Fun Cacti to Grow Indoors Cacti are very popular houseplants because you can neglect them for a period of time and they will remain quite alive, if not really flourishing. They belong to a group known as succulents, which have fleshy stems or stems and leaves adapted for coping with water shortage. You can ignore these plants for a little while and not really harm them. True cacti don’t normally have leaves, but swollen green stems instead....

Having to buy all those presents in a few days of shopping after working all day or on a Saturday when everyone and their cousins are doing the same thing takes away from the joy of really appreciating the true meaning of Christmas. I made a plan to do things differently– giving gifts from the garden. Garden Gifts for People This Christmas gift idea came to me when I was out looking for a special present....

Can I Garden While Doing Chemo? For most people being treated with chemotherapy, gardening can be a healthy activity. Gardening can provide needed relaxation and gentle exercise. However, you should take certain precautions in the garden, and you should check with your doctor before beginning. The main concern related to gardening and cancer is the risk of infection. Typical chemotherapy drugs weaken the immune system, leaving you at greater risk of infection from cuts and scratches or from contact with the soil....

Speedy growth and constant grooming are other reasons for getting rid of oleander plants but the chore isn’t for the faint of heart. Read on for some tips on how to get rid of oleanders with success. Oleander Root System While many of us may know oleander as an attractive ornamental bush, there are a few of us that curse the day we started growing the vigorous plants. Oleander can take over an area, and their poisonous nature makes them dangerous with young children and pets around the home environment....

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s mint. The herb is about as vigorous as a plant can get, with a hardy nature and fast growth pattern. Experts estimate that there are over 600 different types of mint. Most of us are familiar with the two most popular types– spearmint and peppermint— but you’re missing out if you don’t try some of the more unusual mint varieties. The grapefruit mint plant is just one of many varieties of this pungent herb....

About Zone 8 Grapes The USDA encompasses a very large chunk of the U.S. in zone 8, from the majority of the Pacific Northwest down into northern California and a great deal of the south, including parts of Texas and Florida. A USDA zone is meant to be a guideline, a gist if you will, but in USDA zone 8 there are a myriad of microclimates. That means that grapes suited for growing in Georgia’s zone 8 may not be suited for a Pacific Northwest zone 8....

Potted Asparagus Plants Ideally, asparagus plants are grown outside in garden soil in USDA zones 4 through 8. Thriving in deeply cultivated and consistently moist soils, growers can expect to harvest from plants for upwards of twenty years. Ample garden space is key to growing healthy asparagus, as the plant’s root system can grow quite large. Fortunately, for those of us growing in tight spaces, there is another option. Whether gardening on a small apartment balcony or simply not in the position to plant long-term perennials, asparagus may also be grown in containers....

Corn salad greens look like small rosettes with six to eight, spoon-shaped velveteen leaves branching out from its thin delicate stem. Corn salad greens are found extremely low to the ground. Combined with their extreme delicacy, harvesting is an exacting and tedious task resulting in a higher priced gourmet green when found in the market. Native to France, mache (Valerianella locusta) or corn salad greens as they are also known, has been cultivated under the name doucette since the 17th century....

Let’s take a look at the conditions you need for growing heliotrope inside. Indoor Heliotrope Care Give your heliotrope houseplants as much sun as you can indoors. In cooler climates, give your plant the sunniest window possible. If you live in a hotter climate, you may want to protect your heliotrope indoors from hot mid-day sun. If your light is not sufficient, your plant will become leggy. If this happens, prune it back and give it more light, and you can even use a grow light if you don’t have sufficiently sunny windows....

Starting an Indoor Herb Garden Before starting your herb garden inside, decide what you’ll be growing in your indoor herb garden. Most popular herbs can be grown indoors. Some herbs you might want to grow are: Basil Rosemary Cilantro Chives Oregano Parsley Sage Thyme Mint If you’re new to growing herbs indoors, you may want to start with just two or three of your favorite herbs and add more as you become more confident....

