You are an avid gardener, and love to have beautiful flowers in your garden. However, as you do research on these flowers, or want to buy some, you come across some names that seem all Latin or Green to you (and they may be, since these are the scientific names given to these flowers). So, for example,

Aconitum carmichaelii is actually Azure Monkshood
Ageratum houstonianum is Ageratum / Flossflower

There is this site that lists the common names and scientific names for plants. You can find a plant from either the common name or the scientific name at this valuable site in the University of Cornell site (link)

A funny story about using pantyhouse that I saw in an email that I received; this is not an original story, and I do not know the source, but it seems plausible:

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How to Grow Cantaloupe in the Home Garden - Don’t Throw Out Those Old Pantyhose!
By A Paxhia

For many home gardeners, growing cantaloupe is not considered a viable option. Due to limited space in the average urban garden, most consider this delicious fruit impossible to grow without sacrificing precious garden space. With a few simple modifications, almost any home garden can produce this luscious fruit.

After tasting the difference between a melon that a friend had grown in her large country garden and the store bought variety, I decided to try to grow some in my own garden. Having limited space, I knew I couldn’t grow them in the traditional way. There simply would not be enough room for anything else if they were allowed to sprawl at will.

Ignoring the planting instructions on the seed packet, I began. Instead of planting in hills as suggested on the packet, I planted a single row along a section of the wire fence that borders my garden. Spacing the seeds about five or six inches apart, I planted an eight-foot long row. As the seeds germinated and the plants began to grow, I tied them to the fence and trained them to climb up their trellis. This solved the problem of having adequate growing space but that was only the beginning of the modifications that would be necessary to produce a harvest of melons.

As the summer progressed and the plants continued to grow, meticulous guidance to get the vines where I wanted them and to keep them from flopping down to the ground was needed. I also found that the plants grown this way required more water than when they are allowed to sprawl on the ground. Unlike their field grown counterparts, cantaloupe grown upright do not shade the ground and reduce evaporation like those whose vines are allowed to cover the earth under them. A generous amount of organic mulch around the base of the plants helped a little but more water was still a necessity.

When the plants started to set fruit, it was evident that some support would need to be provided to keep the weight of the maturing fruit from snapping off the vines. Preferring a material that would expand as the fruit grew larger, I decided to use nylon stockings! As each cantaloupe was about the size of a golf ball, I cut a generous length of nylon pantyhose and made a hammock to support each fruit. After securing each little hammock to the fence, daily checking and periodic adjustment of the support was necessary. As the fruits neared maturity, additional support was needed so, using strips of old bed sheets, I fashioned an additional sling to support each melon until it was ripe. Supporting the fruit in this way, we have enjoyed up to about twenty melons every year from our modest home garden.

Though this method was very successful in producing melons from the Hale’s Best variety, several melons were lost when I tried growing larger fruited varieties. This method should work well for any variety producing fruit in the four to six pound range.

For those not familiar with lavender sachets, they are merely lavender flowers placed in small oblong muslin pillows, about 2×3 inch dimensions. The pillow is made by sewing the three sides, pour the herb material into the open end, and then sew it shut. The muslin should be of a good heavy substance, with colors of a light pastel shade.
Besides using the straight lavender blooms in sachets, some delightful aromatic effects can be achieved from a combination of other fragrant herbs with lavender. rose geranium, rosemary, and lemon verbena are good added to lavender blooms for sachets. The combined aromas of herbs can be very unusual.

Growing herbs indoors is a cost-effective–and handier–alternative to buying them at the supermarket. Some of the easiest ones to grow indoors are thyme (Thymus vulgaris), basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), oregano (Origanum vulgare), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), mint (Mentha sp.) and sage (Salvia
officinalis). For people who love garlic, a great alternative is garlic chives (Allium tuberosum). Cut the tops of the grasslike blades and chop them up into your food for a mild garlic flavor.
There are three ways to start an indoor herb garden: transplanting store-bought or garden-grown plants or starting new ones from cuttings or seed.

