GardenRateAndReview

Allium bulgaricum: Bulgarian Onion

2008-07-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

About two years ago I came across a package of Allium bulgaricum commonly known as Bulgarian Onion. From the moment I saw the photo on the package at the garden center I was enthralled by the unique bell shaped flowers that hang down. The flowers are pruple and green with a creamy white edge. It is said to be a deer resistant plant but in the inner city of Chicago that isn't something I have to worry about much. But that's where the positive qualities of this cousin of the onion begin and end.
This is how the flowers normally look when not being propped up to be photographed like in the picture above. Not very impressive is it? I often don't even notice that this bulb is in bloom unless I'm pulling a weed from somewhere near it. This drawback (IMO) was compounded by the fact I made the mistake of planting this bulb too far back in the garden bed so it also gets obscurred by other plants. I don't understand why this allium bulb is popular and readily available when so many other plants don't get the same amount of distribution. To truly enjoy this plant you'd have to be about 8-10 inches tall so you can look up and see inside the chandalier like flowers. Unlike other alliums in my garden I haven't noticed that this one is visited by bugs in the garden. Allium bulgaricum does make a good cut flower but it gives off a very pungent scent when cut or broken.

Unless you really love alliums and want to expand your collection of these bulbs I don't recommend this bulb. The flowers while nice, don't stand out in the garden much and don't seem to be attract many beneficial insects. I give this allium two out of five stars.

GardenStew

2007-11-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

I was surfing the web recently and came across a gardening forum I'd never seen listed before. I got curious and followed the link and came across GardenStew.com which bills itself as a "Home & Gardening Community." I got curious and started to investigate the forum and see what it had offered that you couldn't find at a large place like GardenWeb or Dave's Garden or a niche forum like YouGrowGirl.

At first I wasn't very impressed with the design of the gardening forum. The landing page looked like your average phpbb portal and it seems to be designed for people with smaller screen resolutions. I don't have a large computer screen but even on my screen there is a lot of empty white space to the right of the portal giving it a bit of a lopsided appearance.

Instead of just judging the site by the skin the forum software used I decided I'd join and experience the forum like a regular person instead of someone trolling for an entry for a gardening review blog. After I signed up I posted in the welcome thread that every forum has to have and was very surprised at the number of responses my "hello" thread received in such a short time. I looked around the forum some more and posted here and there and was surprised yet again. I commented on a thread about a Stapelia (Carrion Plant) and mentioned how I'd wanted to have one of those plants for a long time. Later that evening I got an email in my inbox informing me that I'd had a private message awaiting me back on GardenStew.

At first I was worried that perhaps a moderator, or worse the site's admin, thought I was posting too much in a short period of time or maybe I'd violated some rule after opting not to read the TOS for the site. Imagine my surprise when it was a private message from a forum member offering me cuttings from her Stapelia after reading my reply in the thread.

Aside from the friendly tone of the members I was most impressed with some of the modern add-ons the forum provides for free to the community. Every member gets a free blog and any place that promotes blogs to gardeners is OK by me. The forum also has a feed that you can subscribe to be kept updated of new posts and there is even a tool bar for your browser so similarly keep you updated of the goings on at the forum. The site even features a member's gallery to help you share your pictures on the forum.

The GardenStew forums don't have the depth of a GardenWeb or Dave's Garden or even the hipster feel of YouGrowGirl but it has features that I think speak to a more internet savvy gardener. You could join a large forum like GardenWeb or Dave's Garden and be small fish in a big pond or you can find a smaller forum like GardenStew and be a big fish in a small pond. With a diverse membership that is quick to embrace a new gardener when GardenStew says they're "the friendliest" it doesn't feel hyperbole.

I give GardenStew 4 out of 5 stars for the modern garden forum features and friendly community of gardeners.

Cactus Blogs Hosted By Women

2007-10-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

When I think of gardeners that grow cactus and succulent plants I don't always think of women. For some reason I always assume that cactus plants are grown mostly by men. Perhaps, I associate men with cacti and succulent plants because I see more men on forums and websites about these unusual plants. Or maybe it is the fact that cactus and succulent plants aren't always pretty looking plants on the surface. Gardening as a whole seems to be dominated by women where the subset of cacti and succulent plants to me seem to be dominated by men.

