Garden Detective

Cornell Cooperative Extension photo

Ricinus communis, the Castor Bean plant, is widely grown in California, and sometimes found planted as annuals as far north as Nova Scotia. The plant has become somewhat notorious because it contains two toxins that are extremely lethal. Its a real danger to children, pets and even insects. OK, so maybe you won't be shedding any tears over dead insects, but I thought you should know anyway.

Though the plant, with its huge palm-like leaves, is quite an eye catcher in the garden, I say it's not worth it. A curious child wandering in the backyard could die from picking and eating a couple of beans. That's food for thought.

Ingestion of as little as 500 micrograms of the toxin ricin (which amounts to the size of a pinhead) can kill an adult, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. It destroys cell proteins and causes diarrhea and vomiting within 6-8 hours, and death a couple of days later. Inhaling it causes severe flu-like symptoms in the same time period and then fluid fills the lungs and skin turns blue. It's actually considered a biological weapon and is prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Cornell University has called it "one of the most poisonous naturally occurring substances known."

Ricinus communis agglutinin is another toxin present in Castor Bean. It affects red blood cells. An injection of that protein causes blood clots.

But it's not all bad. Oil from the beans (not technically beans, but let's just call them that for simplicity's sake) is used in food additives, prescription medications, laxatives, mold inhibitors, animal repellents (some say the plants repel moles in the garden, but I haven't seen any proof) and food packaging. Ever hear of Castor Oil? It'll help keep you, er, regular, but it won't kill you.

So, why am I writing about this today? Police found vials of a white powder in a Las Vegas hotel room on Valentine's Day. Oh, and in the same room they found a man who was unconscious. And a dead dog. Castor beans also were found in the room. An investigation of the powder began yesterday, and 2 preliminary tests concluded the substance was ricin. It seems the man somehow fell victim to it. The dog probably died from unrelated dehydration. Don't ask.

Though details are sketchy, and no one seems to know how the ricin and castor beans got into the hotel room, it seems possible they were left behind by a previous guest. Scary. I, for one, will be looking in the closet and under the bed from now on whenever I check into a hotel. The FBI has ruled out terrorism, but conspiracy theorists online today are in a panic.

Frankly, I think it was just a pissed off gardener.

It's flower show time, not just on Long Island, but in Philadelphia, Atlanta, England.....

Garden shows are as much a sign of spring as crocuses. If you're stuck here, as I am, check out the Hicks Flower and Garden Show (through March 9) and the The New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show (through April 6 in the Bronx, nybg.org. You won't be disappointed with either. However, if you've got some vacation time to burn, check out some of these:

The Philadelphia Flower Show, through March 9, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, theflowershow.com.

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World, Florida disneyworld.com/flower.

New England Spring Flower Show, March 8-16, Bayside Expo Center. Boston, www.masshort. org/New-England-Spring-FlowerShow.

Chicagoland Flower & Garden Show, March 8-16, Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, chicagoflower.com.

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, March 12-16, the Cow Palace, gardenshow.com.

Camellia Walks, Middleton Place, Charleston, S.C., Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through March 29, middletonplace.org.

Virginia Historic Garden Week (75th anniversary with events around the state), April 19-27, vagardenweek.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden "Orchid Daze, Gargoyles & Grace," through March 30, atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival, April 4-6, Lenox Square; dogwood.org.

The famed Chelsea Flower Show in London is May 20-24, rhs.org.uk/chelsea/index.html.

Above, Walt Disney World photo, EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival, 2008

I'll be spending the morning working the front booth at the 18th annual Hicks Flower and Garden Show today. I'll also be there Monday morning. Next Sunday morning (3/9), I'll be testing soil at the back booth.

The display gardens at the show are great inspirations for your own gardens, but it's important to remember you won't get all those plants to bloom at once at home. Though it's winter, they'll have spring bulbs blooming next to summer annuals and even fall blossoms. That's the magic of indoor, climate-controlled forced blooming.

Plants will be available for purchase, as will seed starting supplies and other necessities to jump start the season.

