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Orchid Growing for Beginners Getting started with orchid plants means selecting the best plant for beginner orchid growing. Although there are many types of orchids, most pros agree that Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) performs well in the average home environment and is great for those just starting out. A healthy orchid has a strong, erect stem with dark green, leathery leaves. Never buy an orchid that looks brown or wilted. Basics of Growing Orchids Light: The amount of light varies considerably, ranging from high, medium, or low light, depending on the type of orchid....

Grasses are alluring additives to the garden with their ornate foliage, majestic plumes, and graceful flower clusters. Indian grass, Sorghastum nutans, is an excellent choice to bring motion and dancing foliage to your home landscape. Indian grass care is minimal and a perfect choice for native gardens where light and wind create magical movement and dimension. Indian Grass (Sorghastrum Nutans) A native of North America, one of the most interesting of the grasses is the Indian grass....

Passion Flower Vine Winter Care Wintering a passion flower plant isn’t that difficult. In fact, passion flower winter care doesn’t require a lot of effort if you bring them indoors. Over wintering passion flower plants can be done in total dormancy by putting the plants in a dark, cool place. You can also keep some in a cool place to go dormant but let them have some light, or bringing the Passiflora indoors during winter months can simply mean a change of location, allowing them to continue to bloom as if nothing changed....

Panama Berry Plant Info Fruit of the Old World Americas are often brought into the warmer regions of the New World and such is the case with Jamaican cherry trees. While the plant is indigenous to warm areas of Central and South America, it has been introduced to other tropical climes such as Florida, Hawaii, and farther afield, the Philippines and India. It has a lovely hibiscus-looking bloom and produces musky, fig noted fruits....

Parlor Palm Houseplants Growing an indoor parlor palm is very easy and gratifying. Parlor palm houseplants prefer low light and may actually suffer in direct sunlight, so there’s no need to place them in your brightest windows. They do like a little bit of light, and will do best by a window that receives some early morning or late afternoon light. Your indoor parlor palm will most likely survive completely away from windows if that’s what your space requires – it just won’t grow very fast....

Problems with Parsley Plants There are very few cuisines that don’t taste and look better with a bit of fresh parsley, but this old-fashioned herb is more than a garnish on your breakfast plate. It has a history of use as wreaths and garland, medication, and flavoring. Growing parsley is simple once you get over the slow germination hurdle and it is easy to harvest in a progressive manner, so a fresh supply is always available....

About Root Knot Nematodes of Peach Trees Peach root knot nematodes puncture cells and pump digestive enzymes into the cell. Once the contents of the cell are digested, they are drawn back into the nematode. When the contents of one cell are depleted, the nematode moves on to a new cell. Root knot nematodes aren’t visible above ground and symptoms of nematodes in peach trees, including stunted growth, wilting, and yellowing of leaves, may resemble dehydration or other problems that prevent the tree from taking up water and nutrients....

In spite of all this negativity, don’t be discouraged. With a little advance planning and a careful choice of hell strip perennial plants, you can turn the hell strip into an urban oasis. Read on for examples of suitable perennials for hell strips. Tips on Hell Strip Landscaping Check ordinances and be sure your city allows hell strip planting. Although many cities have certain restrictions and guidelines, most are happy to see the area beautified and cared for....

When to Harvest Bay Leaves Bay laurel is an evergreen shrub that grows in USDA zones 8 and above. Its attractive, glossy green leaves are the star attraction used dried in a variety of dishes, such as soups and stews. It is the key ingredient in Bouquet de garni and is the signature herb in the well-known Old Bay Seasoning. Once the plant is a couple of years old, you may begin picking bay leaves....

Growing Plants in Galvanized Container Galvanized steel is steel that’s been coated in a layer of zinc to prevent rusting. This makes it especially good among metal plant containers, because the presence of soil and water means a lot of wear and tear for containers. When planting in galvanized pots, make sure you have adequate drainage. Drill a few holes in the bottom, and prop it up so that it rests level on a couple bricks or pieces of wood....

