October 23, 2021
FOCAL POINT
Merriam Webster defines "focal point" as a center of activity, interest, or attention. A focal point in any garden or landscape is an element of color, sound, specimen tree or plant, or hardscape like seating, walkway, or water feature that guests will notice the minute they enter the space.
- Focal points help provide a theme, an encouragement to come closer, or become more attentive to the surrounding areas. It enables the landscape to guide a visitor to a destination.
- There can be more than one focal point, depending on your design and the size of the space, but placed strategically so that the garden is not frenetic but flows smoothly.
- A focal point can be an existing element or new feature added to the landscape to enhance the home, view, or fashion a theme.
- Make sure you don?t add too many focal points or place focal points too close together so that garden visitors are overwhelmed, exhausted, or stressed by trying to see everything in the landscape.
- Ensure seasonal views and interest by using focal points that may change but will survive year-round in the landscape and that they complement plant material, hardscape, and seating choices.
Definition source: https://bit.ly/3B30laN
Teresa Watkins, www.she-consulting.com ? October 2021
October 16, 2021
"RAKE"
A rake (Old English raca, cognate with Dutch hark, German Rechen, from the root meaning "to scrape together", "heap up") is a horticultural tool made with a toothed bar attached crossways to a handle, used to collect leaves, hay, and grass. Uses for rakes in garden include loosening the soil, light weeding, leveling the ground, removing dead grass from lawns, and by farmers to pull over plowed lands to break up clods of dirt, remove weeds, and cover seeds.1
Found in books and pictures written in 1,100 BC China, rakes remained relatively unchanged until the Industrial Age, when Edmund Brown in 1874 (U.S. Patent No. 148,660) patented the first rake to be made of metal. This rake was comprised of a bamboo handle and metal teeth. Brown noted other rakes were continually "clogged by the refuse matter which they collect," which led to the user removing the debris from the rake by hand.
Leaf Rake: Most popular of traditional rakes. Used to gather leaves. Rake tines are long and thin and spread out in fan-shape to collect as many leaves with one pull while not damaging grass blades.
Bow Rake: A stronger rake, the bow rake is shorter and has thicker tines used for working in the soil, spreading and leveling, or mixing it up and moving it to another area.
Shrub Rake: Slender leaf rake used for gathering leaves and other light debris - but due to its skinny size it can be used in tight spaces, like beneath shrubbery.
Thatch Rake: A heavy duty rake that's even more intimidating that the bow rake, this type of rake isn't meant for leaves or soil, it's for dealing with thatch, a layer of organic matter that builds up on your lawn. Having blades on either side of its head, the thatch rake uses these to break up the thatch and remove it.
Hand Rake: The hand rake is like bow rake but smaller. It resembles more of a garden tool than a rake. The benefit of using this rake is the maneuverability and control you get out of it. Thus, it should be used for more delicate jobs, like dealing with soil in limited spaces and around flowers."2
Lake rake: Used for removing debris, weeds, and algae, from water bodies, pools, ponds. The rake comes in long-handled and short-handled designs. This tool is dragged along the water's bottom, and the plants are pulled out to the edge for easy removal.
Roof rake: With a long handle and lightweight design, this tool is perfect to remove snow and ice from roofs. It's also handy for leaves and other debris, including fetching the neighbor kid's flying disc.
Modern rakes can be bamboo, metal, plastic, retractable or one size, and should be hung up to keep the tines from bending or spreading.
1. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911) Encyclopedia Britannica
3. Doctorgreen.com, (Aug 2021)
October 9, 2021
"DECIDUOUS"
"In botany and horticulture, deciduous plants, including trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials, are those that lose all of their leaves for part of the year. In some cases leaf loss in warm climates, including tropical, subtropical, and arid regions, plants lose their leaves during the dry season or other seasons, depending on variations in rainfall.
Many deciduous plants flower like during the period when they are leafless, as this increases the effectiveness of pollination. The absence of leaves improves wind transmission of pollen for wind-pollinated plants and increases the visibility of the flowers to insects in insect-pollinated plants. This strategy is not without risks, as the flowers can be damaged by frost or, in dry season regions, result in water stress on the plant. Some species of deciduous trees that bloom before leafing out are Fringe trees, Redbuds, Trumpet trees, Saucer Magnolias, Peaches, and Nectarines.
