Last month I came across a gardening nursery in America, DoLeaf, who have a business goal which really excites me as a consumer (and a gardener). I was lucky enough to be granted an interview with one of the founders, Sarah Toton, who told me about life at DoLeaf and how they got started. I thought it was absolutely fascinating so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too!

The seed for what would eventually become DoLeaf came about following the massive flooding in Eastern Iowa in 2008. My mother still lives in Iowa and was at a specialty nursery called Dry Creek Hostas when most of my home town was under water. The owner was having a bad year because of the flooding and my mother bought around 10 hostas to ship to . She shipped them to me and they’re some of the best plants I’ve ever got. After that I thought, “if Jeannie from Dry Creek Hostas could easily sell her plants online to supplement her nursery, maybe she would have better sales even when she can’t sell to locals”

The idea started to grow more after Micah and I took a trip to our local Home Depot. Our house’s backyard had been used as a dog kennel before we moved in and there was nothing in our yard but weeds, dog chains and trash. We had been taking routine trips to our local big-box stores every week since we’d moved in and I’d used these opportunities to buy plants and restore the backyard into a yard and garden. After probably our fiftieth trip, Micah and I noticed that we either owned or had seen every plant at Home Depot. In fact, among the rows and rows of green, there wasn’t that much more than 40 different types of plants total. As I started looking at the yards around me, I noticed they too owned pretty much every plant at Home Depot, and not much more. Georgia has a rich variety of native plants, and honestly, some of the plants sold at Home Depot don’t thrive in our yards. At that point,we thought there must be some better resources out there. We found them online.

After doing some searches we noticed that there weren’t many local nurseries still in and around Atlanta, but there were several nurseries that were trying to sell online. In fact, we could find a number of plants that would be great for our backyard online. However, the system for contacting the seller and buying the plants was based wholly on the quality of the individual nursery’s website… which oftentimes was pretty bad. We realized that nursery owners were plant specialists, not web developers. We could help them with their web presence, shopping cart, as well as connect them with 20 and 30 something buyers like us that regularly search, connect, and shop online.

So, to answer the last part of your question.. the “why:” We started DoLeaf so that we could help small independent garden centres and specialty nurseries connect with a new generation of gardeners. We also started DoLeaf to increase our own backyard’s biodiversity and offer a resource for gardeners of all ages, spaces, and skill levels to find something beyond their immediate offerings.

How did you get started? (both with the company and gardening in general)

Out of the three of us, Micah has been collecting and caring for plants the longest. He had plants in his room when he was a teenager and had plants when he lived in dorms and apartments in college. I started buying plants in college too because they’re a cheap way to decorate and they’re soothing to look at. Ryan had some plants in college, but bought several tropicals when he moved to San Diego shortly after college. After college Micah and I moved to Atlanta and started container gardening on the back porch of our apartment — mostly tomatoes, basil, peppers, a ficus named “Filbert” and begonias. By the time the three of us were in houses our passions for gardening had expanded to our yards. I think we were all trying to cultivate our spaces, and getting frustrated with it, when we thought about creating DoLeaf.

What kind of checks would a potential seller have to go through?

We let sellers set up stores whenever they want. It lets them play with the site and see if it’s a good fit for them. We then contact them and ask them a bit about their nursery before we activate. Upon activation, we try to buy a plant or two to check out the quality of shipping. Most of the sellers on the site have other websites too, so that’s also an easy way to check– just do a Google search.

What’s your favourite meal to cook with homegrown ingredients?

Micah loves jalapeño poppers! He grows about three pepper bushes every year and we eat these breaded with and stuffed with cream and goat cheese in the late summer. They’re lovely!

Micah also makes crushed red peppers in the summer that we use year round. They’re best in a sauce with fresh tomatoes, onion and a bit of basil.

Any special events or promotions coming up?

As we ramp up for spring we’ll be featuring a DoLeaf seller the first and middle of every month. We hope to use this time to introduce our sellers to the community and to each other.

Sadly, no promotions yet. But we do ship plants to bloggers that want to check out our inventory.

