Flowers Garden Plants

As our planet's population grows, land is bound to grow scarce. The time may come when we may have no more room on land to plant and grow crops. The alternative? Soilless planting.

Soilless planting is a method in which plants are grown, not on soil, but on other, more space saving mediums, such as peat, compost and organic extracts (known as organics) or even nutrient-rich water (known as hydroponics) are used.

Soilless planting is a viable alternative to traditional farming, and can even be done indoors. And although crops grown is this method may be paler (due to lack of natural sunlight), they are no less nutritious than those grown the old-fashioned way. Another concern with this type of planting is the concern with mosquitoes. As the water is too ionic, mosquito larvae do not survive very long in the water used for hydroponics.

Already, this method of farming is becoming widespread, being used by the airline and cut flower industry to provide food and flowers for their businesses. With the rapid increases of our planet's population every year, pretty soon we may all have to depend on this type of farming to survive.

Like some people, trees don't like to be crowded. While people can move away from the maddening crowd, trees do not have that ability. That's why when planting trees, spacing between them should be considered.

Spacing is done to avoid competition for essential nutrients and water. This also helps them avoid being in each other's shade as they grow, which can be disastrous for the trees.

How far a tree should be spaced in relation to another really depends on that tree's eventual size when fully grown. This may vary from as little as 6 feet to as large as 20 feet or more, depending on the canopy (shade size) of a tree.

So unless you have a particularly large yard, planting more than one tree isn't exactly an option.

The sharp-spined Madagascar Palm, or Pachypodium lamerei
is actually not a palm at all, and it is classified as a succulent and quite a tall one at that, with wild specimens growing to a height of 15 feet. It is easily distinguished by the rows of thorns lining its trunk, developed to ward off predators. An additional defense this plant has developed is in the trunk itself; Its sap is very poisonous.

Originally found (where else) is the southern part of Madagascar, the P. lamerei is an easy plant to grow, although getting it to bloom is a different story.

This thorny succulent needs very little water, plenty of light and no fertilization. Aside from being a prickly customer, this palm is nearly idiot-proof, so I'm quite sure you can handle it.

The Davalia or Rabbit's Foot Fern can easily be identified by its "feet" or rhizomes that are covered with hair. The seeming resemblances of those “feet” are what gave this plant its common name.

Often found in the wild attached to a tree trunk, it is also at home in a pot, with its fronds curling over the pot's edges. This fern thrives best in a tropical environment, and grows well in a warm and moist habitat throughout the year.

Also known as Squirrel Foot's Fern, the Davalia trichomanoides has its origins in Southeast Asia. This plant is a hardy one, requiring little sunlight, moderate watering and a warm climate. The soil of its pot should always be kept moist, but not over-watered.

This plant is a relatively easy fern to take care of, and is a good starting plant for those of you whose green thumbs run a bit black.

Having trouble disposing of those leaves and grass clippings? Why not compost them and make mulch?

The process by which plant material such as leaves and grass clippings are converted into useable organic soil amendments is called composting. The product of composting is often called mulch.

Why compost and why mulch? Well, mulch increases the organic matter of soil, providing the essential natural ingredients for growth. Mulch also modifies soil temperature, controls weeds and prevents soil erosion.

Composting is a beneficial way to manage your organic waste and can easily be done in your own back yard. It may not be pretty, or particularly enjoyable, but in doing it, you're helping the environment in your own small way.

What's that? You can't get crab grass to grow? Don't you worry, I'm here to help. But first, why don't you cut your teeth taking care of these no-fuss, no-muss houseplants; You don't even have to mulch for these babies!

I've always found that cacti (that's the plural of cactus, for all you non-plant people out there) are excellent for those who find even daily watering too tedious a job. The Hoya cactus is an easy houseplant to begin with.

Aralias are good if you like that forest-fresh look inside the house. Best keep this little tree outdoors, but avoid direct sunlight.

The Snake Plant adds a touch of design to your home with its distinctive pattern, and is a hardy plant, ideal for those low-maintenance types.

There are other easy-to-maintain plants out there, but I particularly like these three because of the variety in design they give to the corners they stay in.

The exotic beauty of orchids has earned them man's admiration ever since antiquity. The ancient Greeks saw it fit to bestow upon them the quality of virility, and orchids have long been a symbol of beauty, love and luxury. Often an ingerdient of many love potions, they have also been part of many herbal medicines, and the high regard given the humble orchid has earned them a place in the folklore of many cultures.

The hobby of collecting orchids was firmly established by the start of the 18th century. Seafaring captains sailing from the New World would bring specimens of these unusual flowers back to the Old World. Until 1818, they remained a curiosity for botanists and were not being succesfuly cultivated until a man named William Cattley noticed that orchids were used as packing material for some other plants he had collected. He potted the flowers, and in November of 1818, one of the plants bloomed, and was named a Cattleya. Little did William Cattley realize the impact his little flower would have on the horticultural world.

In the frenzy for orchid collecting that followed, entire forests were stripped bare in the search for more and more of these plants, endangering not only the orchids, but innumerable other flora and fauna as well. As a result, the collecting of orchids was mostly prohibited, a ban which is still in effect today. Most orchids are on the endangered list, and many of them are cultivated from seed, as wild orchids are now quite rare to come by.

The thistle would hardly elicit the same aesthetic response as a rose, and it would hardly be anybody's choice for a national flower, much less an emblem.

Anyone else but the hardy Scots. This prickly plant is their choice of flower to represent their land and a symbol of their pride. But how did this green pincushion come about as a symbol of a nation?

A colorful legend recounts how the simple thistle saved the Scottish nation from the wrath of the invading Vikings.

The marauding Norsemen decided to approach the Scots with stealth, and to that end they removed their footwear. All went well until one of the invaders stepped on a thistle, prompting the unfortunate viking to scream in pain and surprise, whiched alerted the Scots and routed the Vikings for the victory.

With this story in mind, the Scots adopted the thistle, as prickly as it is, as their emblem and national symbol.

Greetings to all plant lovers! Most people today don't care much for plants, especially if they're living in the city. Some people can't even be bothered to think about what'll happen if one day all these wonderful plants just disappeared. It's just a sad fact.

I hope that through this blog of mine, we can educate more and more people to literally stop and smell the roses. It's a dream of mine to have the man on the street to be able to identify a tree growing in the park or a flower blooming in a pot in his yard. A pipe dream? Maybe, but with your help, dear reader, we can make it happen.

I wouldn't know much about flowers if there wasn't google.