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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:One of the outdoor plants requiring little care is coming back into popularity - daylilies. This week we're starting a two-part series on this wonderful garden treasure. For those that read their e-mail while connected to the Internet, you'll be able to view some fantastic images with the article. For those that don't read while on-line, be sure to view the web issue. http://rexseedco.com/gtt/vol-1_issue-31.htm#2 As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Rex Gregor Tom Krueger 2) Daylilies (Hemerocallis) (Part I):Daylilies have been popular in American and Canadian gardens for generations. They thrive with so little care that you can find them in old neglected gardens, abandoned home sites and even along road sides. These remarkable plants are now enjoying new interest from gardeners. Here are some fantastic photos of some varieties:
If you are unable to see the images, please visit the on-line version. Click Here Improved varieties are being introduced in a wide range of colors and with spectacular flower forms. Another advantage is longer blooming times. There are so many varieties now that you can have daylilies blooming all season long with varieties set to bloom successfully from early spring until frost. Daylilies will range in height from miniatures (15 inches) to giants that will grow up to 5 feet or more. Blossoms may be less than three inches or up to eight inches across. Some will have a single ring of petals and others have a double row of overlapping petals. Daylilies are excellent for bouquets. Faded flowers are replaced by new buds that open indoors in a vase of water. Today's hybrids cover a spectrum of color from pale yellow to orange, pink, salmon, red, and dark mahogany. Daylilies are known as polychromes and are a blend of related shades. Bi color and eyed daylilies combine every possible hue. These trumpet-shaped flowers are available in thousands of choices. The last time I checked there were at least 41,500 daylilies registered with the American Hemerocallis Society and hybridizers are registering at least 500 cultivars each year. The modern daylily has undergone a tremendous facelift in recent years and it is known as the backbone of many PERENNIAL GARDENS - - this is particularly true of commercial gardens designed for public buildings, parks, or entrances to malls and condominiums where toughness and long-lasting color is so important. All daylilies thrive in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Diseases are few and far between particularly if the soil is relatively well drained. They are hardy in zones 3 to 9. Many varieties have been developed for specific regions. You may want to check with your local nursery for those best suited to your area. I like the "diamond dusted" varieties, some of which actually sparkle in the sun. You can't hardly go wrong by growing at least one bed of these beautiful flowers. Next week I will write about growing a perennial garden of daylilies. We hope you will send a copy of this Newsletter to all your friends and relatives and invite them to subscribe and receive their own copy. IT'S FREE! http://rexseedco.com/gtt Permission to publish these images was granted by Judi and Paul Aucoin http://www.shantihgardens.com. Please visit their website at the above address Rex 3) Humor for Today:During his wedding rehearsal, the groom approached his pastor with an unusual offer. "I'll give you $100 if you'll change the wedding vows, and leave out the 'love, honor, obey, and forsake all others' part." He pressed a $100 bill in the pastor's hand and walked away with a satisfied smile. On the day of the wedding, the groom was feeling pretty pleased when the pastor got to the part where the vows are exchanged. The pastor looked him in the eye and asked, "Will you promise to bow before her, obey whatever command she gives, fulfill her every wish, serve her breakfast each morning, and swear before God that you'll not look at another woman as long as you both shall life?" The groom gulped and looked astonished, but he finally said "Yes" in a tiny voice. He then leaned in toward the pastor and whispered, "I thought we had a deal!" The pastor pressed the $100 bill back into his hand and whispered in return, "She made me a much better offer." 4) The Exercise Myth:There are those who believe that exercise will cause you to want to eat. Did you know that exercise actually suppresses the appetite a bit? But don't expect exercise to keep you from eating, the urge to eat is only suppressed for a short time. It is also much better to exercise than to be popping appetite- suppressing pills. And remember that dieting is a numbers game - you need to expend more than you take in to lose fat. That is why exercising is so important. Cygnet SwansClick on the Image
for a Larger View Photography is more than capturing light on film, it is a progression - an ever-evolving medium that aides us in communicating our feelings, thoughts and desires. John & Jenny Gregor and Randy Hagar specialize in nature, garden, and wild life photography. They create some of nature's most beautiful wall hanging pictures and memories of nature's beautiful moments. Young swans are called cygnets. They are born with soft gray downy feathers. Their feathers remain gray until their second summer when they develop the white plumage of adulthood. This pair was photographed at their wintering grounds in Monticello, Minnesota on the Mississippi River. See for yourself Click Here! 5) Blossom-end Rot:
The symptom of blossom-end rot is a sunken brown-to-black area developing on the blossom end of your fruit. This is often caused by a lack of calcium in rapidly enlarging fruit. Here's what you want to do - mulch under the plants and water during dry periods. You want to be sure to maintain uniform soil moisture to promote steady growth. You may also want to conduct a soil test to determine your fertilizing needs. 6) Quotes for Today:"Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital....
The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket." "Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several,
he will fail to achieve distinction in any." 7) Scotland Screensaver:How would you like to have your computer screen filled with a Scottish slide show? You'll be able to view beautiful scenes of Scotland. Simply visit the link below and click on Scotland in the right menu - then click on Download Scotland Screensaver. Save the file to your computer and then double-click the file to install the Scotland screensaver in Windows 9x/Me/2000/XP. Click Here for Scotland Screensaver If Scotland isn't your thing, you'll also be able to find fantastic scene screensavers for Italy, Iceland and Mallorca. Enjoy. 8) Freezing Ground Beef:
The whole process will be a little easier if you first purchase good quality quart-sized plastic freezer bags. You never want to freeze meat in the store container. Place only one pound in each bag. You want to flatten the meat to a thin layer in the bag. Then press to remove as much air as possible. Seal it up and toss in the freezer. A big advantage to this method is that it can be thoroughly defrosted in the microwave without the edges browning. Besides that, the meat will freeze faster and stack more easily. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Rex Gregor, Editor Tom Krueger, Publisher Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
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Are
your tomatoes, peppers, squash, pumpkins, and watermelons suffering
from blossom-end rot? Okay, you're wondering what the heck that is.
Every
once in a while you'll find a market that will have ground beef on sale.
Well, here is a little tip if you want to freeze some of that lower
priced ground beef.