Tag 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.

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One Of The Best Tropical Flowers – Hibiscus Plant

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For color and beauty in the garden, Hibiscus cannot be beat. Mine are the giant strain of rose mallow, tall-growing, well-branched plants that produce many enormous five-petaled flowers ranging from red to rose, shell-pink to white with crimson eye.

In Laurel, Mississippi, the hibiscus blooms from midsummer to frost without rest. Though large, the blossoms are delicate in form, soft in color, and so combine well with other flowers. Leaves are also beautiful-long, narrow and notched.

Hibiscus likes rich, well-drained soil and starts new growth each spring. To make way for the new shoots, the plants should be cut to the ground each fall. New plants may be propagated from seed soaked in warm water before they’re planted in late spring when days are warm. Ground must be kept moist until growth appears. Blossoms come the second year. Plants also may be started from root divisions taken from older plants or from cuttings placed under a fruit jar or in a shaded bed.

Hibiscus is a fine background plant as well as one that can hold the spotlight when in bloom. Flowers remain open longer if shaded and, on cloudy days, stay open all day long. When cool days come, hibiscus is at its best for then its colorful, crisp flowers are especially lovely.

Blue Daisy

Its easy habit of growth and unaffected air make the blue daisy, Felicia amelloides of South Africa, a welcome addition to any cottage garden. Its flowers, 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter, are borne singly on thin, wiry stems which rise about 8 to 10 inches above evergreen foliage. Its color is a true sky blue. Its center, yellow.

Felicia amelloides seems immune to pests and does well for me in either sun or partial shade. Bloom is heaviest from April through June but, if the top is sheared severely, it will continue to bloom for months here in California.

Propagation is by seed or cuttings. And, since the lower branches occasionally send down roots where they touch the ground, the plant also may be increased by layering under moist soil. In harsher climes, where it is tender, the blue daisy may be started under glass and grown in pots as Marguerites (Chrysanthemum frutescens) are grown.

I have the blue daisy planted in front of rose-pink geraniums on the west side of the house and in front of orange and yellow daylilies on the east. In both situations it thrives without any particular care except watering.

Lemon-yellow and white Marguerites, by the way, combine well with this smaller blue flower sometimes called Blue Marguerite. I arrange them loosely in a Waterford glass pitcher and add a few freesias or sweet alyssum for fragrance. I have also used felicia in a yellow pottery sugar bowl with early English primroses and, later in the season, with the old-fashioned pinks (Dianthus).