Category Archives: Garden Plants

Garden Plants

Taking Special Attention When Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy

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In the event that you notice a growth of poison ivy near you home or on your property you want to take care of the problem right away. You can not get rid of it just as you would any other unwanted plant. This takes special care and a fair amount of precautions. This is something you may even want to consult with a professional gardener or landscaper about.

There is a very serious warning that you should absolutely heed. Never ever burn it. It is very dangerous and can bring serious harm to yourself and anyone nearby. The rash that you see on your skin after touching it, will actually form inside your lungs once inhaling the fumes from it. This can mean lots of trouble, and a possible public health hazard depending on where you are.

What you will use to kill it is a very strong herbicide. You will need to get one that’s concentrated. Though you will dilute it a little bit with water, it will still need to be about three times as strong as what is recommended for normal use. The plant you are attacking is very resilient, and the regular strength will do nothing to it. Since you will be dealing with the herbicide in such a strong mixture, you want to make sure that you don’t get it on other surrounding plants.

When you do this be sure to cover up as much as possible. Reduce the amount of exposed skin. Dress appropriately and protectively. Both the plant and the herbicide could potentially give a serious rash. When you are done you want wash very thoroughly.

Take the weather into account when you are planning to do this. You need to make sure that it won’t be raining, or windy. The rain could dilute the herbicide and make all of your hard work and efforts ineffective. The wind could spread the herbicide beyond the area you’re focusing on, killing other plants that you don’t want killed. Fair or mild weather is an absolute must for this task.

Once you get it all sprayed it will actually be a few weeks before you are able to notice the results. If it has worked then you’ll see the leaves turn yellow and shrivel. Once you see this happen then it is time to finish the job. You will have to dress protectively again and remove all of the plants remains from the area. It is very important that you dig and get all of the roots as well. Any left behind will mean that they will only grow back.

Don’t forget, even the bare branches and dead stalks can produce a rash if you come in contact with it. Just a small brush against it can be dangerous for some people with an allergic reaction to it. This is why dressing protectively is so very important.

Once you have dealt with the problem, you want to check the area periodically. Poison Ivy is extremely persistent and has a habit of coming back over and over again. You will have to keep a very close eye on it for several years to come. This is a problem that you want to deal with promptly, as soon as you notice it. The bigger it gets the harder it is to get rid of.

Are you searching for answers? Is poison ivy contagious? How do you get rid of poison ivy? All this can be answered through using the web for your search. Websites on the web give valuable information that can be helpful.

Garden Plants

Enjoying Window Garden With A Year Round Color

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Like hundreds of other plant lovers, spend many happy days in their flower garden. But, always when the last chrysanthemum had been cut down by killing frost there was the dreary time, between late fall and spring, when all growing things were withered and no flower bloomed.

After one of these ruthless frosts, which snuffed all color from the world and made it sad, Mrs. Preston decided to build a winter window garden in her home.

Since then she has had twelve months of color. A scarlet amaryllis, almost hidden by the foliage of an Easter lily, glows in the window. A novelty in gloxinias, called Lady Slipper, blooms year after year in the same pot with only a short rest period between flowering. Several potted geraniums bloom in their sea son and two of them (Nutmeg and Rose) have fragrant, spicy leaves which add greatly to their desirability and lend an interest even when the plants are no longer in bloom.

A Gloriosa lily, with strange flowers, has climbed 6 feet to the top of the window to crown it with its gold and crimson beauty. There are orchids, some of which bloom during the winter holidays to furnish corsages for friends.

“I used to grow gardenias in my window,” says Mrs. Preston. “Now I have something new. It’s called Fleur d’Amour. It looks like a gardenia, doesn’t it?” she said, pointing to a plant with shining leaves and white gardenia-like flowers. “It has a gardenia-like fragrance, too, that I find captivating.”

The most prized plants in Mrs. Preston’s winter garden, however, are her African violets. It would be difficult for anyone to find a more colorful collection. Some are the usual ones bought at nurseries but quite a number are those Mrs. Preston has raised from seed.

One of her seedlings, grown-up, was mentioned in a magazine that gave the plant special mention for being outstanding in foliage and bicolored blossoms. Many of the other violets were also grown from seed. On the second shelf, near the curtain, is one of several doubles. There are also a number of singles, red, pink and white.

The window garden faces the east and south. It affords abundant light all day. The rack on which the violet plants on the right are seen was constructed so as to give perfect drainage. Underneath the rack is a galvanized iron, water-tight pan filled with cinders. It absorbs any surplus water accidentally spilled in watering. This pan is always moist and so acts as a humidifier to offset the too dry atmosphere frequently found in our modern homes.