But on the blogosphere I've discovered two female gardeners that have helped shape my ideas of who grows cacti and succulent plants. Since I started a gardening blog I've become acquainted with two of them through my blog. While both women host blogs about the same plants and share valuable information on how to grow cacti and succulents their blogs are different. The biggest difference results from geography, one woman grows cacti in Arizona and the other grows cacti in Jamaica.

Jade blogs at "Sticky Fingers" where she shares photos and information on growing cacti plants in Jamaica. Her perspective and information is unique because she lives in a climate that doesn't always suit itself to growing cacti plants. Take her Cereus pernambucensis thats she grew from seed in 2003 that was damaged after Hurricane Dean passed through her area in August. One of the things I really admire about Jade and her cactus collection is that she does grow a lot of her plants from seeds as you can see in the entry on repotting her cacti. Jade's cactus blog is a treasure of information for those looking to identify a cactus or succulent plant in their collection.

The second female blogger that grows cacti and succulent plants is Aiyana from Arizona. Her blog "Water When Dry" is also about cacti and succulent plants but I've only recently become familiar with her blog after we exchanged comments. She too takes some nice pictures of plants and writes detailed information about the cactus and succulents in her collection. As an urban gardener with limited space I'm amazed at the amount of plants she has in her collection. What I particularly like about her blog is that her garden is low water use and great for the Arizona climate. I lived in Arizona for a while and was always amazed at the people who moved there from areas like the Midwestern United States and forced the ideas of lawns on an environment that can't sustain them. I met a lot of gardeners in Arizona who could benefit from reading Water When Dry and taking the plants she profiles and importing them into their gardens.

I have to give these two garden blogs 5 out of 5 stars because they are good resources for people who want to grow cacti and succulent plants. Stop by and be inspired by these garden blogs and be amazed by the variety of colors that a cactus can produce. Yes, cacti do flower.

Sprout Home (Chicago Garden Center)

2007-09-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the opportunity to stop in and wander around Sprout Home, a little home decor/garden center in the city of Chicago. I'd passed by it a few times this summer but hadn't gone in because it looked like many pretentious shops in Chicago. Just about as soon as I stepped inside I immediately regretted never have gone in before.

When I stepped inside I was warmly greeted by two women who were in the middle of merchandising a section of the shop. We spoke for a couple of seconds about the trouble people who work in retail create for themselves when they take on the task of organizing something during business hours.

Sprout home carries cool modern home furniture and accessories but I couldn't really pay much attention to those items when I couldn't stop drooling at the selections of houseplants. They've done a good job of blending modern furniture and accessories with dramatic houseplants in their store. I couldn't help but drool over the Platycerium angolense I saw sitting inside of a large vase. I had to muster a lot of strength to keep myself from buying it and bringing it home to live next to my staghorn fern. At first I suffered a bit of sticker shock when I looked at the prices but when I took into consideration how many of these plants aren't available at big box garden centers the prices seemed more than reasonable.

When I stepped outside I was once again enthralled by the selection of annuals and perennials. They had everything from ground covers to trees and walking around I came across a few treasures that I have to add to my garden. I have to go back for a couple of toad lilies and a miniature hosta. The plant selection this garden center carries is a great addition to urban gardeners who are looking for plants to make their garden stand out from the rest in the city. Outside I winced a couple of times when I looked at the prices but when I once again realized that I was looking at unusual plants for a garden that you can't find in your local big box garden center the prices didn't seem that bad.

Sprout Home is a great garden center and it seems like it was tailor made for me. I can't remember the last time I came across such an impressive selection of indoor plants, cacti & succulents, annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs in one garden center in Chicago. As if the plant selection weren't enough they also offer free garden design services and participation in an organic co-op. I'm so impressed that such a little garden centers offers so much for urban gardeners in Chicago that I have to give Sprout Home four out of five stars.

Some of the merchandise can be see on their website Sprout Home and if you need directions see their entry on this Google Map.

Sprout Home

745 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
312 226-5950

Sprout Home
44 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718 388-4440

The Southern Bulb Company

2007-07-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Just over a year ago I read the story on the New York Times titled "The Bulb Hunter." Its a profile of a 20 something with a passion for plants who goes around the south collecting bulbs from abandoned properties. If you haven't read it before take a moment to read it and you'll understand why I'm posting this.

