Plant Profiles: Collards (Coles Georgia)

Also Known As: --

Plant Description: 
Collards are a loose leafed cultivar of Brassica oleracea. They are grown for their large, dark green leaves which can be eaten and also as an ornamental plant. The leaves grow along an upright stalk and can reach up to two feet in height. They belong to the same cultivar group as broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, to which they are genetically similar. Popular varieties of collards are "Georgia Southern", "Morris Heading" and "Butter Collard".

Collards are most often grown annually from seed but can be a biennial or even perennial plant in some regions. Collard leaves can be harvested year round but they are most flavorful in colder months especially after the first frost. Pick leaves before they reach their maximum size. Collards are high in Vitamin C, K and a good source of soluble fiber.

Georgia Southern are a southern standard for collards. Producing lots of dark blue-green leaves this variety is slow to bolt and non-heading. Tolerates heat, humidity and poor soil conditions. Plant in the fall to harvest before the first frost.

Plant Culture: Light:  Sun / light shade Soil:  tolerates poor soil  Water:  drought tolerant Zones:  all Germinates: 10-21 days Harvest:  75 days
Sow in early spring or midsummer for fall crop. In frost free areas, sow from fall to early spring. Space rows 36" apart. plant seeds evenly and cover with 1/4" of soil. Firm lightly. Thin to 18" apart when seedlings are 1-2" high.
Plant History:
Collards are grown throughout much of the southern United States, Brazil, Portugal, many parts of Africa, even in central Europe and India. They have been a part of our diet for over 2000 years. In the United States, collards are prepared much the same way as kale, spinach, turnip and mustard greens. Often they are cooked with some type of smoked and salted meat like ham hocks, turkey legs or fatback, onions, vinegar and pepper. Collards and black-eyed peas with corn bread is a traditional dish cooked for New Year's Day to ensure good luck in the coming year.
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Re-use Empty Milk Containers

Empty milk containers are pretty handy to have around the garden. There are dozens of uses that I've found for any size jug or carton. Here's a few:

• Mixing fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Gallon jugs are especially useful here when the instructions typically call for mixing with a gallon of water.
• Plant irrigation. Punch two small holes in the bottom of the container, fill it with water or diluted fertilizer and set it next to your plant. Leave the top on loosely to create a vacuum which will slowly leak into the ground.
• Plant pots. Cut off the top and poke some drainage holes in the bottom and you have a free pot great for starting seeds and transplants. I like the half-gallon cartons for establishing flowers dug from the garden. I cut off about 1/3 of the top to create a deep pot great for root growth. Turn the carton on it's side for a seed starter for onions and lettuce.
• Funnels. With the cap off, the top portion of containers cut for plant pots can be used as a funnel for pouring soil, seeds or fertilizers. It's even handy to help water plants so you get the water at their roots and not on the leaves. Gallon and half-gallon jugs come with a built-in handle!
• Scoops. Keep the cap on to use as a scoop for dirt, fertilizer, lime or water.
• Plant shield. Cut the bottom off the container and place over seedlings to protect from frost at night. Place over weeds, take the cap off and spray with herbicide through the top to protect nearby plants especially on windy days.

Do you have a re-use for empty milk containers that we haven't mentioned here, let us know in the comments section below.

Plant Profiles: Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis L.)

Also known as: wild columbine, red-bell, Canada columbine, rock lily, red columbine

Plant Description:
Columbine is a native perennial known for its red and yellow hanging flowers and scalloped leaves. It grows in a variety of conditions ranging from riverbanks to woodland edges. This plant is one of the first to bloom in February through April here in the eastern U.S. (zone 7) and is an important source of nectar for hummingbirds and bees.

Eastern Columbine will grow to about 2 feet tall with 3 foot stalks of multiple red and yellow flowers that hang downward. The compound leaves are divided into three rounded lobes. Aquilegia canadensis will readily hybridize with other members of the genus. Self-seeding.

Plant Culture:
Light: part-shade to light sun
Soil: tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions
Water:  drought tolerant
Hardiness Zone: 3-8
Propagation:  seeds must be stratified; transplants easily, water until established


Plant History:

The name Aquilegia comes from the Latin aquila which means "the eagle" in reference to the flower petals which resemble an eagle's talon. Native Americans reportedly rubbed the crushed seeds on men's hands as a love charm. They also prepared infusions to treat hearth trouble, kidney problems, headaches, fever and a wash for poison ivy.



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Why Plant Wildflowers?

The buzzing of bees, the sweet scent of blossoms, the vibrant colors? Who doesn't want a meadow in their yard?

But wildflowers do much more than add beauty to the landscape. They help conserve water, reduce mowing costs, provide habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife, protect the soil and save money on fertilizer and pesticides. And as Lady Bird Johnson said, native plants "give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours."

North American native plants, defined as those that existed here without human introduction, are disappearing at an alarming rate due to human activities, such as urban development, agribusiness and the introduction of invasive species. The loss of native plant communities has reduced wildlife habitat and the genetic diversity necessary for balanced ecosystems.

Unlike many plants available at garden centers and home improvement stores, native plants introduced into landscape plantings are hardy, less susceptible to pests and diseases and unlikely to escape and become invasive. With properly selected native plants, it may not be necessary to modify soil characteristics at all to have thriving gardens. The great variety of plants native to any region give gardeners options that work well in any type of garden design. Because maintaining native plants requires less work, they provide excellent choices for large commercial landscapes as well
as residential gardens.

Of course, native plants have other benefits. They are a potential source of food and of traditional and new medicines.

Once your wildflowers are established, you will not only save time, energy and money, but also preserve a sense of place and regional identity.

Where to begin? Browse some of our posts on gardening with native plants.