Unique Herbs You can Grow!

Purple Basil: It has the same scent and use as regular Basil but has dark purple foliage making this not only good for cooking, but great for looks too!

Variegated Basil: It's scent not as strong as traditional Basil, but still has a great scent that is fabulous in cooking. Has a great look and "spices" up the landscape!

Purple Sage: It has the same scent and use as regular herbal Sage, this adds great color contrast to your garden!

Tricolor Sage: This variegatd Sage has the same scent and use as regular Sage. It adds great color and design to the landscape and can be mixed with Flowers or simply make your herbal garden more colorful!

Creeping Rosemary: This herb is an evergreen vine or groundcover hardy To 10°F. It has the same scent and use as regular Rosemary. Now you can have a vining herb in your garden or landscape!

How to Deal with Dead Bush with Suckers

It's happened to a lot of us. Bushes die due to colder than normal Winters, or maybe it was drought. Whatever it was sometimes it is not completely dead and the roots may send up new shoots. Don't waste money riping the so called "dead bush" out and buying a new one. Only do that if you are impatient for the new growth to fill in, or it really is dead and has no new growth.

1. Cut back all the dead branches.

2. Water the new suckers more often.

3 It will fill in during the rest of the summer.

Growing Corn 2018

I planted Corn back in early May after the last chance of frost I planted mostly Sweet Corn, but I planted some Indian Corn for Fall decor. You know the old saying you will have a good harvest if your corn is "Knee high by the fourth of July". Well, mine is "Waist high by the sixteenth of June"! I should excpect a fantastic harvest this year!

NatureMan

Air Plants

Air Plants are plants that don't form roots to survive. The only time they form roots is to hold on to tree branches in the wild, but don't use them for survival in receiveing moisture or nutrients. Instead they get moisture and carbon/dirt particles from the air. They do require misting every few days inside. I made a post earier on Spanish Moss which is a type of air plant, tvoand I go into further details on care. Here are my air plants!

NatureMan

Growing Spanish Moss in Indiana

You can find Spanish Moss everywhere littering the trees in Florida. Spanish Moss is a type of air plant. Meaning it does not form roots to stay alive. It uses mositure in the air, and takes dirt and carbon particles out of the air as nutrients. I was in Florida back in March for Spring Break, and got huge clumps off the trees. I have put some in hanging baskets when the last chance of frost was gone here in Indy. Spanish Moss is cold hardy to about 5°F - 10°F. But damage occurs ob the plant around 10°F. I keep it alive by misting it constantly. The clumps I am not using I keep in a box. Half the day I keep it open to the dry air, and the other half I mist it then flip it so the moisture stays and holes so it can breath. Depending on the humidity outside depends on how often you should mist it inside. In Indiana the humidity is usually high, so I mist it 3-4 times per week (give or take). In a desert or places with low humidity outside it will need to be misted everyday. Even if it is 100% humidity outside your home is always lacking humidity. So considar misting even if it's humid outside. It could be 60% humidity outside but only 20% in your house with no breeze to blow any moisture on the foliage. Mist more frequently in winter no matter the humidity, since the air is frozen the humidity is virtually nothing even if it's high. That means your house is as low as the desert if not lower. Winter inside is when Spanish Moss is most vulnerable. It may need misting everyday in the winter even if it's really humid, it's the cold that keeps your house extremely dry.

The first four pictures are of my Spanish Moss in my house, and the last picture when I picked it off the trees in Florida.

NatureMan

Needlecast Resistant Alternative to the Blue Spruce

"Paul's Select" Norway Spruce is a great alternative to the Blue Spruce, which is dying off due to Needlecast. This new Norway Spruce variety has blue needles just like the Blue Spruce. It is a smaller tree growing to 20 feet tall by about 5 feet wide. Much smaller than other Spruces, but grows up to 2 feet per year so you can get that screening/fencing fast, and can provide that good screening/fencing without getting too big. It is hardy to -40°F to -50°F, USDA Zones 2-8

NatureMan

 

White Fir (Abies Concolor) in Indianapolis

The White Fir is a popular Chirstmas Tree and naturally grows out west in the mountains. It has not been known to grow in this area with low elevation, high humidity, hot Summers, shorter Winters (than native Winters), and less cold. There are popular conifers planted everywhere in the landscape here such as Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, Serbian Spruce, White Pine...
But the White Fir can grow here, it just hasn't caught on yet. In fact it can grow just as well here as many of the other popular conifers grown here. The only problem is that many people haven't thought about growing it or thought it can't grow here because it's native out to the west only in high elevated colder mountainous areas.

