Control of Red Spider-mites

-by Debra Anchors

Red Spider-mite

Are your houseplants’ leaves suddenly speckled with yellow? Is your azalea’s foliage dull and falling from its stems? Sap-feeding red spider mites may be taking up residence on the leaf undersides. These eight-legged arachnid relatives are also called two-spotted mites for their distinguishing marks. Yellowing, distorted, leaves as well as tiny webs appears on susceptible species including roses, scheffleras, gardenias, and ivy.




Detection: Extremely small, these yellow, green, or orange-red mites are the size of a pencil tip. A magnifying glass will assist you as you examine your plants, or tap an infested leaf over white paper; mites leave red marks when smeared.

Solution: Lady beetles, lacewings, and predatory mites eat these pests. Blasting plants with water sends mites sailing. Horticultural oil and insecticidal soap are safe on nearly all plants. Spray the top and bottom of all leaf surfaces and repeat if necessary.

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Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 

-Debra

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New flower varieties for Spring 2013

- by Debra Anchors

The gardens are just getting ready for their winter’s sleep and already I am dreaming of additions I will make in next spring.  There are some stunning new varieties of plants available to gardeners in spring, 2013; these are only a few of my favorites. What do you think of these new introductions from Proven Winners and Hort Couture?

Primula Blue Zebra

Primula Blue Zebra
An annual, this new primrose can be grown from seed. This truly unique plant blooms with blue and white striped flowers with golden eyes.

Superbells® Lemon Slice - Calibrachoa

Superbells® Lemon Slice - Calibrachoa
This slightly bushy, annual, mini-petunia is bright yellow with five white flashes.

'Pardon My Purple' Monarda

'Pardon My Purple' Monarda didyma

A petite new perennial, 'Pardon My Purple' (Bee Balm) blooms with fuchsia purple flowers in mid summer.

‘Coconut Punch’ Dianthus

‘Coconut Punch’ Dianthus

Fragrant flowers open deep red on this perennial, with white blotches in the center of each petal.

‘Hocus Pocus’ Veronica

‘Hocus Pocus’ Veronica

Long, violet purple wands comprise the top two-thirds of this new perennial, larger than other varieties.

Lo & Behold™ ‘Lilac Chip’ Buddleia

Lo & Behold™ ‘Lilac Chip’ Buddleia

Standing only two-to-three feet tall, this shrub is a new addition to the Dwarf Butterfly Bush family.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazines, Upcycled Garden Style and Gardening Life. 

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog. 

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 

-Debra

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About Morning Glories

- by Debra Anchors

Morning glories in marvelous shades of blue, purple, pink, red, and ivory bring visions of old-fashioned romance, whether wrapping a mailbox, cascading over a picket fence, or camouflaging a compost bin. Wildly popular in Victorian times, morning glories formed living curtains around verandas and porches, offering welcome shade on leisurely afternoons.

Although they are tropical natives, growing morning glories couldn't be easier.  Full sun, average soil, and plenty of water are all that’s needed. Opening at dawn, blossoms dazzle until the heat of the day shuts them down. Creative gardeners sow seeds in window boxes, and then train the vines up the sides of windows to form outdoor draperies. And, morning glories are great substitutions for roses on arbors and trellises. Above all, gardeners can depend on morning glories to provide splashes of color from midsummer to frost.


Tips for growing morning glories successfully:

Wait until the soil warms before sowing seeds. Morning glories are tropical plants, flourishing only when temperatures climb and nights consistently remain above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds sown too early will rot.

Soak seeds for several hours to soften hard seed coats, or nick the seed to hasten germination.

Don’t overfeed. Too much nitrogen will encourage lush foliage at the expense of flowers. Soil should be no more than moderately rich.

Water, water, water. Thirsty vines should be watered daily during heat waves; container-grown plants may need water twice daily.

Direct-sow seeds, or plant seedlings started indoors, away from sources of artificial light such as street lamps and porch lanterns. Morning glories are photo-periodic  requiring uninterrupted darkness for set periods in order to flower abundantly.

Be patient. In northern zones, flowers may not appear until well into August.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazines, Upcycled Garden Style and Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever! 
-Debra

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Super healing foods

Head for the produce aisle to fight cancer and other life-threatening illnesses

- by Debra Anchors

We all know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for us. But now scientists have proof that an apple a day DOES keep the doctor away. Fruits and vegetables are consistently studied for their disease-fighting potential, and according to research, many of our favorites are packed with phytochemicals that have extraordinary healing properties.

Produce power -

Apples	Contain vitamins A and C. Studies show that apples also have cancer- and virus-fighting agents and can work as an anti-inflammatory. The boron in apples boosts blood levels of estrogen and other compounds to prevent calcium loss in bones.
Artichokes	Are full of fiber, which is known to combat Type-2 diabetes – the fourth leading cause of death by disease in the United States.
Bananas	Are rich in potassium, a mineral that regulates heartbeat and blood pressure and can protect the elderly from strokes. Bananas are also commonly recommended to stabilize irritable intestines, thus alleviating both constipation and diarrhea.
Beets	Are a great source of the cancer-fighting antioxidant betacyanin, which gives them their vibrant color. Fresh beets are full of folic acid and vitamin B, which may protect against heart disease and colon cancer.
Blueberries	Contain tannic acid, which many scientists believe neutralizes free radicals and acts as a potent virus killer. Others claim it helps cure diarrhea and fights off bladder and urinary tract infections.
Broccoli	Is one of the first vegetables found to have anti-cancer properties and is still considered among the most potent. The sulforaphane in broccoli is said to stimulate the body to produce an enzyme that kills potential carcinogens.
Eggplant	Contains two compounds used to stop convulsions: scopoletin and scoparone. It is being investigated for its potential use in the treatment of epilepsy. Studies show this vegetable also binds up cholesterol in the intestines so that it isn’t absorbed into the bloodstream where it can clog arteries.
Grapes	Possess high levels of caffeic acid, which has been found to prevent cancer in animals, and flavonoids, which may prevent blood clots. Several dietary surveys have found that snacking on grapes lowers the incidence of gum disease.
Oranges, lemons, and limes	Have vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and an abundance of limonene. These help the body fight cancers of the lungs, cervix, stomach, and esophagus by reducing cholesterol and boosting enzymes thought to break down carcinogens and stimulate cancer-killing immune cells.
Pineapples	Are high in the mineral manganese, which research suggests helps build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. A single cup of pineapple juice provides 50 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C; fresh pineapple contains bromelain, the enzyme that assists digestion by breaking down protein.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazines, Upcycled Garden Style and Gardening Life.

Thank you for stopping by to spend time in my garden.  If you liked the article, please take a moment to let me know. I will be delighted if you would suggest Gardens Inspired to your friends, follow me or subscribe to my Blog.

Leave a legacy, but garden like you’ll live forever!

-Debra

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