Note from Josh: for everyone in the UK, we’ve been talking about bringing DoLeaf over here and right now I’m phoning around the HMRC offices trying to find out the legality of sending live cultures overseas. If any nurseries are interested in selling through DoLeaf, please don’t hesitate to contact them for some details

I absolutely adore butterflies; I don’t know whether it’s how hard they are to catch or just the beautiful patterns on their wings, but something about them always makes me smile. Because of the time of year, you won’t see too many around, but with the right steps, you’ll have them fluttering around all summer long.

How to get (and keep) butterflies in your garden

Also, although it might sound obvious, protect those caterpillars! When they’re slinking around and nibbling on my leaves, I tend to forget that one day it will be flying around protecting that very plant it massacred. To avoid them eating your prized plants, you might want to plant out some marigold, chickweed or parsley away from everything else to give them something to munch on while nature takes its course.Keep it in a sunny location as butterflies are cold-blooded and will need the Sun to keep them warm, a few flat stones/tables/etc are a great addition as they allow them to relax while soaking up some rays.

Once you’ve nurtured them out of the larvae phase, they’ll need nectar and water. Thistle, buddleja (butterfly bush) and most fruit trees are an excellent source of the former, while a small container left to collect rainwater will provide them with sufficient liquid sustenance (unless you have low levels of rainwater, in which case you’ll want to top it up regularly with clean, drinking water).

Stuffed, fried or eaten raw like an apple, bell peppers are a wonderful addition to any kitchen and their versatility ensures they won’t go to waste. With their gorgeous glossy exteriors and sweet distinctive smell even if you don’t want to eat them, they still have great ornamental value. Because of a recessive genetic trait, sweet peppers don’t produce capsicum. So you can take those gloves off, they’re completely devoid of heat.

How do I grow them?

Bell peppers are definitely a summer plant, find them a warm, sunny location and you’ll be reaping the benefits all season long. Although you can find peppers in all sorts of colours at the supermarket, they all start off green and change colour during the ripening process. They’re perfectly edible while green, but don’t reach their massive levels of vitamin C (150-200% of your average orange) until fully ripe, so it may be an idea to pick some while leaving the rest to get some colour. As well as developing vitamin levels, a fully ripe fruit will taste a little different, better is a strong word though, so I’ll leave the judgement down to you. Unforuntately, ethylene has little effect on peppers, so it won’t speed up the ripening process.

If, like me, you’re planting them this week, keep the pots indoors and away from the coldest parts of your house. Be sure to wait until the last frost has definitely passed to plant them out to avoid losing your crop early and having to start over mid-way through the season (not as fun as it sounds).

Once harvested, most peppers should last around 1 week in the bottom of your fridge as long as you don’t wash them until you’re ready to eat.

What can I do with them?

Because most bell peppers are squarely in the middle of sweet and savoury, they’ll work great in both dishes. As you’ll get the main bulk of your crop in the summer months, throwing a handful of pepper in to a side salad will add a great visual effect along with a crisp, crunchy texture. Fajitas without peppers would be like gardening without soil. Sliced lengthways about 1/2″ in thickness, they’ll definitely add a wonderful kick of flavour. Alternatively, lop the top off and fill your pepper with rice, meat and anything else that tickles your fancy. Put the top back on and throw it in the oven wrapped in tin foil for a soft, succulent main course. My personal favourite is a little rice and minced lamb with plenty of tomato, onion and basil. Simple and filling.

By the way, the white pith on the inner wall of the pepper is incredibly bitter and can ruin some dishes, so be sure to remove that before cooking.

The limitless uses of the bell pepper really cements its place in my garden every year, but if you’re running out of things to do with yours, keep an eye out for my post on candied peppers in the coming weeks.

As a few of you may have guessed with my sudden hiatus, I’ve been a little ill recently and had to slow down a little to recover. While I was sick, I was presented with a real choice, do I practise what I preach and stick with herbal medicine or go with the universally acclaimed conventional methods?

In a few short years, we’ve gone from a world of aspirin and paracetamol (acetaminophen) to being prescribed hot chillies and acupuncture in every health magazine and TV show and I’m determined to find a happy balance that actually works. Every morning I wake up to another batch of penis pill/baldness cure emails and wonder if people actually buy these things and how well they really work (herbal medicine, not Viagra) so I took a look at the science behind some of the most popular ones to see if it’s really worth the trip to Holland & Barrett.

