Watch the Show: Grow a Venus Fly Trap!

Okay, all you “Little Shop of Horrors” fans out there, this article’s for you! Just kidding. Of course many gardeners, musical fans or not, might enjoy the subject of this entry, namely, the Venus Flytrap. The Venus Flytrap is such an amazing plant due to its carnivorous nature. Excitingly, an owner or visitor with a watchful eye can actually view the flytrap in action. Its color and scent it gives off act as a magnet for unsuspecting flying insects. Inside the mouth of the plant, there are several hairs that act as triggers, alerting the green carnivore when touched by a tasty intruder. When a fly or other insect touches two of those hairs, the “jaws” of the plant close, trapping its prey. The Venus Flytrap is indigenous to North and South Carolina in the United States, but with the proper environment, can be grown and admired anywhere.

Flytraps do need a warm and humid climate to thrive and grow, so unless this is true where you live, you will need to grow your plant indoors instead of out. A controlled environment like a terrarium will suffice, and is necessary to begin growing a flytrap even if transferring it outdoors at a later time. When outdoors, your garden hose reel can supply the necessary water, but indoors, a checking of the soil by touch, and often will be necessary. Also, tap water is extremely harmful to the finicky flytrap, so if outside, attach your hose to a rain barrel that collects the rain water as it falls to be administered later to your flytrap. Indoors, bottled water will work sufficiently or take some from your outdoor rain barrel or other rain-capturing receptacle for later use. Transferring your purchased plant from its pot to your terrarium or outside spot if climate permits, is very much like transferring any other houseplant. You must make sure to take the entire root system with as little handling or disturbing as possible. A peat moss and sand mixture will work best as the moss absorbs water and the sand drains well. If encased in a terrarium, it will be necessary to spray the soil each day to keep it moist; if outside, it is good to keep a dish of water underneath your Venus, and simply keep that dish filled, and sprinkle water from it daily over the plant soil’s surface. Your flytrap will flower each year because the Venus self-pollinates. As your plant grows and matures, new bulbs with “mouths” will form and can be transferred to new pots or left together, your choice.

You will find the Venus Flytrap to be the most interesting plant you’ve ever grown, and will most likely look to grow more of them, intrigued by their unique nature. If taken care of, your flytrap will live up to a decade and beyond.


About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel and landscaping.

Time To Grow Thyme? Of Course, Always!

Everyone surely is aware of the delicious attributes thyme brings to the dinner table, but besides cooking, thyme has many other uses that help to make it one of the most popular herbs grown by gardeners today. Its edible medicinal properties extend helpfulness into many areas of daily life, and its wondrous scent is intoxicatingly fragrant, making it a wonderful addition as décor, inside and out. Thyme’s hardiness allows it to flourish in many geographical locations, including many in the United States, making it a favorite for gardeners in the Americas. Growing thyme in your garden, inside or out, is an endeavor well worth undertaking.

An extremely attractive attribute of thyme, especially from a grower’s standpoint, is its ability to for the most part take care of itself once it has taken root. Equally happy under paving stones, lining a wispy garden path, or even as part of an entire “lawn” bed, thyme is able to flourish even in harsh, dry climates where water is scarce. Of course, in your garden, water should be plentiful, supplied by your hose reel when the soil feels dry to the touch. Thyme is more easily started in your garden from a start, rather than seed, and many varieties should be present at your local nursery that would grow most hospitably in your area. There are nearly 350 species of thyme, each with different characteristics, including flower color and scent. As thyme is a member of the mint family, some varieties possess a minty scent, while others display scents of rose, lavender, lemon, and even orange. Imagine how delightful an evening stroll down your garden path would be surrounded in the emanating scent of orange or lemon!