A Seedy Beginning

For those who like to get their hands dirty, try starting herbs from seed. This is the least expensive way to grow an indoor herb garden, but it takes a bit of babysitting.
You’ll need the following materials: a lightweight soil less mixture, seeds of your favorite herbs, clear plastic baggies and small pots with drainage holes. Some pots are too large to start seeds in, so plant them in a peat pot to get them started. Once they germinate and grow a bit, transplant the whole thing–peat pot and all–into the larger container. Fill the peat pot completely with the soil less mixture, then place it in small bowl filled with water. Allow the peat pot to absorb the water from the bottom up, until the entire soil less mixture is saturated. Make certain the peat is completely wet; otherwise, it will act as a wick and pull water away from the seeds. Watering seeds after they’re planted can wash them away, so it’s important not to skip this step.
Bury seeds to a depth that’s three to four times their diameter. With really small seeds, like basil, you’ll only need to press them into the soil. Plant a few in one pot to ensure success in the event that one doesn’t germinate.
Slip a plastic baggie over the peat pot. The plastic will help the seedling retain moisture and create a warm environment, essentially simulating a greenhouse effect. To prevent the pot from drying out, place it on a saucer and add water to it so the peat can continue to soak up water.
After all the prep work is completed, leave the plants in a sunny location or positioned under grow lights.

A Cut Above

Stem cuttings are an easy method to grow herbs indoors. Before the growing season ends, you can always take some cuttings from your outdoor plants or use cut herbs available from a grocery store. Cut about six inches of a stem at the base of the plant.
Once the branch is cut, strip the foliage off the bottom so it won’t rot. A root should develop everywhere that a leaf or stem has grown. Place the cutting in a small jar of water, and in no time it will set roots. When that happens, pot the cutting and let it grow. Keep in mind that these cuttings need a sunny location, and the water should be changed out every day.

The Easiest Way

If you don’t want to wait to start seedlings or grow plants from cuttings, you can have an herb garden now by purchasing live, grown plants from your local garden center. Keep plants in a sunny location with sufficient water. Once a week, feed them, using a diluted, organic fertilizer; fish emulsion is one good option. Also give your plants a periodic trimming as it helps them to branch out and grow
more vigorously.

Came across this advice in an email, and after reading some more in other sites as well, this seemed as sound advice.

Drying Herbs

If you have an herb garden, you’ll find that home-dried herbs can be just as tasty as those bought at the store. However, proper handling is as important to the success of your herb harvest as good cultural practices.

Preparation

Most herbs are at their peak flavor just before flowering, so this is a good time to collect them for drying and storage. To be certain, check drying directions on specific herbs in a reliable reference book. Cut off the herbs early in the morning just after the dew has dried. Cut annuals off at ground level, and perennials about one-third down the main stem, including the side branches.
Wash herbs, with the leaves on the stems, lightly in cold running water to remove any soil, dust, bugs, or other foreign material. Drain thoroughly on absorbent towels or hang plants upside down in the sun until the water evaporates.
Strip leaves off the stalks once plants have drained and dried, leaving only the top 6 inches. Remove all blossoms.

Natural or Air Drying

Herbs must be dried thoroughly before storing. Herbs with high moisture content, such as mint and basil, need rapid drying or they will mold. To retain some green leaf coloring, dry in the dark by hanging plants upside down in bunches in paper bags. Hanging leaves down allows essential oils to flow from stems to leaves. Tie whole
stems very tightly in small bunches. Individual stems will shrink and fall. Hang in a dark, warm (70o-80oF [21.1o-26.7oC]), well-ventilated, dust-free area. Leaves are ready when they feel dry and crumbly in about 1 to 2 weeks.

Drying Seeds

Seeds take longer to dry than leaves, sometimes as much as 2 weeks for larger seeds. Place seed heads on cloth or paper. When partially dry, rub seeds gently between palms to remove dirt and hulls. Spread clean seed in thin layers on cloth or paper until thoroughly dry.
You also can dry herb seeds by hanging the whole plant upside down inside a paper bag. The bag will catch the seeds as they dry and fall from the pod.

