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Articles from Francis Rosenfeld | Selfgrowth.com
- Decadent Indulgence - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2021 from Francis RosenfeldNow and then I get a renewed enthusiasm for making my own beauty products and the kitchen turns into a magical apothecary where decadently sweet smelling lotions and potions steam and brew. Sometimes I think making the creams, oils and perfumes is more enjoyable than using them. Not! For a ...
Views: 654 - Bugleweed - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldAjuga reptans, bugleweed, is a fail proof groundcover for any sun exposure or soil type. I started with its Latin name because I always thought it sounded more patrician and better suited to this plants' sophistication. I love bugleweed, it is a versatile plant which helped me bring back to ...
Views: 651 - Hot Pepper Desserts - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldJust in case you got bored adding hot peppers to chili and stew I found some delightful dessert recipes to brighten your palate. We're all familiar with hot pepper jelly but have you heard of strawberry jalapeno poppers? They are not as you'd expect, jalapeno peppers stuffed with strawberry jam, ...
Views: 651 - Working with annuals - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldCreating themes with annuals is almost like painting, you can create infinite variations of color, contrasting and analogous harmonies, focal points and diffusion hues. The rules are the same as those of basic color theory, with the difference that the components of your art piece are alive. ...
Views: 651 - Flowers of the Rainbow - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldBecause they are so old, irises have become quite heavy with symbolism and legend, so much so that I almost got drowned in the downpour of information that carried me from the gods and goddesses of Antiquity to the budding medicine of the Middle Ages, to the royal house of France, and then back ...
Views: 649 - Kitchen garden marigolds - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldIsn't this beautiful? Few annuals are easier to grow than marigolds, a quality that makes them so ubiquitous one tends to overlook their genuine charm. All a marigold needs is sunshine, everything else it will do for itself. Of course, because I planted mine in the vegetable patch, they were ...
Views: 644 - Bulb gardens - by Submitted on Apr 20, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldBulbs are to gardening what frozen puff pastry is to baking: a versatile ingredient that can be planned into the menu or used as a quick fix for large still undefined settings. You set a mass planting of layered bulbs in the fall and get a work free garden the next year. People usually ...
Views: 642 - About Bulbs - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI could never resist a hyacinth. I always plant some in the fall, of course, and am sure the squirrels and rabbits really appreciate my efforts, so every year I end up replenishing the fall bulb supply with full grown winter plants, which spend a few weeks of pampered bloom indoors and are then ...
Views: 640 - Charming blues - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldGardens have personalities, just like people. You can plant your garden, but it will decide what stays and what goes. Mine decided it likes blue flowers. Maybe it is the clay soil that gives the plants the alkaline mix they need, maybe it's the dappled shade that promotes the growth of woodland ...
Views: 638 - Cottage garden roses - by Submitted on Jun 15, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldWhen a cottage garden is well designed it makes you forget the planning that went into creating it and takes over by establishing new hierarchies, thriving on apparent randomness and developing a personality of its own. Roses are very good companions in this environment and blend in ...
Views: 637 - Growing tuberoses - by Submitted on Feb 29, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldAah, the queen of fragrance, Polianthes tuberosa, a joy to gardeners and perfumers alike, probably the most fragrant flower ever. Its heady perfume is sultry and intense, a single flower stem can saturate a room with fragrance. Tuberosa is a hot climate bulb, and much like show chrysanthemums ...
Views: 636 - Buttercups - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldGuess which were the first flowers to bloom this year? Spring finally made up its mind, not before one last fluffy snow. Despite this desperate attempt, winter lost its power and the wet blanket swiftly melted to provide the plants with welcome moisture. Every day I take a trip through the ...
Views: 635 - Keeping roses healthy - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldHaving healthy roses is more about prevention than it is about cure. Give the shrubs plenty of space to prevent moisture from sticking to their leaves, make sure they have at least six, preferably eight hours of full sun a day, plant them in well draining soil with plenty of organic matter and ...
Views: 635 - Valerian - by Submitted on May 31, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldI worried when I added valerian to the herb wheel that it wasn't going to last very long in my garden. Cats are supposed to be so attracted to this plant they can't rest its scent and chew it into oblivion. Either we don't have enough free roaming cats in the neigborhood or its reputation of ...
Views: 629 - Growing sedum - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldBetween the apple green of the unripe flowers and the velvety chocolate brown of the dried seed heads sedum touches every shade of from blush pink to burgundy. Somewhere mid-way it reaches this hue intensity and contributes a significant portion of the fall garden color. Like with many ...
Views: 628 - Mushrooms - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldEveryone is familiar with this weird characteristic of mushrooms: they spring out of the ground overnight, fully grown, whenever they get a good rain and enough warmth to trigger their development. You go to sleep with a lawn and wake up to a mushroom hatchery. The good news is that mushrooms ...