Stop by and say hello if you're in the neighborhood. And bring a soil sample for testing. I know it's cold outside, but it's so important to get a pH reading of your soil before adding any amendments. Pull on a coat and gloves and dig down 4 inches in 3 or 4 different spots of your garden bed or lawn. Then mix all that soil in one ziplock bag (a total of a cup of soil is plenty) and bring it to the desk in the back of the store. I -- or one of my Cornell Cooperative Extension colleagues -- will be happy to test it for you. If you're gathering soil from several different areas on your property, mix 3 or 4 samples from each area into one bag. Just don't mix area (veggie patch, lawn, flower bed) soils together.

Gardens on display during this year's show (I'll post photos next week)

Wine and Roses

Roses are everywhere in this garden. You’ll see new and old varieties of carpet and knockout roses, some of our most popular and carefree roses. This garden features a sophisticated array of burgundy, pink and silver flowers and foliage. Annuals and perennials will be chosen from plant series named Merlot, Chardonnay and Symphony. Enjoy the song “The Days of Wine and Roses” while taking in this garden.

Rock and Roll Garden

This multi colored garden will feature plants with names relating to rock and roll including Jethro Tull Coreopsis, Stairway to Heaven Polemonium, Kaleidoscope Abelia, Rosa Yellow Submarine and Salvia Purple Rain. Special lighting effects will help create the mood of the seventies and eighties.

Jack and Jill Garden

The children’s garden contains plants that are named after people. Large alphabet letters will set off the garden theme and children’s music will welcome the youngsters. Activity sheets will be available for children to seek and find all the names that they can. They may even find their own name on a plant they would like to try and grow in their own garden.

Rhapsody of Color

This is the classical music garden, featuring plants with names like Anemone ‘Serenade,’ Snapdragon ‘Madame Butterfly,’ Osteospermum Vanilla Symphony, Syringa Minuet and Symphony and Harmony series of impatiens and pansies. Enjoy the patio and seating area where you can relax and admire the garden or have your picture taken, while listening to light classical music.

Country Hoe Down

Grab your partner and do-se-do to the vegetable garden, built around a barn-like structure. We’re showcasing vegetables that include juicy red tomatoes and plump green peppers as well as herbs and plants such as Heliotrope “Iowa,” Cersis Canadensis ‘Oklahoma,’ and Quince ‘Texas Scarlet.’ The sounds of country music will complete the down-home, welcoming feeling here.

Tropical Heat Wave

This garden showcases the trend towards using tropical flowers in northeastern gardens. Every year, more and more of our growers are developing cold tolerant plants that help you create your own personal paradise in your yard. Hot, fiery colors will be shown here from series of flowers in groupings named Samba, Tango and the like. This will bring you a nice taste of summer in the cold of winter.

So you'll never have to grab a pencil and paper to calculate when leap year will fall, here's the formula: If you can evenly divide the year by 4, it's a leap year. (Century years have to be divisible by 400, but that won't apply again in our lifetimes so it's moot.)

The real reason we have leap years is because the earth's rotation doesn't keep up with our calendar. We lose a quarter of a day every year, so we add an extra day to the calendar every 4 years to make up for it. Otherwise, eventually, summer would fall in winter. Then we'd all be worried about global warming when, in fact, things would be right on target.

I know someone whose birthday is February 29, and so at age 48 he's only celebrated 11 or 12 birthdays. His kids love telling people they're older than their dad.

Back in the day (not my day, actually, but the day), leap year, or Sadie Hawkins Day, was the only acceptable day for a woman to ask a man out on a date -- or to propose marriage. Schools had dances to which the girls had to invite the boys. I guess as a society we've always had fun with this necessary oddity.

But for me, I like the idea of having an extra day, much like I appreciate the extra hour that daylight savings affords. That hour gives me extra time to pull weeds, harvest tomatoes or just kick back in my lounge chair with a fresh-from-the-garden mint mojito. I love coming home from work and feeling like I have the whole day ahead of me because it's still light out. Similarly, I'll appreciate the extra day I'll get tomorrow.

Maybe I'll spend some time getting my seed-starting supplies ready. I'll check the bulb in my fluorescent light kit, order some seeds online and -- well, maybe kick back with a from-the-produce-department mint mojito.

I know you're out there. Skulking about behind bushes, tiptoeing and whistling, binoculars and cameras in hand.

We'd love to see your photos. Not only can you upload them here, but you can do a different kind of bird watching -- the kind where you don't have to leave your house.

