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Most gardeners have a passionate dislike for slugs and snails on account of the devastation they can wreak to young plants. Find out the various methods you can use to control them, from midnight slug hunts to all out warfare.

Apricots originated on the Russian-Chinese border in about 3000 BC and were imported along with peach seed into Europe through the ?Silk Road? that extended camelback trading to the Mideast. The fruit grows as an escaped naturalized plant along modern roadsides in Turkey and Armenia today in abundant numbers. Apricots were known in ancient Greece in 60 BC and later introduced into the Roman Empire. The apricot trees are believed to have arrived in the early American colonies

Very few historical records exist on ancient blueberry culture in the Greek and Roman empires. Those cultures did use parts of the blueberry plants and fruit to eat or to treat ailments. The size and flavor of native blueberry plants was extremely variable, and the USDA, modern, extensive research and development of choice selections was judged on a basis of taste, yield of plants, aroma, small berry seeds, and the lasting quality of the fresh berries increased the popularity

Whether you are into organic gardening or not, garden tools are an important part of enjoying your time in the garden. Without the most basic of tools, gardening is much harder than it needs to be.

The overall theory of pruning apple trees is to first train the young apple tree to grow efficiently, and then to promote the best production of good quality fruit as the tree matures. By training a young apple tree to grow "correctly" you enable the tree to develop a strong structure that will be able to support heavy apple growth, plus you will have a tree shape that is easy to manage in later years. A well-applied regimen of training and pruning apple trees stimulates s

For over 100 years hunting plantations have been planting fruit trees for wildlife food and shelter. Like the old English hunting plantations, today?s hunters are realizing that big deer, strong bucks and graceful does, hardy turkey, fat quail, and dove come from supplementing what would otherwise experience a very mediocre diet by planting and growing berry plants, nut trees, fruit trees and acorns from oak trees, or muscadines from grapevines. Fruit from Japanese persimm

William Bartram, a notable, early American botanist, extensively explored the Island of St. Simons in Georgia; describing vividly the landscape, animals and plants in the area, along with his personal encounters with islanders, and in most cases, their generous offers of food, shelter and conversation and hospitality to him in March of the year 1774. Near present day Fort Frederica, beautifully described by Bartram, as near a ?venerable grove of live oaks, under whose spre

Discover the hidden learning opportunities a water garden can offer you.

Apple trees were the most popularly grown fruit tree in colonial America and practically every settlement farm and backyard gardener planted this easily grown fruit tree, or easier, the seed of the apple could be planted to establish a permanent food supply. Growing these apple tree products could be eaten fresh or could be dried and preserved in many different ways to eat at a later time. Historical instances on the existence of apple trees are documented from folklore, lege

In 1792, William Bartram reported in his book, Travels, the discovery of a native shagbark hickory nut that he called ?Juglans exaltata.? Today, shagbark hickory is called ?Carya ovata.? Bartram reported that this shagbark hickory grove was cultivated in groves by the Indians west of Augusta, Ga. Bartram documented that he saw 100 bushels of shagbark hickory nuts that were stored at just a single Indian family home. The nuts were pounded into a mash, and then boiled in wat

If you need a garden building for work or pleasure, but cant decide whether to go for a log cabin or shed then this article should provide you with the information you need to make your decision.

While chain link fences are use in some landscapes, most people prefer to make use of wooden fences when building an attractive landscape. This is because wood is a rather versatile material that can be made to look a variety of ways. Installing your own wood fence requires time and energy, but it is often worth it as you can have privacy without detracting from the look of your landscape. Even if you do not build a very tall fence, a wood fence around your yard can prevent u

The first historical accounts of walnut trees growing under civilized cultivation was in ancient Babylon (Iraq) about 2000 B.C.; however, walnuts have evidently been attached to mankind much earlier by excavations from cave fossils as suggested by archeologists. There is a reference point in the Biblical record in the Old Testament, that King Solomon was growing nuts (identified as walnuts by some translators), however, the likelihood of these nuts being other than almonds is

Garden buildings have been used for centuries and were mainly built for aesthetic reasons. Todays garden buildings are mainly used for their practicality and versatility. Large garden buildings are not just for storing garden equipment, but can be seen as an extension to the home as they can be converted into an office, a workshop or playroom, etc.

The item that is seen first by every potential buyer that drives by your house is your front lawn and garden. Spending some extra time on your landscaping can make a big difference in how long it takes to sell.

