Gardening and Greenhouse

Green Thumb answers:

Milkweed; buddleia davidii-Butterfly bush; sage-also called salvia

Common butterfly species lay their eggs on particular plants (usually trees), and it is often on the underside of their leaves that you’ll find caterpillars.
Some of these plants/trees and the butterfly larvae they host are milkweed, dogbane (Monarch); cow parsnip, fennel, dill (Swallowtails); cottonwood, wild cherry, willow, maple, alder (Tiger Swallowtail); willow, cottonwood (Mourning Cloak); birch, alder, willow, gooseberry, currant, wild rhododendron (Angelwing); cabbage, mustard, nasturtium (Cabbage White); thistle, pearly everlsting (Painted Lady http://www.thegardenhelper.com/Butterflies.htm

Green Thumb answers:

I’d start after the last frost. I’d try to clear away as much grass as possible, you can use it as mulch around your other plants.

Green Thumb answers:

Good Morning Charlotte,

I started drinking tea because we were to poor to drink sodas. My mother hated for us to drink Kool Aid. She believed in keeping us healthy.

Her favorite flower was a Camellia because she could brew tea. We enjoyed the smell and the taste.

Your question: Yes, you do have to dry the buds or leaves before you steep your tea. No and yes, you can not steep to long. Most teas require from 2 to 7 minutes. Please remember Charlotte, there are over 50 or 60 different types of teas. You steep to your type of tea and your own taste.

I drink tons of tea in the summer. I like my tea strong with a nice aroma. This requires more steeping. I think you need to do more research before you start your tea garden. You do not pick or dry the whole plant. You only harvest the buds and smaller leaves. You should also know that some white teas cost more than gold. I have actually tasted a high priced white tea while serving in Vietnam. I also had tea that was smoked dry with cherry wood.

Therefore, do more homework before you plant tea. You may want to grow the best. I believe in growing the best fruits and vegetables. I grow nine (9) rare fruit trees and a 20×20 feet garden.

The other day I answered a question about a purple green bean. Most of the so-called gardeners on Yahoo answers laughed at the person’s question. They had never heard of a purple green bean. I have been growing it for years.

Good luck with your tea garden. Have a great day, from Los Angeles.

Green Thumb answers:

I would create “terraces” that run perpendicular to the slope. Use cedar or untreated boards, rocks, etc. To create 1′-4′ level spaces leaving a walkway between each. You can either cut into the slope to level off or put in the boards and backfill, which ever works best for the land.

I’ve used 4X6′s, cottage stone, etc. Keeping the beds under 4′ deep you can use the retaining wall to sit and work the beds!

My house is on a very gentle slope (3-5%) and the previous owner put in vegetable beds following the slope, water, tilling, etc all flows downhill and you end up with all the topsoil in a boggy mess at end trying to keep the upper end reasonably watered. It was a mess!
I tore the whole thing out that first year.

Green Thumb answers:

It is best to plant the seeds inside in a green house first, because the birds will eat your seeds before they even have a chance. After they get about four inches tall, you can move them to pots, as before they are large enough to make it through the winter, they will be killed by frost. That way, you will have large plants to plant outside next spring and don’t forget to mulch, mulch, mulch. As for the veggies, it really depends on what king they are. Look at the back of your packet cause it may be too late for them. That fertilizer should be fine to. Just remember, a little goes a long way.