Why plants like hibiscus and banana tree have flowers and pollination takes place, but they have no seeds?
I have seen plants in my garden which have flowers with bright petals, nectar and pollens but no fruits or seeds. What could be the purpose of flowering? Some plants don’t flower, no fruit/seed either; like crotons. How did they manage to multiply and disperse?
Banana is a triploid plant. They do not produce seeds because of imbalance meiotic division.
Hibiscus is a bisexual plant. They do not produce fruit and seeds possibly because of pre- and post- zygotic barriers (barriers before and after fertilization). These barriers could be on stigma, style, or self-incompatibility between the male and female gametes. You might overcome these barriers using stigma pollination (by cutting the stigma), placental pollination (cutting the ovary), ovular pollination (placing the ovule on medium and directly pollinated with pollens), or by embryo rescue.
Some (flowering) plants do not produce flowers, fruits and seeds. They reproduce and disperse vegetatively using rhizomes (ginger), bulbs (onions, tulips), sucker (banana) etc, or by man made: cutting, grafting, budding, etc.
Vegetable Garden – Planting Cantaloupe
Vegetable Garden – Planting Cantaloupe in the home vegetable garden. Visit The Bayou Gardener in South Louisiana at http://www.thebayougardener.com
Duration : 0:3:45
I’m planting a park and need some gardening advice?
The park is in an area prone to vandalism, and I’m looking to plant species that will deter the vandals (eg Holly or Hawthorn). Can anyone suggest some plants that are attractive, self-protecting and native to the uk.
The best list gets the 10 points and my everlasting gratitude.
You will need plants than are thorny and come back quickly when broken or damaged.
I would include;
Hawthorn
Sea buck thorn
Pyracantha
Yucca
Berberis
Gorse
Holly
Mahonia
Some of the dog roses
Periwinkle
Some of these are not UK natives but all are very resistant to damage. Have fun.
Gardening How-To: Pollinating Winter Squash
Carol O’Meara explains how to pollinate winter squash to insure a robust harvest. That’s right…squash love.
Duration : 0:3:0
Gardening Can Be suitable For Anyone
There are gardening methods to fit the style and needs of every gardener. And every gardener has preferred and unique ways of growing a beautiful garden. Beginning gardeners can join a local garden club and benefit from the advice of experienced gardeners.
Garden clubs are a valuable resource for a beginner, since members always exchange tips that they have collected in their years of gardening.
A key element for a successful garden involves watering. Plants must be watered in an appropriate manner or they will not thrive. Providing a deep watering every week is better than spraying the garden every day with the hose because most plants prefer thorough and deep watering to frequent, shallow watering. One of the best methods for watering the garden is a soaker hose. This type of hose ensures that the plant’s roots are adequately watered.
Experienced gardeners always say there is nothing more important that creating their own compost from recycled household waste. Composting waste materials like leaves, kitchen scraps, and other organic materials results in a rich organic soil amendment that provides excellent nutrients to the garden. Having a compost bin in the home is also a good way to reduce the amount of waste being trucked into already overflowing landfills. Compost added to the garden soil is a good way to balance the pH levels to ensure the soil is not too alkaline or acidic. Composting provides a high-quality humus that has important elements, including iron, phosphorous, and manganese. These are often lacking in commercial fertilizers.
Once plants have been put into the ground, deep cultivation should be avoided because digging deeply near the plants can damage their root systems, dry out the soil, disturb the valuable microorganisms that contribute to plant growth, and cause weeds to rise to the surface. Deep cultivation should be confined to the preparation of a plant bed.
Flowers contribute beauty to the landscape with their bright colors. When selecting garden and landscape flowers, colors that highlight and emphasize those already existing in the landscape are best. When bright colors like reds and oranges are mixed with soothing pastels, an excellent contrast of colors can be achieved in the garden. Many gardeners like to combine a home garden with landscape elements like waterfalls or ponds. Water elements offer a relaxing retreat from everyday stress.
Using flowers in a landscape can increase the value of a home as well. Research has indicated that flowers and plants enhance the resale value of a house, while providing a wonderful experience for the senses at the same time.