Thyme will grow well indoors in containers if the space at your home is limited, and its scent wafting throughout your sunroom, kitchen, and the like will be much appreciated. Keep in mind, if you have space outdoors, that thyme will grow and flourish, even in winter months, so do not shy away from putting it near an outdoor swing, reading nook, or meditation bench, as it is hardy and will provide pleasurable scents all year. To harvest thyme for whatever use you have in mind, simply clip off a bit of the extended sprigs, and you’re good to go. Thyme may be used fresh in cooking or dried as well. Dried thyme is an excellent addition to a hot bath, a digestive aid and throat soother in a cup of warm tea, and can even aid in dandruff treatment and prevention in hair rinses. With so many uses for thyme and its relative ease in growing and tending, there is always time to grow thyme!


About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Keeping Your Holiday Poinsettia Looking Festive

Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a beautiful red poinsettia in bloom. Poinsettias have been a part of holiday celebrations ever since the Mexican flower was brought to the United States in 1925 by the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico and botanist, Joel Roberts Poinsett. Their beautiful crimson flowers and green leaves bear the colors of Christmas proudly in a way no other houseplant can. Their place is so ingrained in American life and Christmas celebration that they even have their own day to celebrate the flower and Poinsett’s beautiful contribution: December 12th is National Poinsettia Day in the United States. With attention to several easy details concerning their care, you can ensure your poinsettia retains its beauty through the holiday season and even beyond.

Poinsettias enjoy sunlight, but not full, direct exposure. Your poinsettia plant is more delicate and will experience its best growth if its required six hours of daily sun are diffused through a shade or curtain to curtail the wilting produced by direct sun exposure. Moist soil is essential, so while your plant is indoors, water it daily or whenever the soil is dry to the touch. After the holidays if the weather is warm enough and threat of frost has passed, your plant may be moved outdoors, its daily water may be administered with your hose reel, but while inside, a pitcher, spray bottle, or any receptacle will suffice. While indoors, you must control the poinsettia’s climate, 68-70 degrees is the most suitable range for your plant to flourish and bloom. Common houseplant fertilizer may be administered once a month (not while the plant is in bloom) to make sure the proper pH balance of the plant’s soil is maintained. Though your poinsettia might look fantastic perched on a mantle, this is to be avoided as excessive heat and alternately, cool drafts are harmful to its health. Proper drainage is essential for your plant, for sitting in standing water is extremely detrimental to its growth and overall health, as with most houseplants. Whether in its purchased container or transplanted within a more decorative one, drainage is of utmost importance.

By following these easy maintenance tips, your poinsettia can add its beauty to your holiday arrangements, holding onto its red flowers as long as possible. You and your holiday guests will appreciate and admire its lush reds and greens, helping your home’s decor instill the spirit of the holidays to all who enter!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Lemons in Your Living Room

“Plant a seed and watch it grow”, isn’t that how the old adage goes? Often times, simply planting a seed does not actually ensure growth, prosperity, or a coming harvest; of this, all gardeners are aware. Growing plants from seed to harvest often requires patience, perseverance, and vigilant care. Some plants also require ample space to grow, and this fact often discourages budding gardeners that happen to be spatially-hampered, whether living in an apartment, condo, or otherwise yard-deprived home. The excellent adaptability and growing characteristics inherent to lemons can allow an indoor gardener to, in all actuality, simply grab a seed from a store-bought lemon, plant it in a pot, and watch it grow. This could be ill-advised, however, if, unbeknownst to the grower, the plant from which the lemon came naturally grows to a height of fifteen feet or more! For this reason, it might be a better idea to visit your local nursery to find a lemon variety whose growth properties are more conducive to your space and lifestyle.

