EtsyPHAT's Plant Peeps

Unique Valentine's Day Gift

2011-02-12T14:00:00.001-08:00

PHAT Team member liebchen813, who is a talented Daylily breeder, is currently offering several lovely selections of her unique young stock along with a "Name Your Own" option. You get the plant, a photo, and you get to pick the name under which it will be registered. She has them in several colors and bloom characteristics, but the above plant is my favorite. Looking for a very unique gift for the gardener in your life? Pick an interesting seedling and name it something special!

Treasury!

2009-06-29T14:01:00.001-07:00

EtsyPHAT member Herbfriend picked her first treasury this weekend! Did a great job too, didn't she? A few EtsyPHAT members were featured along with some other goodies.

An introduction to Orchids as Houseplants

2009-05-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Frequently I hear ‘orchids are just too sensitive’ or ‘I could never…’, but honestly orchids are not always as difficult as people think. With the number of orchid species estimated at as much as 30,000 species (not a typo, see also Kew: Science and Horticulture: Orchidaceae) and native species found on every continent and climate except Antarctica, plus countless man-made hybrids, finding something right for your house is just about knowing what to look for in an orchid plant. Keeping it alive is just about being well informed (and occasional watering).

How is an orchid different? While there are many answers to this question, what really matters to the home grower is that many orchids, and certainly most of the common types grown as houseplants, are epiphytes. This is a situation where the plants use a tree branch (or occasionally rock crevice) as a condominium. They are not parasitic, just opportunistic. What this means to you as the home grower is that orchid roots are accustomed to an environment where while there might be frequent rain, there is also strong air movement. Many types can even be grown on a wood plaque with no media around the roots (see article here). Similarly, if your nicely potted plant has a root sticking out of the pot somewhere you shouldn’t be alarmed – in orchids this is not necessarily cause to repot. Some orchids just don’t really understand the concept of a pot and so throw their roots in every direction.

Good watering methods are key to root health. Watering of some houseplants is accomplished by leaving them to sit in water for hours at a time. This is not recommended with orchids (with a couple exceptions of some Phragmipedium species that live on river side rocks) as it may lead to root rot. The easiest thing to do is water the orchid by running plenty of water through the pot from the top. Once the media is well wetted, let it drain, then return it to the window.

For best results, orchids are potted in a fluffy or chunky mix that gives a nice balance of holding moisture but allowing air circulation. To maintain root health, repotting your orchids into fresh potting media every one to three years is recommended. Here is a repotting article.

Ok, so all that is great, but how to pick an orchid??

The most important piece of advice is to purchase a plant that is well established. You certainly can have success also with that $5 seedling in a two inch pot, but you will likely find it easier with more immediate gratification to buy a plant that is at least within 1-2 years of blooming for the first time. When buying a plant in person, especially at a place like the grocery store, challenge the plant by gently grabbing the leaves and lifting or moving the plant back and forth to see how well it is rooted into that pot. Good roots mean a healthy plant and more likely success.

Second is to look for a plant that matches your light conditions. For up to a few weeks at a time during blooming you can stick an orchid where it won’t get much light (say, the kitchen table) to enjoy it, but the rest of the year you will want to find a window for it to live in. Here’s a handy guide for commonly available orchid types, based on an unobstructed window, plant sitting right on the windowsill:

North facing window: Rather weak light. You might be able to grow a Paphiopedilum (Paph) there, or some Phalaenopsis (Phal). If it doesn’t bloom for you, supplement with fluorescent light.

East facing window: Great spot for Paphiopedilums and Phalaenopsis.

West facing window: Also great spot for Paphiopedilums and Phalaenopsis. Frequently this is also enough light for some Dendrobium (Den or Dend) plants or certain miniature Cattleya (Slc. or Pot.) hybrids, as well as several Oncidium types.

South facing window: This is your brightest light, excellent for Cattleya hybrids (Slc., Lc., C., Blc., Pot., Sl., Lc….), many Dendrobiums, and Oncidium intergeneric hybrids.

If you aren’t sure what category your plant-of-interest falls into, ask the grower for more details. They want you to succeed too!

I always recommend if you aren’t sure, go with a Phalaenopsis (Phal.) or Paphiopedilum (Paph.). These types are easy to grow, adaptable, and you can always make a very bright window less so by setting the plant back from the glass a little or using a sheer curtain to filter the light. Other culture details are fairly similar for the two types. You can find an article on growing phals here.

Happy Etsy Day everyone!

