| The Blackberry Lane Gardens |
| Notes From Blackberry Lane Gardens This has been a wonderful spring. We have had timely rains and mild temperatures. Our flower beds are beautiful and growing rapidly. If any of you are Cone Flower fans, be sure to look into the new varieties. I bought two new cone flowers paying a nice prize for them about two weeks ago,only to have our Newfoundland stomp all over them. Oh well, maybe they will survive and I'll have flowers next year. Many advances have been made in the gardening world in the last few years. I remember first hearing about hybridizing plants about 30 years ago. Hybridizing allowed plant breeders to take the desirable traits of two parent plants and produce a new plant with the desired traits of both parents. This process can take years to achieve, but most of the vegetable and flowering plants today are a result of hybridizing. Plant breeders have now gone even further. They now propagate at the cellular level. A superior "mother" plant with all the desired traits is located. Tissue is taken from this plant and grown in sterile conditions on a gelled sugar medium. When the plants are large enough they are harvested and planted in soil to root and continue growing. These "cloned" plants are an exact replica of the mother plant. Because of the small amount of plant tissue needed, one "mother" plant can produce thousands of offspring in a relatively short period of time. Many tropical plants including orchids, elephant ears, and bananas are propagated in this way. As June turns to July it's time to plant beans, corn, and all the cole crops for an autumn harvest. I actually have much better luck growing my cabbage, broccolli and brussel sprouts in the fall. Brussel Sprouts will produce until spring if our winter is mild. Happy Growing Paula Sherwood, BBLG |
| Newsletter June 24,2007 |
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| Blackberry Lane Gardens Crane, Mo. 65633 1-417-723-8272 1-417-723-8271 fax Regarding the contents of this page please contact us at :admin@blackberrylanegardens.com |