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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:We do want to apologize for not publishing as often as we have in the past. This summer has been unbelievably busy for both of us. Also, after having published for 2-1/2 years on a weekly basis, it has become difficult to maintain that schedule and keep the material new and fresh. An alternative would be for us to republish old material, but we don't feel that would be fair to our readers. In the future, we will attempt to publish an issue every other week. Hopefully this is a schedule we can handle. This issue we take a look at Part 2 on daylilies,, container palms, have some interesting things about tomatoes, our continuing highlight on herbs, a return of our reader mailbag, and more. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) Daylilies (Hemerocallis) (Part II):Thanks to modern day hybridizers, we have some of the most beautiful flower gardens in the world, and Daylily Culture have helped make this possible. Daylily Cultivars have added new beauty to home gardens like never before. Here are some fantastic photos of some varieties:
If you are unable to see the images, please visit the on-line version. Click Here Daylilies are hardy herbaceous perennials. They have clumps of smooth grass-like foliage. Certain varieties are often referred to as evergreen because a portion of the foliage remains green throughout the winter months. Many of the new cultivars have offered new colors and new forms to gardens already filled with beautiful daylilies. If you have not recently visited one of the display gardens you owe it to yourself to visit one in your area. Daylilies can be grown successfully in almost any adverse condition. They are known to thrive with so little care that you will find them in old neglected gardens, abandoned home sights, and even along road sides. They grow in a variety of soil conditions, from light sandy types to heavy clays. However, this doesn't mean you can totally neglect daylilies. Daylily specialists know that good foliage, quality flowers, and repeat blooming will depend on proper care. If you wish to start a daylily garden, plants should be placed about 18 to 24 inches apart - this will prevent overcrowding. Dig your plant holes several inches wider than the root system, and at least 12 inches deep. Construct a cone-shaped mound of soil in the bottom of the planting hole. Immediately before placing the plant in the hole, I suggest you wash the dirt from the roots of the plant -- this will allow you to spread the roots around the cone you created in the hole. Be sure to cover the roots carefully with soil. The soil should be firmed around the roots, but not packed! You should place a ring of soil around the plant which will act as a water ring. This will direct the water toward the root system. Be sure to water your plant once or twice a week until it is well established. Daylilies can be planted any time from early spring until late fall. Here is a tip: I select my plants after the plants have shown color in early summer. Why? Because I will then be able to create a color pattern in my garden. Your flower bed will be much easier to design because there are so many color varieties and blossom forms - also, each variety may well have different blooming times. Rex Permission to publish these images was granted by Judi and Paul
Aucoin http://www.shantihgardens.com/ 15% off Palm Tree seeds through September 23 Almost every palm will make a great container or houseplant. 3) Humor for Today:Serving as a Marine recruiter in North Carolina, I found a young man who met all the requirements and was ready to enlist. I explained the importance of being truthful on the application, and he began filling out his paper work. But when he got to the question "Do you own any foreign property or have any foreign financial interests?" he looked up at me with a worried expression. "Well," he confessed, "I do own a Toyota. Does that matter?" 4) Container Palms:One of the major misconceptions about palms is they will soon out-grow their environment. Of the more than 3,000 varieties there are hundreds that are miniature varieties, with even more that are slow growing, and they will grow for many years in your growing area before there is any size problem. Most palms have very few cultural requirements. Assuming you are interested in container growing one, you can grow them in an area that has filtered light with only six hours of daylight. If you can read a newspaper with no additional light where you want to keep your palm, this is all the light your palm needs. Most palms are tropical plants that prefer a reasonable amount of humidity, but they don't really require any more humidity than any other houseplant. Most container grown palms will prefer to live in a container no larger than five gallons. Sub-tropical or tropical palms prefer to live in an area between a range of 60° to 80° F. (15.5° to 26.6° C.) which makes it a perfect houseplant. Here are a couple that will make excellent container palms. P20 Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnia stricta) P55 Pigmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenit) 5) Highlight on Herbs: Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)Mugwort is also known as felon herb and sailor's tobacco. It is one of the oldest herbs used in medicine. It was usually infused as a tea to cure stomach ailments and to treat menstrual disorders. Other uses included being prescribed to hasten delivery of a baby. Also considered a cure for sciatica and an antidote for overuse of opium. Today mugwort is an ingredient in insect repellents. In Chinese medicine it has been used as a treatment for rheumatism for thousands of years. In the past, it was used as a flavoring in meat dishes. It is seldom used these days, and is definitely not recommended. Mugwort has fine, feathery foliage which makes it attractive in rock gardens. It is a perennial hardy to Zone 4, preferring an open and sunny site in light, well-drained soil. It grows to about 3-6 feet and spreads about 18 inches. It blooms late summer and has small, reddish brown flowers. Mugwort can be sown from seed in the spring or from cuttings in the summer. H595 MUGWORT (Artemisia vulgaris)
6) Quote for Today:At the end of our life, we ought to be able to look back over it from
our deathbed and know somehow the world is a better place because we
lived, we loved, we were other- centered, other-focused. 7) Tomatoes:
It was around the 16th century when the early explorers visited the Americas, that Europeans were first introduced to this fruit/vegetable. Throughout Southern Europe, the tomato was quickly accepted. However, the British believed it to be poisonous . The tomato was not known as a fruit/vegetable until the time of the Civil War in the United States. From then on, tomatoes have become a staple throughout the world. Each country in the world has developed its own tomato history. It is obvious that tomatoes have had a great impact on American eating habits. Why? Because Americans consume over 12 million tons of tomatoes each year.
You'll note above the use of fruit/vegetable. An interesting aspect of tomato history is the debate on whether the tomato is a Fruit or Vegetable. Much depends on whether you are talking to a Botanist or a Horticulturalist. Botanists say that it is a fruit because it has fleshy material covering a seed, while Horticulturalist state that the tomato is a vegetable. Interestingly, in the late 1800s the tomato was classified as a fruit to avoid taxation - but the Supreme Court ruled that the tomato was a vegetable and it should be known accordingly. Bottom line, no matter whether it is known as a fruit or a vegetable, it is enjoyed by millions all over the world. 8) Reader Mailbag: Planting Poppy SeedLast week we heard from two different people regarding planting poppy seeds. Thought we'd share the information with everyone. In nature, poppies drop their seeds when the plant reaches maturity. Most generally, those seeds will be spread by wind, rain, etc. Poppy seeds prefer to germinate while simply lying on the ground. Therefore, if you plant poppy seeds, like in nature, you should not cover the seeds. However, sometimes you may have problems with birds eating the seeds before they have a chance to germinate. Thus you may want to cover the seeds with a "very fine" sand or dirt to make it more difficult for the birds to find the seed. Generally, if you sprinkle the seeds over the surface, the seeds are small enough that they will find their way between the cracks or crevices of the soil. Also, if it rains or you "mist" the soil after you plant the seed, they will more easily work their way into the soil, hiding from the birds. Besides, if you mist the area it will help the seeds germinate. You may plant your poppy seeds either in late fall or early spring. Of course, if you plant the seeds in late fall, nature will not allow the seeds to germinate until spring because of the cold weather. Our preference is to plant poppy seeds in early spring. 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, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. 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 Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@rexseedco.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@rexseedco.com Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor 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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The tomato has been traced back to the early Aztecs in South America
(700 A.D.). This leads many to believe that the tomato is native to
the Americas.