2009-04-24T07:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Etsy Day everyone!

Make sure you visit Etsy.com today to celebrate. You can read an article about Etsy Day in The Storque by clicking here:http://www.etsy.com/storque/events/etsy-sellers-unite-for-etsy-day-join-in-3821/

If you haven't already signed up for an Etsy account, today would be a great day to do so! There are SO MANY amazing artists who sell things on Etsy. I know you'll find something that you love. Maybe it will even inspire you to start your own Etsy shop!

The Perfected Mint Mojito

2009-03-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

Grow your own Mojito Mint plant on the back patio and mix this masterpiece of a beverage at your next party. An absolute MUST for this summer's weekend BBQ get-togethers. Everyone will rave about them!

Nothing is better than using your own garden veggies and herbs to whip something up in the kitchen! The Mojito Mint plant is extremely easy to care for. Simply plant it in a container of choice and set it on your back patio or deck. Make sure that the container has a drainage hole. Mint likes full sun and lots of water. If you put your mint in the shade, it will grow floppy and the flavor will not be as strong as when you grow it in the sun. Mint is hardy to zone 5 and likes almost any garden soil. It is truly a "no worries" plant!

Mojito Mint Plant available at Herb Friend's Shoppe on Etsy.com

Word of warning: Don't put more than one kind of mint in a pot. If you mix your different kinds of mints up in the same pot, either one mint will smother the rest or they will get so mixed up, it will be difficult to tell them apart.

Now for the perfect Mojito recipe....

The Miami Mojito (Mojito with Simple Syrup)
Somewhere between guarapo and granulated sugar, lies simple syrup. Simple syrup is essentially “sugar water” made by dissolving sugar in boiling water. Some people refer to it as mojito simple syrup, but simple syrup has many uses in cocktail making. Simple syrup also makes the mojito with the smoothest texture, as the sugar particles have already been dissolved before assembling the mojito.

1 lime, juiced (about 2 ounces)
5-6 fresh from the garden mohito mint leaves
crushed ice
2 ounces white/light rum (try Havana Club)
1 ounce simple syrup*
2 drops Angostura bitters, optional (if you would like to cut the sweetness a bit)
3 ounces Club Soda

* Simple Sugar Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring water and sugar to a low boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until sugar dissolves. Water will appear slightly cloudy, but will become clear as it cools. Cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator in a squeeze bottle or airtight container. If properly sealed, the syrup will keep up to 2 weeks. One batch of this syrup will make about 12 mojitos.

Muddle lime juice with the mint in the bottom of a long mojito glass (also called a "collins" glass) . Add light rum, simple syrup, and bitters. Fill the glass to the top with ice. Top with club soda. Cover the glass with a shaker tin or transfer the mixture to a shaker and shake for 5-6 seconds. Garnish with lime wedge and a garden fresh mint sprig!

Which Came First, the Caterpillar or the Butterfly?

2009-03-06T11:42:00.001-08:00

Butterfly gardening can be extremely rewarding. Watching these beauties flutter about from flower to flower, breeze to breeze... There are two types of plants that butterflies need in order to survive, nectar plants and host plants. If you have both in your garden, you will be able to witness the entire life cycle of the fabulous flittering Lepidoptera.

Nectar Plants
Nectar plants are what most people think of when designing a butterfly garden. They provide the food needed for sustenance. Some common nectar plants are:

Black Sweet William Dianthus Nigrescens Sooty available at Green Thing on Etsy.com

Cosmos available at Seven Acre Woods on Etsy.com

Some other great nectar plants for your butterfly garden include Aster, Blazing Stars, Common Milkweed, Coreopsis, Lantana, Marigold, Shasta Daisys, Sunflowers, and Zinnia.

Host Plants

Less common but as equally important are host plants. Butterflies use these for reproduction, meaning depositing eggs and feeding larvae (caterpillars). Some familiar host plants are:

Hollyhocks available at A Better Place on Etsy.com

Dill available at Homegrown Healthy on Etsy.com

Other common host plants for your butterfly garden include the Common Foxglove, Nasturtium, Milkweed, False Nettle, Rue, Silver Brocade, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Violet, Fennel, Spicebush, Passion Flower, Pipevine, Pawpaw and Sweet Bay Magnolias.

Both Nectar & Host Plants

If you don't have much space for a butterfly garden, it makes sense to use dual-purpose plants. Here are a few that serve as both nectar and host plants for your fluttering beauties:

Swamp Verbena, or Simpler's Joy, available at Infinite Gardens on Etsy.com

Purple Coneflower available at A Better Place on Etsy.com

Blackeyed Susans available at Infinite Gardens on Etsy.com

Time to Try Something New in the Garden?