The traditional ginseng plant – panax ginseng – is usually found in the south-eastern region of Asia, as opposed to the American form – panax quinquefolius – which you can spot all the way along the east coast. Either will be growable at home, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll stick to the American strain (the one you’re most likely to find in local shops). For the best results, you’ll want acidic soil (a pH of around 5 should do) with high in phosphorous and calcium.

Sold as either an extract in capsule/tea form or as a whole root, ginseng is to be taken daily in 200mg doses for 2-3 weeks with a 7 day rest period.

2. Aloe vera

One time I was “surfing” on the beach, when a thunderous wave crashed over me and I got cut up pretty badly by the rocks in the sand. As I staggered along the shore slightly dazed, the only thing I could think of is how much it would suck to get an infection and have to sit out the rest of the holiday. After seeing my war wounds, one of the locals handed me some aloe vera and told me to liberally rub the sap on the cuts and leave it to sooth them. Now, while I can’t compare what it may have been like without the cold goo of a jagged leaf, it definitely made me feel a lot better and all of the scar tissue I should have “earned” is non-existent.

Used medicinally for centuries, the aloe vera plant can be taken as a tea (only recommended if you don’t have any tastebuds) or applied topically when needed. Studies suggest that the plant can do anything from increase bio-availability of drugs consumed with aloe vera (I guess that’s why it’s in yoghurt) to preventing the infection of burns.

I could honestly type out another 500 words on the supposed benefits of the mystical aloe vera plant (eliminates dandruff, helps with eczema, strengthens teeth) but really, I think it sells itself. If I were to buy a conventional product for each use I’d get from one potted plant, my wallet would jump out of my pocket and find a more sensible spender. But, as with any natural remedy, it doesn’t come with a list of the potential side effects printed on it, so if you experience any discomfort, consult your doctor and they should be able to further consult you.

In terms in cultivation, aloe vera is a dream to grow. For everyone out there that has killed plant after plant by forgetting to water, go and grab yourself some aloe vera seeds. Much like a camel, it won’t need much fluid (especially at this time of the year) so allow the soil to dry out between watering times and ensure it is soaked through each time. Because aloe barbadensis is native to Africa, it’s used to plenty of sun and lots of heat, so keeping the plant near a south facing window – if you’re above the Equator – or just somewhere sunny.

3. Tea

What better way to start the day than with a warming cup of tea? Available in every colour of the rainbow and with tastes ranging from sickly sweet to “did I just pour a cup of bitter?”, there’s something in that bag for everyone. The most common tea (at least where I live) is derived from the leaves of the camellia sinsesis plant, which provides a surprising range of products. I’d have never imagined green tea, black tea and even Darjeeling all came from the same leaves.

In terms of medical benefits, we’ll stick to green and black tea. Both are said to have powerful antioxidant properties and promote a sense of general well-being, but there are a few slight differences.

Green

Because of the oxidative polymerisation process used to create black tea, it loses all ECGC epigallocatechin gallate which leads to the formation of theaflavins, bisflavanols and thearubigins, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

ECGC has been researched as a potential cure for a wide number of potential diseases. Some of the most notable uses are as a HIV cure and cancer prevention because of its anti-inflammatory properties and regulation of cell replication. Drinking green tea is like giving your immune system a sword and a shield, but, the bio-availability of EGCG post-ingestion is up for debate. Don’t let this scare you off though, the benefits are still up for grabs, just don’t use boiling water!

Black

With an increased caffeine level (around 50mg depending on the time brewed compared to the 15mg of green tea) black tea is an entirely different monster. The amount of caffeine leaves the drinker with improved cognitive functions, such as better memory and improved reactions, while increasing physical performance. A few cups of tea before an intense workout will improve your endurance by a significantly noticeable amount. However, the negative effects of caffeine are well documented and could lead to serious problems if you have any pre-existing heart conditions, it’s best to ask your doctor first before undertaking a long-term caffeine ingestion program. Around 100mg is a good figure to aim for without getting that unstoppable pounding heart sensation.

