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Many times, people will hesitate to ask a question like: “what is a seed head,” because they are afraid it will make them look stupid. Truth is, there are no stupid questions and gardening experts actually want to help you better understand your plant’s needs, not ridicule you. In this article, we will cover how to recognize a seed head on plants. How to Recognize a Seed Head The term “seed head” is defined as a flower head in seed by the Oxford dictionary....

What are Sensory Gardens? Sensory gardens strive to maximize the sensory impact that the garden has on its visitors. Sensory gardens can be themed, divided into sections, or presented as a whole. Sensory gardens are user-friendly and encourage garden guests to touch, taste, admire, and listen. Creating a sensory garden is an exciting and worthwhile project that provides limitless opportunities to teach and exercise horticultural healing therapy techniques. How to Create a Sensory Garden Sensory garden design ideas are plentiful and can be suited to any garden objective....

Grow a Christmas Tree at Home The easiest way to grow a Christmas tree at home is to start with a living tree. It’s easy these days to find potted pine or spruce trees for sale just before the holidays, and they are popular. But not everybody who buys one plants it afterward. Rather, some people purchase living trees because, with water, they stay fresh longer than cut trees. However, if you have the space in your backyard, it’s a nice idea to plant the living tree after Christmas....

What is Soybean Rust? Soybean rust disease is caused by one of two different fungi, Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Phakopsora meibomiae. P. meibomiae, also called the New World type of soybean rust, is a weaker pathogen that is found in small areas of the western hemisphere. P. pachyrhizi, called Asian or Australasian soybean rust, on the other hand, is far more virulent. First reported in Japan in 1902, the disease was only found in tropical to semitropical regions of Asia and Australia....

Help, My Cherries are Splitting! Many fruit crops have a penchant for splitting under certain conditions. Of course, rain is welcome any time one is growing a crop, but too much of a good thing renders it more of a bane. Such is the case with cracking in cherries. Contrary to what you might surmise, it is not the uptake of water through the root system that causes cracking in cherries....

Causes & Symptoms of Bacterial Wilt Often seen early on in the season, bacterial wilt is a disease that commonly affects these vine crops, including melons and pumpkins. It is caused by a bacterium (Erwinia tracheiphila), which overwinters within the cucumber beetle, a common pest that feeds on vine crops. Once spring arrives, the beetle begins feeding on young plants, like squash, thus infecting the leaves and stems. And, alas, squash wilt is born....

What is Sand Storing? Did you know that the American household wastes more food per year than restaurants, groceries, and farms combined? A bountiful fall harvest, although a boon, may lead you to wonder about alternative root vegetable storage. Storing veggies in sand was mentioned above, but what is sand storing? Root vegetable storage, along with other crops such as apples, is not a new concept. Our forefathers, or mothers, used to store root veggies in a root cellar, often nestled in among sand....

How to Grow Strawberries Inside When considering how to grow strawberries inside, one must consider space issues and the variety of strawberry houseplants one wishes to cultivate. Space-saving ideas such as strawberry pots or growing strawberries in containers that hang from the ceiling are great options. Whole areas of a home or just a windowsill may also be dedicated when growing strawberries indoors, but be sure not to overcrowd the plants lest they become susceptible to disease or mold issues....

What is a Tea Garden? So what is a tea garden? A tea garden is a place to grow your favorite herbs for tea, and much more. Tea herbs are visually appealing and delightfully fragrant. Even birds and butterflies delight in the seeds and nectars that the plants produce. Your tea garden will allow you to sit among these beautiful creatures while enjoying your herbal tea creations. Tea Plants for a Garden Use your favorite tea herb plants to create your unique tea garden design....

Better Vegetable Garden Layouts Many of us actually require something taking up less space and less time and we are looking for the best way to layout a vegetable garden. There is an alternative to the big vegetable garden layouts, which can be just as effective with an additional bonus– a layout designed for small areas. Small vegetable garden layouts, which fit the busy person’s lifestyle as well as accommodate those who have limited room for a traditional garden, come in the form of small beds....

