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Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants with about 200–220 different species. Also called rosemallow, these plants are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. In Hindu worship, hibiscus is used as an offering to God Kali and Lord Ganesha, and extracts from some species are said to have health benefits.

The ideal spot for a garden is one with southern exposure. Here the sun lies warm all day long. When the garden has this type of sun exposure, the rows of flowers should run north and south. Thus placed, the plants receive the sun’s rays all morning on the eastern side, and all afternoon on the western side. This way, you are less likely to have any lopsided plants.

Suppose the garden faces southeast. In this case the western sun is out of the problem. In order to get the best distribution of sunlight run the rows northwest and southeast.

The idea is to get the most sunlight as evenly distributed as possible for the longest period of time. From the lopsided growth of window plants it is easy enough to see the effect on plants of poorly distributed light.

Keeping in mind that you wish the sun to shine part of the day on one side of the plants and part on the other, you can sort out any situation. The southern exposure gives the ideal case because the sun gives half time nearly to each side. A northern exposure may mean an almost entire cut-off from sunlight; while northeastern and southwestern places always get uneven distribution of sun’s rays, no matter how carefully this is planned.�

Regardless of what kind of rose you have in your garden, these tips apply:

• Always make sure that your equipment is clean and sharp.

• Cut at a 45-degree angle about 1/4 inch above outward-facing bud. The cut should slant away from the bud.

• Find the canes that are shriveled, dark brown, or black. Remove these first, as they are dead or dying and can drain the energy of the entire plant.

• Take a look at the remaining canes. Remove all the weak, thin ones — those that are less than a pencil in diameter.

• Remove any sucker growth. The best way to do this is to dig down to the root where the sucker originates and rip it off where it starts. If you just cut off the suckers, you encourage the re-growth of several more where once there was only one.

• After making cuts, it is a good idea to seal the ends of the cuts. This will help prevent cane borers. Ordinary, household white glue works well.

“The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.”
– Anonymous

“Dandelion wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered.”
– Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine

“Oh, hardy flower, disdained as weed,
Despised for head of feathery seed,
Your unsung virtues rate a ballad,
Choice roots for wine, crisp leaves for salad.”
– Betty Gay, “Dandelion�”

Honey bees, like the one pictured collecting pollen from a rose here, are from the insect order Hymenoptera. Honey bees were introduced into the United States in Colonial America.

These highly social insects communicate with each other, relaying direction and distance of nectar and pollen sources, using a sort of “dance.”

There are three types of bee found in a hive: the queen, which is the only reproductively capable female, the drones, male bees whose sole purpose is to mate with the queen, and the workers, which are the smallest bees in the colony and are undeveloped females. These are the bees we see flitting from flower to flower to flower.

The buzzing of a bee is created by its rapidly flapping wings, which can beat at more than 11,000 times per minute.�

Butterflies are one of the most colorful creatures on Earth, giving people of all ages plenty of viewing pleasure. You can find a variety of butterfly species around gardens and flowers, generally in areas of warm weather. Since people love butterflies so much, it is not uncommon to find such designs in many aspects. They are a symbol of freedom and beauty.

Butterflies make a great choice for home decor. You can find everything in a butterfly pattern to decorate your bathroom including a shower curtain, pictures to hang on the wall, rugs for the floor, toothbrush holders, soap dishes, and more. You will be able to select from a variety of colors as well as butterfly species.

Butterfly designs are also a great way to decorate a nursery or a room for a young girl. You can get butterfly decals that can be applied to the wall or use stencils to color your own. Many places carry butterfly design wall border as well. Outside, butterfly status and wind chimes add flare and style to any type of decor.

Since butterflies come with a warm feeling as well as offer some gorgeous color, it is no wonder people use them for a variety of decorating ideas both inside and outside of their home. Butterfly designs also are very popular for art and for tattoos because they symbolize freedom.

In fact, butterfly tattoos have become quite popular on women. Women like it because it is a very tasteful tattoo that looks good in any location. The larger the tattoo size, the more detailed the butterfly can be. An expert tattoo artist can make a butterfly design with multiple colors that are vivid and blend well together. A tattoo artist can help you design the perfect butterfly to suit your tastes.

If you are interested in various butterfly designs that are available, the internet is a great place to start. You can get wonderful decorating ideas as well as search for a particular one you are interested in. Home improvement stores and craft retailers are also great places to look for butterfly designs.

Here are some resources to get you started:

NexTag Comparison Shopping — Butterfly Wall DecorButterflyCraze.comButterfly-Decor.com

The hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) is also called the common rose mallow or Swamp rose mallow.

When deciding where to plant one, find a place in your garden where the plant will receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight.

Because they are such prolific bloomers, hibiscus are heavy feeders. You want to give them enriched soil with lots of organic matter. That way they have a slow continuous food source all season. In addition, supplement the plant with a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle Gro.

Water the plant thoroughly after planting and continue to water weekly during the first year to ensure it becomes well established. Once established, watering will only be necessary if there is no rain for an extended period of time.

For the winter, cut the stems down to approximately six inches tall. In the spring, when it begins to grow, prune the old stems back completely and mix in an application of granular fertilizer to give it a good start.

