Garden Detective

It's summer vacation time! Gradually begin moving houseplants outdoors for the season, starting with an hour the first day and increasing exposure to eight hours over the course of a week to get them accustomed to their new digs.

Then you can leave them out day and night until autumn, but you'll likely have to adjust your watering schedule to account for the drying hot summer sun as well as the rain.

This orchid plant was given to my wife in 2006. It had lavender flowers and green leaves at the time and was thriving. Within the last couple of months, the flowers fell off, and the leaves slowly yellowed and dropped off. I had transplanted it to a larger pot and applied some orchid-specific fertilizer. Even though I watered it regularly, the plant is now a series of erect tan shoots. I think I see some green behind the dry tan covering. Is there any hope for this plant? Stuart Koenig, East Northport

Your orchid appears to be a Dendrobium, and oftentimes people worry their plant is dead when it simply has lost its leaves, much like a maple tree would. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case with your orchid. Even the bare canes of deciduous orchids look green and plump. Yours looks, well, dead.

I shared your photo with Maria Mucaria Stankowski of the Long Island Orchid Society, who noted the dark bases and grayish color of the canes. "It probably was kept too wet when it wasn't growing and the roots died," she said, explaining that orchids should be watered most when they're actively growing -- in the summer when they aren't flowering -- and not watered much when they're in bloom. Repotting also could have contributed to its demise, as orchids should never be repotted when they're flowering. It's best to repot in the spring.

In addition, the decorative moss on your plant might have prevented air from getting to the soil, keeping it soggy and contributing to the root rot.

Although there is a small green shoot growing from the plant, unfortunately, it's no reason for excitement. The canes are brown at the soil line. It's not coming back. Sorry.

Oxalis regnellii, University of Connecticut photo

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. No, I'm not Irish, but I do enjoy my annual corned beef and cabbage dinner and playing pranks on my kids. This morning, I sneaked some jellybeans into Julia's sneakers and told her to watch out for the leprechaun poop in her shoes.

But alas, at age 10, she's becoming too sophisticated for me. Instead of laughter and excitement, these days all I get is a groan. "Oh, Mommmmmmmmm," as if I should feel lucky she tolerates me.

What's worse, I won't be feasting on the fatty spiced brisket I love so much. I've been dieting for about 6 weeks now, and I'm determined to lose another 5 pounds before heading to Florida next month.

But still, I can get into the holiday spirit with -- what else? -- a Shamrock plant. Yes, the mystical-yet-common 3-leaf clover, which St. Patrick used as a visual prop to explain the complexity of the Trinity to the Irish. Three parts, one leaf. Three beings, one God.

I don't really know why 4-leaf clovers are the ones that are considered lucky, aside from the fact that they're so rare you'd have to be extremely lucky to find one. I Googled them this morning and learned -- from several sources, including Yahoo Answers -- that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover out there.

The word 'shamrock' comes from the Celtic 'seamrog', which means little clover. We don't really know what kind of little clover St. Patrick used, but we assume, perhaps incorrectly, it was black medic or common white or red clover.

But if you're in the market for a potted Shamrock plant, perhaps to commemorate the day, what you'll find labeled as such in nurseries and plant shops today is Oxalis regnellii.

Oxalis regnellii. which spreads by rhizome, sends up three-lobed leaves, comprised of 3 triangular leaflets, atop 6-inch-long petioles. It flowers profusely in spring, sending up inch-long white, 5-petaled trumpets.

It's not guaranteed to bring you luck. But, if nothing else, it'll remind you that spring is on the way.

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.

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.

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