Is It Safe to Compost Cat Litter? Safety is the primary concern when composting cat litter. While gardeners often add manure from farm animals like cows and chickens to their compost piles, fecal material from carnivores such as dogs and cats contain a host of pathogens that can be harmful to humans. Here are four zoonotic pathogens that can be present in cat feces: Campylobobacter – These gram-negative bacteria can cause diarrhea in humans....

Common Diseases of Gardenia Most common diseases in gardenia plants are caused by fungus, and easily prevented by creating a well-draining environment with good air circulation. Proper watering and pruning further helps to keep gardenia plant diseases in check. Among the most common diseases of gardenia are root rot, powdery mildew, stem canker and bud drop. Treating gardenia problems like these is a task most gardeners can handle. Root Rot Root rot is common in plants that are chronically over-watered or are growing in poorly draining soil....

Cankers on Poplar Trees The microscopic organisms that cause poplar tree diseases enter the tree through wounds and breaks in the bark. A canker, or dark, sunken area on a branch or trunk, gradually spreads around the tree. If it grows to cover half or more of the circumference of the trunk, the tree will probably die. Cankers on branches cause the branch to wither and die, and the disease can spread to the trunk....

Growing Verbena Plants Verbena is a great summer plant with long bloom times and a great tolerance to heat. It is a perennial, although some people grow it like an annual because it will not always last as long as you might expect. Verbena absolutely must have full sun and well-drained soil, so choose the location carefully. With shade and too much moisture, these plants will develop mildew and fail to bloom....

Deciding how to plant shady garden beds can be especially problematic due to the perceived lack of options. Areas beneath trees, near taller structures, or even at the edge of wooded areas can leave those wishing to beautify their landscape feeling helpless. Fortunately, there are several lesser known alternatives which may be the perfect candidates in these locations. Unusual Alternatives for Shade When choosing plants for shaded areas, many feel limited to the more commonly planted specimens....

Water lily plants can be divided into two types: Hardy – Hardy types are best for northern climates where the water freezes in winter. As long as the roots of hardy specimens are below the level where the water freezes, they will reappear the following spring. Tropical – Tropical water lilies won’t survive in cold water and must be brought indoors for winter in all but the warmest areas. Many growers treat them as annuals, replanting them each year....

Weeping Fig Plant Information Growing weeping fig trees indoors and growing weeping fig trees outdoors are two completely different endeavors. It is almost as if indoor and outdoor weeping figs are different species. Indoors, weeping figs are attractive container plants that rarely grow above 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m.). Outdoors, however, the trees grow into huge specimens (up to 100 feet (30 m.) tall and 50 feet (15 m....

What are Half-Runner Beans Like pole beans, half-runner beans will continue to produce blossoms when young beans are removed from the vines. Typically, bush beans produce green beans for about a two week period and need to be successively planted in order to extend the harvest period. Like bush beans, half-runner beans have a much more compact growth habit. While they do produce runners, the vines only reach lengths of three to five feet (1-1....

What are Jellyfish Succulents? The arrangement is put together with at least two types of succulents. One type will be a cascading plant that will grow out to resemble jellyfish tentacles. The other type is often echeverias or any type of succulent rosette plant that remains close to the soil. For a jellyfish that can stay outside year-round, use hens and chicks with stonecrop sedums for the tentacles. The jellyfish hanging succulent can be created from any type of succulent (or others) you have on hand if they don’t grow tall....

What are Living Walls? What are living walls? Living walls for birds are simply a bird friendly hedge that acts as a bird safe privacy screen. The hedge is typically comprised of a mix of tall and short plant species that work together. A living wall for birds not only provides habitat for birds, pollinators, and other creatures but it also lends privacy, reduces noise, and defines the edge of your landscape....