Your All Things Plants newsletter for April 9, 2012

• 28 new members.
• 177 new threads.
• 3,411 new posts.
• 1,841 new images to the plant database.
• 201 new comments in the plant database.

There were 5 new articles published last week:

Beloved around the world: the Hibiscus By C. Tee Menser on April 9, 2012 Love for hibiscuses extends literally around the world. There are several hundred species in this large genus of flowering annuals and perennials. Here we'll focus on three main flower types, three species, and their distinctive characteristics. (2 comments)

Garden Tours: Chelle By Sharon Brown on April 8, 2012 This is a Garden Tour you'll long remember. Chelle has done marvelous things with her 10 acres in Indiana and she will show us both the before and after photos. We think you are going to love this tour! (Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge so you'll get the full picture!) (20 comments)

Planting by the light of the moon By Sharon Brown on April 6, 2012 Aunt Bett said, "Listen to the moon. It'll tell you when to plant." I think she was real close to being right. (40 comments)

Brushwood Nursery: A review By Trish Whitinger on April 5, 2012 It is our privilege to bring to you a new feature - personal reviews of gardening companies and products. Join us as I talk about the famous Brushwood Nursery and its owner, Dan Long. While I've known Dan for quite a few years, I've never ordered from Brushwood, so it was my honor to see what all of... (13 comments)

April plants for honey bees By Margaret Tucker on April 3, 2012 April is here and beekeepers will be kept busy trying to keep up with their bees' need for extra room to store the bounty collected from the blossoms they visited. April also marks the start of swarm season, so beekeepers will be keeping an eye out for swarms to catch; or they'll be trying to keep ... (9 comments)

Daily Gardening Tips from this week:

April 9, 2012: When watering a Pitcher plant (Sarracenia or Nepenthes) it is best to use rain water or distilled water. They don't like the buildup of salt and minerals that are present in most tap water. Tip by Dutchlady1 Photo by bree - (one comment)

April 8, 2012: Use exterior paint for plastics & decorate those rain barrels with flowers or whimsy! People will see them in a whole new light. Tip by flaflwrgrl Photo by Boopaints - (21 comments)

April 7, 2012: Recycle plastic trays and gallon Ziploc bags to make a mini greenhouse for rooting plants. These are especially good when using damp sphagnum moss for rooting as it tends to dry out quickly. I rinse the trays and and bags and keep a supply on hand. You can write the contents on the bag with magic marker so you won't have to guess what you're rooting. Monitoring your greenhouse is simple with the clear bags. Tip and photo by rocklady - (2 comments)

April 6, 2012: Lawn care is made easier with flat trim next to your gardens that the lawn mower can roll over. This also helps to keep the weed-wacker away from your plants. Tip and photo by Maridell - (7 comments)

April 5, 2012: I fill empty milk jugs with water to water baskets/plants where no hose is handy. Saves trips into the house or to the hose. Tip and photo by gingin - (5 comments)

April 4, 2012: 3 teaspoons of dish soap added to a large squirt bottle helps get rid of pests, especially aphids. Spray both sides of your plants. Tip by Boopaints Photo by gardengus - (17 comments)

April 3, 2012: When trying to attract butterflies to your garden , don't forget to add some ripe fruit. Tip and photo by gardengus - (12 comments)