I spotted some for the first time in a while. I rarely ever see them, but when I was getting gas I noticed some planted. I remember seeing them being planted about a year ago. So they have survived half of a growing season last year, all lasy Winter, and are still thriving in the new growing season of 2018! White fir is hardy to USDA Zones 3-7. It is hardy to about -40°F (possibly colder). Zone 7 may push the limits of success of growing it, as it can not take zone 8 or warmer.

NatureMan

Planted a Needle Palm Most Cold Hardy Palm

I planted a Needle Palm. It is considered the most cold hardy Palm. It is hardy to a whopping -10°F! It is a scrub type of Palm, and does not form much in the way of trunk. Only maturing to 5-6 feet tall. I will give it winter protection for the next few Winters by a thick layer of burlap or a clear tub/box or both.

It is a sub-tropical evergreen

NatureMan

'Arp' Rosemary

"Arp" Rosemary is the most cold hardy Rosemary. It is cold hardy to -10°F to -5°F. (USDA Zone 6) I live on the border between zone 5 and zone 6. So it may be just a tad bit too cold. So in order to keep it alive and have an herb to pick from all winter (for cooking or simply to smell), I will give it winter protection when the forecast predicts it to go below zero next winter. It is an evergreen. I am still not sure what I will use for winter protection. I think I may either just do a thick layer of burlap or I may put a clear plastic
tub/box with burlap as extra protection.

NatureMan

Better Varieties of YOUR FAVORITE Trees

Norway Spruce: "Cupressina" and "Sherwood Compact" are dwarf/upright varieties that a great for smaller spaces.

Crimson Sunset Maple: Better alternative to the Crimson King Maple. It has the stunning dark purple leaves but is noninvasive (the Crimson King can escape cultivation and become invasive in the U.S.) and this variety is better for smaller spaces or yards. The original get large rounded 40 foot spread. This is too big for most, this variety only spreads 15 feet and grow to about 30-35 feet tall.

Street Keeper Honey Locust: is better than the Skyline or other varieties planted on medians or street trees. They spread and don't look nice. This vairty is extremely upright grows 50 feet tall but spreads less than 10-15 feet.

WhiteSpire Birch: Is a great variety that has the highest resistance to the Birch borer than most others. Considarded the best variety for least Birch Borer worry!

Armstrong Red Maple: Better varity for Medians or street trees as regular Red Maples spread and get hectic and simply don't look attractive. This variety is extremely upright. Grows 40 feet tall by less than 10 feet wide.

Fastigiata Ginkgo or Princten Snetry Ginkgo are better for Street or median landscaping as they spread less than any other Gikgo! They spread less than 10 feet at maturity.

Cleveland Pear: Far Better than the Bradford Pear which is extremely invasive in the U.S. and the tree splits and causes property damage. The Celeveland Pear is non-invasive and is upright which makes it split resistant as well. It doesn't bear fruit which makes it non-invasive, but it can pollinate with other Bradford Pears in the area which can lead to more invasiveness of the species. Make sure you check to see if there are any Bradford Pears planted in your area before considering planting the Cleveland Pear variety.

Fastigiata Blue Spruce and Baby Blue Eyes Blue Spruce: These varieties are upright and dwarf. They are great for smaller areas who want the famous blue frosted needles!

Stowe Pillar White Pine: Great for small spaces where growing a bit White Pine is impossible. This variety is very upright. It grows only 10 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide at maturity.


Skinny Genes Oak: A far better variety for people who want Oak's in smaller spaces, Medians, or Street trees. Grows only 45 feet tall by 10 feet wide at maturity.



There are lots of more varieties of your favorite landscaping trees! I simply just put some of my favorites in this list. I hope this helps you with your landscaping job!

NatureMan

Bought Palm Seedlings on eBay

I bought Queen Palm and California Fan Palm seedlings on eBay. Queen Palm is one of the fastest growing Palms. It grows 2-3 feet per year. The California Fan Palm is far slower.

NatureMan