Reference GardenDesigner.com - Garden care, climate map, plant database, resources and garden links GardenDesigner.com Reference Garden & Landscape Reference Section Search for Plants in the USDA Plant Database Use the USDA search engine to look up the right plant for sun or shade, large or small or find new plants materials to use in your garden landscape. U.S. Look up your climate zone for average minimum temperatures in your region of the country to check the minimum plant temperatures before you plant. Garden Care & Maintenance Make taking care of your garden can be easy with these garden maintenance tips. Garden Links and Resources Browse our resoures and links section to find more great ideas for landscape and garden design solutions. Recommended Garden Books Check out our selection of garden books that include everything from garden design, to how the maintain garden beds, to garden construction.
Improved Cowpea Storage Larry Murdock (right) and James "Jess" Lowenberg-DeBoer (center) receive the National Order medal from Gnisa Isaïe Konaté, Burkina Faso minister of scientific research and innovation. The Purdue faculty members received Burkina Faso's highest honor during a ceremony in the "Maison de Peuple" (House of the People) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (Burkina Faso National Institute for Environmental and Agricultural Research photo/ Quattara Kaly Amos) By Tom CampbellOctober 22, 2012 Purdue University College of Agriculture faculty members Larry Murdock and James "Jess" Lowenberg-DeBoer received the highest honor given by the West African nation of Burkina Faso for their work in improving storage of the staple cowpea crops. The Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Burkina Faso, the equivalent to the U.S. "The high-level honor we received is a direct consequence of the priority that the Burkinabés put on food security," Murdock said.
Organic Garden Pest Control Safe and effective ways to deter and eliminate garden pests. A garden is a food source— so it seethes with life. Organic garden pest control is a safe and easy way to fix those critters that think your food is their food! As with all things in nature, there is a balance. Gardening organically doesn't upset that sensitive arrangement too much. We've got to eat of course, and we're not hunter-gathers now, so we sow, plant and harvest on cleared land. Even if we practice organic gardening, controlling pests is still necessary. Good soil produces good plants and keeps their carbohydrate, protein, chemical (including pest deterrents) and other nutrient ratio in balance. Poor soil undernourishes plants which hampers their production. So keep your soil healthy and pests will not flock to feed on them. Enlightened farmers now use what they call integrated pest management (IPM). Essential information about controlling garden pests organically Decide what you need to do and do no more.
Nuggets To Ponder Growing Your Own Garlic - Planting Growing Harvesting and Storing Garlic As far as I'm concerned, garlic gets the blue ribbon for growing your own. It's absurdly easy to plant and care for; it tastes great; it looks beautiful and it takes up so little ground that even those with very small gardens can raise enough to be self-sufficient in garlic for a good part of the year. All you have to do is choose the right varieties; plant at the right time, in the right soil; then harvest when just right and store correctly. 1. Choosing Types of Garlic If you look in a specialist catalog like the one at Gourmet Garlic Gardens, you'll find dozens of varieties of garlic listed. You see where this is going – and you can see a lot more types of garlic on either of those websites, but for general purposes the most important difference is the one between softneck and hardneck. Softnecks are so called because the whole green plant dies down to pliancy, leaving nothing but the bulb and flexible stems that are easy to braid. Gardeners in most of the U.S. can try some of both. 2.
Got ticks &bugs? Get Guineas! by Jeannette Ferguson from the... Got ticks? Got obnoxious bugs and garden pests? Tired of insects destroying your flower beds and leaves and gardens? Just maybe guineas are for you. Years ago when I was unable to participate in the local garden club flower shows, I discovered guineas to be the solution to my problem. Just over a year after raising guineas, not only was I able to enter flower shows, but I won 102 ribbons and several rosettes that first season. Guinea fowl range across the property taking bites of weed seeds, insects, grasshoppers, Japanese Beetles and other obnoxious bugs with nearly every step they take. I also keep chickens but have been unable to free range them because of the damage they would do to the flowers and flower beds-mostly due to scratching for bugs and insects beneath the surface, or scratching to dust bathe and in the process, pulling up plants-roots and all. The farmer’s watchdog Guinea fowl are very entertaining to watch as they patrol across the property. Learn more about guineas at…
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Matt. 11:15 | Revelations from the Lord Building a Two-Can Bioreactor Purpose Two-can bioreactors are designed to be used as small-scall indoor composting units for families, and for composting as an educational tool in the classroom. Materials 32-gallon plastic garbage can 20-gallon plastic garbage can drill brick spigot (optional) duct tape (optional) insulation (optional) Construction Using a drill, make 15 to 20 holes (0.5" to 1" diameter) through the bottom of the 20-gallon can. Note: A system of 10-gallon plastic garbage cans that can fit inside 20-gallon cans can be substituted if space is a problem. The composting process in the cans will take from three to five weeks. Credits