Share your photos and view those of your fellow bird watchers.

Now on to practical matters: How to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Lots of folks plant annuals and perennials specifically to attract birds, hummingbirds in particular, similar to creating a butterfly garden. Here are some plants that will help create a sanctuary in your yard.

Plant these once, and they'll ensure feathered visitors for years to come:

Agastache (Hummingbird mint)
Bee Balm
Canna
Cardinal flower (wonder where the name came from!)
Columbine
Coral bells
Foxglove
Hosta
Lupine
Penstemon
Yucca

Fill in the blanks with these annuals:

Fuchsia
Impatiens
Petunia
Salvia

I have a lovely Campsis radicans (Hummingbird vine) climbing the arbor over my garden gate. I could just set up a camera on a tripod and get lots of great shots of visitors without leaving my yard.

Please add your suggestions below.

Ladies and gentlemen: Start your seeds!

It's finally seed-starting time for some vegetables here on Long Island. Here's a handy planting chart to help you time your garden. These dates are based on tried-and-true research conducted by Cornell University.

Here are details on how to start seeds indoors.

Aerial view of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault | Photo courtesy Cary Fowler/Global Crop Diversity Trust

When I start seeds indoors for my vegetable garden every spring, invariably some don't grow. Last year, I sowed an entire package of carrots and didn't get one viable plant.

What if those were the only seeds I had -- and there were no grocery stores? I'd be up a creek, I'm afraid, without the proverbial paddle.

To avert such a calamity should disaster strike, Norway has created a "Doomsday Vault," and placed within it 4.5 million seed samples from around the world. At a cost of $9.1 million, the concrete vault dug into the side of a mountain was built to withstand climate change, wars, natural disasters such as earthquakes, and nuclear attacks in order to protect those seeds, and will reside deep in the permafrost of an Arctic mountain. Its steel airlock doors ensure a tight seal.

Its aim? To make it possible to re-establish crops should they be obliterated or become extinct.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will be officially inaugurated officially tomorrow, less than a year after crews started drilling for it in Norway's Svalbard archipelago.

Photo at left (courtesy Mari Tefre/Global Crop Diversity Trust) shows the inside of the Doomsday Vault.

But this isn't the first time anyone has thought of such a thing. There are some 1,400 other seed banks in the world. Svalbard is a Plan B of sorts, in case those others don't make it. A few have already bitten the dust: Seed banks in Iraq and Afghanistan have been destroyed by war, another in the Philippines was wiped out in a 2006 typhoon.

Though Norway owns the vault, each country that 'deposits' seeds will continue to own their contributions.

Armed guards protect against polar bears, but threats such as war aren't a likelihood in the isolated region, some 600 miles from the North Pole.

The vault is expected to last at least as long as Egypt's ancient pyramids.

It's good to know my carrots will have a backup.

This just in from reader Gale Huffman of Woodland, Cal:

One area of the lawn has small mounds & the grass isn't healthy. In each small mound about 1 inch high is a small hole. When walking across the lawn it feels like night crawlers. Bumpy. But the hole in the mound isn't worms. Can't figure it out?? Need your help. Thanks.

It sounds like Gale has cicada-killing wasps or ground-nesting bees of some sort. If it's something else (which is possible, as I'm not familiar with all the critters in that part of the world) the same advice would apply: The only way to get rid of them is to fix the lawn.

Ground-nesters take advantage of poor soil cover. Get the grass going nicely and they'll move on. Call your local agricultural extension office for a recommendation for the best grass seed for your area. Then seed once a week and water every day until the lawn is lush. The bees will move on.

I just spied someone cross country skiing up my block, quite a weird sight in the 'burbs. And though my kids are stranded at their grandparents' house in Florida, the weather is good news for some of my other babies.

Snow is an excellent insulator for dormant perennials, protecting roots, crown buds and bulbs. It also keeps the soil temperature even, which prevents heaving, while keeping the soil moist and ready for spring growth. And the glistening flakes caught on my dried-out ornamental grasses, trees and bare shrubs -- especially the redtwig dogwoods -- makes the garden look like a winter wonderland.