Views: 627 - Summer Rain - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldI sometimes forget how much I love summer rain, even the subdued kind, like the one right now, the kind that lasts for days. The light shifts to green from bouncing off lush wet foliage under a murky sky. There is harmony in the dance of raindrops tapping on the roof, life itself feels softer, ...
Views: 624 - Lilies - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldMy Triumphator lilies bloom for only a few days at the height of summer, and I often miss their splendid flowers altogether, busy with other things, but some days the morning garden is blessed with a light that looks simply surreal. That being said, the most common lily varieties are almost ...
Views: 623 - Gardening is Art - by Submitted on Apr 24, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIt turns out flower gardening meets the criteria in the definition of art: it is a human activity dedicated to the creation of a physical item principally meant to be appreciated for its beauty and emotional impact. How much of it is the gardener’s input and how much of it is nature’s mercy is ...
Views: 622 - Betony - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldDid you know that betony was thought to chase away vengeful ghosts, evil enchantments and bad dreams? I'm not acquainted with its alleged magical properties or even the real medicinal ones (apparently it was a prized healing herb in the ancient herbal medicine collection, supposed to provide ...
Views: 621 - Magic Beans - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldIf I knew how much I would enjoy purple beans, I would only have planted those to begin with. Besides being an attractive feature in the garden, they taste better and are not stringy at all, which is a blessing. Of course the purple color turns green in the pot, but that's beside the ...
Views: 621 - The Symbolism of Tree Blossoms - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldI will continue with the love and romance theme, since it’s Valentine’s Day and all, a day when the meanings of cut flowers suddenly rise to prominence, fact made evident by the dire scarcity of red roses around this blessed date. On this day it is impossible to escape the knowledge that the ...
Views: 621 - Flowers for the Shade - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAs if the garden was aware of the colors that flatter it most, it chose white for its shade blooms, a color that creates drama when set against the darkness of its shadows. Many gardeners, weary of more unsuccessful attempts that they can palate, usually resign themselves to a shade garden ...
Views: 618 - Spring Bulbs - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThe bulbs I plant in the fall sometimes don’t make it through the winter, but the potted bulbs I get from the grocery store in January always do. I finally figured out that happens because bulbs with fully grown foliage usually get planted at the required depth. Most of the hyacinths that ...
Views: 618 - Things to Do in the Fall - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIf only a little late in the season, here are a few things for the fall gardener’s schedule. I haven’t even started most of mine yet, sadly. Mid-fall is the best time to move, divide or plant spring and summer blooming perennials. Fall perennials can be moved and divided at this time too, if ...
Views: 618 - Morning glory - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldI plant morning glory every year. Always in the same spot, always the same variety – Heavenly Blue. I forget about it after I plant it, it is slow to start in spring and its foliage gets lost in the jumble when the mid-summer growth takes over the flower beds. Come August, its growth ...
Views: 617 - Cyclamen, year three - by Submitted on Oct 07, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldOn a list of gardening mistakes that expands as I advance in experience and wisdom I have to place my lack of knowledge about the behavior of the cyclamen plants. After I threw away perfectly good tubers more times than I care to recount I found out that cyclamens only grow leaves in the ...
Views: 615 - How to Care for Daylilies - by Submitted on May 22, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThe day lilies came with the house and they were already established when we moved in, so I didn’t pay much attention to their care. It showed. I used to take day lilies for granted because they are so ubiquitous in public and commercial outdoor spaces people see them as care free. That they ...
Views: 615 - Crop Rotation - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldCrop rotation requires a lot more space than is usually available in a backyard, but I can discuss it in concept. It is a natural gardening method that allows the soil to maintain its balance, so it doesn’t get depleted over time due to the repeated cultivation of a crop that makes heavy use of ...
Views: 613 - Gourds and Pumpkins - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldSquashes must be the most imaginative outcome of vegetable production. They start out a modest, vaguely round fruit and end up a mannerist commentary on surface topology. Fruits elongate and bubble at the end like hot glass, expanding curvilinear folds and dimples painted every shade of ...
Views: 612 - Plant Based Dyes - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldLong before the dawn of synthetic dyes, the world of textiles was enchanting us with warm brick reds, stunning fuchsias, royal purples, electric blues, moss greens and bright yellows. The art of fiber, yarn and fabric dyeing has hundreds of years of history, much of which was abandoned since ...
Views: 612 - Valerian - by Submitted on May 19, 2019 from Francis RosenfeldThere is a whole list of plants I feel like I know well because I encountered them in literary works, but most of which I haven't actually seen until recently: hyssop, heliotrope, verbena, wallflower, camellia, primrose, jasmine, heather, wolfsbane. The list is actually much longer, but I'll ...
Views: 611 - A Few Things About Tomatoes - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldThe temperatures heated up, the tomatoes started performing. Tomato plants don’t mind hot weather and will keep their composure even when more heat sensitive vegetables wilt pitifully, but they will not set fruit if the temperatures are above 85 to 90 degrees during the day or 75 at night. ...
