Botanic gardens and horticulture

“Give the children an opportunity to make garden. Let them grow what they will. It matters less that they grow good plants than that they try for themselves.” - Liberty Bailey I thought twice about going to a botanical garden in Maine during October but was assured by members of the visitors center that I would get my moneys worth.. and that I did.   With over 200 acres and miles of trails it was nice to be walking through the gardens at a leisurely pace.  While I am sure it would have been better during the spring and summer, there were still many flowers ... Read Full Story

Botanists at Kew Gardens have collected seeds from 10 percent of the world's wild plants, their first goal in a long-term project to protect all endangered species, they said on Thursday. Seeds from a wild, pink banana are among the latest additions to the collection at Kew, designed to guard against dwindling diversity. The banana from China, musa itinerans, is an important staple for wild elephants and is also useful for breeding new types of the fruit, but is under threat as its jungle habitat is cleared for commercial agriculture. It became the 24,200th species of wild plant with seeds stored in the Millennium ... Read Full Story

Botanists at Britain's Kew Gardens have collected seeds from 10 percent of the world's wild plants, their first goal in a long-term project to protect all endangered species, they said Thursday. Seeds from a wild, pink banana are among the latest additions to the collection at Kew, southwest London, designed to guard against dwindling diversity. The banana from China, musa itinerans, is an important staple for wild elephants and is also useful for breeding new types of the fruit, but is under threat as its jungle habitat is cleared for commercial agriculture. It became the 24,200th species of wild plant with seeds stored in ... Read Full Story

The Palos Verdes Drive North section of Palos Verdes Peninsula covers an unusually shaped and diverse area. This is where the South Coast Park and Botanic Garden, Rolling Hills Country Club, and Chadwick High School are located. The borders of this area are difficult to describe though the south border is partially Palos Verdes Dr. North. Both Hawthorne Blvd. and Crenshaw Blvd. run through this area. Homes tend to average having between 2,500 to 2,800 sq ft of living space. Lot sizes range, on average, between 18,000 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft. Like most areas in the greater South Bay, the peak number ... Read Full Story

By Gail L Duckett Fall is a very popular time for weddings. Brides love the idea of having an outdoor wedding where guests can be part of the colorful environment. There are many popular fall wedding flowers to choose from when planning for bouquets and flower arrangements. I could write about any of these lovely flowers, but today I would like to focus on orchids. Yes, orchids are exotic, lovely, graceful, and come in a large assortment of spectacular colors and shapes. They are fantastic to use in floral bouquets and arrangements. They can also be perfect standing alone. Epiphytes and Terrestrials are the ... Read Full Story

It is harder to select orchids for your beginning collection than it is to grow them. While growing orchids is a feat of memory aided by experience and common sense, selection requires long association with orchids and long evenings spent studying orchid catalogues. Here are some which you can begin with. Fragrant Orchids Few people have made a hobby of fragrant plants. Most of us accept pleasing odors in plants as a matter of course. As a hobby this field is wide open - and extensive. Its only drawback where fragrant orchids are concerned would be finding your home or greenhouse overpoweringly ... Read Full Story

By Nigel Howell A lot of people find their love for orchids after they have received one as a present. With that love however comes a responsibility of orchid care. Information about caring for orchids can be overloading but here are some basics that you need to consider. Watering - A common mistake is watering too much. You need to ensure that you wait until your orchids are sufficiently dry (but not completely dry) before you water thoroughly. Check beneath the surface of your growing medium to see if it is dry. There is no hard and fast rule of when to water but ... Read Full Story