Spent this past February attempting my hand at hybridizing some South Africa Drosera, and I’m documenting a guide for the first time. The two plants I picked out were my Drosera capensis Red form and Drosera sp. ‘floating’ (admirabilis). The reason I picked these plants was two fold. First and foremost they are supposed to be genetically compatible; they also happen to be flowering profusely at the same time of the year, with flowers open at the same time in the day, making my job much, much easier.
Here are the two plants in question :
As you can see they differ greatly in characteristics, which should hopefully make it easy not only to spot out hybrids, but to find exceptional looking hybrids with distinct qualities inherited from both parents. At least that’s the goal… you’ll have to check back in for an update in a few months to see if the seeds were viable!
And here’s what the process entails :
A Drosera flower has two parts, the pollen creating/containing anthers, and the pollen accepting Stigma, which then guides that pollen down to the plant ovary for seed production.
The first goal is to remove the Stamens on the receiving flower so that it doesn’t pollinate itself and create non-hybrid seeds. The following two pictures illustrate the flower on the admirabilis, before and after the removal of the Stamens.
*Note how I avoided getting any pollen on the Stigmas in the removal process.
These anthers can now be discarded or kept to pollinate your other plant back, and attempt hybridization both ways (I opted to only focus on the admirabilis as I have been doing this every day for the every flower on that stalk.)
This stunning Drosera capensis flower is going to be donating its anthers so that I can get pollen from them. Shortly after this picture was taken a couple of those yellow anthers were removed.
Here I am getting ready to rub the donor anthers on the stigmas.
and here is the final step complete. Look at that golden pollen-y goodness all over. Hopefully this will ensure many viable seeds, with lots of interesting characteristics. Check back in to see further developments in the future!
Here are some bonus pictures of other plants doing well right now :
And with the weather warming up a little bit, about half of my woolly sundews have started to look less miserable again, and some have started to put on quite a show!
Thanks for reading, and checking out the pictures! I hope you found this useful or entertaining. Make sure to check out the giveaway that ends in a few days on the front page! or through here :


Fill-A-Belly Community Garden Build & Plant Day
Start time June 26, 2021 10:00
Finished Time June 26, 2021 14:00
Address 1900 N Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA
Combat Food Scarcity – Fill-A-Belly Community Garden Build & Plant Day
Join us for a day of Building, planting and painting our community gardens. Sponsored by Encinitas Fill-A-Belly and the Changing Tides Foundation with partners Sea & Soil and Black Girls Garden. Please RSVP here.


This allows you to use the voucher the same day you buy it with immediate digital delivery of your voucher to your home or office printer! You must print out the voucher and redeem at the location in the description. See additional info in Location and Shipment section below.
Reserve price: No
We started Green Envy Lawn Care because we wanted to give our local area the lawn care company it deserved. Providing you the answers and results is our goal. Unlike large nationwide companies, we all live, work and shop right here. It's people just like you who support our families. We never forget that. That's why we will always use the best products so your lawn can achieve its potential. Furthermore, we take exceptional pride in our vehicles and employees. That combination of great products and pride cannot be matched.
This Program Includes: 14 visits on the lawn (**Lawns up to 15,000 sq/ft of treatable turf**)
Fertilizer and weed Control : 7 Visits
Grub Control: 1 Visit
~We offer a grub treatment which controls grubs from feeding on the root zone of the turf grass. When we apply it in the late spring it will stop grubs from damaging the turf in late summer and early fall. This is when grubs feed the heaviest. We guarantee control of grubs keeping them from damaging turf. If grubs continue to be a problem we will retreat at no charge and repair any damage they have caused to the turf.
Lime/ soil conditioner: 2 Visits
~Lime helps neutralize acid in the soil by adding calcium. If your soil is too sour and has slipped out of the ph zone that keeps your grass happy and healthy, lime will sweeten it up again.
Nuisance Pest Control: 3 Visits
~Green Envy's Nuisance Pest Control treatment is great for the customers that have pets. We understand that pets are a big part of your family. The Nuisance Pest Control application will help prevent these insects from being a problem to you and your pets. The application also will control many other surface feeding insects that can damage your lawn like sod webworms, chinch bugs, mites, and spiders.
Aeration and Over seeding: 1 Visit
~Core aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn. Roots require oxygen, nutrients and water to grow. Compaction reduces the amount of air within the soil. It has a negative impact on nutrient uptake and water infiltration. Compaction is also a barrier for root growth. In short core aeration will allow more air, water and nutrients to the root zone of the turf grass. After most summers in Missouri your lawn begins to thin out. Fall aeration and seeding is a quick and cost effective way to help thicken the turf. Autumn is the best for repairing the lawn due to the weather and the amount of time necessary for new grass to mature. During aeration we will over seed the lawn. This will promote new growth and help alleviate compaction.
Service is only available in the following areas: 63005, 63011, 63017, 63021, 63025, 63026, 63038, 63040, 63043, 63044, 63088, 63105, 63117, 63119, 63122, 63123, 63124, 63125, 63126, 63127, 63128, 63129, 63131, 63132, 63139, 63141, 63144, 63146, 63301, 63303, 63304, 63348, 63366, 63367, 63368, 63376, 63379, 63383, 63385, 63390. No lawns bigger than 15,000 sq/ft.
Voucher expiration date: 2020-06-30
139 Weldon Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
|Credit Card||February 21, 2019 8:00AM||February 27, 2019 8:00PM||844576||Lawn Care||N/A|
|Bid Amount||Bidder||Date & Time|
|$935.00||ynot2169||February 27, 2019 5:20:33 PM|
|$910.00||GrannyM||February 27, 2019 5:19:42 PM|
|$900.00||ynot2169||February 27, 2019 5:19:41 PM|
|$885.00||ynot2169||February 27, 2019 5:16:23 PM|
|$860.00||GrannyM||February 27, 2019 5:16:22 PM|
|$835.00||GrannyM||February 26, 2019 8:02:28 AM|


I am also not a huge fan of spending a lot of money. So, when my dad told me he had a weed killer recipe that was cheap and non-toxic, I was on board to try it out. The recipe is:
- 1 gallon vinegar (I used white but apple cider vinegar works, too.)
- 1 cup regular table salt
- 1 Tablespoon dish detergent (I used Dawn and wound up pouring in more like 2-3 tablespoons)
Mix it all together and spray on weeds. It should go without saying that it is not selective about what it kills, so be careful when spraying it around plants you want to keep.
So, as luck would have it, I found a patch of poison ivy in a flower bed in my yard last Saturday morning. The birds must have just stood there and pooped for 5 minutes because there sure were a lot of plants coming up. For those who don't know, poison ivy plants are primarily propagated by birds who eat the berries and then poop out the seeds. For some reason, I've had a bumper crop of poison ivy this year. Anyhow, here's the patch:
I decided to experiment with the weed killer on poison ivy. I'm not much into killing, even where plants are concerned, but I don't want this stuff growing in my yard. So, I sprayed half of the poison ivy to see if this week killer worked. Here's the half I sprayed:
The rest of Saturday was cloudy. When I came out in the afternoon, I saw that apparently I did not mix the weed killer too well because there sure was a lot of salt on the leaves.
I shook things up and re-sprayed a bit more vinegar. I came out on Sunday morning and this is what I found - the plants were starting to die.
It should be noted that this patch of ivy is on the north side of a tree and gets maybe 2 hours of sun a day. I have tried this out on plants that live in full sun and had results within hours. Nevertheless, this was starting to die:
By Monday night around sundown, it was really looking dead:
By the summer solstice (one week after initial application) the half I sprayed was totally gone.
I'm waiting to see if the half I sprayed re-grows, but I doubt they will since they were too young to really be established. I've seen similar recipes on the net and this site does a good job of explaining why vinegar and salt work: http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/2006/05/7-deadly-homemade-weed-killers.html
I've got an ivy plant growing in a pot to see how fast it grows and how long it takes to start producing tendrills, etc.When it comes time to kill it off, I'm going to try this mixture on it, as an established plant, and see what happens.
For now, I'm hitting all of the small poison ivy plants in my yard with this stuff. So far, it seems to work.


Harvest Town is a casual farming RPG where you get the chance to live out your days as a farmer. Grow crops, befriend villagers, and restore your manor to its former glory.
Story of Seasons: Pioneer of Olive Town Review (Switch Edition)
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a farming stimulation that allows you to fully decorate your farm. Befriend the townsfolk and earn money raising crops as you work your way from the bottom!
Littlewood Review (Switch Edition)
Littlewood is a town-building game that lets you customize your town, learn new skills, and explore the continent of Solemn.