Views: 610 - Roses for landscaping - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldIt is amazing what special status roses have in gardens! A gardener will move a tree, completely restructure a flower bed and change the location of a patio before they decide to touch an established rose. New homeowners who inherit roses plan their entire gardens in ways that feature and ...
Views: 610 - Perennial ground covers - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldI can't figure out the precise point when a fast spreading plant becomes a ground cover. Some, like ivy, periwinkle and the beautiful blue flowering plumbago, are quite obvious, others, like lily of the valley and sweet violets, take you by surprise, starting with a shy little clump in spring ...
Views: 609 - How to Harvest Rain Water - by Submitted on Oct 24, 2016 from Francis RosenfeldHarvesting the rain doesn’t stop at installing rain barrels, it involves the entire garden and its principal goal is to keep the water from running off the plot onto paved areas, only to eventually end up in the storm drains. Careful planning can create places for the rain water to slow down ...
Views: 606 - Magic Beans - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIf I knew how much I would enjoy purple beans, I would only have planted those to begin with. Besides being an attractive feature in the garden, they taste better and are not stringy at all, which is a blessing. Of course the purple color turns green in the pot, but that's beside the ...
Views: 605 - Solomon's Seal - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldI am absolutely fascinated by this plant. I don't know what it is about it, its name, its relative scarcity, the unusual way the blossoms are aligned along the stems, unlike any flower I've ever seen. I waited a long time to get it, hesitating over mail-in orders and proper planting times, ...
Views: 605 - Roses for Landscaping - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldIt is amazing what special status roses have in gardens! A gardener will move a tree, completely restructure a flower bed and change the location of a patio before they decide to touch an established rose. New homeowners who inherit roses plan their entire gardens in ways that feature and ...
Views: 604 - Soil Types - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAt the most basic level there are three types of soil: sand, loam and clay. Most soils are a combination of the three, in various proportions. Every soil type has qualities and defects. Sandy soils drain very well, they are easily tilled and provide optimal conditions for the development of ...
Views: 604 - Caring for Indoor Plants - by Submitted on Oct 02, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldPlants that grow in pots on the window sill like pretty much the same things as the ones cultivated in the garden: a good amount of natural light, sufficient water and a little bit of help in the form of fertilizer every now and then. That being said, indoor plants have their own set of needs ...
Views: 603 - Sun, shade and the caprices of the weather - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldWhat is good weather? That is a very good question for a gardener. Some places are blessed with conditions that make plants thrive despite complete lack of interest or effort. People who for years tried unsuccessfully to grow a garden watch with incredulous envy out of their car windows the ...
Views: 603 - Twenty things not to do when growing a garden - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2015 from Francis RosenfeldGrowing a thriving garden is as much a result of the things you do as it is of the things you don’t do. Here is a list of what NOT to do in order to have a thriving garden. These are all things I learned from personal experience, and they set me back a few years: 1. Planting roses in the ...
Views: 603 - Good Soil, Naturally - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldAlthough I am an enthusiastic advocate of natural gardening, I wasn’t much of a fan of composting until I procrastinated one fall and left a sizable pile of leaves and stems out on a concrete slab, thinking that I would clean it up in spring. When spring arrived, to my surprise, everything but ...
Views: 602 - Tulips? Yes, please! - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldI always plant tulips. I’ve had beautiful ruffled pink ones, and fringed parrot ones, standard, double, lily flowering, you name it, I’ve tried them. I rarely see any in my garden. They don’t like the soil or the light levels, or something, or maybe they get eaten over the winter, who knows? ...
Views: 601 - Fairy Circles - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2017 from Francis RosenfeldWhat an exciting find! I’ve heard about this phenomenon, but it is the first time I got to see it in person. It’s called a fairy circle, or ring, and there is a very simple scientific explanation for why it occurs. The spores of a mushroom extend radially around it and even though the center ...
Views: 599 - Bells of Ireland - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldHave you ever had this sinking feeling, when you want to try a plant you’ve never grown before, and you look at the beautiful photos on the seed packet, that there is absolutely no way this botanical wonder will ever grow in your garden? I’m not one to dismiss instinct, it is usually based ...
Views: 597 - About Growing Tomatoes - by Submitted on May 07, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldThe temperatures heated up, the tomatoes started performing. Tomato plants don’t mind hot weather and will keep their composure even when more heat sensitive vegetables wilt pitifully, but they will not set fruit if the temperatures are above 85 to 90 degrees during the day or 75 at night. ...
Views: 596 - Caring for Lavender - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldSince plant foliage usually doesn't come in this hue, even for the namesake plant itself, and this is the first time lavender came out of winter looking alive, I didn't know if it was old growth I should prune or evergreen growth I should leave alone, so I looked up lavender care ...
Views: 596 - Tips for Successful Herb Gardening - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2018 from Francis RosenfeldHerbs are not demanding plants, but some rules must be followed when growing them in order to ensure their success. There are two kinds of herbs: those that adapted to the wind swept, sunny and dry cliffs of the Mediterranean shores, like rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, lavender, calendula and ...
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