Today I saw an ad on my gardening blog from a company called The Southern Bulb Company and my curiosity got the better of me and I typed in the url and was soon on the company's website. After looking around the site it quickly dawned on me that I was on the site for the company started by Chris Wiesinger who is profiled in the NYT article. A look at the about page for the company company reads:

"The Southern Bulb Company, comprised of two dedicated bulb enthusiasts (plus friends and family), seeks to recapture something that was once "lost" to the Southern gardener: heirloom and rare flower bulbs that thrive in warm climates. Our focus is to provide only those bulbs that will do excellent for the warm climated gardener and any tools, artwork, literature, education or clothing that supports our 'bulb habit.' Each one of us has left good opportunities at major corporations, political arenas and the 'big city' to devote our waking hours to rescuing a small, but significant, piece of history."

How can you not root for a company started by someone who obviously has a passion for what he does? On gardening forums I always read gardeners lamenting that there aren't any "young" people who are into gardening or who worry that one day gardening will no longer be practiced when they die out. Whenever I comes across those kinds of threads I always make sure to point out that I am under thirty and that I'm passionate about plants and now I can not only mention another person under 30 who loves plants but I can link them to a company started/run by a few of them.

The Southern Bulb Company is doing a great service to gardeners by rescuing these long forgotten bulbs, many of which you can't find mass produced in garden centers, and they're being responsible by providing gardeners in dry/humid climates plants that will thrive in their zones. The bulbs available on the site are for zones 6-10 and while that may be pushing it for me here in zone 5 I'm thinking of trying a couple of them. If anything I can always treat them like I do my other tender bulbs and pull them up in the winter.

Chris and his company get 5 out of 5 stars from me because they provide less common plants and because they are helping to preserve a little piece of garden history.

Value Seeds-Cheap Seed Source

2007-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for an on-line store to buy some inexpensive seeds from that you may not find at your local store view the seed catalog on ValueSeeds.com. I really like their selection that ranges from edible to ornamental plants and the prices are very reasonable. On top of the reasonable prices for seeds I'm really impressed with their extremely reasonable shipping cost.

The usual shipping cost for seeds in most gardening catalogs is what keeps me from ordering seeds. I can't justify paying upwards of five dollars for a couple of packs of seeds. ValueSeeds charges .99 for shipping no matter how large you order is. For about a year I've been following threads about this store on-line and for the most part everyone is happy with their purchases.

Their website is without a lot of frills and the design is nothing to write home about. But the site couldn't be more easy to navigate and they include photos of the plants so you understand what you're buying and gardening zone information. If what I've read about this website is correct this is the outlet for seeds from Thompson & Morgan.

I have to give ValueSeeds five out of five stars for their selection and extremely reasonable prices.

Alchemy Works

2007-02-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

Do you want to create a magic or witch's garden? One day in my internet searches I came across Alchemy-Works when I was looking up information about black colored flowers. Alchemy-Works is a website for "developing your wortcunning (knowledge of plants)" if you're so inclined. They sell seeds, oils, resins,incense and supplies for people who practice magic and like to grow their own plants for that purpose.

In a previous post I mentioned wanting to create a magic themed garden and if and when I do I'll probably be ordering things from this site because they offer a nice selection of unique seeds you may not find elsewhere. For example even though I don't have the room or place to plant it I'd really like a Dragon Tree (Dracaena drago) because of it's unique growth habit. Other plants I'd like to grow from their selection are; Rusty Foxglove (Digitalis Ferruginea), Swansdown poppy (Papaver Somniferum), Himalayan Mandrake (Podophyllum hexandrum) just to name a few.

What I really like about this website is the interesting information that's included along with the seed/plant description and sowing directions. The site is designed simply and it's easy to navigate but the site has the potential to be a really wicked (pardon the pun) if they'd update it a bit. As you can probably tell I really like the seed selection the rest of the items they offer I don't have a use for but with a little thought their seed selection could create a garden that's unique and unlike any McGarden near you. They also offer seed collections if you would like to start a theme garden, they include: Astral Herbs, Black Flowers, Cottage Garden, Dye Plants, Medieval Plants, Moon Garden, Victorian Favorites, Witch's Garden along with custom orders.

