Fun project

I take photos of every plant in my yard each year.  The photos are a good way to track plants and make great labels.  These are going on the inside of a chocolate box that contains the seed balls that I made last night.   

Ajuga

 

 

 

Ajuga is one of my favorite groundcovers.  It comes in many colors and heights.  It spreads but is very controllable.  Weeds have a hard time penetrating it making it almost maintenance free.  The blue/purple flowers on this variety bloom late spring into mid summer. 

Tips for growing tomatoes

Having a heat mat under your tomatoes will keep them from getting too tall too fast. Make sure to add a fan. The air flow should gently vibrate the stems.  This will not only bulk up your stem size but help maintain better soil health. 

Chinese Motherwort

Chinese Motherwort, Leonarus artemesia.  I'm excited to add this plant to my collection.  The medicinal potential is amazing.  Leaves and flowers are used as a diuretic, for stimulating blood circulation, regulating menstration and lowering blood pressure.  A tea used as a wash is said to ease itching and pain from shingles.  Three to four foot tall and adaptable to many soil conditions.  Self seeding annual.  Hardy to Zone 8.

Seed Starting

This is a photo I took last year of some of the plants I started for friends.  I am amazed each year how a single seed can turn into a plant ready for the garden in just a matter of weeks.  For those of you wanting to start your own plants remember to water from the bottom and keep a fan going for stronger stems and a healthy growing environment.

Love in a Mist

This photo doesn't quite do Nigella damascena justice.  It is one of the most interesting blooms in my garden.  I have it in blue, light purple and pink.  The plant gets about 8" high, the leaves remind me of chamomile.  It is a self seeding annual but not invasive and grows in full sun and partial shade.  This is the 'Miss Jekyll' variety.

Sea Shell Cosmos

I won a first place ribbon with the Seashell Cosmos last year at the Fulton Garden Club Flower Show.  I overheard the judges comment that they hadn't seen this flower in a show before and one of the judges mentioned that her grandmother had them in her yard.  That is exactly why I chose that variety to grow for the show.

Most of the plants I grow you don't see very often.  They are the plants that your grandmother grew and you vaguely remember.  Your grandmother grew them because she got starts from her mother and her grandmother.  Originally they were natives or planted because of their medicinal value.

My thought is if I can have a great looking plant that can lower my blood pressure or get rid of a headache, why not?  I may still choose to take an asprin, but it is nice to have the option!