GoGardenNews - Items of gardening and ecological interest

According to azcentral.com, a USA Today website, “first-ever mandatory water cutbacks will kick in next year along the Colorado River” due to significant lowering of water levels in Lake Mead. Lake Mead is a critical water reservoir for the American Southwest.

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico have signed agreements that will require them to take less water from the Colorado River. What does this mean for gardeners?

We plant lovers can't resist growing them indoors, often providing artificial light. Lights on during the day; lights off at night. That can take a toll on our electric bill, though. The more lights we burn, the more it costs us.

Scientists have learned that short intervals of light and dark can save electricity without effecting indoor crops.

"Spring often gets all the attention when it comes to flowers, especially flowering trees. Yet, there are several tree species that bloom in early to late summer.  In addition to their late bloom, these trees have other ornamental features that make them deserving of a spot in your landscape," writes Cindy Haynes, Iowa State University Department of Horticulture. Credit goes to Cindy Haynes, Horticulture and Home Pest News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

The brown marmorated stink bug from Asia began invading the United States in the 1990s. Samurai wasps are from the same region of Asia as the stink bugs, and are the stink bugs' natural enemies. It appears that samurai wasp populations increase when natural areas around the margins of croplands are allowed to proliferate, thus providing hiding places for the wasps to hide.

Pitcher plants are known to eat insects and spiders, but researchers in Canada have discovered that they will eat small vertebrates, like salamanders.