An excellent, hardy variety of lemon which could be a perfect fit for your living room is the Meyer lemon. Meyer lemons produce medium sized fruit that are extremely juicy, and the plant itself exhibits white blossoms which are at the same time quite lovely and fragrant. At your local nursery, you should look for specimens that are currently container grown, indicative of their ability to adapt to this style of gardening at your house. Houseplants in general, grow most successfully in slightly-acidic soil, so a soil mixture found at your lawn and garden store with a slightly-acidic pH should work excellently. A well-draining container (the larger, the better) helps promote growth of your houseplant “crop”, and situating it in a sunny spot with southern exposure will be very advantageous as well. An advantage to growing indoors is of course your ability to exercise extreme control over the plant’s environment, even supplementing the necessary sunlight with an artificial light when necessary. Your lemon plant needs soil that is kept moist while not being excessively wet; this is why adequate drainage is required. Indoor plants are most probably not watered using your hose reel, but instead should be diligently watered using a misting bottle and pitcher daily. While bees would naturally help in the pollination of your plants outdoors, indoors, you will need to be the bee. Often your plants will produce fruit without your aid in this matter, but transferring of pollen from the male plant (with the stamens) using a Q-tip to the female plant (with the pistils and small fruit) will help ensure juicy fruits will reward your hard work in the future.

As your lemon plant grows, visitors will exclaim with delight at the fragrant smells wafting within your living room and line up to taste the fruit you produce in homemade pies, lemon bars, lemonade, and more!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Seasoning for All Seasons: Grow Your Herbs in Pots

Gardening is a productive hobby that should and can be enjoyed by all, not only those who are backyard endowed. An exciting project for the budding gardener, and even children with a hint of green thumb interest, is growing herbs of various sorts in pots and containers. Container or pot gardening is extremely beneficial for city dwellers, as little space is to be had, and little space is needed. A fire escape terrace can be made oh, so much more inviting by adding a little greenery to all that metal. Small spaces are actually quite conducive to herb growth, making an herb garden an ideal candidate for one’s first foray into backyard gardening, especially if space is limited, as when there is no backyard at all.

If your household is one that enjoys eating well, and you and your family especially enjoys cooking, an herb garden should be especially attractive. Adding herbs to your favorite recipes, especially fresh herbs grown in your own little garden will only increase exponentially the wonderful tastes you bring to your dinner table each and every night. Depending of what kinds of cooking you naturally gravitate to, be it Mexican, French, Italian cuisine, etc., a special pot or grouping of pots can be tailored to grow for each style. Now for the growing preparations, because taste buds are growing impatient with all this tasty talk!

Find a pot or pots that have excellent drainage, because you never want the water added from your hose reel to sit in your potting soil, increasing the chances of mold formation. Your potting soil will need be of a high grade and can be purchased at your local garden store. While you are at your garden shop, of course, you’ll peruse the seed section, and find the herbs you require for your styles of cooking. Cilantro would add savory goodness to your Mexican dishes, and you can never go wrong growing basil or thyme because they add so much to a wide range of dishes from poultry to vegetables. Now that you’ve picked out your soil, pots, and seeds, it’s time to go home and get that growing started. Set up your pots, either inside or on your back terrace (fire escape will do nicely) and fill them 3/4s full with your high quality soil. Plant your selected herbs, water them nicely, and then cover them with a little straw or similar mulching material in order to keep the precious moisture in. Watering your herbs diligently each day, while allowing them ample, but never too much sun, will ensure quick and successful growth. In no time, you, your family, and lucky dinner guests will be reaping the taste rewards from your potted paradise!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Carrots, Different Colors, Shapes, and Sizes, All Nutritious

If I were a carrot, I would be up at arms; in surveys worldwide, it always comes in second to the potato in popularity. The potato is a delicious and nutritious vegetable, easily adaptable to many ways of cooking and varied recipes, no doubt, but the carrot’s virtues are plentiful as well. Like the potato, the carrot comes in a multitude of eye-pleasing colors: orange, white, yellow, red, and maroon to name a few. While carrots do grow in the wild, most are familiar with the cultivated carrot that most commonly makes its way to the world’s dinner tables. There exist several hundred varieties of carrots with over fifty different kinds of seeds readily available. Carrots are extremely rich in nutritional value and are such hearty growers; no backyard garden should be without them.