How to Grow a Perfumed Garden There’s a wide variety of plants for fragrant gardens. While it might be tempting to load your perfumed garden design up with these plants, keep in mind that scent can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if a lot of strong fragrances are competing in a small space. You don’t want your garden to smell like a candle store. Instead, intersperse your fragrant garden plants with scentless plants that complement their appearance....

What is Poa Annua Grass? Poa annua grass, also known as annual bluegrass, is a annual weed that is commonly found in lawns, but can be found in gardens as well. It is rather difficult to control because the plant will produce several hundred seeds in one season, and the seeds can lay dormant for several years before sprouting. The identifying characteristic of poa annua grass is the tall tasseled seed stalk that will typically stand up above the rest of the lawn and becomes visible in late spring or early summer....

Avoiding Poinsettia Cold Damage It’s better, of course, to prevent damage from the cold than to try and correct it. This popular seasonal plant is common in cold climates around Christmas, but it is actually a warm weather species. Native to Mexico and Central America, poinsettias should not be exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees F. (10 C.). Even leaving a poinsettia outside when it’s around 50 degrees regularly or for extended periods of time can cause damage....

Popcorn Plant Info Popcorn (Zea mays var. everta) is a Native American plant grown for its tasty, exploding kernels. The two types of popcorn that are grown are pearl and rice. Pearl popcorn has round kernels, while rice popcorn kernels are elongated. Growing popcorn and sweet corn in the same garden produces disappointing results because of cross pollination. Cross pollination yields popcorn with a high percentage of unpopped kernels and poor quality sweet corn....

Jacaranda Tree Problems Problems with jacaranda trees are generally minor, ranging from a few insect issues to cultural problems. However, the tree is also susceptible to a serious jacaranda tree disease, a lethal bacterial infection. The jacaranda tree can get aphids and scale, just like many other garden plants. Another insect pest, the glassy-winged sharpshooter, can also infest its leaves. Get rid of these pests by spraying with insecticidal soap or neem oil....

Goji Berry Plant Propagation Propagating goji berries can be done in two ways: by seed and by cuttings. While growing goji berry plants from seed is perfectly doable, it takes quite a bit of patience. The seedlings often suffer from damping off (becoming weak and falling over), and even the healthy ones take about three years to really get going. Rooting goji berry cuttings is much more reliable and effective. That being said, seeds are best started indoors in the early spring covered with a thin layer of compost....

Garden Plants and Chickens There’s nothing like a freshly laid egg for breakfast. For this reason and because more and more people are concerned about how their food is grown, urban chicken farming is all the rage. Adding chickens to your landscape has more benefits than just fresh laid eggs, but it can also have its share of problems. Chickens scratch to get at bugs, often a boon to the gardener, but all that aggressive scratching can wreak havoc on tender plants....

Wiser still might be raised bed gardening. This article will point out some of the benefits and some of the deficits. Benefits of Raised Beds in Arid Regions Garden articles advertise raised bed gardening. In zones with little moisture, the practice may also be helpful, especially if you have poor soil. Raised beds for hot regions can allow you to replace existing soil with fertile, well formulated soil. However, they will raise plants up to the hot sun and tend to dry out quickly....

Raspberry Mosaic Virus Raspberry mosaic virus is one of the most common and damaging diseases of raspberries, but it’s not caused by a single pathogen. The raspberry mosaic complex includes many viruses, including Rubus yellow net, black raspberry necrosis, raspberry leaf mottle and raspberry leaf spot virus, which is why mosaic symptoms in raspberries can vary significantly. Mosaic virus on raspberry usually causes a loss in vigor, reduced growth and a significant loss of fruit quality, with many fruits becoming crumbly as they mature....

Why Don’t My Lilacs Have a Scent? When no smell from lilac bushes is apparent, it is usually due to one of two things—non-aromatic species or air temperature. Generally, common lilac (Syringa vulgaris), also known as old-fashioned lilac, possesses the strongest and most pleasing aroma of all lilac species. In fact, it’s usually the medium to dark purple varieties that are the most fragrant. However, there are some species of lilac that either do not have a strong smell or any at all....