Leaf drop in the fall months is based on photoperiod and varies by genera and species. Florida elm (Ulmus americana) is a long-lived shade tree that has dazzling rich, golden yellow autumnal foliage. Trees grow to 60 to 80 feet tall and have an elegant vase-shaped crown. As a bonus, the small leaves on these trees are easy to rake in the fall. "
Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) is an attractive tree with a rounded or oval crown. Its attractive bark, yellow fall color, and small wildlife loving nutlets that appear in the summer give this tree year round interest. This tree typically grows 25-40 feet tall making it perfect for smaller yards. Other trees that are deciduous are Crapemytles, Cypress trees, Fringe Trees, Maples, Redbuds, and Sweetgums, and many fruit trees, like apples, figs, and grapes.
When giving your children chores around the house so Santa Claus will be good to them, remind them that the trees that are deciduous will need to have their leaves picked up.
For more information on deciduous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deciduous
October 2, 2021
"RHIZOME"
Rhizome is derived from ancient Greek word rhizōma, meaning "mass of roots," but rhizomes aren't roots at all. Like bulbs, corms, and tubers, rhizomes are a type of underground stem. Unlike roots, plants use rhizomes for food storage and reproduction.
A rhizome (also known as rootstock) is a type of plant stem situated either at the soil surface or underground that contains nodes from which roots and shoots originate rhizomes are unique in that they grow perpendicular, permitting new shoots to grow up out of the ground. When separated, each piece of a rhizome is capable of producing a new plant.
The primary function of the rhizome is the storage of nutrients, including carbohydrates and proteins, until the plant requires them for the growth of new shoots or to survive the winter in a process termed vegetative reproduction. Farmers use vegetative reproduction to laterally propagate plants such as hops, ginger and various grass species. Some rhizomes are also consumed or used as a seasoning, including ginger and turmeric.
By far the most dominant type of rhizome is the underground rhizome, which is situated underground and includes Venus flytrap, Chinese lantern, western poison-oak, hops, Alstroemeria, bamboo. lily of the valley, and canna lily. Trumpet creeper, nandina, many clump forming grasses, and Epimediums also have rhizomes, Many can be weeds like bermudagrass, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, and purple nut sedge.
While most rhizomes are situated underground, some plants have rhizomes that grow at the soil level or above. Examples of these plant species include ferns and irises.
The majority of rhizomes occur as a single layer from which shoots and roots originate. However, there are some rare plant species which form multiple tiered rhizomes in a complex network e.g., Giant Horsetails.
Source: Biologydictionary.net (2021)
"RHIZOME"
Rhizome is derived from ancient Greek word rhizōma, meaning "mass of roots," but rhizomes aren't roots at all. Like bulbs, corms, and tubers, rhizomes are a type of underground stem. Unlike roots, plants use rhizomes for food storage and reproduction.
A rhizome (also known as rootstock) is a type of plant stem situated either at the soil surface or underground that contains nodes from which roots and shoots originate rhizomes are unique in that they grow perpendicular, permitting new shoots to grow up out of the ground. When separated, each piece of a rhizome is capable of producing a new plant.
The primary function of the rhizome is the storage of nutrients, including carbohydrates and proteins, until the plant requires them for the growth of new shoots or to survive the winter in a process termed vegetative reproduction. Farmers use vegetative reproduction to laterally propagate plants such as hops, ginger and various grass species. Some rhizomes are also consumed or used as a seasoning, including ginger and turmeric.
By far the most dominant type of rhizome is the underground rhizome, which is situated underground and includes Venus flytrap, Chinese lantern, western poison-oak, hops, Alstroemeria, bamboo. lily of the valley, and canna lily. Trumpet creeper, nandina, many clump forming grasses, and Epimediums also have rhizomes, Many can be weeds like bermudagrass, Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, and purple nut sedge.
