Gardening

By emitting chemical distress signals, some corn, cotton, and tobacco plants can summon tiny parasitic wasps to rescue them from hungry caterpillars...But until recently, researchers believed that plants use the same SOS distress signal--no matter what the attacker...Now, a team of scientists has proven otherwise by showing that plants actually emit signals specific to the caterpillar pest attacking them.

I always knew something like this must have existed, but it's fascinating to think scientists from the USDA have actually proven the theory. It does make you realise that if corn, cotton, and tobacco plants can recognize that a caterpillar is attacking it and call for help, that maybe other plants have something similar.

It makes you wonder whether plants actually can feel pain or whether this is a purely chemical reaction triggered by the saliva of the caterpillar. Either way, it puts new meaning to the debate about cutting down old and established trees.

Spanish style homes are wonderful because the window ledges are quite wide and deep so I am able to protect my plants from the harsh sun and create beautiful displays.

There is nothing more spectacular than walking past a window filled with flowers and then noticing an exquisite scent in the air. If you're limited by the design of your abode, just ignore the names given to pots or trays, and don't limit yourself to exactly the right type of window box. Instead, just pop your plants anywhere you have space.

Using your outdoor area as an extension of your home will make for a nice change being stuck indoors. Take the time out and enjoy the stunning area you created.

Experiment with different flower types, colours and trailing and upright varieties. One of my favourite window box creations is sweet white Alyssum as a border plant and beautiful scented carnations. The Alyssum smells as sweet as honey and the carnations smell of musk.

Window boxes look so beautiful from both sides of the window. When you're not outside enjoying the scent and visual display, open your windows and enjoy the sweet scent drifting through the house which is a natural deodoriser.

Like any gardener who doesn't actually have a garden I've been experimenting with growing things in pots or trays, and radish is one of my success stories, along with courgette, strawberries, garlic, lettuce, and a few other things. I'd love to reach the stage where I can be self-sufficient in vegetables and herbs,

Yesterday I picked my first radish, which looked like a cross between a carrot and a turnip except its red. Be careful, the red color is a warning from the radish, this thing is hot!

I proudly washed off the dirt and thought I'd enjoy it raw, like I do with anything that would normally go in a salad. Big mistake! The first bite wasn't too bad, I didn't notice the bite until the juices had spread all the way around my mouth, and then suddenly every part of my mouth exploded in heat.

I bravely took a second bite thinking that must just have been to tapered end being more bitter than the rest of the radish, oops, second mistake, but this time even more hot.

Well after I'd rushed to the kitchen for a glass of water and managed to get that sting out of my mouth I looked up why my radishes did this, had I bought the wrong seeds?

Well, it turns out that high temperatures or leaving them too long before picking can turn radishes bitter and hot as a chili. The daytime temperature here has certainly been high enough to affect them, so now I'm wondering if I should try a second crop in the shade. My upset tummy this morning is telling me not to bother LOL.