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Traditional Lovage Health Benefits Lovage herbal remedies have been around for centuries. The plant probably originated in the Mediterranean but has a widespread use in alcoholic beverages and common recipes across the globe. Much of its use was also as an anti-inflammatory, skin conditioner, menstrual support, gastric balm and much more. Lovage is probably best known as a digestive aid, relieving flatulence and other stomach discomfort. In addition to helping digestion, lovage was commonly used to strengthen the heart and as a respiratory aid....

What are Mandarin Oranges? Also referred to as “kid-glove” oranges, mandarin orange info tells us that the scientific name is Citrus reticulata and they are members of a distinct species with thin, loose peels. They can be the same size as a sweet orange or much smaller dependent upon the variety and hang from a thorned tree attaining heights of up to 25 feet (7.5 m.). The fruit looks sort of like a small, slightly squashed orange with a vibrant, orange to red-orange peel enclosing the sectioned, juicy fruit....

Mirrors for Garden Use Gazing balls and ponds are reflective surfaces commonly found in the home landscape. They impart a contemplative area on which the eye can rest and take in the garden’s beauty. The use of mirrors in garden design provides pretty much the same experience with the additional benefits of reflecting light to brighten darker areas of the landscape. You can use any form, from large ornately framed mirrors to small pieces mounted on a fence or a wall....

Aconitum Monkshood Info Growing 2 to 4 feet (0.5-1 m.) tall and 1 to 2 feet (31-61 cm.) wide, perennial monkshood is best grown as a background plant. The leaves of the monkshood plant are palmate, meaning hand shaped, with lobed “fingers” that often have toothed edges and vary in color from light to dark green. In late summer or early fall, it sends up showy spires of purple/blue flowers. Species of Aconitum monkshood with white or yellow flowers are available, though not as common....

Causes for a Browning Bamboo Plant Insect pests are often to blame for a bamboo with brown tips, and the most likely culprits are sap-sucking insects such as mites, mealybugs, scale or aphids. Mites – These miniscule pests, which are difficult to see with the naked eye, are especially common during dry weather when bamboo leaves are dusty. If you suspect mites, look for tiny specks and fine webbing on the leaves....

What is a Nighttime Herb Garden? A nighttime herb garden is designed to capture the moonlight and enhance the aroma of night-blooming plants. Sometimes called a moon garden, but made strictly with herbs, these unique backyard areas are intended for use during the evening hours, especially on moonlit nights. These gardens were a favorite of the nobility during the Victorian era. In order to distinguish themselves from the suntanned working class, the wealthy strived to maintain a pale complexion....

Non-chilling Flower Bulbs Spring-blooming bulbs naturally go through a period of chilling during winter, which will cause dormancy. The warmer temperatures of spring force the embryonic plant inside to wake up and begin growing. Summer bloomers don’t require this cold period and tender varieties may even be killed by exposure to cold temperatures. For this reason, many of the bulbs need to be dug up and held indoors in winter to ensure their viability for the next season....

What October gardening tasks need to be accomplished? The following regional to-do list for Northeast gardeners will have you prepping the garden for winter and the following spring. Northeast Gardening in October In the Northeast, the first expected frost date is rapidly approaching so there’s no time to waste accomplishing October gardening tasks. Some items on your regional to-do list will involve putting the veggie garden to bed, brightening up the landscape for spring, working on the lawn, and generally tidying up before ‘Old Man Winter’ arrives....

Are Possums Good to Have Around? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Compared to other types of wildlife, they are very helpful. Opossums not only play an essential role in the ecosystem, but they can also be a valuable asset to your garden, in spite of the fact that most people are quick to control their numbers. Opossums, sometimes called possum, benefit your garden by ridding it of small insects and pests....

What is a Wall Fountain? If you have ever been to a formal garden, you may have seen a garden wall fountain. What is a wall fountain? These may be built into the wall or just a fixture applied to the wall. Water is circulated through a pump and tubing from a basin or pond below, back up into the top of the vertical surface and down and around over and over....

Why Do Peach Trees Need Cold? Like all deciduous trees, peach trees lose their leaves in the autumn and become dormant, but it doesn’t stop there. As winter continues, the trees enter a period called rest. It’s a deep dormancy where a short spurt of warm weather won’t be enough to “wake” the tree up. The cold requirement for peach trees is dependent on this period of rest. Why do peaches need cold?...

Perlite Soil Info Appearing as tiny, roundish white specks amid the other components, perlite in potting soil is a non-organic additive used to aerate the media. Vermiculite is also a soil additive utilized for aeration (though less so than perlite), but the two are not always interchangeable, although as rooting mediums, both provide the same benefit. What is Perlite? Perlite is a volcanic glass that is heated to 1,600 degrees F....

Where to Put Houseplants in Your Home In most cases, the living room is where you spend the greatest amount of your time. This is the room, therefore, that you would choose to decorate with plants. Light, temperature and humidity play major roles in the lives of your plants. You should first determine the quality of light in every location where you might put the plants. You probably should not rely solely on your eyes either for this....

Plant a Row for the Hungry In 1995, the Garden Writers Association, now known as GardenComm, launched a nationwide program called Plant-A-Row. Gardening individuals were asked to plant an extra row of veggies and donate this produce to local food banks. The program has been hugely successful, yet hunger is still rampant throughout the United States. Let’s consider some reasons why Americans don’t plant more gardens to help fight hunger:...

Outdoor Parlor Palms If you are hooked on parlor palms and want to try growing them outside, there are a few things to know. These plants are native to Mexico and Guatemala and grow in dense rainforests, where lighting is dappled and moisture levels high. The palm is very sensitive to light, which makes it perfect in the interior and it even performs well in fluorescent light settings. It is useful outside as part of a small garden with low-growing accent plants....

The portion of the potato plant which is harvested for food is called a tuber, not a root, and is often associated with the great potato famine in Ireland in the 19th century. Tuber formation occurs when soil temps are between 60 and 70 degrees F. (16-21 C.) and will fail to thrive if temperatures hit over 80 degrees F. (27 C.) All potato plant varieties may be planted in March or April whether early season, midseason, or late-season potatoes....

When to Prune Plum Leaf Sand Cherries The best time to prune plum leaf sand cherries is just before new growth emerges in spring. This timing ensures the plant has plenty of time to recover and produce gorgeous blooms for the coming season. Pruning Plum Leaf Sand Cherry Purple leaf sand cherry pruning isn’t complicated. Prune the oldest stems first, removing at least one-third of growth down to within a few inches (8 cm....

When Does Chamomile Bloom? Chamomile seeds can be scattered over almost any bare soil and within a week or two the seeds will germinate and new plants will sprout up. In fact, chamomile grows so quickly and easily from seed that one chamomile plant can quickly turn into hundreds of chamomile plants. Chamomile plants have such a tendency to self-sow that they may even pop up in the cracks of sidewalks....

Common Reasons for Yellow African Violet Leaves African violet leaves usually only live for about a year. It’s a common trait for the older leaves to fade and turn yellow before they die and drop off, leaving room for new foliage. If the lower leaves are not the only ones turning yellow, it’s time to investigate a few potential causes. Cultural care, lighting or disease may all be potential reasons for African violet leaves turning yellow....

Palm Tree Shedding and Fraying Foliage Fraying or shedding palm fronds occur naturally or as the result of pest damage or disease. They are unsightly but usually don’t affect the plant’s health unless all the foliage is heavily tattered, which can affect photosynthesis. This reduces the plant’s ability to collect solar energy to turn into important carbohydrates. Most damage from wind, ice, and snow is limited to the most exposed leaves and can simply be cut out after all danger of frost has passed....