Ken Snow
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-can-be-suitable-for-anyone-59489.html
Gardening Grows On You
Gardening is good for you, good for your neighbors, good for your kids and good for your dog. Especially if you do it the right way. Gardening has been around for ages, and it’s almost so ingrained into our genes, it’s like an instinct. In the sense that gardening feels good to do, to dig, and plant a seed and watch it grow. It’s kind of an analogy for what it means to being human. It just plain feels good to see something you’ve planted, mature and come to fruition as a living thing. Something mystical almost about gardening. Not to mention, there are the additional benefits of the after effect of all your gardening accomplishments. Astetically, there really is nothing more pleasing, warming and comforting to look upon then a bountiful garden. Whether it is rose garden, a vegetable garden,or just a garden of plants, bushes and flowers of all varieties. It touches a human feeling at pretty much an unconscious level. I feels just right. Even a little planting or gardening in an otherwise artifical environment makes the whole environment feel more natural.
Organic Nirvana
While there is plenty of artificial stimulants, preservatives, and preventatives to aid in the gardening process, there is something to be said for the whole organic gardening process. Not only is it a healthier choice for us, but it’s one less thing to fret about with all the misinformation these days about what things you need to avoid. That in itself is a mental health reason to choose organic gardening. Not to mention, for those of use who like a challenge and are constantly trying to stay off the tried and true approach, organic gardening provides many possibilities. Finding new and and inventive natural ways to keep the pests away, and help the garden grow can be fascinating. Again another mind satisfying result.
Neighborly Abundance
As anyone who knows a gardener can attest to, gardeners are the worst estimators around. They always seem to plant far more than they can eat, cook, or can. So as a result all their friends, families, and neighbors end up with baskets and baskets of tomatoes, peppers and whatever cornucopia the harvest has brought. And of course, this whole giving aspect of gardening is bound to make both the gardener and gardeners friends a much happier lot. The whole idea of giving is better than receiving really sprouts up here. And since receiving is not so bad either, all the rest of us enjoy the benefits of our backyard farmers exploits. Of course if organic gardening was employed, then it’s better for everyone involved. Helps keep us all away from those nasty store bought vegetables, with enough growth hormones to visit the giants castle at the end of the bean stalks. So, get gardening all you green thumbs, I’ve got an empty cupboard.
Chris Campbell
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-grows-on-you-55430.html
Gardening advice for English front garden please?
I can’t decide what shrubs to plant in the small 12 feet x 16 feet ) front garden of my 1930s terraced house…
The house already has a small white flowering tree on one side, which is very pretty in Spring, and a small square lawn, with three rose bushes on the same side as the tree.
I would like to find a shrub which grows quite tall (say 10 feet) and is evergreen (or almost evergreen) because the windows are currently quite overlooked by passers by. It would be great is the shrub flowered too.
I’ve just bought a Kerria (yellow flowers in May/June) for the front border, to add a bit of cover, and would especially like to find a shrub with autumn colour, so that the garden has something in bloom for most of the time.
Thank you for your advice!
How about a Viburnum…. V Tinus (Laurustinus ) would grow to about 6-10ft high and is evergreen and flowering between December and April. There is also the fragrant V Bodnantense which is again evergreen and flowers at the same time.. There are some lovely Viburnums which flower in the spring, V Burkwoodii is evergreen approx. 6ft high, fragrant and flowers in April and May, ask at your local Garden Centre for some help. good luck.
Upside Down Cucumbers – Home Vegetable Garden
Vegetable Garden Upside down cucumbers, not sure if this will work but Ive just got to try. Visit The Bayou Gardener in Avoyelles Parish Louisiana – Cajun Country at http://www.thebayougardener.com
Duration : 0:8:11
Need gardening advice for a patio/balcony garden?
Ive just moved into my new place and Ive never grow anything before but Id really like to grow some basic veg/fruit, in particular asparagus(i love it but its too expensive). the only thing is,I have a balcony garden thats about 10feet square. Id also like to put in some window baskets, any idea of some plants/flowers I could plant now…..
The most expensive thing is mixed salad leaves followed closely by spinach, so if you use these at all then you could save a lot by growing them.
‘Baby’ veg costs a fortune too, so little carrots and aubergines would be good as well.
Asparagus takes a couple of years to become established and needs a lot of space. The season only lasts 6 weeks so even if you had the room it would hardly be worth your while.
If you are in the middle of a town the temperatures will be a degree or two warmer so you could sow some things now and protect them at night with some horticultural fleece.
Old wooden wine crates make great containers, ask for them at your local off licence. Watch out for the weight you will be putting on the balcony, I know it’s obvious but remember how much heavier everything will be once it is well watered.
Gardening Rhythms: Winter Pruning Roses
Gardening Rhythms – Host Paul Holowko xplains Winter Rose pruning for great looking roses in the Spring
Duration : 0:9:55