First glimpse - Home Depot Eco Options plants

I got my first glimpse at the EcoOptions plant products at Home Depot over the weekend. I arrived at about 11am, and the display was already an obvious favorite that day.

The branded Bonnie veggie and herb plants were offered in several sizes. The fiber pots were a little squishier than I'd expected, but I think it's a little bit easier for the consumer to see that they'll break down in compost.

The display was in the greenhouse, not in the outdoor parking lot plant fantasy land our local HD puts out each spring. I bet if it was outside, this display would have been completely empty.

Garlic - the Italian cure for thrips

I love hearing the unique methods growers use to keep pests out of their greenhouses. I've heard quite a few times about brushing plants with plastic strips to retard growth, simulating being blown through the breeze in an open field. We saw this in practice at Elzinga & Hoeksema.

The latest thing I've heard is including garlic plants on your benches to repel thrips, being used by Shed Nursery in Mentone, Ala. I can't imagine hating the smell of garlic, but I guess it works. Even as I was looking for a photo of garlic, I came across this testimonial from a gardener on Flickr:

GARDEN TIP: The next time aphids are attacking your roses try spraying them with a mixture of crushed garlic and water...watch them drop.

Photo by Smitten on Flickr.

Urban Outfitters Terrain -- The Images

Found these images of the new Urban Outfitters Terrain location on Flickr. Lots of great photography here -- outdoor and indoor photos. I have to admit, it's not exactly what I was expecting. What do you think?