Symphoricarpos ('Candy Sensation' Dwarf Snowberry).

Symphoricarpos ('Candy Sensation' Dwarf Snowberry).

Native deciduous shrub for understory environments and mass plantings. Tolerates most soils, except wet, drought tolerant once established. Flowers in June are followed by white or pink berries (depending on cultivar), massing on branches in autumn and winter. Attracts butterflies and birds. Berries are poisonous to humans, but not to birds.

Warty Hammer Orchid

Warty Hammer Orchid ~ A plant with an amazingly unflower-like flower that attracts a particular wasp, which is deceived into attempting to mate with the flower. Darwin's method of studying the pollination of other orchids is described, and used to illustrate how evolutionary biologists can test hypotheses on the adaptive value of the attributes of living things.
Some may say it's ugly looking, but it's depends on you.

How to grow Eggplant

The Eggplant is high in fiber content and helps digestive function, and lowers risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, eggplant is a great source of potassium, Vitamin C, and protein.

How to Grow?
Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Surface-sow and keep moist until the sprouts appear, which can take up to three weeks or so,
Transplant into the garden when weather has settled and soil is warm.
Provide rich soil and ample moisture.
Give eggplants about an inch of water a week.
Pinch back new blossoms about three weeks before the first expected frost.
This will channel the plants' energy into maturing existing fruits rather than producing new ones that won't survive the frost.

 

 

DOGWOODS

The name "dog-tree" entered the English vocabulary by 1548, and had been further transformed to "dogwood" by 1614. Once the name dogwood was affixed to this kind of tree, it soon acquired a secondary name as the Hound's Tree, while the fruits came to be known as dogberries or hound berries (the latter a name also for the berries of black nightshade, alluding to Hecate's hounds). Another theory advances the view that "dogwood" was derived from the Old English Dagwood, from the use of the slender stems of its very hard wood for making 'dags' (daggers, skewers, and arrows).
Another, earlier name of the dogwood in English is the whipple-tree. Geoffrey Chaucer uses "whipple tree" in The Canterbury Tales ("The Knight's Tale", verse 2065) to refer to the dogwood. A whippletree is an element of the traction of a horse-drawn cart, linking the drawpole of the cart to the harnesses of the horses in file; these items still bear the name of the tree from which they are commonly carved.

 The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen. Several species have small heads of inconspicuous flowers surrounded by an involucre of large, typically white petal-like bracts, while others have more open clusters of petal-bearing flowers. The various species of dogwood are native throughout much of temperate and boreal Eurasia and North America, with China and Japan and the southeastern United States particularly rich in native species.

 
The dogwoods include the common dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) of Eurasia, the widely cultivated flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) of eastern North America, the Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) of western North America, the Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) of eastern Asia, and two low-growing boreal species, the Canadian and Eurasian dwarf cornels (or bunchberries), Cornus canadensis and Cornus suecica, respectively.
Depending on botanical interpretation, the dogwoods are variously divided into one to nine genera or subgenera; a broadly inclusive genus Cornus is accepted here, with four subgenera.

Pine berries

Pine berries were bred from a wild strawberry originating in South America, but was nearly extinct until 2003, when a group of Dutch farmers banded together to save the plant. The Pineberry offers the shape and texture of a strawberry with a flavor and smell of a pineapple.

More About Pansy .. How to grow Pansy

Lady Mary Elizabeth Bennett brought the pansy to the attention of gardeners in the early years of the 19th century after cultivating every sort of V. tricolor she could procure in her father's garden at Walton-upon-Thames. V. tricolor has known many names in the English-speaking world including heartsease, love in idleness, and flower of Jove, but the name pansy is derived from the French, pensée ...(thought), and was bestowed upon the plant for its resemblance to a pensive human face. The pansy has attracted the attention of poets and artists including William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, and Georgia O'Keeffe. The flower is a recurring motif in cultural artifacts such as embroidery designs and greeting cards.

 

The Pansy is a large group of hybrid plants cultivated as garden flowers. Pansies are derived from Viola species Viola tricolor hybridized with other viola species, these hybrids are referred to as Viola × Wittrockiana or less commonly Viola tricolor hortensis. The name "pansy" also appears as part of the common name for other Viola species that are wildflowers in Europe. Some unrelated species, such as the Pansy Monkey flower, also have "pansy" in their name.

 

 

The pansy flower is two to three inches in diameter and has two slightly overlapping upper petals, two side petals, and a single bottom petal with a slight beard emanating from the flower's center. The flower has been produced in a wide range of colors and bicolor. The plant may grow to nine inches in height, and prefers sun to varying degrees and well-draining soils. Pansies are biennials, but are purchased at garden centers in their second year of growth and treated as annuals by the home gardener. They are subjected to devastation by aphids, snails, and slugs, and several diseases, mostly fungal. They do not perform well in hot, muggy weather or climes.