2009-03-05T11:37:00.001-08:00

Why not go out on the limb this year and try something new in the garden?

Grow your very own Organic Loofah (luffa) Sponge, available at Smokymist Gardens on Etys.com. You can eat them, but they come in more handy in the shower! Loofah sponges are extremely easy to harvest and prepare for use. Just watch them grow during the summer, pick when the loofah is ready, loosen and peel the skin back, rinse and sun dry. Voila!! A homegrown back scrubber!!!

Photo by Jerry Crimson Mann on WikiCommons.

Tomato Season is Just Around the Corner

2009-03-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

Veggie Gardening :: It is almost that time of year again!

I've already started my lettuce and bean seeds for this year's garden. Next on the list is tomatoes!!

Here are some fabulous varieties available at Mistiaggie's Etsy shop:

Japanese Black Trifele Tomato

This is a late season Russian tomato that is beautifully colored in dark purples and a very unique shape. An excellent indeterminate heirloom variety that slices up well on a plate with a dash of salt or on an English muffin for breakfast.

Schimmeig Striped Hollow Heirloom Tomato
A red tomato with orange stripes and the shape of a pepper! You can easily cut the top off and pull out the seeds...simple preparation! It is a very vigorous plant and a heavy bearer.

Copia Heirloom Tomato
Copia is named after the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, and is a beautiful bi-color tomato. This is a large beefsteak that I think you will fall in love with!

Speckled Roman Heirloom Tomato
This is a very unique tomato that is perfect for making into sauces. It was originally developed by crossing Antique Roman and Banana Legs to produce this colorful, striped tomato. A heavy bearer and does not have a lot of seeds.

Just Add Water...

2009-02-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Grow your very own indoor lemon tree! Lemons always add a sense of freshness and cleanliness to any room, not to mention the incredibly lovely smelling flowers. At Seven Acre Woods's shop on Etsy.com, you can purchase a kit with everything you will need. How fun! This kit would even be a fun and educational activity for children.

What's new with team member: Laura!

2009-01-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

Today we have Laura, who is saintpaulia on Etsy. Her shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some interesting facts about her are below.

How did you get started in gardening?
My mother grew roses, and is a green thumb with a very nice indoor garden. I started experimenting on my own when I moved out, and as I got involved with gourmet cooking and wanting to eat healthier, I began focusing on organically growing my own foods, herbs, and spices.

Why did you join the EtsyPHAT Team?
Hmm, it's been some time. I'm just lazy when it comes to homework. :) I may not say it, but I'm ecstatic about it, as I usually try to share my gardening enthusiasm with others and for some really bizarre reason it's not [always] as exciting to them.

Where do you get your ideas?
Mostly I have to credit all my loved ones. I haven't been into gardening as hard-core for very long, but I'm lucky to have so many knowledgeable people in my life, so I soak it up from them like a sponge. I co-garden with my father-in-law, a Master Gardener who specializes in orchard fruits, vegetables, and has developed several hybrids of day lilies and irises; my mother-in-law, who grows herbs and is teaching me landscaping; and my two sets of neighbors who can food (jars), grow herbs, and also are into berries like I am.
My personal source of inspiration tends to be cooking. I would love to have a space in my house to grow tropical plants. That way I could grow my own vanilla, green tea, and citrus trees.

What are you currently working on?
We moved into this house almost three years ago, and the entire land area was a blank canvas with almost no landscaping. So, I've spent much of my summers on developing gardens. I currently have a perennial, herb, and vegetable garden that seem to grow larger (pardon the pun) every year. I also am developing a small orchard, and I pot all my annuals for the front porch and long driveway and walkway, ending up with approximately 20 or so pots of flowers at any given time.

Is your Etsy your full time job?
I'm disabled, so nothing is really a full time job, but I am passionately devoted to gardening. I love Etsy and the people on Etsy. A lot of people don't appreciate heirloom seeding, for example, so it's nice to be among those who do.

What do you do when you are not gardening?
I tend my flock of pets. We have two pups and two cats, all under 3 years of age. I also love food and cooking.

Recommend a book?
The Essential Garden by Liz Dobbs. It's a very details-oriented a-to-z on everything from composting, tools, landscaping, potting, pruning, and so much more! It is a bit heavy for a read, but very informative.

