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Fuchsia Gartenmeister Information What is Gartenmeister fuchsia plant? Native to the West Indies, Gartenmeister fuchsia (Fuchsia triphylla ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’) is a continual blooming, shrubby evergreen in zones 9-11. Grown as an annual in cooler climates, Gartenmeister fuchsia is more heat tolerant than other fuchsias. It is sometimes called honeysuckle fuchsia because its long, tubular, orange-red flowers resemble honeysuckle flowers. Growing 1-3 feet (30.5 to 91 cm.) tall and wide, Gartenmeister fuchsia grows upright when young but becomes more pendulous with age....

Understanding Your Lawn In order to take the proper care of the lawn, a few things must be taken into consideration before getting started. You need to know what type of grass you have and what it takes to care for it. If you are starting with a new lawn, it would be a good idea to find out what type of grass would grow well in your area; take your soil type and eco-environment into consideration....

Father’s Day comes just as the summer gardening season is getting underway. The right tools may be key to showing your Dad how special he is to you. Garden tools for dads can be personal or just functional. Simplify his life with great gifts for gardener dads. Lawn Garden Tools for Dads If you’ve got one of those dads that likes his lawn to look like a golfing green, that takes a lot of work....

Globe Gilia Information This annual wildflower is native to southern California and Baja California. Globe gilia plant communities often occur in areas with well-drained soil and full sun at 6,000 feet elevation or less. The plant often appears after an area has been burned in a wildflower. Globe gilia is also called Queen Anne’s thimble and blue thimble flower. This may be because each blossom resembles a pincushion with pins in it....

About Grape Nematodes It not only happens with grapevines; many plants may fall victim to grape root knot nematodes as well. These plant parasitic nematodes, microscopic in size, are possibly in the soil before planting and destructive in full orchards or gardens. Root knot nematodes of grapes feed on and cause swelling in young roots and secondary roots, creating galls. These nematodes may be transported in soil, particularly waterlogged soil that rushes down hills with strong rainfall....

Why Doesn’t My Grapefruit Tree Bear Fruit? Is the tree mature enough to bear fruit? You may have started the tree from a seed or a sprout that developed on a grapefruit you bought at the store. Grapefruit tree info says that seed-grown trees may not be mature enough to get grapefruits on trees for 25 years. Grapefruit on a tree does not develop until the tree reaches a certain height....

Preventing Spring Frost Damage to Grapes There are cultural practices growers can take to reduce grapevine frost damage in the spring: Site Selection – Grapevine frost protection begins with choosing a site which offer natural protection from springtime blasts of cold air. Mid-slope is often recommended, as cold air flows downhill creating pockets of cold in lower lying areas. Choice of cultivar – Bud break in different varieties of grapes can vary as much as two weeks, with cold hardy varieties coming into the growth season the earliest....

Why are There No Grapes? Vine is too young: In general, your vine will not produce grapes until it is at least three years old. Clusters form on stem growth from the previous year, two-year wood, every year. Too much fertilizer: If you’ve given your grapevine too much nitrogen fertilizer, this can result in lush growth of the foliage and no fruit. This also happens if there is too much nitrogen in the soil....

California Sunset Plant Info Durable, grayish new leaves of this hybrid are imparted by the graptopetalum, followed by the pastel coloration. The sunset colors that eventually develop are quite similar to the sedum parent. A happy plant will produce white flowers in spring. Graptosedum ‘California Sunset’ needs sunshine to develop those unusual pinkish colors. Growing in a rosette form, this plant looks similar to an echeveria but is much tougher. Yet, it can get sunburned on the leaves....

Grass Pea Information Chickling vetch is a relatively drought-tolerant plant that grows reliably when most other crops fail. For this reason, it is an important source of nutrition in food-plagued areas. Agriculturally, chickling vetch is often used as a cover crop or green manure. It is effective as a summer crop, but can overwinter in mild climates after fall planting. Chickling vetch has ornamental value as well, producing white, purple, pink, and blue blooms in midsummer, often on the same plant....