How to Grow Peaches Although growing peach trees can’t be taken lightly, it can be highly rewarding. Peaches provide Vitamins A and C as well as potassium and fiber. Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned peaches are one of nature’s true delights. You need to first decide whether you want freestones (best for eating fresh) or clingstones (work well for canning). Peaches are self-fruitful, meaning that for pollination purposes you don’t need to plant more than one....

Choosing Seed Potatoes When you go to the grocery store, there are only about a half dozen different kinds of potatoes to choose from, but when you plant seed potatoes, you can choose from over 100 different varieties of potatoes. It is best to do some research about what kinds of potatoes grow best in your area and have the flavors and textures that you will like. Where you get your seed potatoes is important....

Ginger Plants in the Wild Backyard Garden Wild ginger plants (Asarum and Hexastylis species) are 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm.) tall with a spreading habit of 12 to 24 inches (31-61 cm.), depending on the variety. Wild ginger plants tend to grow moderately slowly and are non-invasive with evergreen, kidney-shaped or heart-shaped leaves. Versatile and easily grown, growing wild ginger is an excellent choice in a woodland garden, as a shade ground cover or mass plantings....

Hanging vegetable plants, such as dwarf tomato varieties and snow peas, allow the space-challenged green thumb gardener the ability to provide his or her own organic produce. Mix herbs in with vegetables that grow in hanging baskets to provide a near complete meal in a container. Types of Vegetables for Hanging Baskets Vine crops and smaller vegetables work well in hanging baskets. Dwarf tomatoes, like cherry or grape, are perfect for the hanging container....

Storing Sweet Potatoes for Winter Sweet potatoes are delicious eaten right after harvest, but their true flavors deepen as they cure. During the curing process, the starches in the tuber turn into sugar, intensifying the buttery sweet flavor and texture of the potato. Once the curing process has been finished, the sweet potatoes are ready to be packed for long-term storage. Traditional methods recommend storing sweet potatoes in some sand, but you can also use a box or perforated plastic bag in the right temperatures and conditions....

Homeria Cape tulips spread over time, bringing remarkable color and texture to the landscape. Cape tulip care is a breeze since plants have few pest or disease issues and they just keep on coming. Homeria Plant Info Everlasting beauty comes from growing Homeria bulbs. Cape tulip plants are perennials with strappy leaves and flowers in hues of salmon, orange, white, yellow, lilac, and pink. Homeria Cape tulips are easy to grow but can be difficult to manage due to their prolific spread, especially in warm, dry climates like their native South African Cape....

Types of Miniature Gardens There are all sorts of miniature landscapes, each one being unique to the individual gardener. The hardest part in creating a miniature landscape is figuring out the type of garden you want to build. Create a miniature Japanese Zen garden with fine sand, miniature Japanese bridges, and bonsai trees. Create a formal garden filled with tiny moss pathways, fountains, and miniature sculptural urns. Create a country garden filled with tiny birdhouses, terracotta pots, and twig furniture....

About Dried Ginseng Root Ginseng is a perennial native herb found throughout the deciduous forests of the eastern United States. It was one of the earliest marketable herbs exported to ginseng hungry China. It was once abundant but was over-harvested in the mid 1970’s and is now more commonly grown as an alternative crop. Ginseng is prized in Asia and can be quite profitable, however, it can take eight to ten years before that profit is realized....

Is it Possible to Grow Garlic Indoors? You may have seen or even planted flower bulbs in containers. This is a common approach to planting bulbs other than in the ground, and bulbs flourish in containers. Garlic is the edible bulb from a plant in the Lily family. Therefore it stands to reason that garlic bulbs would thrive in containers, and they do, provided you follow a few simple rules....

What is a Hybrid Tea Rose? The hybrid tea rose’s blooms are usually what come to mind when most anyone thinks of roses. These beautiful high centered classic beautiful blooms are what many give or receive from friends or loved ones. These beautiful blooms can help express Love, Joy, Peace, and Sympathy better than most words could possibly say. The hybrid tea rose bush produces blooms that are typically one to a stem atop tall canes with long stems perfect for cutting....