Favorite from the garden recipe?
Oh god, there's no way I could choose. One of my favorite things is when I'm harvesting, I'll pick fruits and veggies and eat them as I'm collecting. It doesn't get fresher than that!

EtsyPHAT treasury!

2008-09-30T17:31:00.003-07:00

Here's a lovely treasury by EtsyPHAT team member greenthing:

Phalaenopsis for your health

2008-09-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

(Left: Phal. violacea v. alba at The Little Greenhouse)

Recently a news article was cited on the Orchid Guide Digest by Viateur, who finds all the interesting stories for us. The article makes two claims that are interesting, but unsupported (references are not cited). Do any of you know if these are accurate statements?

"Translucent pots allow light to reach the roots and algae to form on their
surface [is that desirable ?] ? this helps with moisture and nutrient uptake.
...
Moth orchids are effective in removing xylene (chemical emissions from
adhesives, computer VDU screens, paints, photocopiers and varnishes) from
the atmosphere [really ?]"

What is your plant wish list?

2008-09-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Please tell us!

EtsyPHAT team member Griffith Gardens posted a couple forum threads today, one of which asked "what plants would you like to see on Etsy?". As a complement to that discussion, I thought I'd add this blog post as another place where you can list items on your wish list. So what plants are you looking for? Let us know with a comment to this post and maybe we can help you out!

"MySpace" for Gardeners

2008-09-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

There's a newly sprouted website called World Food Garden for all the veggie gardeners out there. You can map your garden, create a garden blog, and trade seeds and ideas with other gardeners. For more information, check out this youtube video. If you try it, please come back and tell us how you like it and where to find your blog!

What's new with team member: Julie!

2008-08-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

This week we have Julie, who is greenthing on Etsy. Her shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some recent happenings in her world are below.

How did you get started in gardening?
I've loved plants since I was little, but started gardening on a regular basis when I became disabled. It's great therapy for me!

Why did you join the EtsyPHAT Team?
The team is great! It's nice to be in touch with others who love plants and gardening, and to be able to exchange ideas or get feedback from the group is helpful.

Where do you get your ideas?
My goal is to have my entire yard provide habitat for wildlife eventually. That will take years, but I add to my gardens every year. I love to see wildlife in my yard. Also, I read a lot of books!

What are you currently working on?
Currently I'm working on tinctures. I'm excited to be able to offer them in my store. Tinctures are much more effective than pills, and mine will be made from plants I've grown myself so I will know the quality and freshness of them. I''ll have a few of the main ones at first, but I hope to keep expanding. I'm also propagating lilies and roses and hope to have them available by Fall. A couple of lilies are listed already.

Is your Etsy your full time job?
Yes, I'm disabled and Etsy allows me to have some income coming in. I actually run three shops and sometimes it gets overwhelming!

What do you do when you are not gardening?
I work on my other shops, I read, I explore when I'm able to (for my urban exploration photography), and visit with friends.

Recommend a book?
Just one? "The Green Pharmacy" by James Duke.

Favorite from the garden recipe?
Fresh tomato sandwiches are my favorite. Simple, but delicious! I love to use herbs in just about anything, especially spaghetti. I add oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, rosemary and garlic.

Urban Farming

2008-08-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

The current issue of ATTRAnews - Newsletter of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - takes a look at how folks across the country are juggling the effects of urban sprawl and a desire of local produce. The newsletter mentions community gardens, a unique farm stand, social justice, urban agriculture resources and more. You can check out the full issue online at ATTRA. (note: at time of writing I don't see the current issue posted, but watch that space! In the mean time, check out some of their other archives and publications.)

What's new with team member: Craig!

2008-08-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

This week we have Craig, who is EarlyForest on Etsy. He keeps a blog about tree species identification. His shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some recent happenings in his world are below.

What's new with Craig?
I am working like crazy and trying to find time to spend with my family (wife, baby, puppy and kitten) while I take on the world.

How did you get started in gardening?
I was gifted with adventerous parents that felt that vaccations should be taken often and outdoors. Our travels took us to some of the planet's most amazing natural wonders. On those trips, and over long weekends camping with my dad and brother, I gained an appreciation for the wilder parts of the world and especially the forests. It was not until college that I discovered bonsai and I became obsessed with trying to grow trees. Most of my bonsai trees are collected wild seedlings or grown from seed, I refuse to purchase grocery store exotic bonsai. Growing bonsai soon led to growing edible plants as well. I now have a good mix of veggies and berries in addition to my trees.

