Sunday, October 23, 2011

WHAT MUMS SHOULD I BUY TO LAST THE LONGEST?


THE NEW BELGIAN CHRYSANTHMUM

These are the most dependable. They are strong, (break very little if at all) compact, mounded and profusely covered with small yet vividly rich flowers of many colors which which are grown for early, middle and late season blooms.  And if you do use them as perennials, they require very little, if any, pinching in spring.  


The Very Early Belgian Mums typically flower in the last week of August and the first week of September. Early Belgian Mums flower for two weeks in the middle of September. Mid-Season Belgian Mums bloom in the latter third of September. And the Late Belgian Mums flower through the month of October.  http://www.homeandgardenideas.com/gardening/plants/chrysanthemum/all-about-belgian-mums




SOME OFF THE COLORS
'Conella Orange'

'Savona'



 'Canelli' 


'Coparo'



'Milano Orange' 

'Allegra Yellow'  
'Alcala Red'
'Staviski pink'
'Caprice Pink' 




Thursday, October 20, 2011

A NEW IDEA IN PUMPKIN CARVING

CARVE YOUR NAME IN YOUR FAVORITE PUMPKIN WHILE GROWING IN YOUR PUMPKIN PATCH


I found this unique idea on pumpkin carving.  To start you need a pumpkin plant growing in your yard.  Either buy seeds and plant them according to instructions or bury your rotting pumpkin in the late fall in a convient spacious area of your yard, prefably in full sun.   When the fruit is still green, before it turns orange, carve your name of choice in the pumpkin.  As it ripens it will heal over with a tanish colored hard shell.  The wider the carve the more visible the name. Too late for this year but remember to bury your pumpkin in late fall for next year.  Bury gourds too, they are a lot of fun, no one gourd grows the same.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

IS THERE A LIST THAT NAMES ALL THE PUMPKINS?

HARDSHELL GOURD - Lagenaria siceraria
Genus name from Greek lagenos (vase or jar) is in reference to fruit shape

These gourds have smooth, light green skin when young, but matures to yellow or light brown. Many gourds are edible (like zucchini) when young, but some varieties are bitter and inedible. Inner white pulp dries when fruits mature, leaving a hard shell with very little else inside except the seeds. The hard shells of mature fruits are waterproof, and they can be dried and used for a variety of different non-food purposes including containers , floats , smoking pipes, musical instruments or ornamental decoration.

 'Bule'
'Bird house Gourd'
'Mayo Blue Warted'
'Appalachin'
'Speckled Swan'
'Caveman's Club' ('Maranka')
 'Big Apple'
'Siphons'

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

IS THERE A LIST THAT NAMES ALL THE PUMPKINS?


WINTER SQUASH - Cucurbita argyrosperma

Hard corky stems come in a variety of sizes often with elongated thick necks and with soft green or white or combination of green/white skin.


'Tricolor Cushaw'

'Gold Striped' (Sand Hill's)

'Green Strip Cushaw'

'Black Tennessee Sweet Potato'

Monday, October 17, 2011

IS THERE A LIST THAT NAMES ALL THE PUMPKINS?


WINTER SQUASH - Cucurbita moschata

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=E451

Varieties in this group are usually long and oblong instead of round and have tan skin. The stems are deeply ridged and enlarged next to the fruit. This group is used for much of the canned pumpkin sold in this country. Other non-pumpkin members include the squash-like cushaw, winter crookneck squash and butternut squash.


'Chirimen'

'Neck Pumkin' 
'Fairytale' 
'Long Island Cheese' 
'Blue Magic' 
'Dickinson' 
'Cow' 
'Avalon Butternut'


Saturday, October 15, 2011

IS THERE A LIST THAT NAMES ALL THE PUMPKINS?


More SUMMER SQUASH - Cucurbita pepo

The group also includes gourds, vegetable marrow, Pattypan summer squash, scallop summer squash, gray and black zucchini and summer crookneck squash. Their stems are hard, woody and distinctly furrowed. And yes, even gourd types can be edible.

'Japanese Nest Egg' 
'Li'l Pump-ke-mon' 
'Autumn Wings' 
'Autumn Queen'

'Sugar Loaf'

'Festival'

'Yugoslavian Finger'

'Summer Crookneck'

'White Scallop Rattle' 
'Sacred Indian Rattle'

'Vegetable Spaghetti'

'Sunburst'

'Delicata'

'Dancing Gourd'

'Benning's Green Tint'

'Cotton Candy'

'Dinosaur Egg'

'Lemon'

'Carnival'