Soy bean is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. It is native to southeast Asia and China where it has been raised from as far back as 3000 B.C., which makes it all the more remarkable that Europe, where it was introduced as a curiosity in the late 18th century, showed no interest in it until the 19th.

Fennel is native to the Mediterranean but it has become naturalized in many countries of the temperate zone. It is raised commercially in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania, as well as in the former USSR, China and Japan and Argentina. It is also grown on a small scale in herb gardens. The leaves are used to flavour fish soups and sauces and in salads. In Italy it is preserved in vinegar and salt and eaten as a vegetable (Italian dill). The seeds are used to flavour bread (similar to anise), sprinkled on rolls, in pickling gherkins and vegetables and in vegetable dishes. Italians sprinkle ground fennel on barbecued meat.

The plant kingdom is divided by botanists into categories called taxons. On the basis of their mutual relationship plants are divided into phyla, classes, orders and families in that order (these basic taxons are often divided further into subgroups). The family to which a plant belongs is a very important category in the classification of plants.

It is broad enough to denote all the characteristic traits of the plants it embraces and at the same time narrow enough to state all that is essential. It is noteworthy that one often encounters the names of the same families in the case of plants used as herbs and spices. That is because the related plant species and genera, besides having similar morphological characteristics such as the shape of the flower, inflorescence and type of fruit, also exhibit similarities in the chemicals they produce and store in their tissues; in the case of herbs and spices, flavouring and aromatic substances.

Paphiopedilums do not divide as readily as the cymbidiums and cattleyas and although they do not outgrow their pots so fast annual repotting seems to suit them. Certainly the intervals between repotting should not be longer than two years, by which time the compost will have become exhausted.

The filling in and pressing down of the compost continues until it is level with the base of the plant and the pot rim. It is important to ensure even pressure all round the plant, bearing in mind that there is much more room at the front than to the rear, where it will be a little more difficult to work compost into the small space available.

The divisions are potted according to the usual method as described on page 56, ensuring that the new growth has sufficient room and is sitting on the surface of the compost. Cattleyas should not be overpotted, as can happen due to their long narrow habit of growing. They can be repotted annually, often just ‘dropped on’ with no disturbance to the root ball. They often need extra support for their cop heavy pseudobulbs until new roots have again anchored the plant in its pot. Don’t forget extra labels for all the divisions: the date of repotting can also help for future reference.

A simple base is made for the tree which is then free-standing and can be moved if required. Alternatively, a permanently fixed tree can be made to fit a particular space. This can be nailed into position within the greenhouse or indoor growing case.

By the time the Encyclia pentotis has been removed from its existing square wooden basket, it will have little of its original root system left, and with the removal of the old compost there will be nothing to hold the plant in the new basket. Using a length of plastic-coated wire and a pair of pliers position the plant in its new elongated basket with the oldest, leafless pseudobulbs to one end, so that the front of the plant is close to the other end, with sufficient room available for at least two years’ growth.

Once established, orchids growing in baskets will benefit from the extra light given them closer to the glass, but when newly placed in the basket they should be allowed to settle for a few weeks until hanging them up. Epidendrum ciliare is one example which will bloom more freely as a result.

We have all heard it before - plan before you start any major project. Well a Koi pond design is no different. Building a Koi pond is a big project. Poor planning will certainly cause it to be more expensive than you planned and take a lot longer to get it completed.

Think about the shape of your pond. There will be many factors impacting the ultimate shape that you won’t be able to control. Things like landscaping, structures on the property, grade and slope of the land, etc. will have to be planned around. The result will be when you can visualize the actual layout. Use rope or garden hose to lay out several different patterns. Look at them from all angles. Don’t forget to view them from inside your house, form balconies and porches - anywhere you can see the pond.

Your Koi pond design also needs to careful plan for the depth of the pond. Koi can get to be big fish and will need adequate room to swim not only laterally but also vertically. Plan for a minimum depth of four feet. If you can go deeper so much the better. Ideally abut 6 -8 ft. will be as deep as you need. This deeper pond will also help with keeping the water temperature more stable in the summer and winter.