Why did you join the EtsyPHAT Team?
I joined EtsyPHAT to learn from like-minded-individuals and offer my support and encouragement.

Where do you get your ideas?
I am inspired by literature, art, architecture and gnomes.

What are you currently working on?
Right now it is mid summer, a particularly slow season for tree seed collecting. As always, I have an ongoing tree photography series on my blog. I have been photographing trees like they are going extinct. My favorite locations are the arboreta and botanical gardens in my area. I am getting excited to photograph the trees when they change this autumn. I am also working on assembling some simple woodland survival tools/guides that you can expect to see in the shop soon.

Is your Etsy your full time job?
No, I have a degree in Landscape Architecture and work full time as a professional Landscape Designer. My Etsy shop is a project that I undertook to make tree seeds and information more avaliable to people. Ultimately it is an excuse to persue the hobbies that I am already interested in and hopefully along the way I can help others by offering what they are looking for.

What do you do when you are not gardening?
This year has been a little a-typical with the arrival of my newborn son, so right now I don't do a whole lot more than spend time with my baby boy and work. In past years I spent time with my wife traveling to new places, camping/hiking/kayaking, and reading fiction. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get back to doing all of those things with our son.

Recommend a book?
Plant Propagation: The American Horticultural Society, a book that every gardener should have on their shelf.

Favorite from the garden recipe?
Initially I balked at this question thinking, "Why would anyone want to do anything with garden fresh produce other than eat it straight from the plant?" But then I started thinking about all of the delicious recipies that I could be feasting upon and now there are too many options to just choose one...I suppose anything with fresh raspberries would have my vote.

What's new with team member: Julia!

2008-07-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since the last time we had a featured member. 'Tis the season for gardeners to be busy. We're all lost in our herbs and veggies and flowers!! To get the ball rolling again, I'm going to tell you about myself a bit! (photo shows Phrag. schlimii 'Birchwood' (Cardinale) x Cleola)

Hi everyone! I'm Julia, known as SapphireChild on Etsy and also on blogger. My shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some recent happenings are below.

How did you get started in gardening?
As a kid I marveled at my grandfather's garden and enormous houseplants. I'm not sure that inspired my voracity for foliage, but I certainly had it. So my mother sometimes entertained me with a plant here or there from the grocery store and it grew out from there, much like kudzu.

Why did you join the EtsyPHAT Team?
Heck, I was a founding member. :) I felt the green and proud might benefit from banding together so I asked around. There was definite interest and so EtsyPHAT was born!

What are you currently working on?
Repotting. Always with the repotting!! But that's ok, I always feel I've accomplished something when I have a tray full of freshly potted plants. As part of this I'm experimenting with semi-hydroponic growing (see photos) where you take a solid plastic container and poke holes about 1 inch from the bottom. The plant is then set in with an aggregate mix such as expanded clay pellets. I have a few Phragmipediums potted this way and they seem to like it so far but its only been a few months. I will also be trying Miltonias and Cattleyas this way.

Is your Etsy your full time job?
No I have a full time job doing Functional Genomics. Our project website can tell you more about the project I spend the majority of my time working on. Just for fun, go to the 'Reporter Images' tab and type 'flower' or 'trichome' or 'vascular' to see some cool images.

What do you do when you are not gardening?
I'm also addicted to wool, spinning yarn, and knitting. We also have 4 cats, 2 horses, and 1 overly energetic dog. Here's a photo of me chillin' with my horse.

Recommend a book?
I recently read Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden: Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians. It is a fascinating historical, anthropological text not only about agriculture but of a culture long since changed. It was groundbreaking in its time, and indeed I wish there were more accounts of a similar vein, but alas many texts of this type were written with taints of preconceived ideas.

I've also been reading Sprit Walker by Fel, which is published online one chapter at a time. It is not yet completed and I'm itching to see the next chapter!

Favorite from the garden recipe?
I love to saute zucchini with garlic and butter until just soft. I also like to stir fry fresh green beans in olive oil with garlic and fresh ginger (dry won't do! it is chemically/aromatically different) until the green beans turn bright green. Start by warming the oil, throw in the garlic and ginger (and maybe a bit of hot red pepper for kick) then toss in the green beans.

Pocket Guides for Bugs & Healthy Foods

2008-07-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Team member Amber found the following pocket guides this week, and we wanted to share them with all our readers.

