 If you have been gardening for a while, you probably have a list of your favorite tomato varieties and wish you could keep them growing all year long. Seed catalogs and garden supply stores want you to think you need to depend on them for your seedlings or to order those special seeds each year. The truth is: There is another way. Tomato Secret #1 - Tomato Plants are Perennials and Do Not Need to Die Off in the Fall!Tomato plants are actually tender perennials that will grow for several years in tropical regions.and only die off in Maine because of the cold winters. That means you can cut back tomato plants grown in containers in late summer or early fall and keep them alive all winter inside your home. Follow these steps if you decide to give it a try.
Tomato Secret #2 - You Don't Need Seeds to Propagate Tomato Plants!Taking cuttings from healthy tomatoes plants will produce plants identical to the parent plant. That means you can start your own seedlings and don't need to rely on the greenhouse or garden supply store. By taking cuttings now you can start new plants and keep them alive during the winter to plant them in the spring. Here's what you will need to do.
Note: You can root tomato cuttings in a glass or vase of water, but the roots may be brittle causing stress to the plant when you pot it in soil. Rooting them in soil encourages strong root formation. The object should be to keep the tomato plants alive throughout the winter so you can plant them in the garden in the spring. I intend to give it a try this year. If you enjoy experimenting with your garden, I encourage you to give it a try too. Remember you don't need hoards of plants, but trying two or three to see how well it works for you may prove fruitful.
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 When engineer Gregory Mathy created the first bimetal flower, his goal was to present his mother with a unique gift. These flowers respond to the heat from the sun to bloom during the day and slowly close again at night. While they do best when placed outside in the sun, Mathy says they can be displayed in pots or vases on a sunny windowsill, too. Mathy's flowers, called Bimetal Creations, are part of a KickStarter initiative to fund their production. In return for a donation of $39, Mathy will hand produce a flower in the color of your choice at the end of the initiative. These amazing flowers contain no solar panels, batteries or motors. They work by the expansion and contraction of the two bimetalic strips that respond to temperature changes.While attractive, they do have a bit of an otherworldly effect. Check out the video to see these flowers in action. If you are like a lot of gardeners, you may find the light requirements in plant descriptions and on plant labels a little confusing. Terms like partial sun and partial shade may seem like they should mean the same thing, but they don't. Learn how to read the label correctly so you will always give your plants the light they really need.  Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
I discovered this adorable video today and thought you might enjoy it. While this is an Anna's Hummingbird that isn't found in Maine, she looks similar to our Ruby Throated Hummingbird and builds a similar nest.
I once found a hummingbird's nest tucked into the branches of an evergreen tree located near a school. It was made with twisted hair that I assume it gathered from hair the young ladies had discarded from their brushes. I am told that my great grandmother cautioned her daughters never to empty the brush and let the hair fly in the wind because birds would use it to build nests and you would get a headache. While the headache part is questionable, birds will, and do, use hairs found outside to build or line their nests. Hummingbird Nester
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