The Rusted Garden 2014 Tomato Profiles: The 'Aussie', 'Brandysweet Plum', 'Black Cherry', 'Indigo Apple' and the 'Red Grape'

The Rusted Garden 2014 Tomato Profiles (So Far...)I planted somewhere between 30 and 40 varieties of tomatoes this year. Too many... yes but enjoyable. One of my goals was to narrow them down to plants that do well in my gardening zone, which is Maryland Zone 7.  My other goal was to do a video series called Tomato Profiles. Here are some of the videos I completed so far. You can get a quick...

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Another Unexpected Discovery - Out of the Ashes

Michaux's Sumac (Rhus michauxii); Durham County (2014)A series of unexpected and seemingly unrelated events (including encouragement from great volunteers, a last minute field trip venue change, perfect burn weather one fine spring day, a drenching downpour & flooded creek one late spring day, a...

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Restoring the Larkspur Savanna

Tall Larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum) approaches its southern range limit in North Carolina. Only a handful of sites have been documented and the species is considered endangered.  Of the 2 documented records in the Piedmont region, one is now extirpated (by the creation of a water line), and...

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8 Ounces of 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil for Sale by The Rusted Garden

ITEM TWO:100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadirachtin2 - Four Ounce Bottles Package (Total 8 Ounces)Click the  PHOTOGRAPH to go to the purchasing pagePurchase 2-4 Ounce Bottles of 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil2 - Four Ounce Bottles (About 8 Ounces) of Neem Oil is $14.75 You can save a lot of...

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Prairie Flora in North Carolina: Buffalo Clover

I don't get phone calls about Buffalo Clover (Trifolium reflexum) very often, but when I do I take them seriously! Threatened in North Carolina, barely half of the historically reported locations are believed to still be extant. Like many other species associated with open, historically fire maintained...

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Purple Loosestrife

I spotted a small patch of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) recently along Interstate 40 in Forsyth County, North Carolina.Although I have heard rumours that beekeepers have spread Loosestrife in some areas, I saw no European honeybees on these plants. However, several species of apparently native...

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Tips on Growing Two Pound Tomatoes: A Basic Overview

Tips on Growing Two Pound Tomatoes: A Basic OverviewIf you like growing large beefsteak tomatoes then you have probably reached or flirted with growing a two pound tomato. It is not as hard as one might think. There are some things to keep in mind when you want to break through the two pound wall and...

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Some of My Tips for Growing Cucumber Plants

Some of My Tips for Growing Cucumber PlantsCucumber plants are loved by many gardeners. They are a great compliment to tomatoes when making fresh garden salads. Cucumbers aren't necessarily hard to grow but they can take a lot of care around watering, feeding, combating pests and diseases.The best way to keep healthy cucumber plants is a well established planting base with compost and fertilizer....

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Paper published on coastal woody plant and vine associations

Spencer Bissett’s research is focused on the role of vines in shaping communities in coastal ecosystems, specifically large-scale successional effects.  In his recently-published paper, "Linking habitat with associations of woody vegetation and vines on two mid-Atlantic barrier islands" describes...

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For Sale: 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin

100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin Neem Oil and 360 Degrees Nozzle Sprayer - TRG 2014I am selling 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthinand all its natural pressed components.The 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil I am selling was imported from India and is manufactured by Parker Neem...

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The Evil Disappears along with Canada Barberry?

Berberis canadensis showing the bristly leaf marginsCanada Barberry (Berberis canadensis) and the non-native Common Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) are very similar in appearance. According to Weakley's flora the most obvious difference between the two is the number of bristles on the leaf margins (the...

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Parrot Pitchers

Considered by at least one author, "the most bizarre member of it genus" (Cheek 2008), the Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psittacina) has always been one of my favorites. On a recent return to north Florida I relished the opportunity to see these special carnivores once again. The plants shown here...

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Prairie Flora in North Carolina: The Partheniums

Dense Quinine patch in Durham County; plants in the foreground are P. auriculatum, tallerstems in background are P. integrifoliumWild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) and Glade Wild Quinine (Parthenium auriculatum) are frequent and sometimes common members of North Carolina Piedmont diabase woodlands....

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