The first one is the Organic Essentials guide to help you with your grocery shopping by showing which foods pose the greatest risk of high pesticide concentrations. Some plants absorb various toxins differently, and may hold more in the tissues than others. Other plants may not absorb toxins, but may be constructed such that washing away the pesticides is more difficult. Still others may require higher application of pesticide for good crop set. Regardless of the reason, this guide will help you make educated choices for your family when you can't always choose organic. (Please note, you should still wash all fruits and veggies, even organic ones.)

The next one is an indispensable guide every gardener should see. It identifies various predatory insects that will help clean out any pests that may be attacking your flowers and veggies. I heart predatory insects! :)

What's new with team member: Shell!

2008-06-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

This week we have Shell, who is Shellberry on Etsy. Her shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, her blog can be found here, and some recent happenings in her world are below.

Photo by foampeanut87

What's new with Shell? We won SECOND PLACE at Instructables.com in their Green Science Fair for our abridged take on the square foot garden. (I won an mp3 player so I can listen to my books on tape via Librivox.org and learn a few new languages while working in our "graden". I almost peed I was so excited! YAY!

About my garden: Our backyard is an urban cement jungle. Pavement as far as you can see...which is only about 22'x16'. My daughters (2 and 8 months) help me in the morning with all sorts of tasks. Solaris (2) loves to water...the plants and her sister, IsaLuna. We collect rain water from the daily squall lines that hit our East Coast Florida town everyday around 4 p.m. in two rubbermaid buckets. The girls get to play in one and I use the other for my eternal clippings. Photo by foampeanut87

Photo by shellgreenier
I love to focus on edible plants, especially those used for holistic purposes and teas. We are organic :) and love watching what new life our garden brings to an otherwise barren yard. Caterpillars, lizards (we've even found an egg once), frogs, bugs, squirrels and our newest guest...snails! I love recycling in order to cut down on our garbage output and use our soy milk containers for self watering pots, our apple juice containers as inverted planters for our vines (zuchinni and cantalope) and even strofoam egg cartons from friends and family as clipping starter boats. I'm working on an instructables for that as well.

Everyday I find new growth, a new bloom or a new creature. I'm amazed...I remember just a few years ago when I couldn't even keep a spider plant alive. :)

What's new with team member: Julie!

2008-06-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

This week we will be reprinting a great educational article about invasive species from Julie, who is Greenthing on Etsy. Her shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week. But first we'll start with a little intro about her gardening passions.

What kind of gardener is Julie?
My goal is to turn my entire yard into gardens that will provide habitat for wildlife. I grow a lot of things from seed and try to use native plants as much as possible. For myself, I love old species roses, lilies and heirloom flowers. I love to smell my garden as well as look at it! This year I'm growing more herbs and vegetables and hope to have a much wider selection for sale in the Fall.

And now on to the article:

Invasive Plants

Everyone has heard that you shouldn't plant invasive species. However, many people don't realize what plants are invasive or what impact they have. Invasive plants are often attractive and convenient, and are sold at nurseries without any warnings. As more people become aware of the problem, native plant sales are increasing, but you as a customer have to let the retailer know you will not buy invasives.

Not all non-natives are invasive, and if you keep them contained it's not a problem. However, if left to grow unchecked, they grow out of control. In their natural environment, predators and controls exist that don't exist elsewhere. As invasive plants spread, they kill off our local species and replace plants that our wildlife depend on with something that is damaging to the ecology.

Different areas have different infestations, so look up your local invasives online. A few of the worst offenders are the orange daylily, purple loosestrife, kudzu, english ivy and vinca vine. All of these plants are attractive, but they multiply quickly and replace a diverse biosystem with a monoculture that no longer provides food for wildlife.

There is a local wooded area I visit that has been invaded by vinca vine, or periwinkle. A house is at the edge of the woods and the plant has spread from there. Here are a couple of photos of the woods.

Many people use vinca and english ivy as a ground cover, but this is what happens if its growth is not checked. Some may think all those little blue flowers are lovely, but they serve no purpose to our wildlife. Every year, the vinca advances further into these woods, smothering out what would normally live there. What lives in the part of the woods that the vinca has not reached is a variety of wildflowers, bushes and herbs such as Spring Beauty, Dogtooth Violet, Ginseng, Bloodroot, Jack-in-the-pulpit, ferns, mosses, Elderberry and other viburnums, to name a few. All of these provide food and shelter for our native insects and animals, and they provide us with beauty and possible sources of medicines. However, as the vinca spreads, it smothers everything else that might grow on the forest floor.

