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By JM PerezProtected: Sins of a Father Taken Up by Son
By JM Perez By JM Perez By JM Perez By JM PerezStaying Hydrated In The Garden
By JM PerezIt’s hard to believe that today is officially the last day of Spring 2022 and that tomorrow will be the start of a new season. Temperatures have been soaring for the past couple of weeks, giving the impression that we are in mid-summer. Either way, I am grateful for the ending season and looking forward to the upcoming one as well as what Mother Nature has in store for us.
Rather than gardening, I am just making sure that all the plants and living things have enough water to keep them going. More plants have graced us with their beautiful and vibrant flowers, like the Allium Drumstick below.
I love the delicate lavender-purple flowers of Russian Sage and its fragrant foliage.
‘Madame Galen’ Trumpet Vines are rapidly spreading, climbing, and attaching themselves on whatever their stems touch. Hummingbirds love the trumpet-shaped flowers.
Clusters of small creamy white flowers appeared at the end of the stems of my Heavenly Bamboo. As gorgeous and drought tolerant as this ornamental shrub is, all parts of the plant are toxic.
We were pleasantly surprise to see tiny buds of Corsican Stonecrop, and a beautiful star shaped flower.
Days like these I am very grateful that, except for the potted plants in the front porch and those in the patio, every other plant is fitted with drip irrigation (once in a while I have to check the drip emitters and make sure that they aren’t clogged or damaged). I hand water the potted plants twice daily: very early in the morning and early in the evening, and water the shrubs deeply once a week. Doing so keeps the plants hydrated and I avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day.
Happy gardening, stay cool and hydrated!
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By JM PerezSurprise Seedling: Nicotiana Glauca
By JM PerezA couple of months a ago, we purchased a few Lavender trees from Lowe’s. Every now and then I will find a freebie in the pot while transplanting the plant, and this time wasn’t different. I found a tiny seedling with large bluish-green leaves at the base of the Lavender plant and decided to let it be and see what it grows into (I am not fond of plants with large leaves, unless it’s a Magnolia plant). Today I found out that the plant is the seedling of Nicotiana Glauca. Though non-native to California, it is classified as invasive here.
Nicotiana Glauca, also known as Mustard tree, tobacco bush, tobacco plant, tobacco tree, tree tobacco, or wild tobacco is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to South America. The plant can grow up to twenty (20) feet and is short-lived. It is used as an insecticide and smoked as a stimulant by smoking the plant or chewing it. This plant contains the toxic alkaloid nicotine, and can cause blood pressure, cancer, peptic ulcers, tremors, joint pain, anxiety, depression, drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, headaches, respiratory failure, etc … and death.
According to Tropical.theferns.info (Useful Tropical Plants Database), Nicotiana Glauca has a variety of medicinal uses such as:
– Applying a poultice of the leaves to cuts, bruises, swellings and other wounds.
– Applying a poultice of the leaves to remove the pus from scrofulous sores or boils.
– Using an infusion of the leaves as a steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism.
– Applying warmed leaves to the head relieves headaches, on the throat to relieve pain and put in shoes for painful feet.
Though ornamental, the plant is said to pose a threat to biodiversity by competing with native species for resources and displacing native plants. The plant is propagated by seeds and flowers emerge around one year after germination . It is said that in its native range, Nicotiana Glauca is pollinated exclusively by hummingbirds. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Given the information I obtained about this plant, I know I should get rid of it. However, given the fact that I have never seen a Tobacco tree (and out of curiosity), I will keep it for a year, just until the first flowers emerge. I will relocate the seeding this weekend to the end of my property and watch it grow from a distance, until it’s time to bid it farewell.
Happy and safe gardening!
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By JM Perez
