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Gardening in the Southwest Anyone gardening in the southwest is faced with the question of whether or not to install a lawn. Most people like the way a lush green lawn looks in front of a home, but the maintenance work isn’t easy, especially in the hot and dry southwestern regions of the country. Grasses traditionally used for laws need irrigation, frequent mowing, and regular pest control. On the other hand, desert grasses for southwestern gardens are easy maintenance plants that require little care throughout the growing season....

Attracting Beneficial Bugs The best way to draw these beneficial bugs into your garden is by growing their favorite flowering plants. Some of these include: Mint Daisy (Shasta and Oxeye) Wild carrot (Queen Anne’s lace) Cosmos Marigold Clover You can also attract these insects by offering them a “bug bath.” Somewhat like a birdbath, this shallow container is filled with stones or gravel and just enough water to keep it moist....

Composting gin trash, or these leftovers, can yield high levels of nitrogen and trace amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Recent innovations in compost machinery show farmers how to compost cotton gin trash within three days. Simpler methods are also used to make gin trash compost. Nutrient Values of Cotton Gin Trash Gin trash compost measured in pounds per ton can yield up to 2.85% nitrogen per 43.66 lbs/ton (21.83 kg/metric ton)....

Types of Grapevine Support Structures Support is needed for grapevines to keep the new shoots or canes and fruit off the ground. If the fruit is left in contact with the ground, it will likely rot. Also, support allows a greater area of the vine to gain sunlight and air. There are a number of ways to support a grapevine. Basically, you have two choices: a vertical trellis or a horizontal trellis....

Maybe it’s too much of a hassle to bring them in and out with the seasons. You might wonder if you can grow agave as a houseplant. The answer is yes, you can, although some types may grow better than others if kept exclusively indoors. Growing Agave Plants Indoors There are several types of agaves, some with spines and some without. If you have children or pets in the household, this should be a consideration....

Barley Plant Information Barley is a good cover crop but it is also an important malting ingredient and may be turned into flour. You don’t need acres of land to grow barley in the garden, but it may be hard to source small amounts of seed. It is a cool season grass that is also used as a feed for domesticated animals. Even if you are not a beer enthusiast, you can learn how to grow barley for bread, soups, and stews....

Growing boxwood in your home landscape allows you to create a formal hedge, a matching border, or a pair of boxwood plants to balance an entryway. Boxwoods may also be planted as focal points or foundation plantings. Tips for Planting Boxwood When choosing where to plant boxwoods, make sure to plant them in the spot most appropriate for their needs. A full or part sun location is needed for optimum growth of this specimen....

Growing Conditions for Aloes Aloe plants are native to Africa and grow in many climates. There are over 400 species of aloe, with Aloe vera one of the best known. Aloe vera is not frost tolerant and cannot withstand chilling temperatures, but there are alpine varieties that have cold tolerance to nearly freezing. Aloe grows in USDA zones 8 to 11 outdoors. Can you grow aloe outside of these zones? You can in the summer in a container, but you should move it indoors for the cold season....

Using Fruit Trees as Hedges Dispense with the traditional boxwood and privet. There are plenty of fruit tree varieties that can make hedges. Hedge fruit tree varieties are not only edible but mark a boundary between one garden and the next, act as a windbreak, provide a backdrop to flower borders, accent a wall, and mute intrusive outside noise all while creating an eye-pleasing secret garden. First of all, when growing fruit tree hedges, you need to consider whether you wish to stick to one species for your hedge or whether you want to mix it up and plant several....

Can I Grow Gladiolus in a Container? If you are one of those interested in planting gladiolus in a container and want to know if this is possible, the resounding answer would be yes. Placing gladiolus bulbs in pots is a good idea where garden space is limited. All you need is to provide suitable drainage and growing conditions. Growing Gladiolus in Pots If you desire to grow gladiolus bulbs in pots, you will first need to choose a variety of glad types that you would like to plant....