On the down side, we are expecting quite a bit of the white stuff, and that could spell trouble, especially for trees. Be sure to get out there and (gently) brush off snow from the branches of evergreens. (A broom is ideal for this purpose.) Otherwise, the weight of the snow will break them, or at the very least leave them buckled and misshapen. The sorry-looking hunch-backed specimens above are the Leland cypress in my backyard.

Trees like pines and spruces are quite susceptible to damage, and broadleaf evergreens are even more vulnerable. Arborvitaes, which are commonplace on Long Island, don't tolerate snow well at all. Their branches separate and often never recover. If the snow is left on the branches and allowed to freeze icy hard, well, that's even worse.

I know it's cold out there, and you're probably busy shoveling. The last thing you want to do is spend time brushing off your trees. But trust me, it's better than having to replace them in the spring.

Pooktre.com Photo

I've heard of chopping down trees and then make furniture out of them, but never making furniture of them before chopping them down. But Peter Cook and Becky Northey in Australia have done just that. They're making furniture like chairs and mirrors, and even crafting sculptures by training their trees to grow into people shapes and other forms. I wonder if they serve as scarecrows.

They've called the practice Pooktre. It's among the most creative thing I've ever seen. So cool. You have to check it out.

Sidney Kalugin of Jackson Heights watering his tomatoes at Queens Botanical Garden’s Senior Garden last summer. Photo: Terese Anthony

This just in: Don't grow old, grow vegetables!

How often does valuable New York real estate get offered for free? For a brief time, four 15 ft. X 5 ft. spaces are available to gardeners over 60 years old in Queens Botanical Garden’s Senior Garden.

Now in its 43rd year, Senior Garden’s approximately 45 members grow radishes, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, strawberries, acorn squash, and flowers and tend apple, fig, and pear trees from April to September. Members are free to take home whatever they grow in their gardens.

Apart from the vegetables, Senior Gardeners appreciate the exercise, fresh air, tranquility, and pride of accomplishment that come with gardening. A sign near the garden’s gate promises, “Don’t grow old, grow vegetables.”

Another benefit is the close friendships that grow along with the plants. Every Wednesday, Senior Garden’s members meet for lunch at picnic tables under a white tent. They celebrate birthdays, trade jokes, discuss gardening techniques, and boast about their grandchildren. Occasionally, the group organizes trips to other gardens or the Philadelphia Flower Show.

In summer, Senior Gardeners open their gate to the public on alternating Saturdays so members can answer questions, share experiences, and display prized vegetables and flowers. Since many members have gardened for decades, their collective experience represents hundreds of years of practical expertise.

Senior Garden is open to members Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 am to 12 Noon. The quarter-acre garden is located in the southwest quadrant of Queens Botanical Garden, near the College Point Boulevard gate, about a five-minute walk from Main Street and a short distance from QBG’s Crommelin Street parking lot.

For more information, visit www.queensbotanical.org or call 718-886-3800, ext.200. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, NY 11355. Accessible by LIRR or #7 train to Main St., Flushing. Buses: Q44, Q20.

Share your photos of the lunar eclipse

I can't remember the last time I saw a lunar eclipse. Maybe never. I don't know. But I do remember viewing a total eclipse of the sun when I was about 5 years old. I spied it outside my living room window through sheer curtains since my mother wouldn't let me go outside to look at it directly. Solar eclipses are usually big-time events, with people capitalizing on memorabilia and those little cardboard eyeglasses with pinholes poked through them for safe viewing.

Lunar eclipses aren't as noteworthy, probably because they aren't as rare. Plus, they're safe to look at. We had two last year. But the one enroute to us tonight will be the last until December 10, 2010, so I'm going to make a point of seeing it.

It's going to be extra special because Saturn and the bright star Regulus will line up to form a perfect triangle with the moon. Jack Horkheimer, of PBS' "Star Gazer," called it "the moon, the lord of the rings and heart of the lion eclipse," so I'm hoping the snow flurries in the forecast don't interfere with my view of the big event.

Though the moon will be blocked by the earth's shadow, don't think there'll be nothing to see. A total lunar eclipse can put on quite a show. Dramatic colors from bright orange to bright red and dark brown -- even shards of dark grey -- could peek out. The event will develop gradually, beginning at 8:43 p.m.