I have to give Alchemy-Works 5 out of 5 stars because they offer gardeners some interesting plants and seeds to play with.

Bug Guide

2007-02-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

BugGuide.Net is a great bug reference website where naturalists spend time cataloging and identifying bug of the United States and Canada. It's a free resource for people looking for information or identification and an invaluable tool for gardeners who want to know what bugs are visiting their garden.

The design is nice and simple and the website is easy to navigate. You can click on the the illustration of a particular bug on the left hand side to see information about that bug.

If you've ever wondered "what's this bug?" or "what kind of bug?"after encountering a creepy crawly in your garden check out this site. They allow you to upload pictures of a particular bug to get an ID and they also have a small forum you might like if you're a naturalist or a bug geek.

I think this site is great and I really appreciate that these people give of their time and knowledge and because of that I have to give BugGuide.Net 5 out of 5 stars.

Richters Herb Catalogue 2007

2007-02-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is the second time I've gotten Richters' catalog in the mail since I signed up for it on their website and I haven't ordered a thing from them. I have to say that I'm really impressed with the design and quality of their catalog and it makes me want to order even though I'm not interested in growing my own herbs but if you like herbs and veggies sign up for this catalog.

What I particularly like is the design and effort put into producing this catalog. Nice color photos that illustrate what the plants look like. I'm not very fond of books or catalogs that have B&W photos of plants or even worse- illustrations! The photos of these herbs and plants are accompanied by a short description (over a thousand plants) of what the plant is used for and sometimes information about the country a particular plant is popular in.

The plant selection is unique and a good resource for people interested in making their own remedies for a particular ailment, gourmet cooks and people interested in ethnic foods. I don't really fall into those categories so I'm not sure I'll ever order from them. But I am tempted to order some seeds from them because I've been toying with the idea of making a small garden around an alchemy theme and some of the plants like European Mandrake, Liverwort and Skeleton Rose would be welcomed additions.

Richters' plants and seeds are available according to the catalog as plants, plugs packs and plug trays. What's especially cool is that they sell seeds in bulk for people interested in purchasing seeds in large quantaties. You can also order extracts & oils books if you're interested in reading up on things like cooking with edible herbs or the healing properties of certain plants.

From my Google searches I get the impression that they're really slow to ship and problems with shipping internationally (they're in Canada) can leave American gardeners getting dead plants. Some people in the States reported receiving dead plants while others were very pleased with the plants and condition they arrived in and in particular the packaging. It may be a better seed source for Americans than a plant source but with anything else your results may vary.

A visit to Richters.com left me unimpressed with the design and usability of their website. But I did like the little articles and information they provide. The information is particularly good if you're thinking about growing certain crops. I have to give the Richters Herb Catalog 5 out of 5 stars for their great catalog and plant selection.

Forcing, Etc-A Book Review

2007-01-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

When I first came across Forcing, Etc.: the indoor gardener's guide to bringing bulbs, branches & houseplants into bloom. earlier this winter on the book shelf of my local Borders I was drawn to it because of the cover and I quickly thumbed through the pages and dismissed the book. I was looking for a book on forcing bulbs to give me something to do during the winter and most importantly teach me something and aside from some wonderful photos I didn't think this book had much to offer.

A couple of days ago I came across the book again but this time on the shelf of my local library and decided to pick this book up and do more than just thumb through the pages of it. Now that I had the book at home and was able to go through it more carefully and actually read and absorb it. Katherine Whiteside does a fantastic job of introducing the readers of this book to indoor forcing without wrapping it up in a lot of mystique in the way that a lot of other sources on the subject do. What I particularly like is that she goes beyond the Paper Whites and Hyacinths offered on big box store shelves. She discusses forcing tender bulbs, branches, how house plants compliment a forced bulb garden, and a little bit of propagation is thrown in for good measure. The bulbs/plants pictured are identified and she gives recommendations for other named varieties of bulbs to try, clear and concise preparation and planting information. I especially like the little bits of plant history that she adds through the book and discovering a bulb or two I'd never heard of.

