Trumpet Vine Problems Prolific blooms and wide ranging stems are characteristics of trumpet vine or Campsis radicans. This plant is such a tough specimen that it can thrive in USDA zones 4 to 10, quite a wide range of conditions for any plant. In fact, the creeper can become invasive in warm climates and is a plant of concern in higher temperature ranges. We have heard several readers commenting, “My trumpet vine is dropping buds....
Is Chicory Good for You? The benefits of chicory have been recognized by generations of our ancestors. This native European plant is most known for its ability to stand in for coffee. The actively used part of the plant is the root in that case, but the tender leaves are also used in salads or lightly sautéed. Chicory herb plants are also chock full of nutrients and offer a host of other attributes....
Oak Leaf Holly Information The Red Holly Series of cultivars feature bronze to burgundy new leaf growth. This characteristic, combined with their attractive form, makes the plants excellent ornamental specimens for the landscape. Oak Leaf is a member of the series introduction and has become a popular and easy-to-grow plant. This large shrub to small tree is self-pollinating, resulting in orange-red, pea-sized berries. To answer the question, “what is Oak Leaf holly,” we need to understand where it came from....
Sweet Myrtle Plant Info Myrtle has been cultivated since the heyday of the Roman civilization. Among the many versatile methods of sweet myrtle care, topiaries were commonly fashioned from the plant, and it was a culinary and medicinal herb. Today, we can benefit from its sweet-smelling flowers, finely textured evergreen foliage, and its unlimited variety of form. Try growing sweet myrtle as a foundation plant, in containers, grouped as a hedge or border, or as standalone standards....
What to Put in a Compost Bin At a very basic level, what to compost is as simple as anything made from organic material, but not all organic material is safe for most home compost piles. Without a doubt, the following materials are safe for your compost pile: Grass clippings Tree leaves Vegetable food scraps (coffee grounds, lettuce, potato peels, banana peels, avocado skins, etc.) Black and white newspaper Printer paper Most disease free yard waste Cardboard Vegetarian animal manure (e....
Gardeners in many zones may wonder, “Is it too cold to plant vegetables or other plants?” The answer really relies upon the zone, but surprisingly there are many plants that thrive when planted in fall. Knowing when it is too cold to transplant plants is key to the subject’s survival. We often think of spring as the optimal time to plant, due to spring rains, warming soil, and more sunlight....
Wildlife friendly trees can go a long way in bringing birds, butterflies, and small animals, like squirrels, into your garden. Which are the best wildlife habitat trees? Read on for a list of our favorite trees for animals. Providing the Best Wildlife Trees As natural land has been developed for housing or industry, wildlife habitat has diminished over the years, reducing the plants available to beneficial insects, like bees and wild birds....
Zucchini Growing Problems Most gardeners have a good laugh at the size some of their zucchini fruit attain. It stops being so funny when the fruit is taking over your garden and you can’t seem to give the stuff away quick enough. That type of exuberant growth should be celebrated and lauded, and it would be sad if anything happened to stop the consistent march of produce. Unfortunately, some insects do plague the plant and jeopardize the harvest....
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Where to Grow Madagascar Periwinkles Starry flowers, glossy leaves, and persistent fruits characterize the rosy periwinkle plant. It is a perennial in its native region of Madagascar and in tropical to semi-tropical regions. The flowers may be found in white, pink, and rosy-purple. It’s a plant that’s easy to care for, and may grow as a perennial or an annual in cooler zones. The hardiness range is only USDA plant hardiness zones 9b to 11 as a perennial....
Acalypha Copper Plant Info Belonging to a family of Europhorbiaceae, the copper plant (Acalypha wilkesiana) is a semi-evergreen shrub that comes with colorful blends of copper, green, pink, yellow, orange, and cream. Acalypha copper plant has a heart or oval shape and can grow up to 6 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) in height and a width of 4 to 8 feet (1-2 m.), making it visually striking. The copper leaf plant is commonly found in the South Pacific, tropical Americas, and some parts of central and south Florida attributing to their warm climates, and can be grown year-round....