Studies from Latin America reveal catastrophic effect of genetically modified Roundup corn.
High rates of birth defects have been reported in regions of South America dedicated to growing genetically modified roundup ready soy.
An epidemiological study carried out in Itapua, Paraguay, found a higher rate of malformations in the offspring of women exposed in pregnancy to pesticides, compared with controls. The malformations observed included craniofacial defects, anencephaly, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, myelomeningocele, cleft palate, anotia, polydactyly, syndactyly and congenital heart defects. Itapua is an area of intensive Roundup Ready soy cultivation.
A study commissioned by the provincial government of Chaco, Argentina, a region of intensive GM soy production, showed a threefold increase in birth defects in the province and a fourfold increase in cancer in the locality of the agricultural town of La Leonesa in the last decade, coinciding with the expansion of GM soy and the associated application of pesticides. The authors named glyphosate as a pesticide of concern and noted that complaints from residents were highest in regions where GM crops are planted.
A study of birth defects in seven regions of Argentina found that Cordoba, an area of intensive planting of GM soy where pesticides are heavily used, had a higher incidence of spina bifida, microtia, cleft lip with cleft palate, polycystic kidney, postaxial polydactyly and Down’s syndrome than other regions.
Paganelli A, Gnazzo V, Acosta H, López SL, Carrasco AE (2010) Glyphosate-based herbicides produce teratogenic effects on vertebrates by impairing retinoic acid signaling. Chem Res Toxicol 23: 1586-1595.
Benítez-Leite S, Macchi ML, Acosta M (2009) Malformaciones congénitas asociadas a agrotóxicos [Congenital malformations associated with toxic agricultural chemicals]. Arch Pediatr Urug 80: 237-247.
Gray L (2011) GM soy: the high cost of the quest for “green gold”. The Telegraph (UK).
Provincial Research Commission Water Pollutants, First Report [First report], Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina (2010).
Campana H, Pawluk MS, Lopez Camelo JS (2010) [Births prevalence of 27 selected congenital anomalies in 7 geographic regions of Argentina]. Archivos Argentinos de Pediatria 108: 409-417.
Arbuckle TE, Lin Z, Mery LS (2001) An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the risk of spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population. Environmental Health Perspectives 109: 851-857.


|For thirty years, Hampshire Feeding Systems have been the world's leading innovators in liquid feeding equipment and systems.|
Our constant research and development programme and study of pig
behaviour results in equipment designed to stimulate pig appetite.
Started in 1976, three generations of pig farming experience at
Hampshire Feeding Systems developed the most technologically up-to-date
equipment for feeding pigs. Most of the techniques and design principles
used in modern liquid feeding systems were originally created by
The pioneering vision of our award winning company started with simple
ideas that have led to developments which are standard in the liquid
feeding industry worldwide.
In 2000, the company merged with a large EU-based agricultural group
with a turnover of £64m/year selling grain, straw and mill and mix


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From the UO Homepage!
The University of Oregon’s Urban Farm is growing.
For more than 30 years, the popular class has put students to work cultivating vegetables and learning about how our food system works on land north of Franklin Boulevard between Onyx Street and Riverfront Parkway. This fall, two more growing sites are opening on the south side of campus, said Harper Keeler, who directs the Urban Farm program.
One is on the 1800 block of Moss Street, next to the Center for Advancement of Sustainable Living. The site is designed to be a community garden for students, where students or student groups will be given a section of ground to cultivate, similar to what the city of Eugene does with its community garden program.
The other is on the 1800 block of Columbia Street, a double lot behind Agate Hall. The addition of this site has allowed for the addition of a second section of the Urban Farm class, with room for about 50 students.
Currently, about 80 students enroll in Urban Farm during fall, spring and summer terms. From 2000 to 2010, more than 2,000 students enrolled in the Urban Farm class, from 93 different disciplines. The class, part of the Department of Landscape Architecture, typically fills within an hour after registration opens, Keeler said.
“There’s something universal about working outside and in the garden,” he said.
But it’s not just about spending time outdoors, digging, tilling, planting, watering and harvesting crops. Students learn about how our food system works and how it relates to public health, open space, farmland preservation and other issues.
“They want to know where food comes from,” Keeler said. “Students are really interested in knowing the origin of food and what it takes to produce healthful food.”
Students also get to enjoy the bounty of their labors, gathering at the end of each class to take home vegetables they’ve worked so hard to cultivate.
“What we call it is direct feedback,” Keeler said.
Preparing and eating food is a big part of the class, Keeler said.
“We have potlucks at the farm, and (students) end up scheduling their own dinner parties,” he said. “A lot of it is about sharing the harvest.”
The combination of hands-on work in the garden and exploration of larger issues makes Urban Farm a favorite class of Marija Brzev, a sociology major.
“It’s one of the most relaxing classes to take and you learn so much and it really involves hands-on work, like planting and learning about soil and the outdoors,” she said.
“But you also get the academic experience, since you read books and do little projects outside of class, so I think it’s one of the most well-rounded courses at the university.”
— Tim Christie


Opportunity is Knocking: Research, recruitment and the future of agricultural science in Alachua CountyJuly 26th, 2015 by gainesvillechamber
Join us for this event — part of a series of first Friday luncheons presented by the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and Envision Alachua — focused transforming greater Gainesville and creating our area’s future.
This luncheon will cover the changing landscape of agricultural life sciences, the value of public-private partnerships and innovations in our own back yard with UF/IFAS researcher, Dr. Kevin Folta, Chairman, Horticultural Sciences Department.
Seating is limited, registration is required. Register here.


It is a complex fertilizer that consists mainly of the three basic nutrients required for plant growth. Agriculture relies heavily on the use of NPK fertilizers to meet global food supplies and to ensure healthy harvests.
There are many growth aids that plants need for healthy and optimal growth. Without these nutrients, plants cannot grow to their full potential, will provide lower yields, and be more vulnerable to disease. The three most important nutrients, without which one of them cannot survive by plants, are referred to as the main nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
Soils often lack these nutrients, either naturally, or as a result of over cultivation or other environmental factors. In situations where soil is lacking, nutrients must be returned to the soil in order to create an ideal environment for optimal plant growth. Every essential nutrient necessary for plant nutrition, as it plays an important role in plant growth, development and reproduction.


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CC: Could you please begin giving us a little background on
you and your company. What first got you interested in going green and work
GB: The Natural Fashion Consortium was founded on April 4th, 2000
with the objective of strengthening the clothing and textile companies of
the city of Campina Grande, PB, Brazil, to confront the strong competition
in external markets. With this in mind, the members of the consortium
searched for a product that could serve as a competitive differential for
this group of 10 companies, namely, coloured cotton.
The consortium grew and it was necessary to create a production cooperative,
so that it was feasible for new partners to join and a growing number of
products could be sold. Initially formed by 10 clothing and fabric
companies, today the cooperative, known as CoopNatural, has 35 members - 25
of which are textile sector manufacturers. More specifically, they are
manufacturers of female, male and infant clothing; cuddly toys; decorations
Natural Fashion offers to the market the quality that comes from
artisan-produced products, which are ecologically and socially correct, and
yet still use the concepts of: family-based agriculture, cooperative labour,
mother's clubs and periphery neighbourhood associations from Campina Grande.
The collection that is developed from this naturally coloured and organic
cotton is like re-reading Northeastern Brazilian culture, but this time
being linked to the trends of international fashion.
For me personally, what attracted me to work for Natural Fashion was the
chance to work in an area in which I specialize in, namely foreign trade, at
the same time as being involved with an organization that truly has at its
core the desire to work in harmony with the environment and to improve the
socio-economic conditions of a relatively poor, large local community.
CC: Your company is very concerned about the widespread use of
chemicals within the textile industry and specially on cotton.
Please share with us some of the statistics you gathered.
GB: Some of the main reasons why Natural Fashion is involved in the
cultivation of organic cotton is:
- Because 25% of the worldwide consumption of agro-toxins takes place
on cotton plantations.
- Because in the Northeast of Brazil there are 2 million family-based
agricultural workers that could be absorbed by the production of organic
- Because organic agriculture encompasses all environmental, social
and economic systems.
- Because the organic model is in agreement with the global principles
accepted in local geo-climatic and socio-economic contexts.
CC: Please tell us how do we know the strict organic requirements have been
GB: By the fact that the cooperative's cotton is certified organic by
CC: What is the most hopeful sign you've see recently in the
GB: The demand for organic cotton products remaining strong (due to
consumers' growing environmental awareness and commitment to the
environment) even during the recent and continuing, difficult economic
CC: What are the benefits of using organic cotton?
GB: Amongst others:
- It helps reduce the thousands of deaths that occur each year from
pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton
- Makes use of farming techniques elaborated to help sustain the land it
grows on, the people who grow and harvest it, and the planet in general;
- It helps protect the world's water tables from pollution by agro-toxins;
- In many cases it provides sustainable employment and income for small
family-based agricultural workers;
- The likelihood is lower that the user of the product made from organic
cotton will suffer from skin-based allergies.
CC: What advice would you give to green entrepreneurs just
GB: Using the passion that they have for the green product that they are
interested in, they should first develop and apply market research to
identify potential target markets and their necessities in relation to the
product being considered. From that point, they should then identify
segments of the market that can be targeted profitably, and then tailor the
different aspects of the marketing mix for the product chosen to attend to
their needs. Really, like any entrepreneur starting out, the keys to begin
with are planning and research.
CC: Thank you. We really appreciate your contribution to our blog.