If you follow the link above you can see images from inside the book (on Amazon) along with other reviews of this book. I'm a little disappointed in the reviews especially because the reviewers seem to dismiss the information inside the book as things everyone knows or should know as a gardener. Maybe they're right but I can't help but think that they're taking for granted the knowledge they've acquired along the way. The information in this book isn't known by "all", I certainly had never heard of a Veltheimia or known that they were once wildly popular but fell out of popularity in the 1950s. Similarly I'm a little perplexed by what seems to be complaints about the book because it covers; hardy and tender bulbs, along with twigs and house plants. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much if it had been solely about hardy bulbs, just like I wouldn't be particularly fond of a garden filled with only Tulips.

Maybe the book should have been targeted to "indoor gardeners" because the bulbs/plants in the book come in and out of flowering just like a garden does and is enough to keep the indoor gardener occupied year round with a variety of bulbs/plants.

The photographs in the book by Richard Felber are top notch and present the bulbs/plants in the book in a manner that inspires. I can't help but want to know and be invited to the home where the photos were taken. The photos were probably staged and some are probably taken in a studio but you don't get that impression from their presentation, I can't help but want to wander around the "home" and talk to the plant lover who tends to these plants. I like how there are everyday items you could find in your own home that are mixed in with the plants and pots. A good example of what I mean is on page 77 where a Buddha figurine, a lamp and vase accent the trellis of twigs that's built around the window frame in the same manner that good garden art make a garden stand out.

You may not like this book if you think you; are a garden snob, already know everything about forcing bulbs, are looking for voluminous information on one specific type of bulb.

You may enjoy this book if you; appreciate whimsy, are looking to expand your gardening repertoire, don't have space for a garden outdoors, do container gardening, love houseplants or have physical limitations that don't allow you to participate in gardening.

I have to give this book ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 stars because it is well written with information that's presented in manner that even a total gardening newbie can understand.

Crocus- A Plant Review

2007-01-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

The Crocus has to be the most under appreciated bulb in the garden. To be honest if I had not been starting a bulb bed on a budget I probably would not have chosen to plant these. I came across a box of about 50 of them in a grocery store that were for sale for under five dollars so I snapped them up.

To be honest I wasn't expecting much from these humble little bulbs but when they broke through the ground very early in the spring they won a special place in my heart. I found them to cheer up the yard and I only wished I had planted more of them. Mine sprouted white, yellow (more gold) and this blue you see in the photo. I was surprised by how much I liked their leaves too, they're reminiscent of blades of grass but with a white or cream color running down their center.

Crocus bulbs can be grown in pots or forced inside during the winter and are hardy enough to be planted under sod where they will push through and create a blanket of flowers. They're in the Iridaceae Family and are native to southern Europe, North Africa along with the Middle East. They also span across Central Asia and Western China.

According to Diana Wells, author of 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names, the first spring Crocuses were sent to England from France by Jean Robin, curator of the Jardin du Roi Paris and brough to the Americas by settlers. And I for one am glad they were.

The Cactus Shop

2007-01-15T23:54:00.000-08:00

Recently I noticed that Home Depot was carrying a selection of Cacti & Succulents that were branded with the name "The Cactus Collection" I asked on the C&S forum of GW and discovered that it was part of Altman's Plants. Little did I know but they'd been supplying the C&S to Home Depot I'd been buying for a while now and this "new" selection was just an extension of their plants.

I think this line of Cacti & Succulents being made available in a major retailer is a good thing for the C&S enthusiasts and for houseplant collectors in general. When you buy one you get a plastic stake that has the name and area of origin of the plant and some details on cultivation. If you're luck the tags haven't been moved by customers or employees and you ID tag will be right. But once you get it home take the tag with you to your computer
and do a Google search for the plant's name and make sure it's
correct. If there are any discrepancies or you can't arrive at a proper ID for you plant look for a Cacti & Succulent forum like the
one on GW and see if you can get some help.

Two of my most sought after plants came from this new line. I had been looking for Echeveria 'Black Prince' and for a start of Senecio Rowleyanus for about a year and had no luck finding them in a store near me. I had seen them offered on-line but I wanted to buy these two plants in person. And I'm glad I stumbled into the store the days I found these because they're pretty cool plants.

If you can't find this collection near you, you can always order from the website above but I can't really tell you how good the shipping or plants are because I've only ever picked them up at a Home Depot. The website is also a good resource for people looking for information because the names are matched up with photos. I've used it a couple of times to get plant IDs for people on gardening forums.

