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Turnera Buttercup Bushes Native to the Caribbean, the Cuban buttercup is the official flower of Cienfuegos, Cuba. The buttercup bush is one of the plants to first appear on sandy beaches after they’ve been ravaged by hurricanes. It is a perennial and reseeds readily. The rewards of growing buttercup bushes are not only the abundant flowers, but the attractive, oval shaped, serrated evergreen foliage, which is fragrant. The Cuban buttercup attracts butterflies as well and is at home spreading between taller plants in the butterfly garden....

Red Rose Varieties Whether you’re interested in the love and romance symbolism of red roses or you just love the color, you have many options to choose from when growing red roses. There are many varieties of red rose bushes in all shades of this stunning color. Crimson Glory – For a classic, deep red rose it’s hard to beat ‘Crimson Glory,’ a climbing rose you can train on a trellis or fence....

Ugly Plants that Cause Allergies If you’ve ever heard that uglier plants cause more severe allergic reactions, you might be surprised to know it’s true. Allergists say that flowers that smell or look pretty attract pollinators while those that produce uglier blooms are generally wind pollinated. In other words, they are the allergy sufferer’s nemesis. Worst Trees for Allergies Spring is the peak season for tree allergens. In order of bloom time, trees that plague allergy sufferers include maple, willow, poplar, elm, birch, mulberry, ash, hickory, oak, and walnut and are generally an issue from March through May....

How to Tell Sex in Pawpaw Trees Tasting like a cross between a banana and a mango, pawpaw trees can be fickle with regards to what sex the pawpaw flowers are. Are pawpaws monoecious or dioecious? Well, they are definitely not entirely dioecious or monoecious for that matter. Pawpaw flower sex is something rarer. They are termed trioecious (subdioecious), which means they have separate male, female, as well as hermaphroditic plants....

How Do Plants Use Magnesium? Magnesium is the powerhouse behind photosynthesis in plants. Without magnesium, chlorophyll cannot capture sun energy needed for photosynthesis. In short, magnesium is required to give leaves their green color. Magnesium in plants is located in the enzymes, in the heart of the chlorophyll molecule. Magnesium is also used by plants for the metabolism of carbohydrates and in the cell membrane stabilization. Magnesium Deficiency in Plants The role of magnesium is vital to plant growth and health....

Understanding New Jersey USDA Plant Hardiness Map If you live in New Jersey and you want your garden to be a success, you need to know the growing zone that covers your region. The map above is the New Jersey planting map, which the USDA released for 2012. New Jersey is divided into four different planting zones, 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b. Click on the map to enlarge it to determine which zone you are in....

Planting in North Carolina Using the USDA Plant Hardiness Map If you live in North Carolina, you enjoy a relatively temperate climate, which makes it possible to grow a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers. The 2012 North Carolina USDA planting map, as seen above, indicates which growing zones cover certain areas of the state. While the northwestern part of the state has the coolest average extreme winter lows, down to a possible -15 degrees F....

Gardening Help – New Mexico Planting Map New Mexico experiences a wide range in average winter extreme temperatures, from a chilly 4b in the northern part of the state to a very warm 9a in the south. There are many flowers, shrubs, and trees that thrive in all parts of this state and knowing which planting zone you live in will help you make the best selections for your area. The 2012 New Mexico USDA planting map, as pictured above, is based on data collected from 8,000 weather stations all over the United States over a period of thirty years....

Growing Orange Mint Herbs Orange mint herbs, like all mint varieties, are vigorous growers and can overwhelm a garden if they’re allowed to. To keep your orange mint in check, it’s best either to grow it in pots or in containers sunk in the ground. Sunken containers will give the appearance of a regular garden bed while preventing the roots from spreading out beyond their limits. That being said, if you have a space that you’d like to fill out quickly, orange mint is a good choice....

What to do with Papaya The obvious thing to do with papaya is to eat it fresh, but that isn’t all you can do. Papaya fruit is so versatile it can be grilled, frozen, pickled, and more. It’s no wonder that papaya can be found among a slew of cuisines, from savory to sweet. A Versatile Plant Papaya is a tree that bears pear-shaped fruit that turns from green to yellow as it ripens....