The Stanford Marching Band once scattered from POTATO to NOTATO during their infamous field show, "These Irish, Why Must They Fight?" at the University of Notre Dame. The joke, while hilarious, did not go over well.
Turns out the potato famine was devastating and killed millions of people.
The good news is! Scientists are working on a modified potato that is resistant to late blight (the cause of the famine), so nothing like that will ever happen again.
Now that is worth celebrating!
Indeed, using a technique called RNA interference (RNAi), scientists at the J. R. Simplot Company have already managed to silence the genes that cause potatoes to bruise and turn brown when exposed to air.
Here's a short but fun explanation of how RNAi works:
This new spud, dubbed Innate (because it doesn’t contain genes from any other species), is a victory for the environment – each year, roughly 30% of harvested potatoes are thrown into the trash due to bruises and browning.
But these potatoes aren’t just good for Mother Nature. They’re also good for us. According to National Geographic, Innate potatoes contain 70% less of an amino acid called asparagine. When exposed to high temperatures, asparagine transforms into the cancer-causing compound acrylamide.
The next step is eliminating vulnerability to blight -- and that's exactly what scientists are doing.
According to the BBC (who, for what it's worth, is not secretly owned by Monsanto),
"The speed with which [blight] takes hold and the devastating impacts on the crop make it the number one threat to six million tonnes of potatoes produced in the UK each year.
Farmers have to be continuously on their guard and need to spray up to 15 times a season to protect against the disease...
In the third year of the trial, all the non-GM potatoes became infected with late blight by August while the modified vegetables remained fully resistant to the end of the experiment.
There was also a difference in yield, with the GM variety producing double the amount of tubers.
The scientists say that since the potatoes are grown from tubers rather than seeds, they are sterile and the issue of GM pollen escaping into the wild does not arise."
Surprised? Despite the myths you may have heard, many GMOs reduce pesticide use, not increase them. (Additionally, despite what you may have heard, organic famers use pesticides, too.)
To those who understand science, this is super exciting. I love seeing laboratory learning applied to life-saving innovations. And, as Professor Jonathan Jones, of the Sainsbury Laboratory, said in a 2014 interview, "I think it is better to control disease with genetics than with chemistry."
As a reminder to those who aren’t scientists: there is scientific consensus about the safety of most GMOs – though, obviously, each genetically modified organism should be evaluated individually. Saying “all GMOs are dangerous/safe” is kind of like saying “all chemicals are dangerous/safe.”
Everything we eat is a chemical – and obviously some foods are very healthy for us because of the chemicals in them, while some chemicals can kill us.
To further ease your mind, here’s an interactive tutorial about how RNAi works, produced by PBS.
Want to know more? Don't miss:
And, of course, don't miss the Leland Stanford Junior Marching Band's infamous Spotted Owl Show, in which OWL turns into AWOL. (I couldn't find the Fighting Irish video, but this one's just as good.)
Sadly, GMOs did not save the spotted owl.
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The croton tree, indigenous to East Africa, produces an inedible walnut sized nut that has never served much purpose beyond firewood until now as it turns out that the croton nut can power diesel engines without any additional processing. Possibly making it one of Africa’s most important sources of biofuel.
“In the early 2000’s researchers discovered that the oil found in the nut of the croton megalocarpus tree could be a direct replacement for diesel fuel in certain engines, and a strong feedstock for biodiesel in others. This unearthed a sustainable source of biofuel from an inedible nut that had never had economic value.”
EFK Group (Eco Fuels Kenya), the worlds first and only croton nut processing company, was founded In 2012 by Alan Paul, an engineer and veteran entrepreneur. They produce biofuel, animal feed and organic fertilizer from the nut of the croton tree.
“As we refined the oil production process, we learned that the shells of the croton nuts are a strong source of organic nitrogen, perfect for fertiliser, and the seedcake from the biofuel production has high protein levels perfect for use in commercial animal feeds. Now, as the world’s first and only croton nut manufacturer, we’re scaling the production of our organic biofuel, animal feed, and fertiliser to fill the needs of a rapidly growing market in East Africa.” EFK Group.
From pre-existing trees, Kenya produces more croton each year than 150,000 farmers produce coffee for export.
Not only is it very easy to come by, croton trees produce nuts for six months each year. Nuts fall to the ground when they are mature ensuring a simple, sustainable harvest. Farmer groups work together to aggregate local supply, which EFK then purchases for $1 per kilo; shifting this wasted resource into a dependable cash crop.
The bio-diesel EFK produces is sold for $1 per litre, that is 15 percent cheaper than diesel and burns cleaner.
Also read Snail Farming, Africa’s New Gold


Anetrini Chestnut Engraver: Excellence in chestnut processing
The Anetrini machinery is equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as for engraving chestnuts.
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Thanks to constant research and development, we are able to offer cutting-edge solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of the sector. Our reliability is backed by years of experience and a base of satisfied customers around the world.