Usually, I'm all tucked into bed by 9:00. But I'll be out in the garden looking skyward at 10:01. The moon will be totally eclipsed from then until 10:51. Make some hot cocoa and let the kids stay up late. They'll always remember it.

Here's a really cool interactive simulation of tonight's eclipse for you to play with

Click the photo to launch the slide show.

I recently wrote about new trends in houseplants. As much as I love plants, I don't have many inside my home. It's just too much responsibility. I'm more concerned with feeding my kids, feeding my husband, feeding my dog. I just can't add any more to my plate. So, as you might guess, the few houseplants I do have are rather mangy looking. Outdoor plants are another story altogether. And when the season gets underway, well, let's just say my family goes hungry.

An interesting topic of concern to many these days, what with the whole 'Green' movement, is that houseplants actually can clean the air in your home. Research conducted by NASA scientist B.C. Wolverton has shown plants are the most efficient and cost-effective method of "indoor air pollution abatement." In other words, growing houseplants in your home will result in cleaner air in your home. And commercial properties have incorporated the idea in hopes of avoiding the so-called 'sick building syndrome.' Ever notice that hotels, office buildings and restaurants always seem to have a lot of plants scattered about?

Here are some common household toxins and the plants associated with removing them from the air you breathe.

Living to 100 isn't as elusive as you might think, and a study published in yesterday's Archives of Internal Medicine suggests gardening might help you get there -- even if you experience some common age-related ailments along the way.

Together with the avoidance of smoking, obesity and other "lifestyle-related" dangers, healthy habits such as exercise can add years to your life, according to the study. And spending time in the garden is not only a rewarding hobby, it's an ideal exercise. Think about it: You stretch, move, repeat motions (think raking) and experience some weight resistance without stressing your joints as much as you would at the gym.

Plus, planting burns 250 calories per hour. That's more than golfing without a cart. Hoeing and raking burn about 350, about the same as dancing. When you start digging, your metabolism really starts cooking, burning 450 calories per hour, right up there with taking a bike ride. And I can't remember the last time I exercised and was rewarded with food as a natural consequence. But the last time I was in the garden, I brought in a basket full of tomatoes.

Just remember to bend at the knees, get some ergonomic hand tools, avoid the midday sun and drink plenty of water. And take time to smell the roses.

In honor of this week's Westminster Dog Show, it's a good time to think about the well-being of our pets, and an important part of keeping them healthy is keeping them away from harmful plants.

Cornell University photos Three toxic plants, from left, Lantana, Dogbane, Daphne.

Cornell University photo Digitalis (Foxglove)

Many houseplants, perennials and shrubs are toxic to animals, and different species are affected by different plants. (The lists below include the most common plants, and should not be considered entirely complete. In other words, please do not assume that a plant is safe just because a plant isn't listed here.)

Below are the 10 most common toxic plants, according to the Animal Poison Control Center of the ASPCA, and the symptoms associated with them.

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa): Central nervous system depression, loss of coordination, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, increased heart rate, seizures and coma.

Sago Palm (Cycas Revoluta): Ingestion of just one or two seeds can induce vomiting, diarrhea, depression, seizures and liver failure.

Lilies ( Lilium spp.): Very small amounts can lead to severe kidney damage in cats.

Tulip/Narcissus bulbs (Tulipa/Narcissus spp): Gastrointestinal irritaion, drooling, loss of appetite, central nervous system depression, convulstions, cardiac abnormalities.

Azalea/Rhododendron (Rhododenron spp.): Vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness, central nervous system depression, coma, cardiac collapse, death.

Oleander (Nerium oleander): Gastrointestinal irritation, abnormal heart function, hypothermia, death.

Castor Bean (Ricinus communis): Severe abdominal pain, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration, muscle twitching, tremors, seizures, coma, death.

Cyclamen: Significant gastrointestinal irritation, intense vomiting, death.

Kalanchoe: Gastrointestinal irritation, serious cardiac rate and rhythm abnormalities.

Yew (Taxus spp.): Central nervous system abrnormalities, trembling, loss of coordination, difficulty breathing, death.

Other plants that are harmful to pets

Houseplants and tropicals

Caladium, Colocasia , Philodendron, Umbrella Plant, Aloe Vera, Mistletoe, Lucky Bamboo