While most rhizomes are situated underground, some plants have rhizomes that grow at the soil level or above. Examples of these plant species include ferns and irises.
The majority of rhizomes occur as a single layer from which shoots and roots originate. However, there are some rare plant species which form multiple tiered rhizomes in a complex network e.g., Giant Horsetails.
Source: Biologydictionary.net (2021)
September 25, 2021
"ESPALIER"
Espalier (pronounced i-spal-yer) is the horticultural term first used in 1662 (Merriam-Webster) that defined an ancient farming practice of keeping fruiting plants at a shorter height and width producing fruit in smaller areas. Plant branches are tied or wired to a set or rails, metal, wire, or wood, to force the plant's branches to grow in a specific direction. Espaliers can become works of art when grown in a formal ornamental design. They are usually placed flat against a structure such as a wall, fence, or trellis.
"Espaliers, trained into flat two-dimensional forms, are used not only for decorative purposes, but also for gardens in which space is limited. In a temperate climate, espaliers may be trained next to a wall that can reflect more sunlight and retain heat overnight or orientated so that they absorb maximum sunlight by training them parallel to the equator. These two strategies allow the season to be extended so that fruit has more time to mature." 1
September 18, 2021
"TROWEL"
Trowels were one of the earliest tools invented by man. Garden trowels are a hand tool with a pointed, scoop-shaped metal blade and wooden, metal, or plastic handle. It is comparable to a spade or shovel, but is generally much smaller, being designed for use with one hand. It is used for breaking up earth, digging small holes, especially for planting and weeding, mixing in fertilizer or other additives, and transferring plants to pots.
Garden trowels are available in different widths and sizes. Narrow-bladed trowels can be used in narrow areas between pavers or plant small bulbs or plants. Scoop-shaped or wide blades can be used for digging in raised beds where taller shovels would be difficult.
September 11, 2021
"MONOCOTYLEDON"
Monocotyledon, or monocot for short, refers to one of two groups of flowering plants. Flowering plants are placed into two categories. monocots and dicots.
Monocots have seeds that contain a single emerging leaf known as a cotyledon. This category provides a majority of the world's most important agricultural crops including, rice, wheat, corn, sugar cane, bamboo, onion, and garlic.
Monocots have different characteristics than dicots.
- Monocots will have visible tripled flower parts, i.e., three stamens, three petals.
- Veins of monocot leaves are seen in a symmetrical parallel design.
- Monocot roots are adventitious and fibrous and spread up, down, and out.
- Monocots can be propagated from stem or leaf cuttings of an existing plant.
- Monocots only grow from the top of the stem.
- Monocots do not produce wood or bark.
- Monocots are herbaceous.
Examples of monocots: Grasses, palm trees, lilies, orchids, bananas.
For more information on monocots: https://biologydictionary.net/monocot/
September 4, 2021
"ANNUAL"
The definition of the word annual is "a plant that germinates, blossoms, produces seeds, and dies in one growing season. They are common in environments with short growing seasons. Most desert plants are annuals, germinating and flowering after rainfall. Many common weeds, wildflowers, garden flowers, and vegetables are annuals."
1Some of the Northern garden zone annuals can be grown here in Florida year-round or in different seasons than our snowbird states. In garden zones 5 through 8, alyssum, delphiniums, foxgloves, geraniums, hollyhocks, pansy, petunias, snapdragons, stock, violas, and verbena are usually planted in Spring. Not in Florida - our mild weather October through March allows us to plant those wonderful annuals in the wintertime. So, if you live here during the winter and don't know what to plant - look for what you grow during the Spring in Ohio and Michigan. We have a 30+ Summer annuals that can take our heat and rainy season. Annuals provide that boost of color, fragrance, and butterfly resources for our gardens during our sunny, but cooler periods..
Annuals are considered high maintenance, more expensive, and shorter-lived, so they should be planted in smaller numbers than perennials or ornamentals. You can plant annuals in containers, garden beds, hanging baskets, and window boxes.
For more information on Gardening with Annuals in Florida, check out https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG319
1 THE AMERICAN HERITAGE SCIENCE DICTIONARY