By Katie May
The rice terraces found in Vietnam stand as a testament to the time-honored farming practices and impressive engineering skills of the indigenous communities. These splendid rice fields across Vietnam are works of art meticulously shaped by successive generations of industrious individuals residing in the country's highlands. Praised by global media, these extraordinary terraced rice fields are hailed as the epitome of beauty stemming from the rich cultural heritage and diligent labor of the Vietnamese people.
If you are looking for stunning Vietnamese rice fields, you are on the right site! Here are the top 5 rice terraces in Vietnam that deserve a spot on your radar.
What Cultural Treasures Await In Vietnam's Rice Field Communities?
Beyond the breathtaking visual spectacle, the rice fields of Vietnam, adorned with vibrant greenery, unfold a unique invitation to connect with the vibrant local ethnic communities that have shaped these rice field landscapes into their homes. As you trek through the rolling terrain of the rice fields in Vietnam, you'll likely encounter the Hmong, Dao, and Tay ethnic groups, each contributing their distinctive threads to the rich cultural tapestry of the region.
Venturing into local villages within the rice fields of Vietnam unveils a window into the everyday lives of these communities, offering glimpses of their traditional dwellings amidst the rice paddies, vibrant attire reflecting the colors of the fields, and time-honored traditions rooted in the cultivation of rice. The intricate patterns of Hmong textiles, inspired by the lush surroundings of the rice fields, the soulful melodies of Dao folk songs echoing through the paddies, and the genuine warmth extended by the locals infuse layers of authenticity into the experience amidst the rice fields, transforming it into more than just a visual journey – it becomes a deep immersion into the beating heart of Vietnamese rural life.
Vietnam's rice fields beckon a connection with vibrant local communities
When Are Rice Terraces At Best In Vietnam?
Rice terraces in Vietnam showcase their peak beauty during the planting and harvesting seasons, with timing varying across the country's diverse climate zones. Generally:
- Planting Season (April - June): Farmers prepare terraces, filling them with water for a captivating reflective surface as rice seedlings are planted.
- Growing Season (June - September): Terraces transform into vibrant green landscapes as rice plants flourish during this period.
- Harvesting Season (September - November): Mature rice plants turn terraces from green to golden yellow, creating a stunning sight. Harvesting occurs during this time.
Timing may vary due to weather and location factors, so consulting local sources or travel guides for accurate information based on your visit plan is recommended. Notable rice terrace destinations include Sapa and Mu Cang Chai.
Where To See Vietnam's Rice Terraces?
In the flat plains of the Central and Southern regions, rice thrives abundantly in fields. On the other hand, in the northern areas, captivating landscapes unfold as terraced fields gracefully embrace the slopes of the mountains. For those seeking the best place to see rice terraces in Vietnam, the northern regions stand out as prime destinations. Below, we suggest 5 remarkable locations to marvel at Vietnam's rice terraces, along with the perfect months for a visit.
1. Mù Cang Chải (Yen Bai Province)
Mu Cang Chai is located in Yen Bai province, famous for Vietnam's breathtaking terraced rice fields, establishing itself as a paradise for photographers and tourists seeking the natural beauty of rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam. Widely acclaimed as the most spectacular in Vietnam, these breathtaking rice terraces were meticulously crafted by the H'mong ethnic community – a mountain-dwelling people who have cultivated this land for over twenty generations. Encompassing a vast expanse of more than 2,000 hectares, the Mu Cang Chai terraced fields create an awe-inspiring panorama that extends as far as the eye can see. During the harvest season, photographers from all corners of the globe converge on the area, eager to capture the unparalleled beauty of the rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam.
When to visit:
You can enjoy the beauty of Mu Cang Chai all year round, but September and October are when the tree trunks are golden and heavy with rice.
The natural beauty of rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai Vietnam
2. Tam Coc (Ninh Binh Province)
Tam Coc is located in Ninh Binh province, about 100km south of Hanoi, and can be easily visited on a day trip from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Often called “Ha Long Bay on land,” Tam Coc is honored for its exceptional landscapes and legends. Unlike rowing on the sea, here, you move on a small rowing boat through flooded rice fields.
For those who don't like boating but want to explore the area another way, cycling is an alternative, offering even more impressive views. In addition to the breathtaking scenery, this adventure also allows you to observe the rural lifestyle. In late September, the fields paint a picturesque scene of vibrant greens and splashes of yellow, set against a backdrop of majestic mountains and peaceful villages.
When to visit:
The best time to visit is during the growing season, which typically occurs from May to August. During these months, the rice fields are a vibrant green, creating a picturesque landscape that complements the karst formations and the scenic river.
Rice field in Tam Coc Ninh Binh Province
3. Sapa (Lao Cai Province)
Sapa's rice terraces, etched into the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, are a visual symphony. The terraces cascade down the hillsides, creating a mesmerizing pattern that evolves with the seasons. The lush green terraces during the growing season and the golden fields at harvest make Sapa a year-round spectacle.
Opting to stay in an ethnic village or ethnic homestay in Sapa provides a more profound understanding of the distinctive culture and majestic scenery that characterize this region.
When to visit:
The best time to see Sapa is right before the harvest season. Clear blue skies and stunning landscapes reign from mid-August to early September.
Sapa's Rice Terraces is a visual symphony
4. Hoàng Su Phì (Ha Giang Province)
Nestled at the foot of the majestic Tay Con Linh mountain range, Hoang Su Phi is famous for its charming beauty, especially its exquisite Vietnamese terraced fields. Although the journey to Hoang Su Phi is challenging, the peaceful and picturesque paradise that awaits you is still worth every effort. This district is divided by mountains falling to the Lo River. Hoang Su Phi is famous for its high mountain peaks and narrow valleys.
Here, you will find terraced fields plunging straight into steep slopes or stretching across hills that undulate in perfectly symmetrical waves. Each ethnic village has its own growing and harvesting season, so with some hunting, you can find rice at many different times of the year.
When to visit:
The watering season in Hoang Su Phi lasts from March to May. During this time, you can capture the reflection of the changing sky on the flooded terraced fields.
Hoang Su Phi is famous for its charming beauty
5. Pù Luông (Thanh Hoa Province)
For a tranquil escape, Pu Luong's terraced landscapes offer a serene oasis. Life in Pù Luông is tucked away from the world, which makes it ideal for a retreat into nature. Pu Luong’s mountains are covered with tropical rainforest, while the valley is a series of cultivated rice terraces. Take a walk along the valley floor or in the foothills to get up close to the area’s flora and fauna. Listen to the waterwheels and forest sounds, wave at farmers and grazing water buffalo, and snap pictures of the greenery and wildlife.
Travelers can trek through the terraced fields, encountering traditional stilt houses and enjoying panoramic views. There are several small hamlets within the reserve, where ethnic Thai and Muong people have made their homes. Sleep in a homestay on the edge of the rice terraces, where you can take long walks in Pù Luông’s refreshing scenery.
When to visit:
The terraces in Pù Luông turn a vibrant green from August until late October when the golden hues of harvest take hold.
Pu Luong's terraced landscapes offer a serene oasis
The Vietnam rice fields are an absolute marvel, showcasing the ingenuity and perseverance of the local farmers. As you plan your adventure in Vietnam, make sure to include these top 5 mesmerizing rice terraces on your radar. These terraced landscapes are not just sights to behold; they are gateways to the rich cultural tapestry and natural wonders that define Vietnam's enchanting countryside.
Don't miss the chance to witness this awe-inspiring sight firsthand. Apply for a Vietnam visa and be ready to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of rice terraces.


In honor of Earth Day, I am posting a series of videos from Canadian filmmaker Stephen Smith and journalist Ilona Kauremszky. (Two of my favorite people.) The couple went to Mexico City this year and interviewed Antonio Murad, the founder of Proyecto Yolcan, a sustainable agricultural cooperative.
Murad left his high-powered financial consulting job to pursue his vision of sustainable agriculture, which supports small local farmers using an ancient Mesoamerican artisanal farming method known as chinampa.
Located in Mexico City’s Cuemanco-Xochimilco Ecological Reserve, Proyecto Yolcan’s chinampas, or floating gardens, are artificial islands built on the shallow lake beds separated by channels wide enough for a dugout canoe.
The chinampa beds are constructed by layering topsoil with biodegradable materials such as mud, grass, leaves, and shells of different fruits and vegetables, eventually bringing the beds above the level of the lake. Willow or cypress trees are then planted in the corners of each chinampa to firmly secure the floating beds in place.
Proyecto Yolcan’s vast complex of chinampas are fertilized with manure and rich earth from the bottom of lakes. This method produces organic, pesticide-free fruit, vegetables and flowers that are sold at local markets and purchased by some of the finest restaurants in Mexico City.
Murad is certain that Proyecto Yolcan is making a difference socially and environmentally. Mass produce grown with intensive farming methods may be cheaper than organic fruits and vegetables, but they contain toxic chemicals that damage our bodies. Studies also show that for every $100 pesos spent on local products, almost half returns to the community, as opposed to just $14 pesos when produce is purchased at a corporate supermarket chains.
“I am not just waiting for a chance to jump somewhere else,” Murad says. “I am very proud of what we are doing and I am convinced that we are having an impact and maybe we can change something. That’s the reason I am doing this.”
Image courtesy of Proyecto Yolcan


More than 50% of Russians have own country house (dacha); gardening remains one of the most common hobbies in Russia. This place is used for the cultivation of garden crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, strawberries, pumpkins …), unlike European culture.
- The volume of the Russian gardening market is approximately $ 4.3bln (it’s 2% of the world market volume)
- Increase of the seasonal demand (summer time) is 10-15%
- Demand for horticultural items and popularity of gardening stays even during the economic fluctuations (to save money). Another factor of growing demand is the limitation of the longest trips in favor of the holiday in own country house.
- Modern retail (chains) is a slow developing trend in Russia
- The market of horticulture in Russia is strongly fragmented. There are a very few shops in Russia that meet European standards. They are mostly located in Moscow region, St. Petersburg and South part of Russia (Tula, Saratov, Krasnodar, Samara etc)
- There is no leading retail chain or market player. This is also impossible due to geography and climate of Russia. Russians buy the products for gardening in various specialized shops, hypermarkets, DIY shops, nursery-gardens, online stores, open markets
- The situation in large cities is different: 40% of sale volumes are in DIY-chains (like OBI, Leroy Merlin, Castorama) and grocery hypermarkets like Auchan.
- Main importing countries in Gardening sector are China, Poland, Germany, Holland and other European countries
- Experts expect the future market development according to the American model: presence of gardening products in DIY stores, not in specialized garden shops.
Sources: RosStat, Rosproizvoditel, Rostcom, drgroup


The Mission of Waenga Solutions LLP is to promote the use of clean, renewable green energy in the production of organic natural gas, electricity, organic fertilizer and pest repellant , utilizing municipal waste and useless vegetation, leading to a cleaner environment in a cost effective way.
Waenga Solutions LLP recognize and shoulder our responsibility and strive to contribute to alleviate the greenhouse problem. We , collectively, need to figure out how you we can reduce our ‘carbon footprint’. Waenga Solutions LLP may not have all the answers, but we do have some ! – that work !
We believe that our success would be measured not in what we alone can achieve, but in how many others are better off because of us.