One of the more prominent effects of drinking black tea is the reduction of uric acid, which can greatly lower the chances of developing gout. These also helps with the prevention of type 2 diabetes – by decreasing insulin resistance – and uric acid stones.

Oh, and be sure to avoid milk to maximise the antioxidant qualities.

So, both types of tea give great positive effects but they don’t overlap too much. In my opinion, having a cup of one in the morning and the other at lunch or dinner is a wonderful idea. Alternatively, green tea extract has a lot of the great healing powers found in the teabag and can be taken with a cup of black tea to synergistically improve their bio-availability to increase the benefits.

4. Cannabis

No opinion post is complete without a little controversy! When a drug goes through the testing phase, the potential for abuse is factored in as a judge its effectiveness as a cure (which is why I can’t get any morphine for eye-strain). Cannabis is one of the most widely recommended plants for a massive range of ailments ranging from nausea to Alzheimer’s disease. The problem is, the ubiquitous recreational use has reduced its public image to the point of medical experts being shunned for releasing papers reflecting on cannabis in a positive light. I won’t get in to the politics behind it, but the medical benefits are definitely worth a mention.

Before I go any further, I can’t really advocate the use of an illegal drug, no matter how high the high reward may be. But, what I would like to do is open a few eyes to one of the most unique plants known to man.

As many of you probably know, the active ingredient most responsible for the advantages (THC tetrahydrocannabinol) is also responsible for the psychotropic effects. This leaves us in an awkward position because it’s very hard to get the medical benefits without feeling the sought after side-effects.

In terms of Alzheimer’s research, cannabis has shown to be beneficial in slowing down the release of acetylcholinesterase which is responsible for the breakdown of neurotransmitters, leading to the build-up of protein which causes the prominent effects of Alzheimer’s (mainly memory loss). While not necessarily a cure, it gives the affected party the chance to avoid the serious dementia which stems from neuroinflammation.

Cannabis has also been researched as a solution to the HIV disease. Not many drugs have managed to do anything at all and HIV is generally seen as a death sentence. However, the pain-killing properties along with the appetite stimulation greatly improve the lives of those afflicted with the HI virus. In my opinion, that’s a huge bonus and definitely worth looking in to, regardless of the social stigma.

Lastly, out of the major diseases, cannabis is being looked at as a cure for cancer. This is being done in two parts, firstly as a prevention and to slow down excess cell replication/tumour growth and also to ease the ill-effects of chemotherapy.

When smoked sans tobacco, cannabis has not been shown to cause lung cancer, which is good news for cancer researchers (curing bowel cancer and causing lung cancer wouldn’t be great news) and has even proved to arrest cancerous growth. As with HIV, it also helps with the pain cancer patients are plagued with which can be very relieving considering the conventional opioid pain-killers such as morphine which can have some very unpleasant side-effects.

In terms of chemotherapy aid, the anti-emetic properties of THC help a great deal with the nausea and vomiting which can also lead to a problem with swallowing and holding down tablets. In addition to this, the synergistic effect of both methods of cancer emission can lead to a higher percentage of positive results.

The problem is that because of the legal status of cannabis in much of the world, the general public has to either risk going to jail or go without. If you’re lucky enough to be picked for a study, you’ll find the chance to experience the positive effects for yourself. Other than that, the benefits you’ll feel are limited to knowing it helped somebody else.

Also, the negative long-term effects can lead to an increased risk of depression and schizophrenia if the user is predisposed to mental illness. Overall, I think it’s really a case-by-case drug in serious situations, but the glowing effects are open to all on a semi-regular basis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, writing this post has been a massive learning experience. Some of the things I was a little too scared to give a good try are actually pretty solid and have a strong scientific foundation which is backed by more than the guy trying to sell you as much as you can buy. However, the real problem is whether they stand up to their lofty expectations. Every day the news is filled with a new cancer cure, which sounds great for us, but for people in need of serious help, speculation really isn’t enough. There is a real danger of people being misguided by with anecdotal evidence and avoiding medical care in favour of experimental medicine. I can’t question the widespread benefits of some of the substances discussed above, at times, it feels like they’re pushed at the successor to the kitchen sink.

