Can You Grow Vegetables in Zone 8? Absolutely! You do, however, want to consider a couple of factors before choosing winter vegetables in zone 8. The most important thing to consider is your microclimate. Zone 8 is actually divided into two sections – 8a and 8b. In zone 8a, temperatures will dip as low as 10 to 15 degrees F. (-9 to -12 C.), and in zone 8b it can drop to 15 to 20 degrees F....
The Three Sisters Sometimes referred to as intercropping or interplanting, companion gardening brings together plants which can mutually benefit from each other. In the three sisters garden, squash is used to create a living mulch. This deters weeds and helps retain soil moisture levels for all three of the sisters. Due to its prickly foliage, squash also acts as a deterrent to the deer and raccoons which like to raid the ears of corn....
Desert Willow Seed Propagation The first step when planting desert willow seeds is to acquire the seed. After the desert willow’s showy flowers bloom, the tree will produce long, 4 to 12 inch (10-31 cm.) narrow seed pods. You will want to harvest the seeds in late summer or early fall when the pods turn dry and brown, but prior to the pods splitting open. When you split the dried pods open, you will discover that each individual seed pod contains hundreds of tiny oval brown hairy seeds....
Does Climate Change Affect Gardens? Does climate change affect gardens? It does, and it’s important to learn how to spot climate change in the garden so that you can take action to help your plants adjust. It’s easy to assume that climate change is happening somewhere far away. But the truth is, it’s happening everywhere, even in your garden. How to Spot Climate Change in the Garden The weather changes brought on by climate change are causing disruptions in nature’s norms, even in your backyard....
About Different Garden Styles Travel to almost any destination and you will see many types of gardens. Some are colossal professional landscapes with historical importance, while others are simple home gardens for food or backyard enjoyment. Whether it is a landscape already mentioned, a native garden, tropical or any other of the many unique gardening styles, ease of maintenance, appropriate plants for site and zone, hardscape details and other items are all considerations of the design....
Ants help us by eating fleas, caterpillars, termites, and dead remains of insects and animals. They eat the waxy material from peony buds, allowing them to fully bloom. With all these attributes, if you still want to know how to get rid of ants, or need help controlling multitudes of ants, read on. Ants in the Garden In your garden ants are primarily interested in insects that produce sticky “honeydew,” like aphids, whiteflies, scales, and mealybugs; all of which can do considerable damage to your plants....
What are Capers? Caper plants (Capparis spinosa) are usually found growing wild in the Mediterranean in dry stony areas similar to those where olives are grown. Capers grow in viney brambles, much like blackberries do in North America. Cultivation of a caper bush is most often found in Spain and Africa, but in the past, Southern Russia was also an exporter. Growing capers are, as mentioned, the buds of a shrub-like perennial (3 to 5 feet (1 to 1....
Growing Conditions for Vegetables When it comes to vegetable gardening, the most important elements to focus on are soil, sunlight, plant types, and maintenance. Soil for Vegetables The soil in the vegetable garden should be loose and include organic matter. Organic matter improves soil by releasing nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients needed for healthy plant growth. Composting is a great way to add fertility to poor soil areas. Nearly any plant material can be composted and used in the garden....
I enjoy the beauty of wildflowers. I also enjoy various types of gardens, so one of my favorite flower gardens is our wildflower garden. Planting wildflowers is easy and learning how to care for a wildflower garden is enjoyable. How to Start a Wildflower Garden Our wildflower garden is in a raised bed, but you can also plant directly in the ground. The raised bed was built upon a 2-inch (5 cm....
The habanero plant grows best when purchased or started indoors in most regions of the United States. Plant them outside after the danger of any frost has passed. Follow some tips on how to grow habanero pepper for a hot and spicy crop that is tasty fresh, grilled, dried, or canned. The Habanero Plant Habanero plants have oval, simple leaves with deep glossy green color. The plants are generally bushy and just slightly taller than they are wide....
What is a Cold Frame? A cold frame is in essence a small greenhouse. It may be a temporary or permanent structure in the garden. The goal of a cold frame is twofold. The first reason for a cold frame is to harden off plants. It can be somewhat challenging to shuttle new plants from a protected area outside to harden them off prior to transplant. A cold frame will protect the seedlings from wind and sun allowing them to slowly acclimate to outdoor conditions....
Sharing Plants and Gardening Stories No one really understands your triumphs and hardships like a fellow gardener. If your close family and friends don’t share your gardening enthusiasm, it’s unlikely they’ll change. There are just some people that get animated when discussing the garden and, unfortunately, some that don’t. That’s not your fault. Making new friends through your gardening efforts can lead to people who understand how difficult it was to grow that perfect melon....
List of Highly Invasive Herbs All Mints, including Peppermint and Spearmint Pennyroyal, a member of the mint family Comfrey Bee Balm Lemon Balm Invasive herbs can be kept in check very easily by keeping them in individual containers, or compartments, in the garden. By keeping your invasive herbs separate, you not only keep them from choking out or taking over your other herbs and plants, but you’ll be assured that each of your herbs keeps their individual and distinctive scent and flavor....
How to Kill English Ivy There are two ways for how to kill English ivy. The first is with herbicides and the second is through manual labor. Killing English Ivy with Herbicides One of the reasons that killing English ivy is difficult is because the leaves of the plant are covered with a waxy substance that helps prevent herbicides from penetrating into the plant. So, in order to be effective at killing English ivy, you have to get through that barrier....
Landscape Lighting Design Take a close look around your home so you can see what you have to work with before you get started. Take note of whether or not there are any electrical outlets nearby; otherwise, you might need to reconsider your outdoor lighting options. If there are no outlets in the area that you want to highlight, you can still provide low-key lighting. This type of light provides subtle hints of illumination wherever you need it through the use of lanterns, candles, and strings of light....
There are quite a few garden design programs available on the market. Most software for landscape design have a cost, but there are a few free programs or some that can be utilized as a trial period for a nominal fee. Keep reading to learn more about using this landscape design help. Using Free Landscape Design Software If you are really interested in using landscaping software, be sure to check out various free landscape design software applications or move into the professional garden design programs on the market....
Guidelines for Shipping Live Plants Sending plants through mail successfully depends upon careful packing as well as acclimating the plant and sending it with enough water to survive several days. Plants that get sent to hot regions or are shipped in winter will benefit from some insulation. You can use the U.S. Postal Service or any of the shipping companies that fit your needs. Either way, you can learn how to package them for the best arrival and least breakage....
Kale Rabe Information Kale is a member of the brassica family which includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and even radishes. Each of these plants is grown specifically for one particular characteristic, whether it’s for its tasty leaves, edible stem, peppery greens, or spicy root. Even though a specific brassica crop is grown for a select characteristic, sometimes other parts of the plant are edible as well. So, kale is generally grown for its nutritious leaves, but what about other parts of kale?...
Ornamental Dwarf Grass Full-size ornamental grass can tower 10 to 20 feet (3-6 m.) over the landscape, but compact ornamental grass generally tops out at 2 to 3 feet (61-91.5 cm.), making some of these smaller types of compact ornamental grass perfect for a container on a balcony or patio. Here are eight popular dwarf ornamental grass varieties for smaller gardens – just a handful of the many short ornamental grasses currently on the market....
What is Perennial Ryegrass Used For? There are a number of benefits to planting perennial ryegrass. Perennial ryegrass uses extend from using it as a pasture grass or as sod for the home lawn. It is considered the best cool season perennial pasture grass in many areas. Planting perennial ryegrass for pasture has many benefits. It establishes rapidly, is high yielding with a long growing season, is highly nutritious, recovers well from grazing, and tolerates traffic....