Internet-Of-Things (IoT) for Smart Food Systems
|Project title||Internet-Of-Things (IoT) for Smart Food Systems|
|Background||Societies around the world are facing unprecedented challenges in the endeavor to provide food security to all people. Two billion people—nearly a third of global population—are currently food insecure, a number that will increase by 30% in the next four decades. Feeding two billion more people by 2050 is one of the most critical challenges facing humanity. Imagine a world with food production systems capable of feeding 10 billion people while sustaining the planet. A place where remote sensors optimize water use by delivering soil data to irrigation systems or where drones quickly identify illness in animals and notify ranchers. Imagine, too, a future when farmers worldwide employ breakthrough technologies for more resilient, efficient and profitable production.
Smart Farm at UC Davis will be a place where a new generation of engineers will create smart machines that use sensors to rapidly learn the needs of each plant and animal and provide them with the individualized care and biologists and environmental scientists will transform plant and animal breeding and welfare to rise to the challenges of low resource utilization, climate change, and environmental sustainability and accelerate the creation of superior plants and intimate animal care to thrive in the farm of the future.
These technological advances in agriculture will create a growing demand for smart IoT devices that can control individualized care delivery actions remotely through information passed through the Internet. It is currently estimated that by the year 2025 there will be in excess of 60 billion smart devices (not counting smartphones) that are connected to the internet and that are used by people in their daily lives (from coffee makers to self-driving cars).
|Description||The design team will create an open-source software solution to allow students (both inside and outside the College of Engineering) working on smart technologies for feeding the world to develop new sensing technologies that can be monitored through the Internet and can allow remote delivery of individualized care actions to plant and animals in the food production system.
The team will be provided with the following mobile IoT hardware:
Parallax Propeller multi-core microprocessor (one per team member) with the following
• ESP8266 WiFi module
• 128 x 64 OLED display
• Access to I2C, 7 I/O's, MicroSD card slot, Two 3-way rocker buttons
Parallax open source software.
Simple sensors and control relay hardware.
|Deliverable||The project goal is to develop open source software and instructional materials that will allow:
• A student with a smart device (smart phone or tablet) to access a webpage hosted on the ESP8266 WiFi module.
• Enter a decision threshold trigger on that webpage. For example, a high temperature limit.
• When the environmental conditions cause the threshold condition to be triggered, an electronic message will be sent to the Webhooks server at IFTTT.com
• A Webhooks Applet will be created to receive the message and to forward a web HTTP POST request to a target ESP8266 WiFi module.
• The Propeller microprocessor connected to the target ESP8266 WiFi module will parse the incoming HTTP POST request and take the desired action. In the high temperature example, it would turn on a local fan attached to the Propeller to cool the biological system.
• Code would be written in the C language and then converted into BlocklyProp to make the system accessible to students with limited programming abilities.
|Client time availability||30-60 min weekly or more|
|IP requirement||Open source project|


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Sometimes looks can be deceiving; even though potatoes might look very similar, their moisture and starch content differ, resulting in over 5000 varieties of potatoes worldwide. We have carefully selected varieties that match the needs of our consumers whilst taking our environment into account.
The cultivars grown on our farms are selected based on their varietal characteristics to ensure that they flourish within our specific climate and soil conditions. By selecting cultivars that grow effortlessly in our specific environmental conditions we reduce the amount of pesticides and chemicals needed to ensure a healthy crop. Which is why our range currently include Sifra. Mondeo, Mondial and Elmundo Potatoes
We are continuously researching and testing new varieties to ensure that we provide the best product to our consumers.
Sifra Potatoes are classified as Waxy/Floury Potatoes due to their high moisture and low starch content. These characteristics make Sifra potatoes an excellent option for boiling for use in salads, stews, roasting or to make a delicious portion of 'crispy' chips.
Waxy/Floury potatoes have a somewhat moist and slightly floury feel. These potatoes have a moderate starch content and retain their shape during cooking and can be used in a variety of applications.
Waxy potatoes have a moist and pasty texture due to the higher moisture content and low starch content. During boiling these potatoes keep their shape. They are ideal for dishes where a firm cooked potato texture is required, such as salads and roasts.
Mondeo, Mondial and Elmundo potatoes are classified as Waxy Potatoes due to their high moisture and low starch content. These characteristics make these potatoes an excellent option for boiling and making your favourite salad. They are also suitable for cooking in the microwave and ideal for making a delicious portion of traditional ‘slap’ chips.


France’s Competition Authority (the Autorité de la Concurrence), has fined 11 French endive growers and several of their professional bodies 3.6 million euros (approximately AUD4.8 million) for taking part in a price-fixing cartel. The Authority found that an organised and elaborate system was in operation from 1998 until 2012 and those involved were aware of the unlawfulness of their practices. Those unlawful practices included compulsory destruction of produce to manage the volumes of endives available for sale and use of a computerised information exchange tool to monitor sale prices. Seven industry associations and unions were also fined 320,000 euros (approximately AUD407,000) for their role in the cartel.
In determining the fines, the Commission made allowance for the limited harm caused by the cartel to the economy. It noted that the cartel did not significantly affect the price of endives paid by consumers because retailers, the main customers of endive growers, were able to force prices downwards through their buying power.


Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Christmas dinner - veg grower style!
So this month people have been asking me if I'll be eating anything from the garden over Christmas. And the answer is yes! If you've been canny like me you'll still have some spuds left. Potatoes need digging up before first frosts, so ours are long out of the ground. But if you grow good keeping varieties and keep them in a cool dry place, you can definitely be eating homegrown on Christmas day.
So what of the other Christmas dinner veg possibilities? Well sprouts of course. They have a long growing season so need starting off in the Spring and covering with netting like all brassicas, to keep butterflies from laying eggs which equals caterpillars which equals distinct lack of edible greens! Sprouts are of course perfectly ready for picking at this time of year - infact we've been enjoying ours for a month or so in readiness for the Christmas feast.
If you cover your carrots with fleece or a cloche you could still have some in the ground for your Christmas enjoyment. I have to admit though, after over sowing last year, this year I was probably a little too cautious and we've already polished all our root veg off of this year. However, we do still have kale and cabbage - again started off in Spring and Summer and protected with netting, so these will be joining our potatoes and sprouts on Christmas day.
So enjoy your feasts and happy Christmas!
-- Holly Rowan Hesson


