The Inside Dirt @ iloveplants.com for April 2006

iloveplants.com - YOUR ONLINE RESOURCE FOR THE BEST GARDENING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!

In This Issue:
* Featured Website: Organic Rose Gardening
* Featured Flower: Edible Flowers
* Featured Vegetable: Artichoke
* Featured Herb: Sage
* Garden Folklore: The Sundial
* Garden News: Dutch Garden’s Survivor Tulip
* Garden Wisdom: Tree Planting Tips
* Garden Bargains: Save on Spring Offers!
* Garden Blog: Diana’s Baja Desert Garden Blog

Greetings fellow gardeners and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers!

I can see spring slowly beginning to spread northward through the garden blogs I visit on a regular basis. Many of the gardeners are sharing their enthusiasm for the first signs of spring by posting photos of spring flowers. Soon gardeners everywhere will be spending countless hours in the garden and enjoying every minute of it.

Our spring celebration brings a wave of interesting websites your way this month. Our featured web site, Organic Rose Gardening, is for those of you who would love to grow roses using less pesticides. Learn more about growing and cooking edible flowers and artichokes, as well as the many uses of sage. We’ve also included information on how you can contribute to the research efforts to fight breast cancer by purchasing the Survivor tulip offered by Dutch Gardens, and some great tree planting tips from The National Arbor Day Foundation. And be sure to read this month’s garden blog which includes some incredibly beautiful pictures, as well as my own garden blog to see what’s blooming in my zone 9 spring garden.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and that it contains some helpful gardening information. Drop me a line anytime you like with requests for future information or just to say hi and let me know what's growing in your garden. Susan

"Spring is sooner recognized by plants than man." Chinese proverb

FEATURED WEBSITE: Organic Rose Gardening

This website is for those of you who wish to grow roses in a more environmentally friendly way. It contains lots of valuable information arranged in a very simple and easy to navigate format. It begins with a little history of roses followed by an informative explanation of the delicate balance of how nature works. It includes topics on soil preparation, rose selection, companion planting, irrigation, mulching, pruning and deadheading, along with some additional tips for rose gardening success. This website is definitely a worthwhile visit for anyone who loves to grow roses. Click here to visit OrganicRoseGardening.com.

FEATURED FLOWER: Edible Flowers

Flowers have been used as an edible source for centuries by European, Asian, East Indian, Victorian English and Middle Eastern cultures. Today there is a renewed interest in including edible flowers in salads, teas, wines, spreads, marinades and many more types of dishes. But beware, not every flower is edible and it is very important to never eat flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides. Click here to read Edible Flowers by Linda Stradley on the What’s Cooking America website for a list of edible flowers and their uses.

FEATURED VEGETABLE: Artichokes

An artichoke is a member of the sunflower family and is considered a thistle. Artichokes originated in Sicily and were considered a delicacy. They are a good source of vitamin C, and also provide Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A, potassium and folate. They are low in sodium and fat-free! Click here to read Farm & Garden’s article on Growing Artichokes.

FEATURED HERB: Sage

Sage (salvare) means “to save.” For many centuries, sage was considered to have healing properties. Sage can be easily grown from seeds and is used to flavor turkey, chicken and meat dishes. Click here to read more about Growing Sage by the National Gardening Association.

Gardening With the Moon

Full Moon – April 13th
New Moon – April 27th

PLANTING DATES:
Flowers & Above Ground Vegetables: March 29 – April 13
Flower Bulbs & Root Vegetables: April 14 – April 26

GARDEN FOLKLORE: The Sundial

Sundials have been placed on houses, churches, tombs and public buildings for centuries. The Egyptians were known to have used sundials as early as 1500 B.C. to mark the passage of time. They are a reliable source for telling time when placed in the proper position. Today they are used as a popular ornament in the garden.

At the time of their discovery it appears as though not everyone was pleased with the newfangled invention that carved our days into bits and pieces. Plautus, a comic playwright of the Roman Republic, was quoted as saying, “the gods confound the man who first found out how to distinguish hours. Who in this place set up a sundial to cut and hack my days so wretchedly into small pieces!” Click here to read the History of Sun Dial at ColorsOfIndia.com.

The attractive dragonfly sundial from Yardiac.com provides elegant style to any outdoor living space and is a great way to personalize your garden. It is made from 100% cast aluminum in America. It may be placed on any level surface or securely mounted to a simple wooden post or pedestal. It comes with a Lifetime Guarantee and a low price.Click here to purchase this dragonfly sundial from Yardiac.com.

GARDEN NEWS: Dutch Gardens Survivor Tulip

Dutch Gardens is joining the fight against breast cancer. For every package of Survivor Tulips sold they will donate $5 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for continued research and community outreach programs. Click here to read more and to purchase the Survivor Tulip.

“When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.” – David Orr

GARDEN WISDOM: Tree Planting Tips

Trees are one of the hardest working members of the plant kingdom. According to The National Arbor Day Foundation, “trees absorb six tons of carbon dioxide and provide four tons of oxygen per acre. They filter out air and water polluntants, filter noise pollution, prevent erosion, provide shelter and food for wildlife, as well as reducing temperatures by an average of 9 degrees farenheit, thereby helping to reduce air-conditioning bills.”

Unfortunately, many full grown trees end up having to be removed because they were planted to close to a home or in an inappropriate location. Fortunately, The National Arbor Day Foundation provides some helpful tree planning tips that will help you “produce a landscape that will cool your home in summer and tame the winter winds.” Click here to read The Right Tree in the Right Place by The National Arbor Day Foundation.

GARDEN BARGAINS ONLINE: Save on Garden Supplies & Products

Receive $15 off your order of $100 or more from Wayside Gardens. Enter Bonus Code "waysidegardens01" at checkout. Offer Expires 4/7/06.

Click here to take advantage of this offer from Wayside Gardens and for the latest special offers, sales & discounts at Garden Bargains Online.

GARDEN BLOG: Diane’s Baja Desert Garden Blog

You are in for a feast of gorgeous garden photos in this month’s blog. Diane Varney has so eloquently captured the awesome beauty of a desert garden in these photos of her Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico garden. The earthy warm, yet bold tropical colors are truly a feast for the eyes and bring a new appreciation for how beautiful desert gardens can be. Even the weeds look beautiful in this garden. Click here to visit Diane’s Baja Desert Garden Blog.

FROM MY GARDEN..

I have now taken to the cultivation of my own garden blog. Please visit Simply Susan! to see what’s happening in my zone 9 garden and please be sure to leave your footprints by posting a comment. I would love to hear from you! Click here to visit Simply Susan!

To create your own free garden blog visit LiveJournal.com.

“The more we are separated from nature, the unhappier we get.” - Unknown

For more great horticultural websites, please visit iloveplants.com – your online garden resource!