|
Detoxify your home with potted plants |
|
|
|
Indoor pot plants like ferns, palms, and orchids can do wondrous
things. Not only do they add colour and texture to our homes and help us
feel more relaxed, but best of all, they pull pollutants out of the
air.
The humble fern's ability to combat indoor air pollution was first
discovered by NASA in the 1980s. Researchers determined that 50 types of
ordinary houseplants can absorb volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).
|
|
|
Winter is an ideal time to spray for scale insects |
|
Pernicious Scale on Bay Tree
|
Scales are tiny parasitic insects that adhere to plants and live off
the plant’s sap. They look like bumps and are often mistaken for a
disease. There are some 7,000 species of scale insects, varying greatly
in colour, shape and size. Scales often go unnoticed by the gardener,
but they can do damage out of all proportion to their size. They can
quickly infest leaves, twigs, branches and fruit, and are found all
year round.
Scale is more prevalent in shady or protected places of the garden
like walled courtyard and patios, than in open areas. They can be hard
or soft and like aphids, mealy bug and Australian bug, scale insects
secrete honeydew which attracts ants. Ants crawling up and down the
plant are a sign of possible scale infestation.
|
|
The strawberry tree is an excellent tree for coastal gardens or in a sheltered spot inland |
|
|
Strawberry Tree - Arbutus unedo
This unusual evergreen is native to the Mediterranean region where it is most common; it can also be found in Western Europe, north to western France, and Ireland. It has an unusual dome-shape and broad, glossy dark green leaves with serrated margins. It can be trained to grow as a bushy shrub or small single-stemmed tree. The hanging clusters of urn-shaped flowers appear in late summer. They are usually white, but can occasionally be flushed with pink.
|
|
What to do and what not to do in your garden, in June |
|
Camellia japonica
|
All Regions
June is a quiet time in cold gardens and most plant growth is at a standstill. In the winter rainfall regions the rain has arrived and the soil can be sodden and gardening unpleasant; but in the subtropical regions the temperatures are perfect for gardening.
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 11 12 13 14 15 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 15 of 15 |
| | |
