What Is Physalis

Every time I climbed into my car in some new creative way, dropped my keys because my hands were shaking from the cold, or added another layer of clothing to my daily outfit, I thought of Hal Borland's quote above: This winter may be intense, but it won't...

Send me your question! Please keep in mind that I receive a lot of questions, so I won't always be able to answer each one immediately. When it's diluted let's say 200 times, it's called 200c because C is the Roman numeral for 100.

Humans with severe, prolonged reactions to winterberry ingestion should be evaluated by medical professionals. Depression, vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms winterberries produce in pets.

I may not be able to start gardening or backyard chicken-keeping any time soon, but when that time comes, I'll already have a head start. Keep your eyes on hatchery catalogs, and before you know it, you'll be raising those Lakenvelders you always dreamed...

And then every once in a while, we catch wind of a new plant. Right now there is a lot of buzz about a plant called ashitaba. Of course, none of the folks who are writing about it are sharing what plant this really is, so I went digging.

But then I realized that these little nymphs were immature leaf-footed bugs , which aren't beneficial at all and are actually quite nefarious. While the immature nymphs of assassin bugs and leaf-footed bugs look quite similar, several clues helped pinpoint...

Frozen soil is dense and rigid. Soil that is ready for planting is easy to dig and yields to your shovel. Several very warm days in a row may lead you to believe that the ground is ready to be worked.

The roots of a diseased plant will appear brown or black with evidence of water soaking.Unfortunately, the conditions required for seed germination also create favorable environments for the growth of fungus, as both seeds and roots must be kept moist...

Make a bin using recycled pallets and poultry netting (chicken wire). In many cities and townships organic waste materials MUST be separated from normal trash and failing to do so can result in a written violation; the local government can take you to...

Truman's presidency. The important thing is to prepare enough brine to cover the turkey completely. Because of the high sodium content of packaged lunchmeats, I do not buy lunchmeats, but I sure look forward to some leftover turkey for sandwiches.Meanwhile,...

But they only bought candies, crackers, snacks, chocolate, wafers or other sweets. Be as it may, important is that nothing bad happened. Well, they aren't expensive, so that's not the reason; but our Romanian culture doesn't throw away anything which...

The leaves often have silver or white strips through the center. This high-humidity houseplant can grow to heights of nearly five feet.Dracaena sanderiana is considered non-toxic to humans.The ASPCA's Poison Control Center lists lucky bamboo as a toxic...

In an article published by the University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture, however, Extension Professor William M. Don't plant the same veggies year after year. These days, botanical or plant diversity is an oft-heard concept, but it can be difficult...

To replenish the chemical composition of soil after annual crops such as these, some farmers and gardeners let their land go fallow -- or unplanted -- so that the soil's natural nutrient balance can be restored.When a farmer lets some land go unplanted,...

Solid lumber is used in furniture and joinery where it grows locally. This is similar to the hardness of basswood (367) and redwood (402). Imports to the United States are mainly in the form of veneer and plywood, especially for use in decorative paneling,...

I have since moved on to asking friends of friends with hens, telling them how cute little baby chicks are and how much fun it is to breed your own chickens. The tomatoes have been ripped out (they did eventually succumb to the late blight that plagued...

(Clearly I was destined for a career involving reading and writing.) Thankfully, these character traits have mellowed in my transition to adulthood, especially my palate: My tastes have broadened tremendously, and I'm now proud to say that the list of...

Frost will kill it. Fungal diseases, which are often caused by overly wet soil or letting water sit on the leaves of the plant, can also harm bougainvillea. Some are even bi-colored and have variegated foliage.

At pH above 7, phosphorus becomes unavailable, and the build up of calcium carbonate and other toxic salts can inhibit root development. A more accurate and detailed analysis can obtained by sending a soil sample to a testing laboratory.

If you intend to use either of these materials in your garden, it will be wise to know their source. At the time of planting, I pull back the mulch to direct seed, then cover the seeding with a light layer of shredded leaves or straw.

The rolled fiberglass (the pink stuff found in many homes today) was an R15—well below the recommended minimum. Just as different climates and housing zones require different R-values, they also require different insulation types, such as closed versus...

Having had a Red Star myself, I guessed that she actually had Rhode Island Reds based on their deeper feather color. One of my friends picked up five female Red Stars (a sex link) at a feed store—or so she was told.

Because it is used to make 70 percent of the world's sugar supply, many sugar cane species have been bred to be high-yielding. These raw crystals are then dispatched to a refinery before being sold commercially.

If you have a deer problem in your region, surround your vegetable garden and other plants deer eat with vinca and other plants that deer don't like. Other varieties include Jaio Scarlet Eye, Peppermint Cooler and the unusual Blue Pearl, which is an F-1...

It is also used as a spread on bread or vegetables.Both traditional ghee and vegetable ghee have a texture and appearance similar to lard. However, neither of these items contains animal fat.Despite its resemblance to lard, vegetable ghee is cholesterol-free.

They extend the time between feedings, and contain other important nutrients supplied by other ingredients that the deer need.While deer corn is low in protein, it is an excellent source of carbohydrates and fats that boost their energy reserves for the...

Dependent on the species, the majority of cacti flower on a regular basis.Another significant difference between an agave and the cactus are leaves -- the agave possesses leaves and the cactus does not.