The word “Native” is an ambiguous definition when it comes to plants. Native to where? To North America? To a geographic region? To your entire state, county, or just your neighborhood? Plants don’t read books, but they are smart; they simply grow where they have suitable conditions for success. All plants have adopted strategies and mechanisms that send cues and signals to attract pollinators that form the foundation of our earthly balance between all plants and animals. Going All Native? Not So Fast! Maybe a gardener will choose to put in plants for a specific habitat or pick plants that […]
Author: Jaclyn Johnsen
5 Things Gardeners Should Know Before Getting a Chicken Coop
Go behind the hype and find out the good, the bad, and the ugly about using chickens to help manage your garden. Learn how to get the good without all the rest! In this article, we discuss how helpful chickens really are as pest control and fertilizer producers for a household vegetable garden. You’ll also learn the most effective strategies for managing your birds without harming your garden plants, and for growing your garden without harming your hens. My parents had me crawling around the garden before I could walk, and I was busy seeding, weeding, and harvesting by the […]
Growing Citrus in Containers
Have you ever visited a place where citrus trees grow? The sight of those beautiful trees may leave you wishing you could grow your own citrus. Luckily, citrus can be grown in containers, even in northern climates. Citrus trees offer many benefits to gardeners. Grafting has created compact varieties of citrus that bear fruit at an early age and are suitable for growing in containers. In addition to edible fruit, the trees produce fragrant flowers, which often bloom during winter. You also gain the satisfaction of growing citrus fruit in your home. Before growing citrus, it’s essential to know what […]
Tomatoes: Starting & Growing Frequently Asked Questions
Tomatoes are a popular choice for a vegetable garden. They come in a variety of types, sizes, and colors. They are great for cooking, canning, and eating raw. Growing tomatoes doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve taken some of the most frequently asked questions to help give you a great start to this year’s growing season. When Should You Start The Tomato Seed Indoors? Tomato seeds should be started approximately 6 weeks prior to your last average frost date. How Long Does It Take For A Tomato Seed To Germinate? Most tomato seeds will germinate in about a week. What […]
Bareroot vs Potted Plants: What Is The Difference?
Bareroot or Potted Plants? That Is The Question. Just like Hamlet, who asks himself the simple question, “To be or not to be?”, we sometimes let our minds delve way too deeply into basic questions and we can slip into a sort of contemplative paralysis. Instead of allowing ourselves to be immobilized by such a simple choice, all home gardeners should rejoice at the sheer number of selections and wide availability of plants at our fingertips. A never-ending variety of edible and ornamental shrubs and trees have never been so available to us, thanks to the connectiveness of the internet. […]
Choosing The Right Vine For The Right Space
Vines and climbing plants have an almost mystical way of enticing us in. They connect us and our man-made structures to the earth. Vines soften hardscapes and can offer a wall of green for privacy. Many vining plants can provide a curtain of nectar flowers for hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators. Some vines are exotic, and some are native that just look like they are exotic. Here are some suggestions and growing tips to make the most out of vines. Selecting Your Location Just like choosing any other garden plant, we must first ask some simple questions; Where will this […]
Growing Vegetables Indoors From Seed
When I was younger, I discovered a packet of cucumber seeds in the kitchen. Having never grown a plant from seed before, I was eager to plant one and see what would happen. I quickly found a container in the garage and sowed the seed. A few days later, the seedling emerged from the soil and later became a full-sized plant that produced the first cucumber I had ever grown. The excitement of watching one seed grow began my interest in gardening and I’ve been hooked ever since. Growing a plant from seed is one of the most exciting experiences […]
Black Knot Fungus: Treatment & Prevention
Black Knot is a common fungal disease that affects different species of Prunus, such as cherry, peach, and plums. This type of fungus spreads mainly by spores carried on the wind in spring to infect new trees, however, the galls or knotty growths are not noticeable until late summer or even fall, after trees have lost their leaves. Now is the time to develop a prevention plan. What Is Black Knot Fungus Apiosporina morbosa is the responsible pathogen for the disease called Black Knot, which creates symptoms of black, knotty growths or galls that form on twigs, limbs, and sometimes […]
Fancy Foliage: 8 New Plants To Adorn The Garden
Often considered secondary to flowering perennials, these ornate plants enhance a landscape with richness, color, and texture through stately refinement and grace. They can be added to complement your existing design or as a foundation for an all-new garden. Jung Seed Company is excited to offer eight new plants to adorn the garden. Ferns Perennial ferns come in a variety of colors and shapes. They are an excellent addition to shade gardens. Ferns grow well with hostas and heuchera. Jurassic Gold Fern This fern is full of amazing color transitions. The new foliage emerges in tones of orange then fades […]
Create A Mardi Gras Themed Garden
American Mardi Gras first began around 1699 near New Orleans by a French-Canadian explorer named Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. Although Mardi Gras can be traced back as far as the 17th century in Europe. While it started off with religious practices, it has since become more of a general celebration. Mardi Gras Day is filled with music, parades with floats, parties, and food. Mardi Gras is well known for the colors associated with this celebration – green, purple, and gold. The history behind the colors is a fascinating one dating back to 1872 when the King of the Carnival proclaimed […]