As Australias severe drought has turned many green, lush gardens and yards into brown, lifeless dustbowls, an increasing number of Australian homeowners are turning to synthetic turf as a viable solution. Similarly, more home builders, landscapers, and sports and commercial facilities are actively investigating and promoting synthetic surfaces, causing a dramatic surge in synthetic turf demand here in Australia.

Pawpaw trees were discovered in 1541 by the Spanish explorer, Hernando Desoto, on an excursion into the Mississippi Valley, and he sent samples of this plant back to Europe. William Bartram in 1776 stated in his botanical book, Travels, that he found pawpaw trees growing on the Alatamaha River in Georgia and in east Florida, which he described as, ?Annona incarna,? the name later was updated by modern taxonomists. ?The fruit the size of a small cucumber ?containing a yello

According to Luther Burbank, who studied and hybridized raspberries and blackberries more than any other horticulturalist, and wrote his classical 8 volume treatise on Small Fruits and Fruit Improvement in 1921; the red raspberry plant was cultivated in Europe for centuries, growing wild from Greece to Spain and to the North from Norway to Sweden. Red Raspberry, Rubus idaeus, is a native berry bush to Turkey and was gathered by the people inhabiting Troy, (Troas, Turkey) f

Experts estimate that there are around 20 thousand different kinds of orchids, these orchids grow in many different climates and conditions and are found in many different places around the world.

When you have to trust someone else to care for your garden, make sure you've covered these essentials for the survival of your flower or vegetable garden.

When agricultural crops are reproduced by division after several generations, often a decline occurs in qualities such as vigor, yield, disease resistance, plant and fruit appearance and uniformity of size or shape. This condition of decline is commonly called, ?run out.? Strawberry plants have demonstrated this clonal decline (running out) for many years. After growing strawberry plants for five or more years, gardeners became accustomed to dividing a clump of plants that

One of the best ways to improve your garden is to stop throwing out your garbage. That's right, your used coffee grinds and banana peels can help your tomato and cucumber plants grow larger and stronger. When that same garbage is eaten and digested by a worm it becomes a powerful plant supplement known as worm castings. Starting a worm compost bin is a great way to create a steady supply of worm castings for your flower and vegetable gardens. First thing you'll need is a b

The fig tree, ?Ficus carica,? possibly originated in Northern Asia according to archeological fossil records. Spanish missionaries brought it to the United States in 1520. Historical Sumerian tablets record the use and consumption of figs in 2500 BC. In Greek mythology, the fig figures prominently as a gift of Demeter to Dionysus and as having received the blessing and sanctity of the Greek Gods. Plato documented that Greek athletes at Olympia were fed diets of figs to inc

Many vegetable crops benefit from a side-dressing of nitrogen fertilizer after making considerable growth or starting to fruit, unless a slow-release fertilizer was applied at planting time.

While many types of insects, birds and animals seen in the home are unwanted intruders, others play a vital role in pollinating plants and moving seeds from one place to another. In fact, without these animal and insect helpers, most plants would be unable to reproduce.

Fountains never fail to entice wonder and excitement among people. The sight of water sprouting and dancing is simply amazing for all ages, especially kids and the kids-at-heart.

The question of when history on nectarines began cannot be answered properly and with any certainty. Efforts to do this by some websites that suggest that nectarine Prunus persica nectarina history should begin in China in 2000 BC to correspond with the history of the peach is absurd for several reasons, unless it is assumed that a nectarine is a cultivar (variety) of a peach. In American agricultural and commercial fruit circles, the nectarine fruit is treated as a separate

If you wish to incorporate a waterfall into your garden you should make careful planning the word of the day.

There are many good reasons for owning a gazebo. Besides instantly beautifying your backyard, it may increase the value of your property. Also, unlike other, more dubious lawn ornaments, youll never tire of looking at it. If youre ready to get in on the gazebo fun, youll be glad to see how easy it is, when you go to GazeboCreations.com. Voted the Internets most user friendly and comprehensive gazebo website, it features cedar, treated pine, and vinyl gazebos in several sizes and shapes. At GazeboCreations.com, you can choose one of their pre-designed gazebos, or customize one in a few easy steps, using their Gazebo Wizard.

For many hard working garden architects, a garden gazebo is the perfect way to accent your garden.