Living in Zone 5a impacts a gardener’s desire to extend the season. From the sprouting of the first bulbs in spring to the battle against the first frost in fall (with a yard full of quilts and sheets protecting annual flowers), keeping the floral show live as long as possible is the goal.
In my flower garden, yellow perennial flowers form the backdrop for season long color. Their ability to complement bold colors like purple, or bring out the heat in oranges and reds, gives them a leading role.
As a gardener with a large vegetable garden to tend, I like to keep my perennial gardens simple and low maintenance, and also bursting with color and texture.
Over the years, I’ve purchased and planted a plethora of different perennials. Many of them were too high maintenance or didn’t survive the conditions in my garden.
In this article, I’m sharing my favorite yellow perennial flowers to add an extra pop of sunshine to your flower beds in spring, summer and fall.
Yellow Perennial Flowers for Long-Lasting Color
The weight of winter’s impact on our cold, green deprived hearts can be measured in the excitement for spring bulbs.
When you’re planning for a season full of color, don’t forget to add plenty of spring bulbs to your list. Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a family owned company in Virginia, has a spectacular selection of bulbs. I’ve placed many orders through their website for fall planting over the years.
(I don’t know them and they’re not sponsoring this post, I just think they’re a great company.)
Plant spring bulbs in full sun to encourage plentiful blooms and strong plants. Here are some of my favorites:
A crocus flower would easily be hidden in a garden full of bushy and lanky perennials, but by being one of the first on the scene, crocuses scream “Look at me!”.
I have a patch of crocuses growing right next to my front door. The early spring sun reflects off the house foundation and jump starts their sprouting and flowering, giving me my first warm spring flower vibes of the year.
Crocus flowers come in the white, yellow and purple. I usually buy a variety pack that features all three colors because I love how they complement each other when planted together.
Spring Crocus Species Mixture
The crocus gets the show started early in the season and the daffodil picks up right when the crocus exits the stage. I love the look of mangy spring lawns with daffodils sprouting in the lawn. They create a meadow effect with the daffodil foliage blending in with the tall grass.
There are hundreds of daffodil varieties out in the world for your planting pleasure. The most important thing to know if that there are early, mid and late season blooming types. I always buy several of each to extend the bloom time.
Brent and Becky’s Daffodil Favorites
What would spring be without the tulip? Think of the countless tulip festivals around the world and the incredible displays that this flower accomplishes.
Planting tulip bulbs can have a paint by numbers feel when they are planted in the fall. Seeing what happens the following spring can confirm your planting prowess or your need to order more bulbs. You can never have too many.
One of the things I love about Brent and Becky’s Bulbs is that they have more unique varieties than my local nurseries and big box stores.
Banja Luka has been a favorite yellow tulip with red striping.
Tulipa tarda is a delicate, unique tulip
Iris, technically a rhizome, brings color and texture to perennial late spring garden beds. The long bladed leaves provide great contrast to bushy foliage and the frilly flowers have a delicate beauty that is unique.
When the yellow iris are blooming in my garden, they often time their blooms to accompany the purple allium, which makes for a dramatic punch.
Iris can grow anywhere in height from 8-38” inches tall. I prefer taller varieties that fill areas quickly in spring, but can be cut back in summer to make room for later bloomers.
Featuring yellow perennial bulbs like tulips, crocus, daffodils, and iris brings the grey-green winter landscape back to life in spring.
Read more about colorful and unusual bulbs to plant in autumn. And how I add spring color to my vegetable garden with bulbs.
Spring Perennial Flowers
Perennial gardens take a little time to get up to speed. The early spring foliage is compact and tidy, giving the early garden a managed and organized look.
Eventually, as spring turns to summer, chaos occurs. Having a plant that fills a space is wonderful, but having a plant that takes over a space can become a battle. This is a fine line to walk in the perennial garden.
This list of yellow perennial flowers all do best in full sun gardens.
Moonshine yellow yarrow, Achillea x ‘Moonshine’, is an excellent spring perennial that can fill an area with visually interesting silver foliage and produces umbral flowers that bees and insects love.
I have planted Moonshine yarrow next to May Night Salvia, Salvia sylvestris, and appreciated the contrasting foliage and complementary purple color.
Moonshine Yarrow tends to stay in a tidy clump form and doesn’t spread aggressively by seed or root.
Photo courtesy of White Oak Gardens
Yellow Wild Indigo
Yellow Wild Indigo, Baptisia tinctoria, is another clumping shaped yellow perennial flower that can fill a space with both attractive foliage and flowers. A native plant to the midwest, it prefers well drained soil and space to grow.
When given a chance to establish it will grow more bush-like with deep prairie roots. Plan ahead when placing this plant, it does not transplant well and can outgrow a smaller space given time.
When the perennial garden is starting to gain momentum in early summer, the vegetable garden is still far from its glory in late August.
Having striking yellow foliage in the flower beds can contrast well with the annual vegetables. Perennial flowers draw scores of beneficial insects and pollinators into the front yard, which benefits the vegetable garden.
Moonbeam coreopsis, Coreopsis verticillata, is a compact yellow flower with lacy foliage that helps the plant perform double duty, providing both color and texture, in your garden. It’s low in stature, so planting it near the front edge of your beds will keep it from getting buried by taller, bushier plants.
My perennial flower bed near the road is often buried in the winter with snowbanks. The slow thawing snow bank proved to be too wet and heavy for this plant. It prefers the well-drained, drier soils in the beds near the house.
I’ve tried many annual and perennial rudbeckias throughout the years because they’re one of my favorite flowers. Many of them don’t come back for a second year, even if they’re labeled as perennial, and a few of them are bullies and take over.
Little Henry, Rudbeckia subtomentosa, is neither of those things! It’s well behaved and cheerily blooms for many weeks, delighting me every time I pass them by.
Photo courtesy of American Meadows
Stella D’Oro Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’, is one of those plants that wins the solid performer award. It’s more refined than the ditch lilies seen alongside rural roads, more gold and less orange, with long bloom times and compact shape that is about 2’ height and 2’ width.
Similar to the previous plants on the list, Stella D’ Oro has ornamental foliage that keeps a compact form and really shines when planted in a large clump or group.
Photo courtesy of Prairie Nursery
Purple Coneflower can be found everywhere in the prairies and home gardens of the Midwest, including mine. For a different take on this popular flower, try planting Yellow Coneflower, Ratibida Pinnata. It’s a native perennial also found in the open prairies and oak savannas of the Midwest.
Pollinators are attracted to the frilly flower heads and the green seed heads mature to brown and provide late season food to songbirds.
A tall slender plant, yellow coneflower fits perfectly in less formal prairie-like gardens. Its randomly popping flower heads stand out amongst layers of foliage and flowers.
Read more about my other favorite summer blooming perennials.
Rudbeckia Brown Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba, is a biennial prairie plant that fills the late summer and fall garden with vibrant yellow flowers capped with beautifully contrasting black seed heads.
Brown Eyed Susan came with my house when we purchased it in 2014. It would randomly self seed around the yard and next to the garage. After noting year after year how the blooms on this plant seemed to last for almost a month, I decided to transplant some first year plants into my perennial flower bed.
The unassuming foliage will be lost amongst its neighbors in the late summer garden, but the purplish flower stems and contrasting yellow flowers and black seed head make this a beauty in an informal garden setting.
Fireworks Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa, is a late summer, early fall flower that is aptly named. The flowers cascade from the plant like trails of sparks from a fourth of July pyrotechnic display.
The foliage emerges in spring with a dark green color and the plant’s form is a tight clump that will eventually spread to about 3’ to 4’.
Stout stems keep this plant upright and help prevent it from flopping over if grown without adjacent plant support in the form of cages, or similar tall prairie plants.
This foliage can get a little aggressive if allowed to grow into adjacent plants. The rhizomes of fireworks wrapped their way into the iris that I had growing next to it, so keeping this plant in place can require thinning.
It’s difficult to imagine a garden without yellow perennial flowers. Yellow is a symbol of sunshine, energy, joy and happiness, which are also words I would use to describe the act of gardening. This season, embrace the color yellow by sprinkling it throughout your garden in spring, summer and fall to energize and enliven your home landscape.
Additional Resources for How to Design a Flower Garden
If you’re like me you might always have a big pile of gardening books next to your favorite reading chair. There are so many good ones out there that sometimes it’s difficult to choose.
The titles below are my four favorite flower garden design books.
Click on the cover for more information.
Check out my other recommended garden tools, books, seeds, supplies and more in my Amazon storefront.
More flower garden articles:
- Perennial Flower Garden Design – The #1 Mistake
- Fabulous Flowers For Raised Beds
- Two Quick No-Dig Ways to Make a Flower Bed
- 5 Stunning Vegetable and Flower Garden Ideas
The post Yellow Perennial Flowers: Bring Sunshine to Your Yard appeared first on Creative Vegetable Gardener.


Try something new this garden season.
A new year brings fresh ideas for gardening come spring. Gardening has changed more than you may realize over the past few years. 2016 is your year to try something new, trendy and successful so you can take great pride in your backyard garden. It’s time to get out of your gardening rut and get fresh. Check out these updated garden ideas for planting and maintenance that you can try around your home this season.
It’s important to think about your layout first, maybe scratching it out on paper, then heading to your local gardening center. Your local gardening expert can further guide you to the right blooms that will match with your layout. Make sure the plants you select are region-appropriate and will flourish in your yard.
One important consideration is how much sun your yard gets as well as how much shade, and plan accordingly. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map indicates that Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma are around the 7a range, showing the average low temperature that plants will have to endure. Here is a helpful planting guide for zone 7 plants to show you when and how to best plant vegetables in your garden this spring.
The trend for 2016 is leaning towards vibrant colors, bold contemporary designs, unique outdoor lighting and locally grown plants, according to DIY Home Design Ideas. More specifically, look for flower bed designs featuring exotic color combos with similar shades and don’t have as much contrast.
A big trend this year goes beyond the simple flower garden and encompasses the concept of outdoor living. Your backyard doesn’t have to be defined by distinct areas of plant groupings. Instead, think about the big picture and incorporate beautiful vibrant garden designs into one cohesive look, blending a stone pathway, patio area, pool and hot tub, outdoor kitchen, fire pits, natural rock formations and water features. The goal is to enjoy your backyard, both in function and beauty.
SOFTSCAPING THE EDGES
Your first instinct when planting around walkways, garden areas, and patios may be to take the hardscaping approach: edging those areas with linear brick, concrete and terra-cotta patterns. Go with a softer option this year and try plants as your edging. They’re not only cost effective, they give you year-round enjoyment when you pick just the right blend of foliage and flowers. Plus, these soft edges don’t have to be as meticulously groomed to stay looking great, as brick and concrete do. If you absolutely must have brick edging, then try to soften the look with something like creeping Jenny to lighten up the stark contrast of the brick paving.
While vibrant colors are emerging onto the 2016 scene as the hot idea, another approach is also taking root: all-white or one-color flower beds. This is a sure way to add visual interest and a striking contrast to any landscape.
Of course, good drainage is essential to your yard and any surrounding bushes and plants. Trust LeafGuard of Oklahoma to provide you with seamless gutters that stand the test of time and promote the free flow of water through a durable one-piece construction. Happy gardening!


