What is a Navy Bean? It’s rather obvious, but I’m going to mention it anyway – navy beans are not navy in color. In fact, they are small white beans. Why call them navy beans? Navy beans were named as such because they were a staple food in the United States Navy during the early 20th century. Navy beans and other dried beans are known as Phaseolus vulgaris and are referred to as “common beans” because they all come from a common bean ancestor that originated in Peru....

About Aristolochia and Butterflies Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla) is a vining plant native to eastern North America and thrives in USDA zones 4 to 8. There are a number of other types of Aristolochia, most of which are sought after as a primary food source for the Pipevine swallowtail butterfly. It seems that the aristolochic acids of these plants serves as a feeding stimulant as well as provides a habitat for eggs with a feeding ground for the resulting larvae....

Earliana Plant Info The tomato ‘Earliana’ variety is a longstanding member of the American seed catalog. It was first developed in the 19th century by George Sparks in Salem, New Jersey. Legend has it that Sparks grew the variety from a single sport plant he found growing in a field of Stone variety tomatoes. Earliana was released commercially in 1900 by the Philadelphia seed company Johnson and Stokes. At the time, it was the earliest producing variety of tomato available....

What Does Quackgrass Look Like? Quackgrass identification is pretty easy. As suggested by its name, quackgrass is a grass. The leaves will be broader than lawn type grasses and the grass blades will also have a rough, almost burr-like feel to them when you run your fingers along the blade. The roots will be thick and white. If the quackgrass is pulled out of the ground, you may notice that the roots break easily and often pieces of the roots will stay in the soil after the plant is removed....

Euphorbia Baseball Plant Info There is a wide array of Euphorbia species. They range from cactus-like spiny plants to thickly padded succulents and even shrubby, woody plants with veined leaves. Baseball plant was first documented in 1897, but by 1915 Euphorbia obesa was considered endangered due to its popularity, which led collectors to pirate the natural population. This rapid decline in the population led to an embargo on plant material and an emphasis on seed collection....

Why Should You Feed Nut Trees? If you don’t fertilize your trees regularly, you may ask why you should do it at all. Should you feed nut trees? Yes! When your kids get hungry, you feed them. As a gardener, you need to do the same thing for your nut trees. That’s what fertilizing nut trees is all about. For a nut tree to produce nuts, it needs an adequate supply of essential nutrients....

What is Firewitch Dianthus? Named the perennial plant of the year in 2006, Firewitch dianthus (Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’) was actually created by a German horticulturist in 1957, where it was named Feuerhexe. In 1987, United States horticulturists began to propagate and grow Firewitch flowers and they have been a much-loved border plant for zones 3 to 9 ever since. Blooming in May and June, their deep pink or magenta flowers are a beatific contrast against the blue-green, silvery, grass-like foliage....

About Fish Emulsion Use Fish emulsion, or fish fertilizer for plants, is a fast-acting, organic liquid fertilizer made from the byproducts of the fishing industry. It is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, plus trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, and sodium. Benefits to Using Fish Emulsion Not only is fish fertilizer an organic option, it is made from fish parts that would otherwise be wasted. It contains plenty of nutrients for quick absorption by plants....

When provided with cool temperatures and moist but well-draining soil, five spot will put on a long display. However, it can struggle and die back in the intense heat of summer. Growing five spot in winter and autumn can ensure bountiful blooms when many other plants are just starting or fading out. Read on to learn more about five spot winter care. Does Five Spot Grow in Winter? Although five spot plants are not frost tolerant, they are grown as annuals around the world in any hardiness zone....

Using a Metal Ring for Containers Rings, which come with installation hardware, are usually found in black or silver, but they’re easily spray painted to match your décor. If you’re unsure how to use a ring to hold a flowerpot, the following simple ideas may get you started: Freeing up space for more plants? If you’re running out of space for plants, flowerpot mounting rings allow you to take advantage of unused wall space....

Flowers for Veteran’s Day November 11th sees us all sporting Veteran’s Day poppies on our lapels, but you can plant the real thing as a lasting symbol of commemoration. They were first associated with the fallen by the John McCrae poem, Flanders Field, which describes the vibrant flowers blooming at the site of World War I battles. Other plants for veterans are often in hues of red, white, and blue – colors represented in our nation’s flag....

Fortune Apple Tree Info For over 125 years, Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station has been developing new apple cultivars. One of these, Fortune, is a recent development that is a 1995 cross between Empire and Schoharie Spy, a red variant of Northern Spy. These late season apples shouldn’t be confused with Laxton’s Fortune or the Sister of Fortune cultivars. As mentioned, Fortune apples have a distinct spiciness combined with a flavor that is more tart than sweet....

What is a Fried Egg Plant? The fried egg tree, or Gordonia plant, is native to Southeast Asia where it is known as Polyspora axillaris. It is also referred to by its other scientific names of Franklinia axillaris and Camellia exillaris. This interesting plant thrives in swampy areas along the Atlantic and in the Gulf Coastal Plains in the United States. Gordonia is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 16 feet (4....

Strawberry Plants and Frost Frost can decimate an entire berry crop, especially if the berries have been exposed to warming temperatures. A freeze following warm spring weather can be devastating. And strawberries are particularly susceptible to frost damage since they are often in bloom before the last frost free date. Strawberry blossoms are most sensitive to frost right before and during opening. At this juncture, temperatures below 28 F. (-2 C....

Can You Eat Fuchsia? The French monk and botanist Charles Plumier discovered fuchsia on the island of Hispaniola in the late 1600’s. It was apparent to the natives at the time that there was no fuchsia plant toxicity, and Plumier wrote a great deal on the flavor and medicinal uses of the plant. There are now over 100 species of this versatile flowering plant, which are spread in the warmer Americas and into New Zealand....

What is Rose Picker’s Disease? I had never heard of rose picker’s disease or the Sporothrix schenckii fungus until about eight years ago now. Had someone told me about this before, then I would have thought they were joking due to my being a Rosarian. However, the disease and the fungus became very real to me when my dear mother fell into a climbing rose bush in her backyard. She got several puncture wounds from that fall and a few nasty cuts....

Encouraging Nature Play Children respond to nature like flowers respond to bees. Their world is opened up and further beauty and wonder become apparent while new ideas and ways of looking at things are born. Giving your child this look into nature and all its possibilities is a gift of love and develops an appreciation for the planet that will last well into adulthood. Encouraging nature play starts by involving children in outdoor activities and fostering their natural curiosity....

Hobby Greenhouse Necessities Installing the greenhouse is only the first step on your indoor growing adventure. There are many other things to consider like lighting, temperature and humidity control, watering, sanitation, and even the type of benches you’d prefer. Storage bins can help protect delicate soil mixes from invading pests and disease. Below you’ll find a general greenhouse supply list, broken into the major types of items every greenhouse needs eventually....

How to Grow Kale Although kale is quite versatile, there is a proper way for planting kale in the garden in order to attain the healthiest growth. Kale prefers well-drained soil in sunny locations but will tolerate shade too. This means you should choose your garden area wisely, as kale grows best when planted after the soil reaches temperatures of 60 to 65 F. (16-18 C.). However, hot weather can turn it bitter, so you may want to mulch the ground to protect from too much heat and to keep down weeds....

Types of Banana Pepper Banana peppers are long, slender fruits with waxy skin and minimal seeds. Use them as an appetizer or sliced on a sandwich. While there are different types of banana peppers that can be grown in the home garden, the Sweet Banana is the most common of the banana peppers. Banana peppers are ready for harvest in about 70 days after transplant, but the hot variety of banana pepper needs a longer growing season....