Instead of planting invasives, plant native species. Our native species naturally grow better in the climate to which they are suited, and they provide needed food for our wildlife. Most states have a department that offers suggestions for native plants to grow in place of invasives. You can research it online, and when you go to the nursery, ask for native species. Native species require less maintenance, use less water, and don't need fertilizers, which helps to keep chemicals out of our water.

By planting natives, you will have a lovely garden that doesn't require as much upkeep, and your local birds and animals will visit it often.

Successful team promotion

2008-06-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's studied or actually runs a business knows how important advertising and marketing can be to your success. If you ever drop by the Etsy forums, people are constantly responding to the 'why aren't I selling?' questions with 'promote! advertise! get your name out there!'

Well, suggestions on the EtsyPHAT mailing list lead to the idea of promoting the concept of guerrilla gardening and the team using seed packs put together using the extra seeds from EtsyPHAT team members. Those of us who chose to participate sent in our seeds and got back the finished product. They look great and I've already strategically 'planted' many packs!

These seed packs (mentioned in this blog entry) recently showed up in this article in the Storque, the Etsy family blog, and are being showcased for their creativity and interest. Better than a business card any day!

What's new with team member: Stacy!

2008-06-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

This week we have Stacy, who is fluffnflowers on Etsy. Her shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some recent happenings in her world are below.

What Stacy does at parties - At my gardenin' grannies 80th birthday party, I hung out with the plants. (photo)

What's new with Stacy... Not much! I've been rooting plants like crazy, starting late crop seeds, and visiting my gardenin' granny.

How did you get started in gardening? I've always had a big plant influence in my life — my grandmother — but I didn't really start gardening until I got ill and my medical issues kept me housebound. It's been downhill ever since, and I now have plants out of my ears!

Where do you get your ideas? My ideas are usually born of my limitations and laziness. I love to try new things and love new plants, so I drop and run. A year later, they either stay or end up part of my 'mobile garden'. I love to look at books, but I truly lack any creative vision for planning. At least I seem to have pretty good instincts.

What are you currently working on? I'm currently working on a massive new bed that I've recently dug out. It's coming along, but it won't be in it's full glory until next year. I'm also working on moving plants from my foundation beds in preparation for house renovations.

Is your Etsy your full time job? I wish! I'm currently bumming out, waiting for tests to come in and for my health to magically reappear, with the occasional copy writing gig.

What do you do when you are not gardening? I read, play with my pooch, clean, the usual. Recently, I've spent a lot of time getting estimates for siding, roofing, and flooring. It's almost too hot to garden, at the moment, so I settle for my daily walk-abouts and hour or two of outside time.

Recommend a book? I just finished Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. A short, sweet story.

Favorite from-the-garden recipe? Fresh tomatoes! I like to slice them and layer the slices with salt and balsamic vinegar. Fresh, light, and a great summer snack. Yum!

What's new with team member: Amber!

2008-06-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

We're adding a new feature here on the EtsyPHAT team blog to help you get to know our team members a little better, and learn what they've been up to lately. First up, we have Amber, who is Plantgirl on Etsy. Her shop items are displayed on the sidebar this week, and some recent happenings in her world are below. One of her favorite recipes is included!

What’s new with Amber…

Here is Amber participating in some competitive gardening (top)… She won the silver glove! (bottom)

How did you get started in gardening?
My mom bought me a Barbie greenhouse………

Why did you join the EtsyPHAT Team?
Julia invited me and I thought it was a great way to communicate with other plant sellers! It’s been super beneficial and great to me like minded peeps!

Where do you get your ideas?
Lately I’ve really been into keeping up with blogs on the Google Reader it has actually somewhat replaced my magazine fetish. See what I’ve been reading here.

What are you currently working on?
I need to move, and the hard part is I’m trying to find a place in my budget with room to garden which isn’t easy in Santa Cruz. Oh I have a boyfriend too, and he’s hard to move ☺

Is your Etsy your full time job?
No I have a full time job and a part-time job too! Full time I certify organic farms and livestock operations such as dairies!

Here is Amber with her very dangerous sheep shears!

What do you do when you are not gardening?
I force myself to go to the gym. Actually I talk myself into it by promising myself some relax time in the dry sauna if I hit the treadmill!

Recommend a book?
I just finished reading The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements

Favorite from the garden recipe?

