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Aloe vera

How can you tell the real aloe vera from the fake one?

Radek Štěpán 10. 12. 2023

Aloe vera is known for having many positive effects on our body and mind and it is used by manufacturers of beauty and medicinal products frequently. The history of aloe vera dates back to the ancient Egypt, but also to…

Indian borage

Syrup from Coleus amboinicus, commonly known as Indian borage

Radek Štěpán 07. 12. 2023

We all know that Indian borage is a medicinal plant but did you know that you can make a syrup out of it? Read on and we shall tell you how. It gets even better – you can do both…

Japanese kerria – golden yellow flowers from May to August

Radek Štěpán 28. 11. 2023

Thanks to rather a good weather you may still plant deciduous shrubs and you should be able to do so until mid-November. One of such shrubs is the Japanese kerria. Although listed as ‘Japanese’, it actually comes from China and…

Eurasian smoke tree

Eurasian smoke tree – a great addition to your garden

Radek Štěpán 20. 11. 2023

November is the right time to plant deciduous bushes and shrubs and one candidate would be the Eurasian smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria). It is a beautiful tree or large bush with an unusual appearance. It will make you happy several…

Bay tree or bay laurel

Bay tree or bay laurel grown at home

Radek Štěpán 14. 11. 2023

Bay leaves come from a tree known as the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis). This tree is widespread in the Mediterranean today, but it probably originated in Asia Minor, also known as Anatolia. Given the geographic location it is not a…

Honeyberry

Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea) produces sweet berries, similar to blueberries

Radek Štěpán 02. 11. 2023

Would you like to grow honeyberry, sometimes called Canadian blueberries, but keep failing? Well, why don’t you try something that is simpler first. Let us introduce the Kamchatka honeyberry, a small bush that produces fruits similar in appearance and taste…

Garden lime

Do not use garden lime together with cow’s manure

Radek Štěpán 26. 10. 2023

Liming your garden is one of the typical activities that you usually do in autumn. Plants definitely need calcium but water can wash away calcium from the substrate over time and therefore it is necessary to replenish calcium at regular…

Bougainvillea

How to grow bougainvillea properly

Radek Štěpán 24. 10. 2023

Although it is a subtropical plant and requires a bit more care, bougainvillea started to appear more and more often in our corner of the world too. Bougainvillea blooms in its homeland, but here we grow it mainly for its…

Plants

Winterize your plants from balconies and terraces now

Radek Štěpán 22. 10. 2023

We have witnessed many weather changes recently and they seem to happen very quickly. Yesterday the temperatures jumped above 30 °C but today, we all feel like we should turn the heater on… These temperature changes are not good for…

Sweet mock orange

Sweet mock orange – almost like a real jasmine

Radek Štěpán 20. 10. 2023

(Philadelphus coronarius), is also known as a “fake jasmine”. This is due to its appearance, which is similar to a real jasmine. Flowers are usually white to creamy in colour and grow in clusters. Each flower has four petals. The…