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Choosing Containers for Your Xeriscaped Container Garden When you begin choosing suitable containers for your garden, you should consider size and material carefully. Since container gardens are essentially self-contained, the larger they are the less watering is needed. For example, a larger pot holds a larger volume of soil, which in turn can store more moisture than a pot half its size. As for their material, plastic and glazed clay will retain water better than unglazed terra cotta or wood; however, as long as the container provides adequate drainage, nearly any type of container can be used....

Recognizing Turnip White Spot Greens from all sorts of vegetables provide many nutrient benefits. Turnip greens may be considered a southern delicacy, but even northern gardeners can grow and harvest these delicious leaves. Whether you cook them in a broth from a ham hock, eat them raw in a mixed salad, or sauté them in a vegetarian oleo, turnip greens pack a powerful vitamin and mineral punch. A turnip with white spots on the leaves can signal a very infectious disease....

Types of Evergreen Bushes Both needled and broad-leaf shrubs offer interesting berries as well as foliage. There are also many flowering evergreen shrubs for landscaping. Needle-leaf evergreen shrubs Coniferous evergreen shrubs exist and are oftentimes used to fill in low, empty spaces of the landscape. They also make excellent backdrops for many of the flowering shrubs. A couple favorites include: Juniper – Of the most common needle-leafed varieties is juniper. This sprawling evergreen has attractive blue-gray foliage....

How to Use Cassava Cassava, also known as manioc, yucca, and tapioca plant, is a tropical plant cultivated for its large roots. It contains toxic hydrocyanic glucosides which must be removed by peeling the roots, boiling them, and then discarding the water. Once the roots are prepped in this manner, they are ready to be used, but the question is, how to use cassava? Many cultures use cassava much like we use potatoes....

Choosing Various Kinds of Staghorn Ferns Like most bromeliads and many orchids, staghorn ferns are epiphytes. This means that they often grow in trees above the ground and do not need to be in contact with the soil. Instead, they absorb nutrients and moisture from the air and from water or leaves that wash or fall onto their fronds. Many are tropical species, with some types of staghorn fern originating in southeast Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands, and others native to South America or Africa....

Common Varieties of Yucca Southwestern types prefer dry, sandy soil and lots of sun. Southeastern yuccas tolerate moist soil as long as it drains well. Here are some common yucca varieties you might want to consider for your garden: Banana yucca (Yucca baccata) – Banana yucca is a Southwestern native plant that needs very little water and no maintenance. The spiky leaves can reach heights of 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm....

As an added bonus, these vines make attractive patio plants when planted as a vertical sweet potato garden. How to Plant a Vertical Sweet Potato Garden Purchase or start sweet potato slips. Unlike most garden vegetables, sweet potatoes aren’t grown from seeds, but from seedling plants which have sprouted from the root tuber. You can start your own slips from grocery-store sweet potatoes or purchase specific varieties of sweet potato slips from gardening centers and online catalogs....

To select bushes for old-time gardens, go for the tried and true, the shrubs you remember from grandma’s house. Or pick from our short list of favorite old-fashioned shrubs. Why Plant Old-Style Shrubs? Anyone lucky enough to come into possession of a house built long ago will need to work as hard on the landscaping as on the home renovations. Old-style shrubs and vintage garden plants complete the ambiance only an old home can offer....

Cold Hardy Watermelon Plants Watermelons are heat seekers, usually the warmer the better. That said, when looking for zone 5 watermelons, you’re not focusing on finding cold hardy watermelon plants, but on days to harvest. Look for watermelon varieties that ripen in less than 90 days. Suitable watermelons for zone 5 include: Garden Baby Cole’s Early Sugar Baby Fordhook Hybrid Yellow Baby Yellow Doll Another watermelon variety, Orangeglo, is one of the cold hardiest of all the watermelon varieties....

Weigela Issues Common problems with weigela include lack of blossoms, poor growth, foliage damage, and leaf yellowing. If an established shrub is not thriving like it once did, consider if the weigela plant care needs are being met. Check to see if the shrub was pruned at the correct time or if an unusually late frost has damaged new growth. Most importantly when you first notice problems with weigela, carefully check the shrub for signs of pests or disease....