When Do Hens and Chicks Plants Bloom? A rambunctious clump of hens and chicks has a special allure to children and adults alike. The small plants are adaptable and resilient, producing flower-like clusters of varying-sized rosettes. Gardeners new to the plants may say, “My hens and chicks are flowering,” and wonder if this is a natural occurrence. Blooms on hens and chicks plants are not only natural but an additional wonder with this fun, diminutive Sempervivum....

General Care for Your Herb Garden Here are some general tips on caring for your herb garden. Watering herbs Your herb garden will need to be watered regularly. How much or how little you need to water will be determined by what types of herbs you plant and whether they have been planted into containers or directly into the ground. Container herbs need to be watered more often, as they tend to dry out faster....

Growing an Indian Herb Garden Some herbs used in Indian food, such as cilantro (coriander) and mint, are fairly commonplace in the herb garden. Others tend towards the exotic and, as such, require tropical climes, being more suited to USDA zone 10 gardeners or those with a greenhouse. Don’t let that stop you though, almost anyone can grow a rhizome of ginger inside in a pot on a windowsill. That said, do some research when you decide which herb plants used for Indian cooking you want to grow....

Just because stepping stones have a utilitarian purpose doesn’t mean they can’t be fun! Making stepping stones for gardens can be a great family project. With a little assistance, even young children can help decorate DIY stepping stones. Here are few stepping stone ideas to get you started. How to Make Stepping Stones Creating personalized garden stepping stones doesn’t take a lot of craft experience or know-how. To make stepping stones, follow these basic instructions:...

Reasons for Yellow Hosta Leaves Hosta leaves turn yellow for a wide variety of reasons, and it is important for you to figure out the particular reason that applies to your plant. Hosta Leaves Turning Yellow from Scorch Perhaps the easiest situation to remedy is when yellow hosta leaves indicate too much sun. Hosta are plants that grow best in partial shade or even full shade. In fact, they are regular fixtures in the shade garden....

How to Trellis a Houseplant Houseplant trellising can be a fun and new way to grow and display your houseplants. Let’s explore a few different types. Tee Pee Trellis You can use bamboo stakes to make a tee pee for your indoor potted plants. Simply take bamboo stakes and cut them so that they are about twice the height of your pot. You can go a little bigger, but keep in mind that unless your pot is heavy, it will eventually become top-heavy and can fall over....

Creating Garden Arbor Designs Garden arbor ideas are limitless, and can serve a multitude of purposes within the home landscape. While some arbors may be purely decorative, others can be used to create a welcoming seating area. Regardless of its beauty and usefulness, many gardeners are hesitant to add these structures into their yards. For growers who are more budget savvy, the cost to purchase and install garden arbors can be quite expensive....

What is a Brown Turkey Fig? Brown Turkey figs (Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey”) are sweet, delicious fruits that have rusty red to purplish skin and richly toned pink flesh. The trees are suited for a Mediterranean climate and produce prolifically, which in some areas makes them invasive. Brown turkey fig trees are quite commonly available, as they have a zone tolerance of USDA 7 to 11. Even gardeners with relatively short growing seasons should be able to harvest some of the candy-like fruits....

Pincushion Cactus Plant Varieties Pincushion cactus is a member of a family called Mammillaria, which includes 250 species of cactus. Some of the species of pincushion have colorful names. The Giant Snake or Crawling Log cactus (Mammillaria matudae) produce long stems. Snowball cushion cactus (Mammillaria candida) is a ball-shaped plant with white felt or fuzz on the skin of the plant. Old Lady cactus (Mammillaria hahniana) is a solitary cactus with white, fuzzy, hair-like spines and purplish red flowers....

Choosing houseplants for kids to grow, versus jumping into gardening outdoors, introduces them to the basics of caring for plants and how they grow on a smaller, more manageable scale. Also, kids, as we all know, often have a short or wandering attention span. Starting kids growing plants indoors will focus their attention. Additionally, kid-friendly houseplants can be grown year-round and do not require much space, so they can be grown in an apartment, flat, or loft and most are suitable for all ages....