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Magnetic Herb Garden As winter arrives, many gardeners are not ready to give up the fresh herb garden and, instead, start moving those herbs indoors. An indoor herb garden is pretty easy to create since many herbs overwinter best indoors. With an indoor herb garden, you can enjoy the bright flavors and health benefits of fresh herbs even as winter rules outdoors. If kitchen space in an issue, you can start an herb garden on magnets and build a refrigerator garden....

What is a Marmalade Bush? If you are interested in growing marmalade bushes, you probably are attracted by the brilliant profusion of clusters. The inch-long, trumpet-shaped flowers are a riot of red, bright orange and yellow. This ornamental shrub can grow up to 15 feet (4.5 m.) if given a strong trellis. According to marmalade bush information, it can spread to some 6 feet (1.8 m.) across if left unpruned. Marmalade bush (Streptosolen jamesonii) is native to Colombia and Ecuador, and grows in the U....

What is a Nadia Eggplant? Nadia is an Italian eggplant that looks like a smaller type of the large, purple American eggplant. Italian eggplant, such as Nadia, have finer flesh and thinner skin, that may be cooked along with the meat of the fruit. In some markets, the size of the eggplant determines what it is called, but there are different types with real, though, sometimes slight differences. Growing Nadia Eggplants Growing Nadia eggplants is a great choice for those who have lots of recipes to try or wish to freeze the fruit....

What is a Nodding Pink Onion? Nodding pink onions (Allium cernum) are ornamental flowering onions. They are native to North America from New York state to Michigan and into British Columbia and south through the mountains and cooler areas of Arizona and North Georgia. Nodding pink onions can be found growing on rocky soils in dry meadows and prairies, the open woods, and in glades and along bluffs. They grow from 8-18 inches (20-46 cm....

What is a Succulent? Oddly, some botanists and horticultural experts differ on which plants are technically succulents. Their appearance differs from species to species, but one common characteristic is swollen leaves, pads, or stems. The exact classification of a certain plant will have to go to the experts, but whatever the case, all types of succulents or those that appear to be succulents are pleasing to the eye, minimal regarding care and produce delightful little surprises during their life cycle....

Without a crystal ball, nobody can say whether the economic situation in the country will deteriorate to the point that you and your family will need a survival garden to survive. However, like putting plans together in case of an earthquake or other disaster, the key to survival is preparation. Read on to learn about designing a survival garden and survival gardening tips. What is a Survival Garden? It would take quite a few plants to feed you and your family, if all you had to eat were the crops you raised....

What is a Tulip Prickly Pear? Opuntia phaecantha is a medium sized cactus. It matures to a shrub-like mounding form that may be 5 feet tall by 15 feet wide (1.52 by 4.57 m.). The stems or joints attach to pads and can create quite a thicket over time. The spines are both persistent and thicker – short-term glochids set in areoles. Joints are bluish-green but can develop a reddish tinge in cool weather....

What is Almond Oil? Most of us are aware of the health benefits of eating sweet almonds. Almond oil has even more health benefits than crunching on the tasty nut. Almond oil is simply the essential oil pressed out from the nut. This pure oil has been found to be rich in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, proteins, potassium, and zinc, making it not only heart healthy but good for our skin and hair....

Amur Chokecherry Information Commonly known as Amur chokecherry, Amur cherry, or Manchurian cherry, these trees provide food and nesting sites for robins, thrushes, grosbeak, woodpeckers, jays, bluebirds, catbirds, kingbirds, and grouse. In the wild, the berries are also eaten by chipmunks, squirrels, skunks, foxes, deer, bear, and moose. Chokecherries are also edible to humans and are used in jams and jellies. Amur chokecherries provide four seasons of interest in the landscape....

What is Asian Jasmine? Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) is not actually related to jasmine plants, but it does produce white to yellow, fragrant, star-shaped flowers that are similar to jasmine. It is native to Japan and Korea and is hardy in USDA zones 7b through 10, where it grows as an evergreen groundcover. If it is allowed to grow continuously through the winter, it will form a dense leafy groundcover within two years....

The terms ‘compost’ and ‘humus’ cannot be used interchangeably. So “what is the difference between humus and compost?” and “how is humus used in gardens?” you ask? Read on to get the dirt about compost vs. humus. And, just in case you are wondering why we are comparing compost to the delicacy in your kitchen right now, I also want to take a moment to clarify that humus is not the same as hummus....

What is June Drop? June drop on fruit trees refers to the tendency of different types of fruit trees to drop immature fruit in springtime, usually around May or June. Although this is sometimes called May drop, it is usually known as June fruit drop. The primary (and usually only) symptom of June fruit drop is small, immature fruit falling off trees. This can happen in apple and citrus trees and also in stone fruit like plums....

How to Attract Robins With some key information, attracting robins to the landscape is relatively simple. These birds are present throughout most of North America, which makes them easily identifiable to many people. While robins in your garden may initially be cause for concern for some vegetable gardeners, it is important to note these birds are not likely to cause much, if any, damage. What Do Robins Eat? Unlike many birds, robins do not eat seed....

Reasons a Cactus Won’t Bloom The type of cactus you grow may actually be unable to produce flowers for many decades. 50 to 100 years is not uncommon for cactus bloom times on certain varieties. If you desire ready flowering indoor cactus, choose from the following types: Mammillaria Gymnocalycium Parodia Notocactus How to Get a Cactus to Bloom When keeping cactus indoors during winter, try to locate them in the coolest spot....

When Do Clematis Bloom? There are a huge number of clematis species, all with slightly different blooming idiosyncrasies. Some clematis bloom times are in the spring, some in summer, some in autumn, and some are continuous through multiple seasons. Some clematis also have two distinct blooming periods. Even if you do plant a specific variety for its bloom time, sunlight, USDA zone, and soil quality can cause it to deviate from your expectations....

White Ash Tree Facts Growing a white ash tree is a long process. If they don’t succumb to disease, the trees can live to be 200 years old. They grow at a moderate rate of about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm.) per year. At maturity, they tend to reach between 50 and 80 feet (15 to 24 m.) in height and 40 to 50 feet (12 to 15 m....

White Mold Information Fungal diseases come in all shapes and sizes, but white mold is one of the more common varieties that affects food and flower crops. In fact, it affects more than 400 species of plants, with the broadest impact on economic crops. The symptoms of white mold can mimic many types of disease. It is not until you get up close and identify its mycelia that a confirmed diagnosis can be made....

Azaleas Turning Brown One day your azalea flowers are bright and beautiful. The next day you see brown blossoms. What could be wrong? When your azalea blooms turn brown, first look to cultural care. Azaleas are generally healthy plants if you meet their growth requirements. Too much or too little water, the wrong exposure, or soil may result in browning flowers. What do azaleas need? That depends on the type of azalea you have and there are many....

Protect Succulents From Rain The most obvious means of protecting cacti and succulents from rain is to grow them in containers with drainage holes. Container-planted specimens can then be moved to an area of protection whenever heavy or long-lasting rain is expected to fall. These plants have adapted to survive on limited water. Conditions to which they are native are often hot dry deserts. Succulent leaves have also adapted to storing water for future use....

Will Basil Die Over Winter? As previously mentioned, basil is an annual in most cases. Specifically, sweet basil, the popular variety of basil grown for use in the most sublime pesto sauces, is an annual. There are a couple of other varieties of basil that are hardier and tend towards a perennial life cycle. Generally, the end of summer or first part of fall heralds the end of season basil harvest, but is there a way to extend basil’s life at the end of the season?...