Types of Trees and Shrubs for Winter Landscapes Nothing is more beautiful in the winter landscape than the numerous varieties of evergreen trees and shrubs, from broadleaf evergreens to conifers. Common evergreen conifers are found in a variety of shapes, sizes, and color variations, with varieties of gold, green, purple, and white available. Some of these include: Spruce Pine Juniper Yew Deciduous trees and shrubs may lose their leaves in fall; however, during winter this shedding allows some of their best attributes to shine through, revealing amazing structures, forms, and textures....

What are Valencia Peanuts? Valencia peanuts have three to six small red-skinned seeds per shell, each with a sweet flavor. Valencia peanuts are found growing for commercial use in New Mexico and account for less than 1% of the United States production of peanuts. Their sweet flavors make them a favorite for boiled nuts and are also often used for all-natural peanut butter. When roasted, Valencias come close to achieving the crispness of Spanish peanuts....

If two-tone conifers appeal to you, keep reading. We’ll tell you about some of the coolest variegated conifer varieties, trees that will draw all eyes to the landscape. Variegation in Conifers Many conifers have needles that darken as they age or needles that are darker green on top and lighter green underneath. These are not the two-tone conifers we have in mind, however. True variegation in conifers means that the needles on the trees are actually two distinct hues....

Borage Plant Types Below are the common varieties of borage: Common borage (Borago officinalis) – Also known as starflower, common borage is the most familiar of the different types of borage. Common borage displays intensely blue blooms with contrasting black stamens. Variegata (Borago officinalis ‘Variegata’) – This interesting variegated plant displays delicate, blue borage flowers and green leaves mottled with white. Alba – (Borago officinalis ‘Alba’) – Also known as white borage, Alba is a great choice if you’re looking for a plant with intense, white blooms....

Vegetable Plant Propagation Growing vegetable plants from cuttings has some distinct advantages. First, you’re taking cuttings from the best plants in your garden, so you already know this variety does well in your environment. No worries about whether you get enough sun in your area or if the air is the right temperature. That’s all been tested and proven true. Second, rooting vegetable cuttings in the middle of summer gives your garden a new lease on life....

How Much Water Does Ginkgo Need? Watering ginkgo trees is similar to other trees in the landscape. They tend towards needing less water and being more tolerant of drought than overwatering. Ginkgo trees do not tolerate standing water and soggy roots. Before even considering how much to water your tree, be sure you plant it somewhere with soil that drains well. During the first few months after you plant a young, new tree, water it nearly every day or a few times a week....

What are Imperator Carrots? You know those “baby” carrots you buy at the supermarket, the kind the kids love? Those are actually Imperator carrots; likely so are the regular sized carrots you buy at the grocers. They are deep orange in color, tapered to a blunt point, and around 6 or 7 inches (15-18 cm.) long; the epitome of the perfect carrot. They are somewhat coarse and not as sweet as other carrots, but their thin skins make them easy to peel....

Kermes Scale Life Cycle Pinning down kermes scale life cycle is a difficult task. According to Illinois State University Extension, there are more than 30 different kermes scale species. Identification of the specific species is difficult and hatching times vary widely. Your local Cooperative Extension Agent can advise you on what types of kermes scale are present in your area, and about the best times for treating kermes scale pests on your trees....

What Are Sweet Cherry Peppers? So exactly what are sweet cherry peppers? If you read up on cherry pepper facts, you’ll discover that they are peppers unlike any you’ve seen before. About the size and shape of cherries, cherry peppers are a visual delight. Sweet cherry pepper plants produce these tiny peppers. But tiny refers to the size of the fruit, not the flavor. The small veggies offer rich, sweet flavor....

Woody Perennial Characteristics What makes a perennial woody? According to “Trees, Their Use, Management, Cultivation and Biology” by Bob Watson, woody perennials include all trees and shrubs, no matter what their size or proportions. Woody perennials can increase in both height and width, which provides them with the strength to support new wood every year. Their woody framework is covered with bark. Some types of plants are considered semi-woody because they aren’t quite as woody as a tree or shrub....