Stooping over and cleaning the weeds is not everyone’s idea of spending quality time and it is thus no wonder that removing weeds is one of the least loved lawn care jobs, but without this natural process your lawn would never look well-kept. Weeds, like all plants, need sunlight, soil, nutrients, and time to grow.

Regrettably weeds really are not aware when and where not to grow so they try to dominate your lawn by making their presence felt everywhere, even after using landscape fabric. You will also see weeds on the rest of your grass as well and while mowing can help, it will not get down to the root of the trouble. This calls for you to get down on your knees and pull out the roots of the growing weeds.

When removing weeds, you should: Wear gloves, hat, and a long sleeve shirt to safeguard yourself from the sun and from toxic plants you may find. Take a plastic bag with you where you would put all the weeds which you remove, or else if you leave them in the lawn, the seeds would distribute its growth once again. When you pull out the weeds, pull them from the roots or else they would re-grow. If you find a tough remove weeds, which is difficult to pull, dig the ground a bit and then try again.

West January

Protect Trees from Rodents, Sun Injury

Sunscald is an injury prevalent in the prairie sections of the country. It appears as dead sunken areas of bark on the trunks of trees particularly on the south and southwest sides. Exposed trunks of fruit trees, especially apple and pear, and some ornamental trees such as the mountain ash, suffer from this condition. Apparently the injury occurs in late winter. Day temperatures above the freezing point followed by below-freezing nights cause damage to the wood on the exposed side of the tree. Most damage occurs on the southwest side of the trunk.

This kind of damage can be lessened if young trees are trained so they branch low to the ground. Growing mountain ash in a clump form instead of to a single trunk aids in lessening sunscald injury. Growing shrubs near the base of susceptible trees assists in protecting tender bark. Painting trunks with white paint is another “old timers” method followed.

Is your home in need of a bit more garden landscaping? Possibly, and that’s a great thing. Actually you should be highly excited about it because nothing is more fun than landscaping, not only will you have a blast as you plant and rearrange your plants and flowers, but your imagination will be in overdrive.

To reach a new level of beauty in your landscaping project, start by layering your garden beds. Your garden makes the first impression on any visitor to your house, so giving a tour that showcases your awesome garden is a wonderful idea. Once you have the garden you’ve dreamed of, and it just makes your yard pop the whole neighborhood will be talking.

Layering the landscape of your garden is uncomplicated. Before planting, make sure you know what plants you are going to use. The layout of your garden landscaping will be affected by many things including your choice of flowers and other plants.

It is important to place the shortest plants in front of the taller plants. This is obvious but you should still make a rough outline of where you want things laud out for your landscaping before you begin. This will help you to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. Your landscaping project will be completed sooner with fewer snags along the way.

Its not that deck planning and construction is that difficult, but safety in doing so is a must. But with the many deck builders in the industry, you still have to ensure that the one you will hire has the right skills and knowledge in working up not only a durable but well-crafted home deck.

There are so many ways on how you can locate a deck builder. You can find these professionals online or through the references given by your local building products providers. You can also find them on newspapers and even on magazines.

Another way of locating a deck builder is by posting your need on some famous online sites or through the ads of some important papers. Quoting is not necessary when you post your ad but if it will make the offer enticing, why not try to make good bait?

Instead of going out on weekends, it would be extra fun for you and your family to just stay at the backyard and enjoy extreme fun. This way, you can spend a considerable amount of quality time with your loved ones without having to break your bank account. The sun, good barbeque, and relaxation are the only things you need to enjoy your weekend. As you are having a good time with your family, security and safety of your loved ones should also be taken into consideration. They should be securely enclosed in stylish deck railings.

Most of the households today are already equipped with highly effective and at the same time stylish railing systems in order to provide security and style all year round. Since weather these days are already unpredictable, you need to consider a railing that do not easily succumb to corrosion and could preserve its beauty in the years to come.

How To Choose an Excellent Railing System