Houseplant Collection

Christmas cactus

GOLDEN POTHOS PLANT - Scindaspus aureus

PEACE LILY PLANT - Spathiphyllum clevelandii

PARLOR PALM PLANT - Chamaedorea elegans

Actually this is not house plant, it is a dwarf Lime tree that relocates indoor during winter.

Interesting Reading: Frugal Ways To Increase A Houseplant Collection

Pansy Flower

I have to protect those Pansy flowers from the deers !!!

Natural Ways to Repel Mosquitoes in the Garden

Mosquito Plant, Citrosa Geranium, Deodorizer Plant, Citronella Plant (Pelargonium citrosum) - A great plant to repel mosquito with lemon scented leaves. It can grow up to 30" tall and 15-18" wide.

Rosemary (not just for cooking, it also has oil that repels mosquitoes).

Catnip - The natural oils found in Catnip is actually a more effective mosquito repellent than the highly toxic spray. It is very easy to plant it all around the outdoor living areas, or crush it up, retain the oil and use it as all natural mosquito repellent
- Lemon Grass (aka. Citronella Grass) grows in clumps up to 6ft tall, use in many Thai recipes.
Other plants that repel mosquitoes:

- Ageratums are annuals, and they come in a muted blue and white that compliments most other plantings.

- Horsemint has a scent similar to citronella. It is partial to sandy soils and will grow in USDA Zones 5-10. Native Americans used it as a treatment for colds and flu. It has natural fungicidal and bacterial retardant properties because it's essential oils are high in thymol.

- Mosquitoes don't like Marigolds scent any better (and some humans feel the same way). Marigolds are sun-loving annuals that come in a variety of shapes and sizes for almost any landscape. They are quite easy to grow from seed.

White and Purple Flower Basil

Cinnamon Basil has distinctive cinnamon-colored stems, purple flowers tinged with bronze, and small- to medium-sized, dark green leaves.
Magical Michael reliably grows uniformly 15 inches tall and 16-17 inches wide. The small white flowers are attractive as a garnish, and very attractive to bees.

Spicy Basil

I love the flavor and aroma from the Spicy Globe Basil. Leaves can be harvested before the plant flowers, it will regrow and produce additional leaves. The best time to harvest basil herb is in the morning or evening, when it's not too warm.

Fuyu Persimmon

1 year old Fuyu Persimmon fruit tree (non-astringent).
I found a discussion in gardenweb forum - Fuyu does not need another pollenizer, if there is one it will have seeded fruit. Fuyu is best grown alone so the fruits remain seedless.
Fruitfulness and Pollination

Strawberry & Pear

Strawberries grow in my flower pot

This is my new 'Kieffer' pear tree (European, semi-drawf).
Kieffer's detail infomation:
Kieffer's (Pyrus communis) flowers are fragrant, attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, self-fertile. Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater. Fruit in 3-5 years. Kieffer has a crisp, juicy, white flesh that has a coarse texture. It is a consistent, heavy bearer that ripens late September-October, and it is highly resistant to fire blight. Kieffer Pear is very hardy and tolerates hot climates. It will produce medium to large rich-yellow pear, and since the pulp of the Keiffer pear is rather coarse and hard, it is preferable for pear preserves, and freshly cooked pear sauce.

Indoor plants

Buffet for deers :-)

buffet pour les chevreuils

Honeydews and cantaloupes climbing on arch

Vue Jardin© 2009

Tomatoes in my garden

Vue Jardin© 2009

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

* 1 extra large egg
* 4 tablespoons milk
* 1 cup cornmeal (add garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic pepper to the cornmeal mixture)
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 green tomatoes, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl whisk together egg and milk. In another small bowl mix cornmeal and flour.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; use more or less oil to reach about 1/4 inch in depth.
3. Dredge tomato slices first in egg mixture, then in cornmeal mixture. Carefully place slices in hot oil and cook until browned on both sides.

Garden flowers

My Cinderella micro-miniature rose, about 3/4 - inch, beautiful light pink flowers that fade to white
This is Orange Kordana Mini Rose












View from my garden
Winter melon - winter surprise!
a.k.a. white gourd or ash gourd - a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable. The fruit is fuzzy when young. By maturity, the fruit loses its hairs and develops a waxy coating, giving rise to the name wax gourd, and providing a long shelf life.
Vue Jardin© 2009