Whether people agree with them or not, there are a lot of strong opinions on either side of the argument. The stigma works both ways. Some people will avoid trying herbal remedies because they are perceived to have little scientific basis and are purely pushed on hearsay. On the other hand, others will argue that the benefits are there to be seen and are definitely worthwhile alternatives.

However, we’re in a position where some of the conventional drugs prescribed to us can have profound negative side-effects. People are dying from taking their prescriptions as ordered and the drugs responsible for the most fatalities are available in pharmacies across the world. Maybe it’s about time we started giving alternate research a try?

First of all, happy new year and merry Christmas to all of you! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and didn’t over indulge in delicious goodies :) Now that 2010 is here, we’re finally at that point of the year when we can start filling up our windowsills with this year’s crops.

Getting Ready To Start The Season

Other than that, I’ve been slaving away trying to get things ready for March when mostly everything will go outside. Because of the extreme cold in the UK which has lead to heavy snow and hailstones a little earlier than usual, getting the ground warm might take longer than usual because it has been allowed extra time to cool down from the sweltering summer. Rather than investing in expensive plastic sheets from places like B&Q, spreading ordinary plastic bin bags held down with rocks will do plenty to heat the soil up. be sure to cut them open first to maximise the area they can cover and even the biggest gardens will take very few to cover completely.

If you’ve kept any fruits/vegatables behind for the seeds/bulbs, now is a good time to check them and throw out any rotten ones. Speaking of food, birds will have a pretty hard time finding sufficient amounts of food for the next couple of months, so if you have a feeder, be sure to keep it stocked or just throw some nuts and seeds on to a plate or plate shaped rock. You’ll be glad you did it when they’re gobbling up the mice for you later on in the year.

A Few Other Minor Things

Try to avoid feeding your plants with fertiliser often at this point in the year since it’s their dormant period so it will probably just build up in the soil and burn the roots. Once every few weeks (unless you see major problems) should be just fine, especially considering a lot of what you have right now will be seedlings. If you don’t mind the cold, giving your leaves a good wipe down towards the end of the month will clear the stomata – leaf pores – in preparation for the ever brighter days ahead.

Although it may seem a little early, it’s also a good idea to get your fruits in pots right now to give them the best possible start. With tomatoes, I’ve found (and I’m sure a lot of you could collude with this) that if you plant it in a small amount of soil and let it grow, then fill it up again to the bottom of the highest leaves. Once you’ve reached the top you’ll have a very robust plant ready to the outdoors with a great root system. Works with plants like strawberries too, anything that puts out roots from anything that touches the ground will be fine.

I’m really excited for this month and can’t wait to get back in my garden as soon as possible

Now that the longest day has hit, I’m starting to realise how close we really are to a new decade. In 10 short days we’ll have the chance to start on the promises everyone has been waiting all year to make, and I can’t wait.

The Urban Organic Gardener

Life On The Balcony

To me, they exemplify a great blogger, with their great attitudes and dedication to the project. Rather than trying to imitate them, I think I can learn from what they’re doing within the gardening community. So, from today until the 1st of January, I will be making some pretty big changes and writing as much as I can (that turkey won’t eat itself) to relaunch for the new year.

Out With The Old, In With The New

Just to give you an idea of what’s to come: there is a gardening calendar application/widget which allows you to quickly see what’s best to plant or harvest at that point of the year, a few major changes to the way the site looks and works, a possible podcast with a supporting video series and frequent posts! I’m very excited about the application I’m making, it’s in extremely early stages right now but it’s definitely something I want to show you guys as soon as it’s usable.

I know I’ve said something similar before, but this time, you’ll really feel the work I have put in. I wish you all the best this Christmas and a glorious New Year.

See you in 2010!

Runner beans are one of the easiest garden vegetables to grow and are also an inexpensive way to get those greens to your table and enjoy at least one of your five a day. Part of the legume family of vegetables, they are the ideal plant for the gardening beginner.

Types of soil to use

Don’t use a soil which is rich in nitrogen because they are able to extract a lot of nitrogen for themselves from the air – they’re pretty clever like that! They need deeply-dug soil with a peat or peat substitute and lots of water – using the peat will ensure that plenty of water is retained under the ground for them. Depending on where you are in the world, it will be easier or more difficult to make sure your beans have lots of water. In the UK, you should have no problem with this!