Delicious Fruits, Vegetables & More!
For 35 years, Fred’s Fruit Market in Orono, Ontario has been providing fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other products to those traveling up the 115.
Fresh, Local Produce
Over 75% of the produce available is grown on site at our Orono, Ontario fruit market location. The rest is brought in from local suppliers, ensuring everything available is fresh.
Family Owned & Operated Fruit Market
Fred’s Fruit Market was opened by Fred himself in 1969 and has remained a family owned and operated business ever since. His son Louis is now his partner in the business.


SPAIN | CASTILLA LA MANCHA | MUREDA
ABOUT BODEGAS MUREDA
Mureda is a family-owned winery boasting the largest organic vineyard surface in the world with over 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) planted. As an official organic wine grower, Mureda's vines are not exposed to any chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, which yields clean and healthy wines, modern in style with just a touch of real oak to add complexity and elegance without sacrificing fruit or personality.
ABOUT THE LAND
The warm location of the lands protects the area from the hot and humid Mediterranean winds which give a continental climate to the area with cold winters and hot summers with cool nights. The rains are very scarce, taking place in Spring and Fall. Everything favors the stress of the vineyard in the final stage of ripening. La Mancha is located over a plain surrounded by hills and grounds of limestone compositions with a subsoil of carbonate-calcium with extraordinary capacity to retain water.


FALL LANDSCAPING TIPS
Since our community is largely covered by Bermuda grass, we wanted to share some tips for keeping it healthy so that while it lies in dormancy for the Winter months we approach Spring with a lush, green lawn. If you choose to apply a pre-emergent, you should do so in early Fall and mid to late February. If you spray Roundup or similar on lawn weeds, it is best not to do this as wind can carry the chemical and damage other landscaping. If you do have weeds, the best way to get rid of them is the old-fashioned way, simply to dig them out one by one. Time consuming and tedious, yes, but still the best way to conquer!
Fall is also the best time to replace those dead bushes and trees!
Should you choose to aerate you lawn the best time to do this would be late spring or early summer. Since Bermuda is a warm weather grass, it is best to aerate in spring when the grass is starting its early growth. For lawn care tips, please refer to www.lawncareguide,org.


FUNTECK Plant Tying Machine for Grapes, Raspberries, Tomatoes and Vining Vegetables, Comes with Tapes, Staples and Two Replacement Blades,Orange
$36.99 - $34.99
(as of Oct 20,2022 17:03:40 UTC – Details)
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Very easy operation – Half press to catch tape and then a full press to staple and cut.
Time saver – This tying stapler makes trellising your plants much more efficient than using zip ties and cable ties.
A practical and economic way for nurserymen, tree growers, vineyards, and orchards to tie plants.
The tape tool can be used for different kinds of plants such as grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, flowers etc.
The plant tying tool comes with 10 rolls of tapes and a box of staples and ready to go.


With exciting things happening in New Jersey, we can’t forget our neighbors over the bridge! New York entrepreneurs Claudia Lake and Benjamin Kabin have opened their own home farm, proving that nothing can keep creative minds down.
A makeup artist and photojournalist respectively, the duo were left hanging when the city shut down. But like many, they knew the power of the pivot—and saw a clear need in NYC.
“Most growers who provide fresh food for New York aren’t in town,” says Lake. “We are hyper-local and need to travel less than five miles to deliver to most of our customers.”
Now, Newtown Creek Farms grows all its organic produce entirely indoors. The pair are able to pay individual attention to every crop—tailoring light, water, and air just-so.
“Brooklyn is vast and has a ton of food production and manufacturers,” says Kabin. “But most greeneries are on rooftops and gardens. We are indoors, making us a year-round farm. That in itself is unique.”
With their direct-to-consumer model, Newtown Creek Farms delivers the goods straight to local chefs. Some of their greens reach maturity in as little as 8 days, meaning they’re able to deliver a fresh, quality product quickly.
From radishes and broccoli to cilantro and salad mixes, Lake and Kabin are bringing locally-grown love, straight from garden to plate.
“Our love for the city, its food, and the arts gives us a colorful and tasty mix of plants,” says Lake. “Ben and mine’s combined understanding of food and artistic aesthetics helps us understand what chefs actually want and need.”
To learn more about Newtown Creek Farms, check out their website!
For everything Garden State, keep up with HipNewJersey.com.


2013 Memberships now available!
The Just Right CSA
A full share just $26 a week!
Community Supported Agriculture, Community Sustained Agriculture or CSA. Would you be interested in receiving an organic vegetable delivery? CSA programs are just that! They are a way for you as a consumer to become a part of our farm and receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to our farm you become a member of our CSA program. Payment is due up front beginning the CSA season.
The Perfect Size. Have you been a member of a CSA program in the past? Did you get out after a season or two because the deliveries were just too many vegetables? We have listened and learned from our members and we have redesigned our organic produce delivery program to fit your needs. We believe a share of vegetables from a CSA should be a compliment to your normal culinary lifestyle. It shouldn't overwhelm and be a burden. Our CSA program is meant to enhance 1 to 2 peoples home menus.
Your life. Your decision. We want you, our members to decide for yourselves how much you need a week. If you have a small family then 1 share will probably fit your needs. If you have a large family, then consider signing up for a double share. Our vegetarian and vegan friends out there might want to do the double share too.
The Cost. We've reduced our price from $30 a week to now only $26 a week. In the midst of a recession, life can be tough for us all. This shouldn't mean we sacrifice eating healthy and delicious food. We hope that a more reasonable share of vegetables can fit financially into your budget.
100% to the Community. We dedicate 100% of our time to growing for you. We do not wholesale any of our vegetables. Supermarkets are like everyone else. They want our very best too. When a farm wholesales vegetables to supermarkets and distributors, they are required to take the very best produce, package it up and send it off. This is called grading. You get our best vegetables without the interference of supermarkets stealing away your food.
100% Value. We do not have a retail price and a wholesale price. We give you, our members, the best price. Supermarkets and distributors expect farms to sell them produce at half price or less of what it is worth. This is another reason we don't wholesale. We don't think its fair to you, our CSA members, to charge you full price while selling it for considerably less to supermarkets and distributors.
24 Weeks. We don't deliver year round. We harvest our best vegetables during the 24 weeks we operate our organic vegetable delivery program.
Shop Online. You can now purchase your membership online! Please visit our shop online page to make your purchase. For more details on our CSA, please visit the CSA page. There is also a map of our delivery locations. You'll have to specify a location where you can pick up your vegetables when you check out.
Locations. We currently have two pickup locations in Austin. The first is down south off of Lamar and the second is up north off of 45th Steet. We also deliver to one location in New Braunfels and San Marcos as well as six locations in San Antonio. Click here to view our Delivery Locations. We also offer local organic vegetable delivery in Seguin, Texas.
Contact Us. If you have more questions, please call us at (830)379-0588 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.org


Jump Start Fertilizers
If you are a gardener with plants that you want to keep healthy, then you must identify the best jumpstart fertilizer that will make your plants flourish and become productive. You need to identify dealers with experience to help suggest for you the best fertilizer that will be very compatible with your plants and enable the old ones become young and the young ones become even more productive. In this case, you need growers with over a half a century experience who have garnered adequate skills on the various requirement of plants grown in different kinds of soils and the different kinds of species of plants. This way you will be sure that your gardener will be productive by using the best available fertilizers. It is important to ensure that the company you hire is well equipped to ensure that your garden with its plants is productive and healthy.
You need to deal with a brand of fertilizers recognized across boundaries to several countries because that way you can be sure you are investing in a product that can make your plants be healthier and productive. This means that you need a product that has been well scrutinized and has been proved to be productive and safe to use for both human beings, animals and the environment in general. This is the best way to invest in your plants without endangering the lives of those around you and even those that will benefit from your plants. You need to make sure that the staff that serve you with your product are well trained and understand your needs to ensure that you are able to get the best results. You need to work with a company that will give you the best services by ensuring that they listen to your needs before recommending a fertilizer or other farm products that will solve your garden problems and meet your expectations or even go beyond.
You need to work with a dealer that will give you the best services that will fit your given needs in a given point. This means that even when you are unable to purchase your farm products in person you can make an order and get your products shipped to you ion a good condition. Work with a dealer that has clear communication channels through which you can communicate to them and ensure that you are able to get your orders and in time. Always work with a reputable dealer with a track record that will assure you of top quality products that will serve your needs as you anticipate. You need a product that will introduce crucial minerals to your plants and ensure they become as productive as you expect them to be. This is the only way you can be sure that your investment in the fertilizer is not in vain. You need a product that can be used at any given stage of the plant’s life meaning that it will give you an opportunity to improve your crops’ production at all times.