June Planting in the Northern Rockies For the purposes of this article, planting in the Northern Rockies and Great Plains gardening refers to Montana, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota, although other states may be included in the broader term of the Northern Rockies. All four of the above states have a shorter growing season — all the more reason to jump on getting plants started, and run to USDA zones 3-6....

What is Greensand? Oceans once covered many areas of the earth. As the seas receded, they left behind nutrient-rich marine beds (these deposits harden into layers of minerals) where rich sediment is harvested from the sandy rock for garden soil amendment. Greensand fertilizer is a rich source of glauconite, which is high in iron, potassium, and magnesium. These components are all important to good plant health. It also helps loosen soil, improve moisture retention, soften hard water, and increase root growth....

However, many gardeners have difficulty growing lavender, as they have a reputation of being somewhat picky about where they are grown. Fortunately, we live in an age where plant breeders recognize problems and swiftly create new, tougher varieties. One such tough, reliable hybrid is Grosso lavender. Continue reading for all the perks of growing Grosso lavender plants. What is Grosso Lavender? Grosso lavender, scientifically known as Lavendula x intermedia ‘Grosso,’ is a woody perennial hybrid of English lavender and Portuguese lavender....

Gardeners are enhancing their grass lawns with spring flowering bulbs for practical reasons, too: flower bulbs are prolific “naturalizers.” What does naturalizing mean? It means your bulb lawn will effortlessly and quickly multiply, filling your yard with lovely blooms year after year. A naturalizing bulb lawn can also work perfectly in shrub borders, under deciduous trees and in perennial borders. In addition to its beauty, a spring bulb lawn delivers some other immensely important benefits....

What Does a Blueberry Bush Look Like? While these are popular fruits, many people are unsure as to what a blueberry bush looks like. It looks like a typical shrub with shiny, oval-shaped, green leaves. The height can vary, depending on the variety, from a few feet tall to 12 (3.5 m.) or more feet tall. They, of course, have the tell-tale, blue berries. Tips for Planting Blueberry Bushes The most important thing to remember when growing blueberry plants is that they need a very low pH balance to grow well....

How to Grow Brussels Sprouts in Winter Brussels sprouts thrive in cooler temps, so sowing and planting them at the appropriate time is imperative. Brussels sprouts are planted later than warm-season crops, such as peppers and squash, from late fall into winter harvest. Depending upon the variety, Brussels sprouts take from 3-6 months to mature from seed. Start seed indoors about 16-20 weeks prior to the last frost in your area....

What Conifers Grow in Zone 9? Here are some popular zone 9 conifers: White Pine – White pine trees tend to be hardy up to zone 9. Some good varieties include: Southwestern white pine Weeping white pine Contorted white pine Japanese white pine Juniper – Junipers come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. They are often fragrant. Not all junipers can survive in zone 9, but some good hot weather choices include:...

Pumpkin Varieties and Types Mini pumpkin varieties, weighing in at 2 pounds (1 kg.) or less, are easy to grow and perfect for decorating. Small pumpkins ranging from 2 to 8 pounds (1-4 kg.) and midsize pumpkins weighing 8 to 15 pounds (4-7 kg.) are ideal for pies and great for painting or carving. At 15 to 25 pounds (7-11 kg.) and up, big pumpkins are often good for pies and make impressive jack o’ lanterns....

Choosing Plants for Romance and Beauty A romantic garden doesn’t have to just be about love and relationship status. It can also be about celebrating natural beauty. The choice of plants for romance and an intimate feel is important. While all plants are beautiful, consider those that work well together to create a harmony of colors and textures. Also important are plants that are naturalistic, think more along the lines of English cottage garden versus French formal....

Potted Tree Lily Information The key to growing tree lilies in pots is giving them enough room. Lily bulbs can actually be placed relatively close together, with a spacing of about 2 inches (5 cm.) between bulbs. Especially in containers, this gives the plants a fuller, denser look, and being packed so tightly doesn’t affect them in a negative way. It’s the depth of the container that you have to worry about....