I have to give The Cactus Collection ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 stars because they have expanded the variety of Cacti & Succulents made available to enthusiasts like myself who have a hard time finding interesting plants in a retail setting that are affordable. I know you can easily find these plants on-line but to me part of the joy is being able to see a plant before you actually buy it.

Feel free to ignore this post

2007-01-15T13:06:00.000-08:00

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Forest Farm Spring '07 Catalog

2007-01-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I bumped into my neighbor who said she had a book of mine. For a minute I was confused about how she had come into the possession of a book of mine but I reached out for it. Since it became cold here today I didn't waste time standing around outside trying to figure out how she got "my book" I just tucked it under my arm and thanked her and went inside the house.

Once inside I looked at the "book" and for a moment thought it was a book I had to buy in High School many moons ago. The book I had to buy was a collection of writings by Walt Whitman with a solid color cover decorated in nature illustrations. I was even more puzzled (because that book is sitting in a closet gathering dust never having been read) and I wondered how she managed to get "my book." Once the fog of confusion dissipated I realized that it wasn't "a book" but a catalog. And I found myself scratching my head once again trying to remember signing up for it. I flipped through the pages looking for pictures and didn't find any so I tossed the catalog on a shelf and then I remembered that day many years ago doing the same thing with the Walt Whitman book.

Later in the afternoon I was feeling bad about having dismissed the Forest Farm catalog because it wasn't glossy and didn't have mouthwatering photos so I picked it up and sat in my favorite chair with it to give it a try. It was then I realized that the inside cover is in color as it the inside back cover. After the first page you're treated to a collage of people who work to bring you your plants. The next couple of pages is intended to help those of us who only remember common names find the plant we're looking for in the catalog. And you'll need it because there are over 500 pages worth of plants listed-good thing it's recycled paper. The quotes and riddles are a nice touch (someone really likes Thoreau) and the customer reviews help give an idea about the level of customer service since you can see the same quotes on the Garden Watchdog. I smiled when I saw my favorite book quoted on page 107 .

The pages devoted to "Shrubs, Trees and Vines" make me wish I had the room for some trees. Their price for a Sambucus nigra 'Black Beauty' is pretty reasonable. I almost paid twice what they're charing at an "upscale" nursery last year and it wasn't even as big as is described in the catalog. They have a nice selection of Perennials too; E. 'Sunrise' is a lot cheaper than what I've seen in person . A hearty selection of Grasses & Sedges, Ferns and Bamboo- if you're into them. And a first for me in a catalog-a page listing 8 Palm varieties for sale. I like that they listed the "fruiting" items in the back to make sure you don't miss them. After the order sheet there's another decent listing of plants they have a small quantity of.

Even though the catalog doesn't rank up there in the "plant porn" department they make up for it with their impressive selection of plants. And if you really have to look at some color pictures you an always view them on the Forest Farm website. And while you're there request one of these for yourself.

I give this catalog ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ out of 5 stars because I've haven't seen a selection like it in a long time. And even if I don't order anything I can always use it to kill some Japanese Beetles this spring. Or use it as a reference to build a want list on GW. Now if only that Walt Whitman book was half as useful.

Ceropegia Woodii- A Plant Review

2007-01-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Ceropegia Woodii is an evergreen-flowering plant native to South Africa. It is often commonly referred to as 'String-of-Hearts' or 'Rosary Vine' and if you look at the image attached to this entry it should be clear why it has gotten those common names. The leaves are heart- shaped and green with white marbling and it develops little tubers along the vines that will root when they come in contact with soil.

It likes bright light and in my care it I have observed it to tolerate heat well and like medium waterings and bright light and well draining soil. I actually have two of them the Ceropegia Woodii picture you see above and another plant that has smaller arrowhead like leaves.

As a hanging plant it has received a lot of compliments and questions even though I have yet to get it to flower for me (yes, it does flower) but it's my life's goal to see it do so. On my second plant the tendrils are about 4 feet in length and I propagate it from cuttings or by sitting the tubers it develops on a soil surface. If I notice some shrinkage in the tubers I know I've gone too long in watering it and it needs a drink.

You really should give this wonderful plant a try it's vining nature makes it an awesome hanging plant that can be kept out of the reach of children and pets. But if you're short on space to hang this plant grow it on a wire topiary frame of various shapes and sizes.