I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where I am a Graduate Fellow at the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment and a member of an NSF-funded trans-institutional interdisciplinary project exploring agricultural adaptation to changing climate in Sri Lanka.
My research integrates survey data, geospatial data, remotely-sensed imagery, and qualitative data to identify the factors that moderate the effects of meteorological drought on surface water irrigation systems across space and time. I am particularly interested in using quantitative tools to explore political ecological and distributional dimensions of climate change and adaptation.
- Burchfield, E., Gilligan, J. (2016). Agricultural adaptation to drought in the Sri Lankan dry zone. Applied Geography, 77, 92-100.
- Burchfield, E., Gilligan, J. (2016). Dynamics of individual and collective agricultural adaptation to water scarcity. Winter Simulation Conference 2016 Proceedings.
- Burchfield, E., Nay, J., Gilligan, J. (2016). Application of machine learning to prediction of vegetation health. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. XLI-B2, 465-469, doi:10.5194/isprs-archives-XLI-B2-465-2016.
- Gunda, T., Benneyworth, L., Burchfield, E. (2015). Exploring water indices and associated parameters: A case study approach, Water Policy, 17(1), 98 – 111.
Papers Under Review
- Nay, J., Burchfield, E., Gilligan, J. (2016). A machine learning approach to forecasting remotely sensed vegetation health. Under review. Check out the project website here.
- Burchfield, E., Williams, N., Carrico, A. (2017). Assessing the expansion of a traditional drought adaptation strategy among rice farmers in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. Under review.
- Tozier de la Poterie, A., Burchfield, E., Carrico, A. (2017). Individual adaptation in collectively managed agricultural systems: evidence from Sri Lankan paddy farmers. Under review.
- Nelson, K., Burchfield, E. (2017). Effects of the structure of water rights on agricultural production during drought: A spatio-temporal analysis of California’s Central Valley. Revised and resubmitted. Working paper version can be found here.
- Burchfield, E., Tozier de la Poterie, A. (2017). Determinants of crop diversification in rice-dominated agricultural systems. Submitted.
Works in Progress
- Data-driven drought effect estimation, SESYNC Graduate Pursuit co-PI (more information here).
- Land-use variable drought response (with Katherine Nelson).
- Agent-based modeling of multiscalar determinants of agricultural adaptation (with Jonathan Gilligan).
- Scripts used in the projects mentioned above can be found at my git page.


Cassava ‘offers climate change hope’ for Africa
The cassava plant could help African farmers cope with climate change, a scientific report Is Cassava the Answer to African Climate Change Adaptation? says. ‘It’s like the Rambo of the food crops,’ said report author Andy Jarvis, of the Colombia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture.
‘Whilst other staples can suffer from heat and other problems of climate change, cassava thrives.’ said Mr Jarvis. The root crop is already one of the most widely consumed staple foods on the continent. But the report also stresses the need for more research to make cassava more resistant to pests and disease. Last November, UN scientists warned that a virus was attacking the crop, nearing an epidemic in parts of Africa. Viral infections have periodically wiped out the crop in some regions leading to famine. We have very few good stories where we see crops doing equal or better under climate change and finally we’ve found one with cassava’.
According to the researchers of the report it is now the second most important source of carbohydrate on the continent, where it is consumed by around 500 million people every day. Cassava outperformed six other staple crops in sub-Saharan Africa – potato, maize, bean, banana, millet, and sorghum – in 24 climate prediction models, the report says. The plant grows well in high temperatures and if drought hits it ‘shuts down’ until the rains come again, the scientists said. ‘We have very few good stories where we see crops doing equal or better under climate change and finally we’ve found one with cassava,’ Mr Jarvis told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.
Read the full article: BBC News
More about population and food


Make Your Own Fire Cider with Brooke Walsaw of Terrior Herbals
Brooke will be walking participants through the step-by-step instructions in creating your very own fire cider. What is fire cider? Fire cider is basically spicy herbal vinegar, often sweetened with a little honey. It is taken by the dropperfull or spoonful, depending on the cider’s strength and imbiber’s palette. Make it spicey, make it mild, make it your own in this fun, interactive workshop.
Preserve Your Harvest with Jana Vanderhaar of Verdant Connections
Jana has spent the last 20 years creating a beautiful permaculture-inspired backyard and knows a thing or two about how to best and easily keep your garden feeding you well beyond harvest season.
Learn how to make your own tomato sauce in this bijou in-person workshop offered by GrowingNV in partnership with Reno’s Inaugural Local Food Faire.
Jana will be on hand to help attendees learn what tools are needed, simple tips and tricks on how to can beyond just the terrific tomato well as storage times and warning signs to look out for! Workshop attendees will leave with her tomato sauce recipe and a goodie bag full of local food fun.
Seed Starting with Botanical Interest Representative Shelley Brant
Want to learn more about how to grow your own food? It starts with the seed! No matter if you have a bay window, containers or a little raised bed, it’s very much possible to connect to the joy of seeing a seed sprout into something beautiful and delicious!
From what seeds perform well in our region, to the best tips and tricks in regards to starting a garden, workshop participants will leave not only with a goodie bag full of local food fun (including a few free packets of seeds) but also feel more informed, empowered and inspired to start growing their own food from seed!


By Pete Malcolm
Most people engage in various activities to pass time and enjoy themselves. These activities help to take their minds off their everyday worries and let them relax. Gardening is a hobby of choice for many individuals. Gardening for pleasure is about planting various species of plants and nature in your garden and tending to them faithfully. The main challenge facing your gardening hobby is pests that may infest your gardens. Weed killer supplies help people curb this problem and deal with it permanently.
The control of pests is classified into two main categories. They are the selective methods and the non-selective methods with the main difference being their application process. The selective measures target specific kinds of weeds while the non-selective ones kill all the weeds in a particular location. The price is also another distinguishing factor for these products. The selective ones are generally more expensive and have less adverse effects on the environment. However, the non-selective types are typically more popular among consumers. They have many uses in the control of destructive pests.
However, if you’re not careful about the application of these chemicals, you may cause great damage to the plants. People should be cautious about the orders they place online for different kinds of products. Even the products purchased from offline stores also need the individual to be cautious about the choices that they make –this is so that they can avoid damages to their plants. They have to read the instructions before using the products so that they can know to apply them and achieve their objectives.
Farmers also have the option of using organic pest control measures. The current world leaders in agriculture grapple with the effects of environmental pollution. Many effects have resulted from the pollution by various agents and most of the artificial chemicals are responsible for the pollution. Organic measures reduce these negative effects and make it possible to keep the ecological balance. Nature has its own way of releasing the natural chemicals through natural cycles.
The non-organic chemicals tend to accumulate in the environment. They are not part of the natural cycles and their concentrations keep rising with the increase of their use. When farmers spray their products with the chemicals, they get into the plant systems and some of them dissolve into the ground. It builds up in the farms and rain water washes it off into the water systems therefore contaminating them. Water bodies are infested with water hyacinth and reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, which kills the water organisms. People have the option of using some household commodities to manage the infestation of pests that are cheap and widely available. They protect the environment from contamination of artificial products.
Among the worst polluters of the environment are the aerosol sprays. They damage the ozone layer and cause it to fail in its purpose which then allows the harmful UV rays from the sun to penetrate. These affect the human skin by causing infections such as skin cancer and other harmful diseases. People should therefore adopt the organic weed killer supplies in pest control in order to get their full benefits and advantages.
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
One of the hard parts
For the most part, getting rid of our car has been a lot easier than I expected. I don't miss it much at all. There are a few hard parts. Getting the kids to doctor's appointments can be a challenge. And gardening tasks can be tricky without a car. And I do a lot of gardening.
The trailer helps a lot. The other day I was able to transport these tomato seedlings to one of my garden projects (a really fun shared backyard garden). We started these plants under lights in our basement (a little too soon) and grew tall and leggy. They seemed to handle the ride pretty well. I rode carefully and none of the plants broke. I used the cart for pepper seedlings, too.
I had to rent a zipcar pickup truck to haul salt marsh hay bales (for mulch) and also tossed my cucumber seedlings in the truck. They did not like the pick up ride (or transplanting in general).
Gardening can require a fair amount of hauling of heavy, bulky material, and a car or minivan definitely makes it easier. Still, we've managed pretty well even without it. And I'm getting in great shape from riding to all the different gardens (they're pretty close to home--the farthest is about 3.2 miles round trip, but up a pretty big hill on the way there).