Zone 8 Ornamentals for Winter If you’re interested in planting ornamentals for their flower or fruit appeal, then the following plants should work well: Witch hazels (Hamamelis species and cultivars) and their relatives are some of the best ornamental plants for zone 8 winters. These large shrubs or small trees bloom at varying times in the fall, winter, and early spring. The spicy-smelling flowers with elongated yellow or orange petals stay on the tree for up to a month....

About Four Leaf Clovers Before you begin your search for that seemingly ‘mystical’ clover specimen, it helps to have a little background info about four leaf clovers. We all know that it is thought to bring good luck to the finder (Yeah right. I find them all the time and if it weren’t for my bad luck, I’d have no luck at all!), but did you know that St. Patrick is said to have used the three-leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the fourth leaf is believed to represent God’s grace....

Why Do Plant Leaves Turn Yellow? Bachelor’s button plants seldom have trouble with insects or disease, so what can cause the leaves to turn yellow? Improper watering or sunlight are the most common causes of yellowing leaves. Though less likely, insects and nutrient deficiencies can also be a problem. Let’s take a look at some possibilities and solutions. Both over- and under-watering can cause yellowing leaves, and when it comes to bachelor’s buttons, overwatering is far more likely....

In the Maryland, Delaware and DC regions, we depend on bees, bats, birds, butterflies, and other beneficial critters for pollination. But our precious monarchs are in particular trouble from loss of their habitat, climate change, pesticides and deforestation, to name a few. A Special Offer for Mid-Atlantic Gardeners Our human race can’t really survive without pollinators of all kinds. The decline of the monarch is a clear warning to us, but we can support their survival by growing the plants they need for fuel....

Common Boxwood Varieties Finding the perfect ornamental plant for the garden can be a matter of taste, practicality, hardiness, and maintenance level. Buxus, or Boxwood, is one of the most appealing shrubs on the market with a wide range of uses in the landscape. Boxwood bush types may be used as bonsai, container plants, hedges, topiary, and single specimen spectacles. Not all plants are created equal, however, and Boxwoods are equally diverse and uniquely suited to different uses and site conditions....

True Bulb Basics The true bulb is a layered structure filled with plant carbohydrates with a plant shoot in the core. It has a basal plate where roots grow, fleshy scales or layers, the outer skin, the shoot at the center flanked by developing bulbets. Common spring bulbs, like daffodils and tulips, are true bulbs. There are two different types of bulbs which are in the true bulb category. Tunicate bulbs all have the outer skin or tunic....

Gardenia Houseplants While there are many indoor plants that require little attention, gardenia houseplants are not this type. One of the most frustrating things about these lovely and fragrant plants is how finicky they are. If you plan on giving a gardenia plant to someone for a gift, be sure that they know how to care for it or they will be terribly disappointed. Growing gardenias indoors, within the confines of your home, requires close attention to humidity, light, and pest control....

What is Reseeding? Self-seeding plants are often annual or biennial flowers. You may also find your fruits and vegetables are prolific re-seeders, sometimes springing from your compost heap. Any seeds that are allowed to mature and sprout the next season are often called volunteers. These plants don’t sow themselves in well-behaved rows but in unruly abundance and mix among themselves. This can give a flower bed a unique charm and lively color....

Quince is fairly inedible raw but, once cooked, a treasure trove of flavors are released. This ancient, but worthy, fruit deserves to come back out of the shadows. Learn some tips for cooking with quince and enjoy the heady sweet taste and aroma of properly prepared quince. What to Do With Quince? Foods can fall in and out of fad like everything else, but quince is simply a forgotten food....

Read on for tips on how to make the best garden possible in your backyard. How to Make the Best Garden You want to have an impressive neighborhood garden, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone will take notice if you create a well-designed, eco-friendly garden that is maintained with integrated pest management principles. A few cool toys never hurt either. Building an enviable neighborhood garden starts with building a garden you love....

Desert Rose Plant Info Desert rose has become a popular ornamental garden plant in USDA zones 10 to 11. The rest of us in cooler zones will have to resort to growing Adenium indoors, giving the plant a vacation in the summer on the patio or deck. Desert rose plant care can be difficult and requires some knowledge of the life cycle of the species. Follow some basic Adenium desert rose growing tips for healthy plants that won’t disappoint with full crowns of richly colored tubular flowers....

With today’s recycling push, many of us go through the chore of sorting the paper when we’re finished and getting it into the recycle bin. Some of us must drive it to a recycling area. But what else can you do with the large volume of newsprint? Have you considered… Newspaper to Control Weeds? The avid gardener is always looking for new ways to control those pesky weeds that sprout in our lovingly laid out flower and vegetable beds....

Victorian Era Floral Design As an immense interest in botany became popularized in the Victorian period, so did an increased fascination of flowers and the art of arranging them. The Victorian era is frequently associated with lavish, ornate design, and it makes sense that Victorian era floral arrangements demonstrated much of the same intricacy. In examining the Victorian tradition of flowers further, one will find that both bouquets and arrangements were an important aspect of social culture....

If you have space, a fig tree makes a delicious and attractive addition to any landscape. However, don’t fret if your garden is small. If you don’t have a large enough space but have a section of east or south-facing wall or fence, consider creating an espalier. Let’s find out more about fruit tree espalier and how to espalier figs. Can You Espalier a Fig Tree? Espaliers have been around for a very long time and are now experiencing a comeback with more people interested in sustainability....

Rules of French Garden Design Symmetry and order are the cornerstones of French garden style. They form the “bones” of the garden within, which are geometric designations along with areas of confined perennials and grasses and more rigid designs of formal hedges, parterre, and topiaries. French garden design will also be viewed as a mirror image wherein both sides of the landscape reflect each other. French garden style incorporates neat, defined spaces, a cool color palette, and numerous stone elements as well....

Gardening with Exotics The exotic garden can be grown strictly indoors or outside on the patio, where plants can be easily lifted and brought indoors once cold temperatures and frost are imminent to wait out the winter. Nearly anything will thrive in a potted environment and containers also help to control invasive plantings that would otherwise take over the garden. Some good choices include: Bananas Palms Ferns Philodendrons Bamboos Bromeliads Hostas Elephant ears...

How to Grow Cauliflower in Pots When it comes to growing cauliflower in containers, the first consideration, obviously, is the container. A large pot with a width of 12 to 18 inches (31-46 cm.) and minimum depth of 8 to 12 inches (8-31 cm.) is adequate for one plant. If you have a larger pot, such as a half-whiskey barrel, you can grow up to three plants. Any type of container will work, but be sure it has at least one good drainage hole in the bottom, as your cauliflower plants will rot quickly in soggy soil....

What is a Moss Plant? Mosses are categorized as bryophytes, which are non-vascular plants. While technically moss is a plant, it lacks the parts of a plant that we are used to seeing. It does not have true leaves, branches, or even roots. Since moss has no roots, it must find other ways to absorb water and this is why it is frequently found in damp, shady areas. Moss also does not have seeds like many other plants do....

Trumpet Vine Plant The trumpet vine flower is great for attracting hummingbirds to the landscape. The beautiful, tubular flowers range in color from yellow to orange or red. Blooming on the trumpet vine plant takes place throughout summer and into fall, though blooming may be limited for those planted in shady locations. Following its flowering, trumpet vines produce attractive bean-like seedpods. Trumpet vine plant is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 4-9....

Pollinating Passion Fruit Vines Passion fruit goes by several common names, including Purple Granadilla and Yellow Passion, but there’s nothing common about it. The fruit is borne off a vigorous 15 to 20 foot (5-6 m.) vine that bears unique blossoms. Each node on the new growth bears a single, aromatic flower quite unique in appearance. The blossom is enclosed by three large green bracts and consists of five greenish white sepals, five white petals, and fringed with a corona of purple rays with white tips....