Gardening Talk

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a hardy perennial vegetable, best suited to cooler climates. It tolerates frost well. The succulent shoots emerge in early spring from the underground crown. Packed with vitamins and minerals, high in fibre, and absolutely delicious when fresh and well cooked, asparagus is growing in popularity.

The male and female asparagus plants are distinct (it is dioecious). The female plants produce (and drop) seeds, which can cause over-crowding if not controlled, and are lower-yielding and more disease prone. New “all male” hybrids produce no seeds and bigger yields (up to 3 times the yield).

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Pink Carnations.

In 1908, Anna Jarvis chose dianthus caryophyllus (pink carnation) as the emblem of Mother’s Day, a celebration she campaigned to create that became a U.S. public holiday in 1914. Today, it is one of the most widespread public holidays. Carnations are also widely used for other celebrations and important occasions such as weddings, funerals and Velentine’s Day.

The “pink” in pink carnation actually refers to the frilled edges of the flower. Pinking shears were named after flower, as they produce a similar frilled edge on fabric. It has been suggested that the colour got it’s name from the flower, rather than the other way round.

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Bromeliads for the
Contemporary Garden.

Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a diverse family of plants endemic to Central and South America. They are a durable, colorful and exotic plant that grows well indoors or in a pot. The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family, but so are 3000 other species ranging from tiny air-plants to terrestrial plants reaching 10m in height.

Around half of the bromeliads are epiphytes, meaning they attach themselves to the truck or branches of trees and shrubs. Epiphytes are not parasites, as they gather the moisture and nutrients they need from the air and what they catch falling from above. If you don’t have a tree handy, they can be mounted to a piece of (untreated) wood or cork bark.

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Easter Lilies are a fragrant lily, with white trumpet-like flowers that blooms around Easter in the Northern Hemisphere (spring). Their popularity makes them the fourth-largest potted floral crop. They were originally native to Southern Japan and Taiwan, but are now grown around the world in cool climate regions.

Peak flowering period is late Spring to early Summer. Potted Easter Lilies are unlikely to flower again unless replanted outside.

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Mowing with a Brill
push reel lawnmower

Push reel mowers are undergoing a revival in popularity. Not only are they friendly to the environment (no air or noise pollution), they are also inexpensive to purchase and operate (no fuel), and many people find them an enjoyable form of exercise.

Modern reel mowers are light and easy to push. However it is definitely worthwhile to keep the blades sharp, as blunt blades will make the reel mower significantly harder to use. Sharpening kits for most models of mowers are available, and well worth the investment.

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