I have to give Ceropegia Woodii ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ out of 5 stars. It's a great plant to have in your Cacti & Succulent collection or any houseplant collection.

My other blogs are:

MrBrownThumb
GardenHacker

Bryophyllum

2007-01-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

Byrophyllum.com is the website dedicated to "the joys of cultivating plants of the genus Bryophyllum in the family of Crassulaceae." Byrophyllums (try saying that ten times really fast) are those plants commonly called "Mother of Thousands" or "Mother of Millions" amongst others. This website features information on plant identification and culture for these unique plants. It also has a gallery, and a really slow forum and exchange page.

The design of the website is pretty utilitarian and doesn't offer any frills but in away it is very apt because I don't find these succulent plants to be extraordinary. They're nice enough plants and I have a couple in my Cacti & Succulent collection but once you get over the "oh how neat" feeling of seeing the pups on the leaves you get over it. The Google ads on the site in the middle of the text could be described as intrusive but again it fits this plant perfectly. Because once you have one growing you'll be finding pups growing all over your growing space.

I give Bryophyllum.com ★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 stars because it is a site dedicated to a specific plant. I have to admire the time and energy spent on keeping the site alive there should be more pages like this from plant lovers on the internet that share information about whatever plant you're passionate about.

If you have a garden related product or service that you'd like to have reviewed visit this blog.

My other gardening blog

Somni-Forum

2007-01-06T17:53:00.000-08:00

I came across the Somni-Forum the other day while searching for something unrelated to poppies and took a look around, it's the forum for the website Poppies.org I don't know why I was surprised to find a forum dedicated to these wonderful plants but I was.

The forum is described as operating:

"under a "harm-reduction" philosophy, providing a nonjudgmental community-based atmosphere for frank and open discussions on such topics as Opium Poppies and Poppy Cultivation, Dried Poppy Pods and Poppy Seeds, Chronic Pain, Use and Abuse, Legal Issues, Addiction, Recovery and Drug Policy Reform."

The forum is one of those php message boards that I am such a fan of with nice, clean design and a lot of useful threads by some hard core poppy growers. Check out this forum if you're looking for information on starting poppies, I love how they don't have any ads on their board.

I give it ★ ★ ★ ★ out of five stars for the wealth of information they provide without annoying ads. Some sections of the poppy forum are restricted to forum members but as far as I could tell you didn't have to pay to sign up and post but they do registration only during specific times. Check out the main page for updates on when they'll be accepting more members.

If you have a garden related product or service that you would like to have reviewed and listed visit this blog and contact me.

My other gardening blog

Dave's Garden

2007-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

I wish I could tell you all of these neat things about Dave's Garden but I can't. You see Dave's Garden requires you to register and be a paid subscriber to view most of their forums and that doesn't sit well with me. I'm sure they do it to keep their operating costs down and from having their servers strained by every internet search. But if they were really that concerned they could stop having their forums indexed and be done with it. Instead they take advantage of all of the benefits of having a high page rank without giving people on the internet anything in return, unless you want to sign up and pay.

I'm sure the content on their forums is every bit as good as the content on GardenWeb but on GardenWeb you can get it for free! Anyone searching the internet for gardening related info can easily access it and join if they want unlike at Dave's Garden. Yes I know that it costs money to run a site but I don't think Dave's Garden is really all that desperate those ads you see on the site are there for a reason-to make money and it has a base of subscribers which also bring it money.

Don't even get me started on the look of the site and forum or the horribly placed advertising that non paying members see when they come to Dave's Garden from a search.

I give Dave's Garden ★ ★ out of 5 stars. One for the Garden Watchdog and one because I know a lot of people on GW who also post there. If you're looking for a gardening forum where you can read the threads before you sign up and that won't cost you money to join check the list on this blog for more references.

My other gardening blog

Craigslist

2007-01-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Craigslist is the mega popular internet job board you probably heard about on the news or read about in the paper but you've never actually been to it. Well if you haven't been to it you should...it's not just a place for your politician to meet a woman for a lunch time encounter. It's probably one of the top 5 greatest ideas to spring from the Al Gores' invention of the internet. I'm kidding.