 

How to grow Pansy...

Viola plants like full to partial sun. They thrive in cool, moist weather. In warmer areas, we recommend partial shade. They prefer rich to average soil that holds moisture. Mix in plenty of compost to increase soil retention. Add a general purpose fertilizer when planting them, then once a month after that. 
Sow Viola seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/8" soil. Water thoroughly. 
Transplant Viola seedlings into the garden after the last frost date for your area. Space them 6" apart. They will tolerate a little crowding. If you are creating a flower bed, you may want to create a pattern or color scheme prior to planting. Or, use mixed varieties. 
Once your Viola plants are established, they should grow well, even if left unattended. Soil should be moist, but not wet. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Keep them well weeded. Mulch around plants to help retain moisture and for appearance. 
Deadhead flowers to extend the blooming period. This will also keep the appearance neat and beautiful. supported on a trellis by the stem alone.

 

 

Smiling Pansies

 

FOXGLOVES DIGITALIS

 FOXGLOVES DIGITALIS ... The flowers are produced on a tall spike, are tubular, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. The best-known species is the "Common Foxglove", Digitalis purpurea. This genus is native to western and south western Europe, western and central Asia, and northwestern Africa. The scientific name means "finger-like" and refers to the ease with which a flower of Digitalis purpurea can be fitted over a human fingertip.This is a biennial plant which is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers. These range in colour from various purple tints through various shades of light gray, and to purely white. The flowers can also possess various marks and spottings.  

One of the loveliest, most important plant species that has been introduced from Europe and naturalized in various parts of North America.  The  flowers are numerous, on a spike, and range from a deep purple to lilac with conspicuous spots interlining the throat of the tubular flower. As a biennial, the leaves form a rosette the first year followed by the flower spike the next year. Prefers a nitrogen-rich sandy loam soil, in partial sun to full shade.
The first year of growth of the Common Foxglove produces only the stem with its long, basal leaves. During the second year of the plant's life, a long leafy stem from 50 to 255 centimeters tall grows atop the roots of healthy plants.
Depending on the species, the digitalis plant may contain several deadly physiological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides. Thus, the digitalis has earned several more sinister names: Dead Man’s Bells, and Witches’ Gloves. The entire plant is toxic (including the roots and seeds), although the leaves of the upper stem are particularly potent, with just a nibble, being enough to potentially cause death. Early symptoms of ingestion include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, wild hallucinations, delirium, and severe headache. Depending on the severity of the toxicities  the victim may later suffer irregular and slow pulse, tremors, various cerebral disturbances, especially of a visual nature (unusual colour visions with objects appearing yellowish to green, and blue halos around lights), convulsions, and deadly disturbances of the heart. The foxglove plant has been used for centuries to make digitalis and digoxin to help people with heart failure and heart irregularities.

Digoxigenin  (DIG) is a steroid found exclusively in the flowers and leaves of the plants Digitalis purpurea and Digitalis lanata. It is used as a molecular probe to detect DNA or RNA. It can easily be attached to nucleotides by chemical modifications. DIG molecules are often linked to uridine nucleotides; DIG labeled uridine (DIG-U) can then be incorporated into RNA probes via in vitro transcription. Once hybridisation occurs in situ, RNA probes with the incorporated DIG-U can be detected with anti-DIG antibodies that are conjugated to alkaline phosphatase. To reveal the hybridised transcripts, alkaline phosphatase can be reacted with a chromogen to produce a color precipitate.

 

 

 

Chicory

Chicory is a perennial herb that is native to the Mediterranean. Throughout the state of Oregon this flower can be found growing in ditches alongside the road. Often it will grow in a similar fashion to weeds. In the first year of its cycle you will only see plant growth, by the second year it will come into full bloom. Chicory should be planted in full sun. It can be grown for its leaves, which are often used in salads. The roots are used to make ‘Chicory Coffee’, which is a coffee substitute. This is a very drought tolerant herb that has a deep taproot. Planting should be done two to three weeks before the last frost.

The Sainfoin ~ Viciifolia

The Sainfoin (Viciifolia) is easily found in nurseries, garden stores and other plant dealers and distributors. It can be propagated by seed. It has a slow ability to spread through seed production and the seedlings have high vigor. Note that cold stratification is not required for seed germination and the plant cannot survive exposure to temperatures below -40°F. has medium tolerance to drought and restricted water conditions.