Best time to plant the seeds

About a week before the last frost is what you should be aiming for. If seedlings appear above the surface and then a bout of frost strike again, it is best to remove them and replant them. From planting to harvest they take about 13 weeks so make sure you keep a note in your gardening calendar! They are in season from June until November in the UK.
They look pretty too! Before the beans grow, you have the pleasure of large foliage and the pretty little red and white flowers which will enhance any garden with their delicacy.

Eating those runner beans once they arrive!

Once picked, you need to eat them quite quickly – within about two to three days – but you can freeze them as well. They have a strong flavour and have quite a coarse texture; more so than the green bean. Top ‘em, tail ‘em and string ‘em, then boil until al dente; that’s the easiest way to cook them. But why stop there? Why not sauté them until crisp and tender with other vegetables and sauces?

So what can you eat them with? Well, they’re the same as any other vegetable. They make a great meal accompaniment to a huge range of foods but some ideas which work particularly well are: niçoise salad; tomato, garlic and chilli meals; curries; most tomato-based dishes; and many more. They’re so versatile that you can invent your own recipes for them or just eat them on their own with a nice plate of meat and potatoes like your gran used to cook.

Throw them into anything and you may even be able to persuade your teenage kids to eat them! Get creative with the runner bean and eat yourself to a healthier lifestyle.

Depending on where you live in the world, wet weather is either a blessing or a curse (I’ll stick with the second one). With the cooler months upon us, keeping our garden friends happy and healthy is getting a little hard and less tempting, while their needs increase. Once you get on top of them, it’s not too much work and won’t steal a lot of time away from your cocoa and blanket-covered sofa.

But, if we’re already far enough to need help with it, I’d suggest trying to bring in a whole bundle of earthworms. They’re great for increasing airflow generally, but in this case, they’re miracle-workers. Also, if possible, try to incorporate some peat. Peaty soil is a master of drainage and it flush all of your problems away (you can see why I didn’t start a comedy blog).

Speaking of adding soil, while the rain is beating down on your garden, you’ll be losing a lot of the fertilisers you may have had (artificial or otherwise) so rejuvenating it with a bit of home made fertiliser isn’t a bad idea.

Lastly, put some form of mulch (I’d recommend wood chippings) over the top as an extra layer of protection. They’ll keep the roots warmer and soak up some of the rainfall which would otherwise do a bit more damage.

I’d say the biggest beef you’ll have with the rain is getting anything started off outside. I had an absolute nightmare with my basil getting a bit flooded, so I’ve pulled it indoors (as I may have showed you in an earlier). You’ll probably have a similar experience if you’re in a rainy area too, so if I were you, I’d build a specific area of the garden to store your peaty soil and transplant your indoor-started plants out into it as soon as they’re ready. Just don’t keep them somewhere warm as the shock of going from being pampered indoors to the great outdoors might be a little too much for them. As always, snip off any flowers (or move it in a pre-flowering stage) before you transplant, or if you have the choice, get them outside before they get he chance to start flowering.

Peas have a distinct blossom which makes them noticeable just about anywhere they show up, from wild peas growing up a rickety fence to peas which are grown at home in our own gardens. The best thing about these plants however, is not their unique blossoms, but the tiny tendrils which add to the overall charm of the plant, curling up every few inches as if looking for the next area to claim.

Getting optimal results for your sweet peas means you’ll need to plant the seeds in the early fall in order to get the blooms by winter and the peas by early spring. As with just about anything else, the quicker you get them in the ground once the cool season has hit, the better. In fact, consider yourself lucky if you get blossoms on your first go, as it can take diligence and the right amount of patience to find the perfect spot to grow your peas. However, there are a few tips and tricks you can keep in mind to help you find the right spot, the first time.

