There are many different types of pine tree. Pinus sylvestris, one of the varieties used to produce essential oil, grows widely throughout Europe and the USSR, the main distillation centres being in Austria and the USSR.
Steam distillation of pine needles produces a colourless oil with a strong odour reminiscent of balsam.
Powerful antiseptic for the respiratory tract in cases of colds, influenza, pneumonia, asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis and laryngitis Read the rest of this entry »
Inadequate soil preparation before planting or sowing is a major cause of horticultural disappointment. Digging and the application of fertilizers and bulky organic materials are usually necessary to ensure that the soil is suited to the plants or crops that you want to grow. Drainage may also be required.
There are certain fertilizers that supply all three of the principal foods required by plants: nitrogen for leaf and stem growth; phosphorus for good root growth; potassium (potash), which helps to form and ripen flowers, fruits and seeds.
Certain ornamental plants will provide a low canopy of foliage sufficiently dense to prevent weeds from establishing beneath it. These are known as ground- cover plants. They enable you to keep a garden looking neat even if you lack the time or inclination for routine maintenance such as weeding and mowing. For example, they offer a labour-saving alternative to large areas of grass, or a way to reduce weeding between shrubs and roses. They will not suppress perennial weeds such as docks, nettles, bracken, couch grass and ground elder, so you must eradicate these before planting by spraying them when they are in full growth in spring and summer with a weedkiller containing glyphosate.
To get groundcover plants off to the best possible start, prepare the ground well by adding bulky organic matter, such as well-rotted farmyard manure or garden compost, and applying a dressing of blood, bone and fishmeal fertilizer. Read the rest of this entry »
There is something very evocative about scents drifting into the house from the garden on a warm summer evening. Philadelphus, the mock orange, usually still called syringa, and lilac, which really is syringa, are two of the most potent scented plants that you could contain in a large tub and station near a door or window. But it would take a few years for a young plant to reach a size sufficient to support a quantity of flowers and so the best subjects for a scented window box are likely to come from the long list of annual plants. These grow fast and will flower their heads off if conditions are right. Read the rest of this entry »