Oven Drying

For quick oven drying, take care to prevent loss of flavor, oils, and color. Place leaves or seeds on a cookie sheet or shallow pan not more than 1 inch deep in an open oven at low heat less than 180oF (82.2oC) for about 2 to 4 hours.
Microwave ovens can be used to dry leaves quickly. Place the clean leaves on a paper plate or paper towel. Place the herbs in the oven for 1 to 3 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds.

Silica Gel or Salt Drying

Silica gel or noniodized table salt can be used to dry or “cure” non-hairy leaves. Clean and blot dry leaves before placing them in a tray or shallow pan of the silica gel or salt. After the leaves have dried, approximately 2 to 4 weeks, remove the leaves from the drying material, shake off the excess material, and store them in glass containers. Before using, rinse leaves thoroughly in clear, cold water.
Another method of drying herbs is to remove the leaves from the plants, wash them, and spread them thinly on screens to dry, avoiding exposure to bright light. Cheesecloth makes a good screen material and stretches well.

Freezing Herbs

Herbs also can be frozen. Harvest herbs according to recommendations. Wash them thoroughly and blanch them in boiling, unsalted water for 50 seconds Cool them quickly in ice water and then package and freeze them. Washed fresh dill, chives, and basil can be frozen without blanching.

Storage

When completely dry, the leaves may be screened to a powder or stored whole in airtight containers, such as canning jars with tightly sealed lids. Seeds should be stored whole and ground as needed. Leaves retain their oil and flavor if stored whole and crushed just before use.
For a few days, it is very important to examine daily the jars in which you have stored dried herbs. If you see any moisture in the jars, remove the herbs and repeat the drying process. Herbs will mold quickly in closed jars if not completely dry.
Once you are sure the herbs are completely dry, place them in the airtight containers, and store them in a cool, dry place away from light. Never use paper or cardboard containers for storage as they will absorb the herbs’ aromatic oils.

Imagine beautiful multi-colored butterflies flitting in your garden; kids would want to spend time over there, and friends would drop in more often to see the garden that seems to attract such beautiful creatures. Everybody would love to have more butterflies in their garden, but it is hardly the easiest thing to do. You can’t just catch butterflies and release them in your gardens. In addition, just having flowers in your garden can’t help you many times - it’s just not necessary that this will ensure that you have lots of butterflies. So how do you do it ?
Well, here’s a site that should help you. Take a look at the Butterfly Farm Web Site (link)
Some extracts from the website:
- The good news is that it is very easy to attract butterflies to your own backyard, no matter how small or urban, and you can help to preserve these most brilliant and fascinating creatures.
- Raising butterflies: All about the caterpillars that will eventually become butterflies
- There are four stages to a butterfly’s life, and each stage is radically different from the others.
Briefly, a butterfly starts as an egg. After about 5 to 10 days the egg hatches and a tiny caterpillar (larvae) emerges.
The caterpillar starts to eat and will shed it’s skin 4 to 6 times as it gets bigger and bigger.
After about 2 to 4 weeks the caterpillar will be full grown and transforms itself into a chrysalis/pupa.
What happens next is most amazing as inside the pupal case the caterpillars body breaks down into a kind of soup from which grows the adult structure of the butterfly! This stage can take between 10 to 15 days. Finally, the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.

In discussion with a friend, I heard of this site (link) and decided to read a bit more about it.
From the website:

Our studies have shown that the EarthBox can double yields, using less water and fertilizer compared to conventional gardening. More importantly, thousands of EarthBox customers prove our claims every time they plant. We’re so sure that the EarthBox will work for you; we offer a one year satisfaction guarantee. That’s right, you can use the EarthBox all season long and if it doesn’t produce as advertised, we will promptly refund your purchase price.
Since The EarthBox uses potting mix available at any garden center, soil conditions in your area mean nothing. In fact many people have tremendous EarthBox gardens on their patios, balconies and decks. Since the potting mix in The EarthBox is covered, weeds don’t even have a chance to start. There’s never any need to pull weeds or use herbicides.
Each time you plant in the EarthBox, use two cups of a dry granular fertilizer or plant food for vegetables. The three numbers of the elements making up the fertilizer content should be in the range of 5 to 15; i.e., 12-8-10, 10-10-10. After you have applied the fertilizer stripe, no additional fertilizer will be needed.