The height of the hibiscus shrub can range from about three to seven feet and the leaves are heart-shaped and are sized proportionally to the flower.

Some of the varieties of plants growing in your yard may actually be harmful to the environment.

“What many homeowners and gardening enthusiasts may not know is that some popular garden varieties of plants may actually be considered invasive weeds,” says Alan Tasker, Ph.D., National Noxious Weed Program Manager at the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. “They are considered invasive because they can take root in a particular area and spread unchecked, possibly choking out other plant species natural to that area.”

I’ve seen this happen with bamboo. If you don’t plant it with the roots surrounded my a deep cement barrior, the plant will start sending up shoots in your neighbor’s yard. My father had to constantly pull up these shoots after our neighbor planted bamboo in along the fence between the two properties.

Some of these invasive weeds can be quite pretty, including some wildflower mixes, multifloral rose (Rambler Rose), orange daylily and Baby’s Breath. Whether or not these plants are invasive or not depends on the geographical location. Plants can be star performers in one region yet pose a serious threat if introduced into another. So it’s worth a trip to your local nursery or visiting your state’s department of natural resources website to find out if your yard is harboring any potential invasive species.

Some store chains are doing things to help out. Meijer stores removed Norway maple and Lombardy poplar from their inventories because they are known to be invasive in the Midwest. They also have tagged some of their stock “Recommended Non-Invasive” to help customers identify the proper species to plant in their area.

Lowe’s also worked with organizations in Florida to eliminate potentially invasive plants from their stores in that state and are currently working on a similar initiative in California.

Many common weeds are notorious allergens. Because their seeds and spores are readily disseminated over wide areas, increased pollen levels can wreak havoc with allergy and asthma sufferers. Ragweed, pigweed, Russian thistle and sage brush, along with poison ivy, oak and sumac, are just a few invasive species that irritate allergies.

Another weed, giant hogweed, actually blocks the skin’s resistance to ultraviolet light, often leading to serious sunburn.

Invasive plants, or biological pollution, cost an estimated $34.7 billion annually, according to a Cornell University report, devouring three million acres a year in the U.S.

“Invasive weeds can take over cattle grazing areas, as leafy spurge has done in the northern plain states or overrun crops, much like cocklebur in corn and soybean crops throughout North America,” says Dr. Tasker.

An interesting site from the University of Nebraska, Kearney features a cost calculator that tracks the cost of invasive species in the U.S. in real time. (Note this site tracks the cost of all invasive species, including plants, animals and insects.)

We all play a part in containing these overpowering species from destroying our natural lands. Awareness is the first step. Contact your state’s department of natural resources to find out more about invasive species in your area or log on to www.wssa.net for more information.

Harvesting Tools
Of implements for harvesting, beside the spade, prong-hoe and spading- fork, very few are used in the small garden, as most of them need not only long rows to be economical, but horse-power as well.

The onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe, may be used with advantage in loosening onions, beets, turnips, etc., from the soil or for cutting spinach.

Running the hand-plow close on either side of carrots, parsnips and other deep-growing vegetables will aid materially in getting them out.

For fruit picking, with tall trees, the wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured to the end of a long handle, will be of great assistance, but with the modern method of using low-headed trees it will not be needed.

Pruning Tools
Another class of garden implements are those used in pruning but where this is attended to properly from the start, a good sharp jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears will easily handle all the work of the kind necessary.

Some Advice
As a final word to the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say: first thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor one is a constant source of discomfort and aggravation.

Get good tools, and take good care of them. And let me repeat that a few dollars a year, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your gardening pleasure.

The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is the best known and most popular butterfly. This is because it is the most commonly found and it also offers the most striking design you will find on a species of butterfly.

The Monarch is commonly called the milkweed butterfly because they are commonly found eating this variety of plant. This is also the location where most Monarch butterfly eggs are laid. In fact, many people choose to plant them in their garden just to attract beautiful Monarch butterflies. The majority of Monarch butterflies are found in North America.

Many people do not realize that Monarch butterflies migrate, following the same pattern year after year. They move to warm climates including Florida, Texas, and Mexico during the winter months. You will see them doing so in very large groups. You will have to look close though as you can easily mistake them for a bunch of autumn leaves! This is because the Monarch butterfly adapts to the environment and blends in for protection.

Generally the Monarch butterfly doesn’t have to worry too much about predators because they are known for being a very toxic meal. This has to do with the milkweed they so frequently eat, which is toxic to mammals.

Monarch butterflies are known for their bright colors and are the most popular species of butterfly. You will commonly find them in warmer climates and it areas where there is plenty of milkweed. If you enjoy these beautiful creatures, then you can create a butterfly garden very easily. This is because they will return to the same location year after year. Since they commonly eat and lay their eggs on the milkweed plant, this is the most successful way of attracting them.

This particular butterfly is the state symbol for Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Texas, Minnesota, and West Virginia. Since 1989 it has been the National insect of the United States. It also holds that title in Canada.

For more information about the Monarch butterfly, visit these resources:

Animal Facts: The Monarch ButterflyMonarch Butterfly from Enchanted LearningMonarch Butterfly