If you've never been or don't understand what "a Craigslist" is, I actually have heard newscasters call the site "a Craigslist" and if I had paid better attention in H.S English I could make a highbrow joke about how they're using the word as a verb or something, it's really simple. Think of Craigslist as the classified section of your newspaper but really it is more than that. Yes, you can sell something, hire someone, find a job, get stuff for free or give away stuff you don't want to haul to the city dump but Craigslist also has forums for every interest. And if you like to spend your days inside your room staring at your computer screen typing away furiously about how the U.N is going to take over America one day check out the local politics forums. If you want to talk to people about what the numbers on LOST mean, check out the Television Forum, if you want to talk about Britney Spears exposing her Lady Garden check out the Celebrity Gossip forum and if you want to talk about gardening there's also a forum for you.

The site doesn't registration for all of it's forums but you can post to the Garden Forum there without signing up, if you decide to use the "classifieds" on CL please follow the rules for your ad, one ad a week-you can post as many times as you want in the forums but please take a minute to familiarize yourself with the forums and rules. Because CL is so popular you get all kinds of people. Watch out for the trolls (you'll learn) and follow the posting guidelines and you'll be fine.

I like the gardening forum there for a quick question or I check in to see if I have an answer to someone's question. But because the board doesn't require registration is can get rather racy at times and sometimes the condescending tone of some of the participants (you'll learn) can get to be too much.

Often times I come across ads in the free section from people who are looking to give away something gardening related. Check out your local section by changing the city location on the main page.

I give Craigslist ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 stars. Even though the gardening forum is nothing to write home about being on CL is an experience unlike others. If you're offended easily maybe the forums aren't for you but you can always use CL in conjunction with a site like Freecycle.

My other gardening blog

You Grow Girl

2007-01-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

You Grow Girl was founded by Gaila Trail (no joke here) in February of 2000 and grew into an on-line community that has drawn a cult following of "Hipster Gardeners" and people (mostly women) who like to craft. You can find a lot of cool projects on the site if you like working with your hands or you can participate on the forum.

The best feature for me is the design of the site and how it seamlessly blends the look of the forum. It's beautiful and looks like the kind of forum I'd participate it (what do you mean you've seen me there?) and what garden forums should look like. I really hate ugly gardening forums that look like they're stuck in the the early 90s of internet design (except for you GardenWeb I love you warts and all) and I stay away from them. But YGG is different it's a nice looking site/forum and the forums have some cool bells and whistles. If you're looking for a gardening forum where the people are pleasant check it out. The only draw back for me is that the forum seems to move like molasses sometimes.

I give You Grow Girl ★ ★ ★ ★ out of five stars. I didn't give it five because it is a little slow compared to other gardening forums on the internet with more participation.

If you have a gardening related product or service visit this blog and contact me.

My other gardening blog

GardenWeb

2007-01-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

GardenWeb.com bills itself as "the largest gardening site on the Web." And if you've ever visited the site and explored the collection of forums available you would have to agree. I've been a member there for about a year now and I'm constantly surprised by the additions to the list of forums. No matter what your interest in gardening is you're bound to find a forum where you can discuss what you want. But what makes GardenWeb special to me is the people that post there. You won't find a more knowledgeable bunch on the internet. Not only are the people knowledgeable but I'm often amazed with how generous they are in trading seeds and plants with other people. When I joined I was "adopted" by a GardenWeb member who shared a lot of great plants and bulbs with me. Perhaps I'm jaded but before then I couldn't fathom packing up and sending your plants to another person that you'd never met before. The experience taught me a lot and shaped my idea of what we as gardeners are suppose interact with others.

On GardenWeb you will find plant/area specific forums, as well as forums to conduct trades. Make sure to read the FAQ so you know how you're suppose to conduct yourself and what you and the other person should expect when trading. And if you can't figure something out you can always ask someone.

What I don't like about GardenWeb is the design and feel to the place. It looks old and clunky and it doesn't offer all of the bells and whistles that people who are familiar with the more modern amenities of boards built on phpBB. But like your favorite rusted shovel it still works although I hear that there are some changes being planned for the Spring of '07. Lets hope they go over better than the changes that created the mass exodus after iVillage took over the forum.

The site requires registration to post, but it's free to browse. I give GW ★ ★ ★ ★ out of five stars because it could use some improvement.

If you have a garden product or service you'd like for me to review visit this blog and contact me.

My Other Gardening Blog