpful things you can do to protect native bee populations.
If you take time to watch a honey bee gather pollen, you might notice a dazzling array of colors. Different flowers produce different pollen colors. You can even identify which flowers the bees are visiting by the color of the pollen in the corbicula (the sacs located on the honey bee’s hind legs). Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), a winter annual “weed”, has reddish-purple pollen; therefore, the honey bee’s corbicula will be filled with bright purple pollen. Crimson red clover (Trifolium incarnatum) has dark red pollen that will make the bee’s pollen sacs a dark red.
Without a healthy population of pollinating insects, the production of many fruits, vegetables, and nut crops would be
Ornamental Japanese Maples are widely available for planting in your garden. The autumn colouring makes these trees spectacular when planted en mass in a woodland or Japanese garden setting.
The best trees for chalk soil conditions tend to be locally grown and not be Dutch imports. In fact they resemble shrubs more than trees but there are the odd exception that are tree like.
Where would we be if there weren’t already numerous robots used in the gardening industry. Do you imagine there are thousands of Dutch gardeners pricking out the seedlings of the soon to be gaudy annuals on supermarket displays or thousands of Chinese coolies picking individual seeds for our packeted seed industry (well may be in this case).
Look out in other gardens for great bulbs to grow for next spring. This Grape Hyacinth called Muscari Azureum is a clear soft blue that is recommended for naturalising. Muscari Valerie Finnis is also blue whilst most of the other species and varieties flower in shades of purple. Muscari grow well in pots where the foliage can look interesting.
Dutch Iris or Iris reticulata are small bulbs for pots or rockeries. Flag Iris are big and blousy and grow from Rhizomes. These pictures of different Iris are grown from bulbs.
It is the season for houseplants and this Solanum capsicastrum was raised from seed probably in a Dutch hothouse for the UK’s pre Christmas market.
For your amusement or irritation here are some Christmas gifts for your favourite Knome. Hey-Hoe if you want to grow ‘Hey’ then there is this special Hoe.
Awaken the fantasy lover in you and try out these exciting Forest Theme Bedroom Ideas for a wacky indoor makeover!
Slender deutzia (Deuzia gracilis) is a fantastic, but underused deciduous shrub for the sunny to partly sunny landscape. There are several cultivars of Deutzia available, and most produce a profusion of pure white, fragrant flowers during late April and early May. Deutzia will grow well in USDA Zones 5 to 8, which covers most all of South Carolina. In the warmer parts of the state, they will perform best with partial shade.
Looking for a new recipe to help use up your leftover Easter ham? Move over egg salad sandwiches and ham casseroles, and let me introduce you to ham balls! If you have never heard of ham balls you are in for a treat! Ham balls are a Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy. As a native Pennsylvanian, I grew up eating these ham/pork based “meatballs” and remember requesting them (along with scalloped potatoes and baked pineapple) for many birthday dinners. They are easy to make, a great way to use leftover ham, and they freeze well (before or after baking) for a quick-to-serve meal.
Red sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a perennial weed that is easily identified by its red flowers and spade-shaped leaves. It is a member of the buckwheat family and native to Europe. The plant produces large quantities of pollen that can contribute to hay fever. The weed is edible, and some people grow it as a green or an herb. The tart flavor is often compared to lemons or sour apples. While the plant is safe for humans, it is toxic to livestock.
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a winter annual, broadleaf weed. It germinates in the fall and actively starts to grow in the cool spring weather when adequate soil moisture is present. Henbit is related to ornamental Lamium and is a member of the mint family. Its purple flowers serve as an early source of nectar and pollen for honeybees and bumblebees.