Keep in mind that peas love rich soil and an area with full sun. In addition, planting your peas next to an old fence or just a stake so the peas can climb is what will ensure the success of your plant. Of course, these are just basic tips that any gardener would find useful, but the most valuable tip I can give you is to choose pea plants such as the Spencer or Early plant. These plants bloom rather quickly, so you have more time to allow your plant the environment it needs to produce delicious sweet peas. Other plants such as Cuthbertsons and Floribundas are spring flowering peas and are not recommended for growth in California, as by spring, the cool season is nearly at an end.

Creating the ideal environment for your peas is as simple as finding the sunniest spot in your garden. Sweet peas require an obscene amount of space as well, so it’s recommended you plant them away from other plants so the peas do not strangle them. In fact, many gardeners grow their sweet peas in the centre of their gardens with other plants on the outskirts to give the peas enough room.

In addition to a sunny location, sweet peas thrive in rich soil. The best thing you can do for your sweet peas is obtain cow manureom your local farmer. This manure is rich in the minerals and nutrients sweet peas love to thrive in, and once you dig a trench at least a foot deep and add the manure, your soil will be well on its way to supporting healthy pea plants.

Once your location and soil has been taken care of to accommodate your peas, you’ll need a trellis for them to grow. Peas constantly search for support as soon as they pop above ground, which means you should have the trellis up before you get your little seedlings. Keeping the size of the plant in mind, always use a string or wire trellis so the plant will be able to grasp it.

Soaking the seeds over night before you plant them can soften the tough outer coat and help speed up the germination process. However, soaking too long can cause the seed to rot, so the best option here is keeping the seed bed moist until germination. This is the best process I know of for producing sweet handfuls of peas in California and is dedicated to @chariscoleman.

If anyone wants more information on getting sweet pea seeds to grow in California, or you’d like to request a post on anything, please feel free to contact me at @AskGarden or by emailing me using the contact form.

Taking care of house plants may not seem like a big task and certainly, there are some species of plants which require very little attention. However, if you’ve got a plant in your home that’s not doing too well and looks a bit brownish and could use some extra attention, there are a few things you can do for it to keep it from losing its battle.

If you’ve gone on holiday and forgotten about your plants needing to be watered, only to come home to a wilted and dying plant, there is still hope! I recently had the same experience with a peace lily my mother gave me to brighten my room. She was a great little plant and I called her Sophie, though I thought very little of her and kept her mainly as an ornament. Later that year I went on holiday for two weeks but it was extended to four or five, I can’t remember. Anyhow, when I returned, my beautiful Sophie was brown and wilted and just generally a mess. All the flowers had fallen off and the tips of her leaves were curled. I watered her out of guilt and went to bed that night.

The next morning when I woke up, it was as if a miracle had happened! Sophie still had her brown tips and the flowers were still gone, but the leaves looked much livelier and healthier, and as I continued to water and take care of her, removing some of the brown spots, she sprung back anew. I was so happy to have her looking like her self once again.

The second mishap I had with Sophie was when I moved out of my mum’s and I was unable to take her with me right away. When I finally got around to picking her up, she looked much the same as she had before, so I hoped the watering would do the trick again. I watered her for several days to no avail, but as I was moving things around, I accidentally knocked her over and spilled nearly half of her soil. I felt extremely guilty and decided to re-pot her using fresh soil and a special blend of compost tea. Two weeks later, I was simply amazed by the improvement I’d seen in her! I had five whole leaves instead of the two and a half I had before the incident, and today I have nine, with another healthy four leaved lily sprouted from the same roots.

This experience of mine has taught me that no matter how bad a house plant looks, it’s always important to try different types of recovery before giving up on them completely. If I’d simply given up on Sophie instead of taking care of her like I did, I wouldn’t have the gorgeous lily which I have today.

Aside from watering and replanting, often times its good to help a house plant along with a little plant food. This food is chock full of minerals and vitamins which are good for a plant’s growth. This method of feeding when coupled with proper watering and lighting will surely bring back any house plant which has seen better days. If all of these methods combined seem to have no effect, the plant may have actually outgrown the original pot and the roots could be stifled. If this is the case, you’ll need to re-pot the plant in a larger pot while providing it with food and water and adequate sunlight as it adjusts to its new habitat. Re-potting is just as shocking for plants as surgery is for us, so be sure and give your special plant extra attention as you watch it spring back to life.