Of the two large subdivisions of the cultivated carrot, Eastern or Western carrots, Western carrots are the most popular grown and can be divided into three smaller categories by length. Short-rooted varieties mature the quickest and are harvested earliest. The most common commercially grown carrot variety is the medium-rooted type and the deepest growing, long-rooted variety demands the most thoroughly worked soil and requires the longest time to grow and mature before harvest. Depending on climate and geographical location, a particular variety may be more adaptable to your backyard garden. If growing in containers in an artificially lit, climate-controlled area, the only limits that could apply would be size and length of carrot, of course dependent on the room your containers provide. Thumbelina and Chantenays, both shorter growing varieties in both length and maturation, are excellent choices for spatially limited, container gardening. Chantenay’s taste especially sweet, with a brilliantly rich orange or red skin that maintains quite a crisp crunch and provides its eater with the essential Vitamin A needed for excellent healthy vision.

All carrots, regardless of color contain vitamins and minerals that are extremely useful to human health. Orange carrots contain beta carotene, processed by our bodies as Vitamin A, and is essential for healthy eyes. Yellow and red carrots contain lutene and lycopene, respectively, both helping fight against macular degeneration, lung disease, as well as a variety of cancers. Purple carrots contain anthocyanins that help with healthy heart functionality as well as aiding in blood clotting capabilities. Each color of this special vegetable provides necessary components to helping keeping a body healthy. Color of carrot is determined by variety, but deepness of color is affected by the amount of water added from your garden hose reel with more water lessening the richness of color the carrots contain. Water should be added faithfully, while never overwatering, in order to keep nutrition at its peak.

Proper respect should always be shown to the potato for its hearty addition to any meal, but for its nutritional value and aesthetic beauty, the carrot will always reign supreme!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel and landscaping.

Growing Attractive and Healthy Carrots Naturally

Whether for shredding over fresh salads, using in vegetable medleys or casseroles, or simply for healthy anytime of day snacking, carrots are one of the most popular root crops enjoyed and consumed worldwide. A hardy growing vegetable, carrots are excellent growers in nearly all regions of the world, and their fresh taste and snap are so pleasing. Carrots are excellent additions to backyard gardens and container gardens alike, so read on, to find the basics of growing delicious tasting organic carrots year after year.

Carrots, especially being that they are a root crop, enjoy and need soil that drains well and has a nice, consistent texture. Rocky or clay-like soil can be problematic, as deformations can occur as the carrot grows due to restraints caused by less than hospitable and inflexible soil. Before planting seeds, it is necessary and quite helpful to loosen your soil by working in organic compost either produced by you or purchased at your local garden store. Fully decomposed compost can add much needed nutrients as well as making the soil less static, allowing for quicker and more stereotypical root development, growing carrots long and ideally shaped. Rocks and chunky soil are enemies of typically developing root crops, so it is necessary to be diligent in keeping your soil loose and easily draining so that it never becomes an impediment to healthy growth. For some gardeners with unruly soil, it might do best to grow carrots in above ground, container gardens instead. Container gardens are especially useful as the gardener can more easily control soil quality, thereby ensuring a more successful crop. A deeper container is better, of course, for carrots to reach the desired length, and if many carrots are to be planted, many containers will be necessary; carrots require adequate room to grow.

Carrots should be planted in early spring, just after the threat of frost has passed. Seeds should be planted about 3/8 of an inch below the soil’s surface, in rows about a foot apart in order to leave you adequate room to tend to them and maintain adequate room for their growth. Add an ample amount of water from your garden hose reel to moisten the soil, but not drench it. Cover the planted seeds with straw and wait for the first growths to emerge. Straw or shredded bark will do its part to keep the soil moist. Make sure to thin your carrots as they grow, allowing for ample growing room for each plant.

By following these steps, a backyard gardener should be able to harvest three to four carrot crops a season, if a new crop is started once a month. Carrots usually require three months to mature, so space out your plantings, keep track of your harvest times, and grow, grow, grow!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel and landscaping.