Here is an easy one I love:

Chamomile Cooler

Ingredients:
Hand full of fresh chamomile
Small hand full of fresh lemon verbena
1 quart fresh apple juice

Bring one quart of water to boil. Remove from heat. Steep the fresh chamomile and lemon verbena for 10-15 minutes. Strain the herbs out. Mix the one quart herbal infusion with the one quart of apple juice and service in glasses over ice. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.

Foliage in the News: Fighting off a 'Case of the Mondays'

2008-06-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

A study published in Feb 2008 cites keeping plants at your desk may result in more satisfaction with your job. Based on surveys, the study finds that employees with live plants or windows in their offices had more positive and mellow responses to a range of questions vs. those who lived in a basic cube. Basically, they tended to feel more like people with good jobs rather than rats in a maze with bad food.

This makes me wonder if the move Office Space would have gone differently if the plant on Milton's desk wasn't dead. (check out this clip on YouTube, upper right hand corner)

Moral of the day: fix up your desk with a snazzy new plant and have a better day!

Read more about it:

The original journal article:
Dravigne, Andrea, Waliczek, Tina Marie, Lineberger, R.D., Zajicek, J.M. The Effect of Live Plants and Window Views of Green Spaces on Employee Perceptions of Job Satisfaction HortScience 2008 43: 183-187 [link]

Science Daily Report

LA Times Article

EtsyPHAT Plant Chat

2008-05-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night and we're all hangin' out in the promo section doing our plant talk.

Join us and feel free to ask questions about our plants, any plants, and all plants!

Treasury of Flora

2008-05-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

Green Thing got a couple treasuries for us this week. This is the one that appeared in Treasury West. There's currently another one in the main Treasury here, sporting our fabulous plants!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Etsy's treasuries, these are collections of things for sale on Etsy that any user can make. They are temporary though, only lasting 1-3 days. So if you click on it and get nothing, perhaps it has already expired. In the mean time though it is great fun and a way to find stuff you never knew existed! I mean, just look at all that great stuff EtsyPHAT has to offer!! :)

Be on the lookout for seed grenades!

2008-05-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

The first round of seed mixes are made, and are starting to make the rounds.
Seeds for this batch were contributed by fluffnflowers, Wildflower444444, and SapphireChild. Plantgirl will be making some too sometime soon. We set this idea in motion in a short period of time, so not everyone had time or seeds to contribute right away. As a result, I'm looking forward to the fun mixes we can make next time when more people can participate. As it is, each of these packs has a pretty good variety of seeds plus LOTS of misfit gardening fun. ;)

EtsyPHAT Promotes Guerrilla Gardening!

2008-05-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

In theme with fluffnflowers absolutely fabulous article on guerrilla gardening published in the Storque, a few of us at EtsyPHAT are putting together some little seed mix grenades for all you budding gardening militia to attack abandoned spaces with.

Right now there will be four types of packs:
1. Melons & squash - Big seeds for Big jobs!
2. Ninja Wildflower Mix - Sprinkle and Disappear!
3. Rambo Plants - Tall plants and vines for the background
4. Herbal Assault - Edible herb varieties for a spicy community

Unfortunately this will be a limited release, but I hope this will be an ongoing effort with lots of participation. And please send us your Guerrilla Gardening photos and stories!

Storque article!

2008-05-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

A gardening related article written by me!

We got a blurb!

2008-04-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

We got a little schpiel in the Storque today in the Teams Go Green: Etsy Teams Digest article.

The blurb is the nice, fat paragraph below the second picture. It's our first official exposure,and hurrah! :)

Current Kitchen Garden Challenge entries!

2008-04-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Entries will be added as they are submitted, but here are the current entries to the EtsyPHAT Kitchen Garden Challenge.

greenthing's ~~beautiful Children's Garden Kit Book plan journal and seeds~~

fluffnflowers' shade-tolerant Hosta Kitchen Garden kit and ~~tasty Gourmet Root Garden kit~~

SapphireChild's tasty Black Plum Tomato seedling, Siam Queen Thai Basil Seedling, and more

Congrats on the sales so far!

EtsyPHAT Team Challenge!

2008-04-11T23:35:00.001-07:00

In honor of Earth Day, EtsyPHAT is doing a team challenge!

SapphireChild came up with the following idea:

Kitchen Garden Challenge. Reduce your reliance on grocery store staples and cut flowers, save gas and have fun all at the same time by growing your own Kitchen Garden! EtsyPHAT members are having a challenge to help you by asking members to start veggies for you!

We've got ten days to go, so start scramblin' everyone. We want to see what you can come up with to bring kitchen-friendly plants to the Etsy community!