We pruned out a few of the growths for me to investigate further. I placed one of the round growths on my work bench and slowly cut it open. Inside I found a smooth inner-walled chamber with two little white larvae. Once exposed to the light, the two larvae started doing the rapid larvae hula! Then all at once stopped and moved no more. Something about being exposed to the light and air seemed to cause their demise....

Jewel Strawberry Info The berries from a Jewel strawberry plant are exactly what you picture when you think of this variety of fruit. Firm, deeply red, and juicy; the berries adapt to a host of uses. What are Jewel strawberries? They are on the list of the top 10 strawberries. The plants are resistant to the more common strawberry problems and self-pollinate, with fruit that has a delicious scent and flavor....

Growing Winter Harvest Plants The keys to harvesting in winter are choosing cool-season crops, planting at the correct time, and choosing the correct season-extenders for your climate. Some crops, like Brussels sprouts, can be planted in late summer and held over in high tunnels for an extended harvest period. Low tunnels and cold frames can provide adequate protection in moderate climates to allow harvesting in winter or they can be used to extend the harvest season in cold climates....

Creating a Woodland Garden Design The best way to create a woodland garden in your yard is by taking clues from nature. Look to your surroundings for help. How do the natural wooded areas grow? What native plants do you see? Now look at your own area. How is the light, the soil, drainage, etc.? Once you have examined all of these factors, you’re ready to design a plan for your woodland garden....

Attracting Hummingbirds in Zone 8 Hummingbirds, or hummers as they are familiarly known, are about the cutest things for a bird watcher. These fast-moving, tiny birds love brightly colored, nectar-rich plants. Choosing plants for hummingbirds in zone 8 simply requires paying attention to hardiness and then opting for plants that produce food enjoyed by the birds. You can part with the sugary red feeder that requires cleaning and refilling if you just put out a couple of plants that attract them and also make your outdoor space colorful....

50’s Inspired Garden Design In the 1950’s garden, an assortment of mass-produced decorations scattered about was not uncommon– plastic wildlife, garden gnomes, the now very politically incorrect black jockey statues, lantern holders, etc. Here you would also find wide open, well-manicured lawns and an abundance of round or box-pruned evergreen foundation plants. Where one lived, however, was a major factor in its overall design. Simply put, if you lived in warmer climes, the gardens took on a more tropical flair while in other areas plants focused more towards subtropical to temperate schemes....

So just what plants thrive in acidic shade conditions? Read on to learn about shade plants for acidic soil. About Shade Plants for Low pH Gardens Shade gardening is often a challenge, especially when combined with acidic soil, frequently the result of trees producing the shade. If your soil’s pH is below 7.0, your soil is acidic; but don’t worry, there are plenty of plants for shade and acid conditions to choose from....

Composting is a time honored garden tradition and results in rich soil and nutrient density for plants. Ammonia smell in gardens and compost heaps is an indicator of inadequate oxygen for microbial activity. Organic compounds cannot compost without adequate oxygen, but the fix is a simple one by introducing more oxygen to the soil. Compost Ammonia Odor Compost ammonia odor is frequently observed in piles of organic matter which have not been turned....

Growing your own avocado trees can provide you with a seemingly endless supply of these delicious fruits. However, no plant is without its problems. If you were expecting an avocado tree laden with fruit, but instead have a sickly tree that rarely bears avocado fruits, this article may be for you. About Phytophthora Root Rot Phytophthora root rot is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. This fungal disease affects avocado trees and thousands of other plants....

What is Beargrass Yucca? Beargrass yucca looks similar to the common Adam’s needle yucca. To identify beargrass yucca vs. Adam’s needle, you just need to look at the leaves. Beargrass yucca has narrower leaves which are flattened and also bear a smaller flower. Yucca filamentosa, or Adam’s needle, is commonly misidentified as Yucca smalliana. Each is of similar size, but their leaf and flower characteristics indicate that they are different species in the same genus....