The Gardeners Porch

Scientists May Have Found a Way to Bring the Flavor Back to Tomatoes

Image: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall Supermarket tomatoes don’t exactly pack a punch of flavor by comparison to their heirloom counterparts. The bland little fruits are a little watery, a little sour and a little sweet, basically a shade of what their traditional varieties are. But now, a team of scientists may be on the way toward

US Lists First Bumble Bee Species as Endangered

Rusty patched bumble bee population plunged nearly 90% since the late 1990s The rusty patched bumble bee, a prized but vanishing pollinator once familiar to much of North America, was listed on Tuesday as an endangered species, becoming the first wild bee in the continental United States to gain such federal protection. One of several

Bring Butterflies and Hummingbirds Home With a Single Plant

The humble scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma) has a lot to recommend it, especially in eastern North America, where it originated. This easy-care perennial not only attracts bees to your garden, but butterflies and hummingbirds also find it irresistible. Its a welcome addition to a perennial garden, a naturalistic garden or an herb garden. If thats

How close is Japanese knotweed getting to my home? – BBC News

How close is it to me? Five years ago, the Environment Agency commissioned a new app to track Japanese knotweed, using the crowd-sourcing principle. More than 20,000 people have now downloaded it, and their data has pin-pointed over 6,000 knotweed locations. Image caption The plant was first imported to the UK in the 19th century

6 Reasons Why Your Garden Has Weeds

Our gardens will always have unwanted plants that alter the aesthetic as single specimens or that choke out desired plants. A weed could be an annual that wont spread far or it could be an aggressive colonizer, which is why its important to identify weeds quickly. Here are six reasons why you might have too

Sod it: Californians turn back to grass lawns as drought shaming ebbs

The states punishing drought saw neighbors scorned and water-guzzling lawns ripped up. But turf-industry insiders say grass is making a comeback Yumi Wong adores the latest addition to her southern California home: a lush, emerald lawn. It just looks much nicer with all the green. It feels clean and peaceful, she said on Tuesday, padding

What’s in a Name? 6 Wildflowers that aren’t ‘Weeds’ at all

I dont have many weeds in my garden anymore theres too much competition from mature and dense perennials. When I do see something out of place, its fate depends on my mood. Sometimes I yank it out immediately; sometimes I let it go to see what will happen. But out of place is a funny

Raised Bed Gardening – Ten Good Reasons For Growing Vegetables In A Raised Bed Garden (Gardening Techniques)

Time To Consider A Raised Bed Garden! This is a guidebook dedicated to the idea of growing vegetables in a raised bedgarden, the reasons for doing so are very compelling – as this Top50 Amazon reviewer says.“For myself I found this book very useful. I have a piece of land that is subject toflooding so

10 Things You Need To Do Now To Prep Your Garden For Spring And Summer

To me, the very best thing about springtime is seeing the flowers push their way through the soil. Whether they’re scattered at random,aligned in neat rows, or haphazardly bursting with splashes of colors, garden flowers will always brighten a day. Itmight seem like it’s too soon to prep your garden for springtime, but this interim

How to keep your desk plant alive and happy

Image: ambar del moral/mashable My desk plant is dying, and I am devastated. For a little over two years, I’ve kept a pothos plant, aptly named Plant, at the corner of my desk at work. It was gift from an editor in my first few days on staff, and it’s been with me ever since.