Tag Archives: gardening

Firewise Plant: Prairie Coneflower

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Plant Name:  Ratibida columnifera
Common name:  Prairie Coneflower or Mexican Hat
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 18” – 24”
Plant Width:  12” – 24”
Bloom Time: July – October
Flower Color:  Yellow or Red with Distinct Tall Center.
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry to Moist Well-Drained; Loamy/Sandy.
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 2 – Plant 40’+ from House.
Attributes: Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant; Long Bloom Season; Nectar for Bees, Butterflies, Insects; Seeds for Birds.
Uses: Sunny Borders; Rock Gardens; Native Plant Gardens; Containers.
Native to: Most of North America, but NOT Oregon
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

 

 

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener

Photo courtesy of: Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Firewise Plant: Red-Hot Pokers

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Plant Name: Kniphofia uvaria

Common name:  Torch Lily or Red-Hot Poker

Plant Type: Perennial

Plant Height: 1’ – 4’

Plant Width:  2’ – 3’

Bloom Time: June – August

Flower Color:  Multi Color:  Orange/Yellow/White/Green

Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Good Drainage; Sandy Soil; Favors Bog & Marsh Land.

Water Needs: Heavy in Spring & Summer.

Fire Resistant:  YES:  Zone 1 – Plant 10+ feet from Structure.

Attributes: Deer Tolerant; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Pollinators; Cut Flower.

Uses: Border, Foundation, Container, Rock Garden.

Note:  Spreads by Rhizomes

Native to: South Africa

Oregon Native:  NO

USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Firewise Plants: Heartleaf Bergenia

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Plant Name:  Bergenia cordifolia

Common name:  Heartleaf Bergenia

Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial

Plant Height:  12” – 14”

Plant Width:  12” – 18”

Bloom Time: May – June

Flower Color:  Pink/White

Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade.

Soil Requirements: Average, Medium, Well-Drained Soil.

Water Needs: Medium

Fire Resistant:  YES – Zone 8 – Plant 30’+ from house.

Attributes: Green Leaves in Summer Change to Burgundy in the Fall; Showy Flower; Good Cut Flower; Deer Resistant; Tolerates Heavy Shade.

Uses:  Groundcover; Rock Gardens; Shaded Front-of-the Border; Edger.

Note: Remove All Damaged Foliage in Late Winter/Early Spring; Remove Spent Flower Stems; Spreads Slowly by Rhizomes .

Native to: Russia

Oregon Native:  NO

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Growing Microgreens in Winter

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I start seeds in the clamshells you purchase spinach or salad in from the grocery store.

I drill holes in these containers top and bottom, add growing medium, sow the seeds, set up a “self watering” tray system [self-watering trays are double trays: bottom tray has no holes, and the top container or tray has holes], cover the seeds, then place trays on a heated mat [mat for plants].

Here I am starting speckled peas in a seed growing medium. [It’s important to use a good soil less growing medium. Some people use hemp fiber or coconut fiber growing mats]

I put weight on the seeds and keep them in the dark for a few days until they sprout, then I expose them to light.

It’s important to maintain even moisture; do not allow growing medium to dry out.

Speckled Peas seeds

I do the same with sunflower seeds. I start in seeds in growing medium in the dark and put weight on them, this way they make stronger roots and don’t dislodge each other. Then I expose them to light.

Sunflower Seeds

Below are Pea Shoots ready for harvest

Pea Shoots

Mung beans sprouts: I keep them in the dark so they get longer

Mung Beans

Radish sprouts: Next time I will let them grow longer.

Radish Sprouts

Sunflowers growing on a heat mat under lights, ready to harvest.

Sunflower Sprouts

Instructions & Pictures by Goly Ostovar, AGC Member

How Dirt Makes You Happy

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Gardening Know How – https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

Antidepressant Microbes In Soil: How Dirt Makes You Happy

Prozac may not be the only way to get rid of your serious blues. Soil microbes have been found to have similar effects on the brain and are without side effects and chemical dependency potential. Learn how to harness the natural antidepressant in soil and make yourself happier and healthier. Read on to see how dirt makes you happy.

Natural remedies have been around for untold centuries. These natural remedies included cures for almost any physical ailment as well as mental and emotional afflictions. Ancient healers may not have known why something worked but simply that it did. Modern scientists have unraveled the why of many medicinal plants and practices but only recently are they finding remedies that were previously unknown and yet, still a part of the natural life cycle. Soil microbes [1] and human health now have a positive link that has been studied and found to be verifiable.

Soil Microbes and Human Health

Did you know that there’s a natural antidepressant in soil? It’s true. Mycobacterium vaccae is the substance under study and has indeed been found to mirror the effect on neurons that drugs like Prozac provide. The bacterium is found in soil and may stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier. Studies were conducted on cancer patients and they reported a better quality of life and less stress.

Lack of serotonin has been linked to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and bipolar disorders. The bacterium appears to be a natural antidepressant in soil and has no adverse health effects. These antidepressant microbes in soil may be as easy to use as just playing in the dirt.

Most avid gardeners will tell you that their landscape is their “happy place” and the actual physical act of gardening is a stress reducer and mood lifter. The fact that there is some science behind it adds additional credibility to these garden addicts’ claims. The presence of a soil bacteria antidepressant is not a surprise to many of us who have experienced the phenomenon ourselves. Backing it up with science is fascinating, but not shocking, to the happy gardener.

Mycobacterium antidepressant microbes in the soil are also being investigated for improving cognitive function, Crohn’s disease, and even rheumatoid arthritis.

How Dirt Makes You Happy

Antidepressant microbes in soil cause cytokine levels to rise, which results in the production of higher levels of serotonin. The bacterium was tested both by injection and ingestion on rats, and the results were increased cognitive ability, lower stress, and better concentration on tasks than a control group.

Gardeners inhale the bacteria, have topical contact with it, and get it into their bloodstream when there is a cut or other pathway for infection. The natural effects of the soil bacteria antidepressant can be felt for up to 3 weeks if the experiments with rats are any indication.

So get out and play in the dirt and improve your mood and your life.

Resources:
“Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Serotonergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior,” by Christopher Lowry et al., published online on March 28, 2007 in Neuroscience.
http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785 [2]

Mind & Brain/Depression and Happiness – Raw Data “Is Dirt the New Prozac?” by Josie Glausiusz, Discover Magazine, July 2007 Issue. https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac [3]

Article printed from Gardening Know How: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

URL to article: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm

URLs in this post:

[1] Soil microbes: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/what-are-microbes-in-soil.htm

[2] http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785: http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785

[3] https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac: https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac

Firewise Plant: Blue Flax

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Plant Name: Linum perenne

Common name:  Blue Flax

Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial Wildflower

Plant Height: 12” – 20”

Plant Width:  12” – 14”

Bloom Time: May – June

Flower Color:  Light Blue or White

Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade.

Soil Requirements: Well-Drained; Loamy or Sandy.

Water Needs: Medium

Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 1 – Plant 30+ feet from Structure.

Attributes: Showy Flowers; Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant.

Uses: Mass Plantings; Meadows; Rock Gardens; Border Fronts.

Note: Self-sows; Remove Spent Blossoms for Longer Blooming; Flowers Open for Only One Day.

Native to: Asia, Europe

Oregon Native:  NO

Submit by: Viki Ashford