by Kent Higgins
List for Vines and groundcovers for the Cold NORTHERN STATES
BEARBERRY”One of the best ground covers for dry, difficult situations, this low plant, which is known scientifically as Arctostaphylos Uvaursi is ideal for steep slopes. It grows in sun or partial shade and prefers a dry sandy soil somewhat on the acid side. Its broad leaves are a good green the year round.
COMMON PERIWINKLE – Large areas can be beautifully carpeted with this plant known as Vinca minor. Use it under trees and in other shady locations in any ordinary soil. It grows 6 to 8 inches high and has light blue flowers in early spring. In this cold region it may winter burn if not covered by deep snow.
CREEPING ]UNIPER – This needled evergreen makes a fine ground cover to one foot high in sunny locations. It will grow in any soil but prefers one of a rocky nature. It is listed as Juniperus horizontalis and its variety Douglasi is especially interesting for its blue cast.
PARTRIDGE-BERRY – For small areas Mitchella repens, as this plant is known, makes a fine cover growing less than an inch high. It prefers some shade and a dry to moist acid soil. The shiny leaves are green all winter, and the plant is noteworthy for its persistent bright crimson fruits.
WINTERGREEN – The highly aromatic leaves of this native plant called Gaultheria procumbens are green the year round. Use it for a cover in shaded locations where the soil is acid and well drained.
WINTERCREEPER – Euonymus Fortune radicans makes a carpet a foot or so thigh. Unlike passion flower vine this plant is recommended for use in the more temperate parts of the area or in sections assured of good snow cover. Care for vines like wintercreeper suggests that it will thrive in any ordinary soil in sun or shade.
TRAILING ARBUTUS – Only about 4 inches tall, this low trailing plant called Epigaen repens makes a fine ground cover when established from nursery-grown plants. It has pale pink flowers in spring and is especially adaptable for covering small shaded areas. It prefers a highly acid soil.
RUNNING-PINE – This plant gives a handsome show in shaded areas. While it never grows more than 4 inches tall, its running stems stretch out 10 feet or more. It is called Lycopodium clavatum and may be collected from the wild or purchased from a nursery which specializes in native plants.
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April 26 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »
by Peter Thomas
It is surprising that little is known about the origin of the sunflowers name. The beautiful and proud sunflower got its name from the Greek word Helianthus ” Helios for sun, and anthos, flower. The sunflowers head worships the sun and actually follows the suns heavenly trek in the sky from sunrise to sundown, everyday. Carbon dating of sunflower seeds found in ancient North American dwellings proved that the sunflower was an important source for food 3000 years ago.
The journals, chronicling the travels of Lewis and Clark through the strange country that is now the US, mentioned the existence of sunflowers, their versatility and importance in early agriculture. According to the journal, the plant had several and amazing uses. It was used for decoration, snacks, and was processed to make cooking oil.
Currently, Argentina has the largest number of acres under sunflower production, with Russia second then the United States which has over three million acres under seed production. Any trip through the central plains of the Dakotas, Kansas or Texas will let you see them for miles, as sunflowers are second only to soy beans as an oil producing plant.
Right now, sunflowers are at the heart of the great debate as to what’s happening with the reduction in the bee population on the planet, and this is not good news for farmers and gardeners world wide, as without bees there is no pollination.
The seeds of the sunflower have unbeatable nutritional value. It contains phytochemicals and contains a number of vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Scientific research confirmed that sunflower seeds are good for cardiovascular health and can lower cholesterol levels in the human body.
With its ability to grow up to fifteen feet in height, its understandable why sunflower farmers think themselves blessed with their work environment, especially as with current modern farming methods, it’s possible to get as much as a thousand pounds per acre from a single crop. But as a decoration or as a source of inspiration as used by Van Gogh, would it not be understandable to have an alternative to the flower itself?
Unfortunately many sunflower farmers are no longer into community farming or most have transported themselves to places where it is not conducive for sunflower farming. It is therefore impractical to even wish to have sunflowers at any time.
The rising cost of transport cost and harvesting of sunflowers makes it impractical to have sunflowers at any time of the year. To be practical, one can only delight in an occasional gift of sunflowers. But this is not what happens.
Today, with modern manufacturing processes and high tech design, your very best way to have the benefit of one of mother nature’s finest and oldest creations is to go the artificial flower route. What this allows you to do is to have that glorious bloom near you all year round, and coupled with the robust materials available for these items, it’s hard to see how you could go wrong with a simple bloom or two. Also, it can be very hard for one to distinguish between a ‘real’ sunflower and an artificial one.
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April 25 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »