Posts

How to Spread Garden Mulch There is a wide variety to choose from with mulch application, from organic to inorganic. Recycled rubber and plastic are now being ground into inorganic mulches for landscape use. Similarly, oyster shells are common mulch in some areas and continue the reuse cycle. Natural mulches such as bark are more familiar forms used in home landscapes. Applying garden mulch simply means adding a layer of material over existing soil which will provide a variety of benefits....

What kind of new gardening tools and gadgets are out there? Read on for a run-down on some of the unique tools and cool garden gadgets currently available. New Gardening Tools and Gadgets Some of the innovative gardening tools you can buy today resemble things you might have owned years before, but each has a new twist. For example, most experienced gardeners have or have had a garden planner: a map of your garden you use to figure out how many and what types of plants will fit into different garden beds....

Parsley Leaf Spot Problems One reason for parsley with leaf spots may be powdery mildew, a fungal disease fostered by low soil moisture along with high humidity. This disease starts on young leaves as blister-like lesions followed by curling leaves. The infected leaves then become covered with white to gray powdery mildew. Severely infected plants may suffer leaf drop, especially with young leaves. Low soil moisture combined with high humidity levels at the plant surface favor this disease....

While some are chosen for their beauty, other pond plants are necessary for a pond’s health. Below is a list of eight of the most popular pond plants in the United Kingdom and the United States, with information on why people love them and why our ponds need them. Popular Pond Plants Albatross Water Lily – This beautiful water lily is, in my opinion, a must for most ponds. The Albatross is known for growing quickly so there is no need to overplant....

A truly beautiful, low-growing groundcover type plant is called the portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora), sometimes known as the sun rose or moss rose. Portulaca plants are native to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Portulaca flowers are easy to grow and enjoy. Let’s look at what is needed for portulaca care. How to Grow Portulaca Plants Portulaca flowers tolerate many kinds of soil but prefer sandy, well-drained soil and love the full sunlight....

Understanding Agave Propagation Monocarpic species are those which bloom once and die back. This is a reproductive strategy that produces offspring in a number of ways. Sexual reproduction occurs when the flowers are pollinated and seeds are formed. This method of agave propagation can produce offspring which are genetically different from the parents. Depending upon the species, some agave produces aerial bulbils. These are essentially new plantlets that form on the flower stalk....

Propagating Epiphytic Plants There are many types of epiphytic plants. Bromeliads are one of the most common houseplants, but you may also come upon epiphytic cacti, Tillandsia, and other species. Each has a different method of reproduction. Knowing how to propagate epiphytic plants will help increase your collection and sustain any favorite specimens. Epiphyte plant propagation is not particularly difficult but there are a few rules to observe, and patience is a virtue....

Willow Tree Pruning Willow trees are more durable and have a better shape if you do most of the pruning and shaping while the tree is young. Pruning willow trees properly while they are young and easier to prune means you probably won’t have to make major changes in the tree’s structure when it is older and more difficult to prune. Willow trees bleed sap if you prune them while they are actively growing, so the best time for willow tree pruning is in winter while the tree is dormant....

Reasons for a Fig Tree Not Producing Fruit First, in this article we will be covering information on why a fig tree will not fruit. Read our article on fig trees dropping fruit if you are looking for that information. When a fig tree is not fruiting, there are a few reasons that this could be happening. The age of the tree, too much nitrogen and water are the three main reasons for a fig tree not producing fruit....

When Should You Transplant Roses – in the Fall or Spring? Questions commonly circulate about should you transplant roses in the fall or spring. Typically, this depends on where you live. Warmer climates, for instance, may find it better to transplant them in fall while people in cooler regions find that transplanting rose bushes is an easier task in spring. As roses are sensitive to shock, moving them while dormant (in late winter or early spring) is generally recommended....

Are There Different Types of Rosemary Plants? Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has a wonderful and lengthy history. It has been nurtured by cooks and treasured by apothecaries for centuries. Although native to the Mediterranean, rosemary has been cultivated for so long that natural hybrids have developed. So yes, there are different types of rosemary, but what types of rosemary are there? Types of Rosemary to Grow There are basically two types of rosemary, those that are upright shrubs and those that grow as ground covers....

There are numerous gardening tools for seniors and methods to assist a gardener that is experiencing the march of time. Senior gardening activities may require some adaptation and knowledge on elderly accessible gardens. Creating an Easy Care Senior Garden Low stamina and limited mobility are two of the biggest impacts of aging. Continued enjoyment in the garden may be diminished if it is difficult to get around or the routine of work is too vast....

Why is My Fig Tree Fruit Small? Figs are unique among fruit. Unlike most fruit, which is composed of edible matured ovary tissue, a fig is actually an inverted flower with both male and female parts enclosed within the stem tissue. Once ripened, the fig contains the remains of these flower parts, including what we most commonly refer to as seeds. It is these “seeds” that give the fig its unique flavor....

What is Southernwood Artemisia? Native growing southernwood herb plant can be found in regions of Spain and Italy and has since been naturalized in the United States where it grows wild. This member of Asteraceae is related to European wormwood or absinthe. Southernwood Artemisia (Artemisia abrotanum) is a woody, perennial herb with gray-green, fern-like leaves that, when crushed, emit a sweet, lemony aroma. This gray-green foliage is slightly haired, growing less so as the season progresses....

All too often customers head home to do a garden project that involves graph paper and colored pencils instead of a spade. Mapping sunlight in the garden helps you understand the movement of light and shade throughout the landscape. It allows you to place the right plants in the right exposure so they do not burn up or have stunted, leggy, or distorted growth. Sunlight Tracking in Gardens Like people, different plants have different sensitivity to the sun....

A small raised garden bed can be used anywhere. On a lanai, on the grass, even on concrete. But how small can a raised bed be? It depends upon the amount of space you have to devote to plants. A raised flower trough can still hold plenty of blooms with some herbs added in to the fun. If your goal is to raise food for yourself, even a tiny raised bed of 2 x 4 feet (0....

You will also want to learn about different climate types and climate zones. What are climate zones? Read on for information about gardening with climate zones. What are Climate Zones? Plant hardiness zone maps were developed to help gardeners figure out in advance which plants could survive outdoors in their region. Many plants sold in nurseries are labeled with a hardiness range so that gardeners can find appropriately hardy selections for their garden....

Unusual Uses for Aloe Vera Plant Many new and varied ways to use aloe have surfaced in recent years. You may know about some of them and some may be news. We’ll look at some of the most unusual uses of this intriguing plant. Keep in mind, not all options are yet thoroughly proven by testing. Medicinal Aloe Plant Uses Relieves Heartburn: Among the uses for aloe vera plant is relieving GERD-associated heartburn....

Using Gardening Trowels In masonry, a trowel is a flat tool that is used to apply and spread mortar or plaster. This type of trowel is different than a garden trowel, though. A garden trowel is a small, handheld shovel or spade. Garden trowels usually have wooden, plastic, or rubber-coated metal handles. The actual shovel part of a garden trowel can be made of various types of metal or even plastic, sometimes the metal blades are coated or painted....

Walking Stick Cholla Info Ever tried growing a cholla cactus in your landscape? There are more than 20 unique varieties of cholla with the walking stick being one of the more memorable. The walking stick cactus (Opuntia imbricata) is a truly interesting plant that is perfect for arid regions. It is found growing wild in Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and Colorado with a population also well established in northern Mexico....