HYBRIDIZING From a commercial perspective it is a process by which new, plants are developed with particularly desirable qualities therefore making them more marketable. Hybrids are developed for their disease resistance, growth rate, size of plant, flower, fruit or size of fruit, increased flowering, color, taste, or any reason a plant might be considered […]
An example of a narrow space garden
We have had quite a few questions lately looking for ideas on gardening ideas and advice for long narrow spaces. Not everyone has the luxury of a sprawling rooftop garden, but that does not exclude you from utilizing what outdoor space you have. Sunlight Be very aware of the direction of the light […]
Its Halloween month – time for some spooky garde
BOO! Touching or knocking on wood for luck is a superstition that exists all around the world. It is so common that many of us do it regularly without thinking about where this practice came from. The origin of the custom may be in Celtic or German folklore. Supernatural beings were thought to live […]
Spring Bulbs
colorful spring bulb look in front of brownstone For a Fabulous Spring Look call Plant Specialists today – the choices are endless !! PLANT SPECIALISTS GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 52 YEARS ! Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBA All photographs used with permission […]
Hair!
Trichomes Hairs in Botany are called Trichomes ( Greek). They come in every size, shape and color imaginable. Most importantly, what they look like tells you a lot about where and why they evolved to look that way. Typical glandular hair – a trichome Some have glands in their tips and others at their […]
The Color Purple
Green Most leaves look green, but many are red, brown, purple, yellow, and orange! What’s up with that ! Green The green comes from the vast amount of the pigment chlorophyll (used in photosynthesis) inside the cells. From sunlight, it absorbs many wavelengths (think rainbow) except one – GREEN ! It reflects […]
PHORESY
phor·e·sy ( /ˈfôrəsē/) Several years ago our Plant Health Care department noticed how despite some rooftop plants being totally isolated they suddenly got insects. We were perplexed and decided to investigate. That’s when we learned about this very odd form of insect dispersal called PHORESY. Phoresy is simply when one organism attaches itself and then […]
Acclimatization of Indoor Plants
To acclimatize is when an organism adjusts to a change in its environment in order to survive. When dealing with INDOOR FOLIAGE PLANTS this becomes most apparent to anyone whom recently purchased one ! Most indoor house plants sold in the northeastern US are grown in shade houses in Florida. A land of abundant sunshine, […]
PARENCHYMA
THE UBIQUITOUS PARENCHYMA Plants contain many types of tissues and within each, various specialized cells – but none of them beat Parenchyma ! These are the biochemistry machines of the plant. They are alive at maturity (unlike wood) and specialize into many forms. The basis for all plant function – they are everywhere and in […]