Pruning Apple Trees Apple tree trimming is beneficial for several reasons: removing diseased or damaged limbs, maintaining a controlled height from which fruit may be more easily picked, developing a strong structure for fruit production, and encouraging new limbs. Pruning apple trees is essential to the overall health of the tree. The shape of the apple tree during the budding season and following winter will influence the number of flowers, and hence, the condition of fruit....
Autograph Vegetable Activity A great, incredibly fun, and interesting project for kids is scratching names in garden veggies. Yes, you heard me correctly. Personalizing pumpkins or other squash in this manner will engage kids for months and will guarantee that you have a personal garden buddy, ready and willing to assist with garden chores. So, the question is how to make personalized pumpkins? How to Make Personalized Pumpkins Scratching names in garden veggies such as pumpkins or other hard squash and melons is easy and guaranteed to enthrall the youngest child as well as older kids....
Choosing the Right Azalea While azaleas can be enjoyed in many different regions, it is best to select a shrub that is hardy for your growing zone. The next step is to choose a shrub that fits the needs of your landscape. Are you looking for an evergreen azalea that will retain its leaves all year long, or a deciduous type typically with a larger bloom size but with the compromise of loss of leaves in the fall?...
False Indigo Flowers Members of the Fabaceae or pea family, false indigo flowers’ distinctive pea-like blossoms also come in white (Baptisia alba) and yellow (Baptisia tinctoria) as well as the more widely known blue (Baptisia australis). There are also several hybrid cultivars on the market today. Native to the prairies of southern North America, Baptisia plants grow well in almost any well-drained soil in USDA planting zones 5-9. Leaves are trifoliate (three leaflets) and range in color from dark blue-green to light yellow-green and can become so dense as to give the plant a shrub-like appearance....
What is a Bare Root Strawberry? So exactly what is a bare root strawberry plant? Bare root strawberry plants are dormant plants that are not planted in soil. Instead, they appear as bare roots with shriveled foliage attached. Nurseries and seed catalogs most often ship out bare root plants since they are easier and less expensive to ship. Planting bare root strawberries properly is the key to ensuring that they wake from their dormant state and begin berry production as soon as possible....
Uses for Stinging Nettle Root If you have ever been hiking in North America near streams, lakes, and other areas with rich soil you might have encountered stinging nettle and it isn’t a meeting you are likely to forget. However, this plant is one of the most tasty forage plants available, in spite of its sting. Young shoots and leaves are delicious edibles, and tea from the dried foliage is a traditional medicinal as well as plant fertilizer....
Are Sesame Seeds Good for You? What would many of our favorite Asian food dishes be without sesame seeds? These simple seeds have been used in cooking and medicinally for thousands of years – Egyptians, Babylonians, Ancient Asia, Greeks, and Mesopotamians. Signs of their use in the Bronze Age as flour and oil and in the Iron Age for incense lamps have been also found recently. So it’s clear that sesame seed plants have been in use for some time and must have potent benefits as more than just a food....
About Variegated Pothos Pothos is popular in the home for several reasons. Pothos plants grow quickly and produce pretty vines in a range of colors, sizes, and patterns. They are among the easiest houseplants to grow. If you’re someone who tends to forget to water your plants, this is the plant for you. While pothos is a vine, it doesn’t need a structure to climb. You can train it to something and let it grow up to 30 feet (9 m....
What is Blue Yucca? Yuccas are classic examples of desert flora. They have spiked, slender leaves which can be painful if not approached with caution. Blue yucca is an especially attractive example of the form due to its colorful leaves. Compared to many plants, blue yucca care is a breeze, provided the plants are installed in correct soil conditions and sun exposure. Once plants establish, very little maintenance is necessary to keep this plant healthy and looking its best....
