What is a Mickey Mouse Plant? Mickey Mouse plant, native to subtropical southern Africa, is also known as carnival bush, Mickey Mouse bush, or small-leaved plane. The plant is a small, semi-evergreen shrub that reaches mature heights of 3 to 8 feet (1-2 m.). The plant loses its shiny green leaves in spring, but they are soon replaced with new, pink-flushed foliage. Sweet-smelling yellow blooms form at the tips of the branches in spring....
Mountain Mint Information Mountain mint, a group of about 20 plants in the Pycnanthemum genus, is native to the southeastern U.S. They are perennials and bloom from about July through September. Mountain mint grows in clumps up to about two to three feet (0.6 to 1 m.) tall. It grows densely with dark green leaves that have a strong spearmint aroma. The plants produce a profusion of pretty, tubular flowers in white or pink....
Why is My Cherry Tree Leaking Sap? Sap oozing from cherry trees can be brought on by a few different things. It’s so common in fruit trees, in fact, that it has its own name: gummosis. One very obvious cause is injury. Have you used the weed whacker a little too close to the trunk recently? If the tree looks otherwise healthy, but it’s leaking sap from a single fresh looking wound, it’s probably just been nicked by something metal....
Help, My Dill Plant is Flowering! So you say, “My dill plant is flowering.” This may be a good thing or a bad thing depending upon which part of the plant you use most often. Hot weather will enhance bud formation and cause the plant to bolt, or flower. The flower signals the end of the plant’s life and the cessation of foliage production. It really depends which part you use the most when flowering in dill plants initiates....
About Nectarine ‘Arctic Rose’ Has it ever occurred to you that a nectarine tastes like a peach without fuzz? Well that hunch was right. Genetically, the fruits are identical, although individual cultivars may look or taste different. Nectarine ‘Arctic Rose’ (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) is one cultivar that both looks and tastes different from other peaches and nectarines. What is an Arctic Rose nectarine? It is a freestone fruit with white flesh....
What is Zoysia Grass? Zoysia is a rhizomatous, warm-season grass that holds up well to a myriad of conditions, including foot traffic. In fact, with its tough stems and leaves, zoysia grass has the uncanny ability to heal itself quite effectively when trod upon. Although zoysia generally thrives in full sun, it can tolerate shade. Zoysia grass has the ability to remain alive in conditions that most other grasses would perish in....
About Annuals Perennials are long lasting and give year after year, but annuals will always be a favorite in the garden of those who love flowers. Annuals are quick growing with brilliant color, versatile, often less expensive, and adaptable for planting over waning spring blooming bulbs. Low maintenance annuals come in an array of hues, textures, sizes, and sun exposures. Some like full sun while others thrive in shade to part shade....
Oats Loose Smut Info Loose smut of oats is caused by the fungus Ustilago avenae. You are likely to find this disease almost everywhere oats are grown. Related species of Ustilago attack barley, wheat, corn, and other cereal grasses. The term “smut” is a descriptive one, referencing the appearance of the black spores typical of oats with loose smut. According to oats loose smut information, the fungal spores enter and infect the oat seed kernels....
Facts About Opium Poppy Laws The Poppy Control Act of 1942 was repealed in the 70’s, but it is still illegal to grow poppies from which narcotics can be made. I know they are gorgeous and it seems a shame. In fact, there are many varieties that are offered in gardening catalogs. That is because it isn’t illegal to sell or purchase seeds. They have a minimal amount of the opiate....
Smart Seed Storage Does a baggie full of seed packets in your crisper drawer sound familiar? Such seed storage may be fine, but it doesn’t allow easy viewing of varieties, dates, and planting times. Organizing and storing seeds is an important step for avid gardeners. There are many space-saving ways to organize seed, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. Most seeds need to be saved in a dark, dry, and cool location....
Ornamental grass propagation is easiest with this method but some produce well with seed. Some notes on how to propagate ornamental grass will get you on your way to more free plants and a tumult of waving blades and gentle landscape movement. Ornamental Grass Propagation I have a little area I call my “Pointy Garden”. This is where all my ornamental grasses reside and provide an effective border and xeriscape ease....
While beautiful, highly scented flowers and plants are a pleasure to behold, vegetable gardens are a more obvious way we are able to celebrate taste. There are several plants that have unique textures; however, our perception of touch is often overlooked. One way landscapers are utilizing this sense in garden planning is through the creation of sensory garden walkways. Sensory Walkway Ideas Outdoor sensory paths can be beneficial for many reasons....
Pests and the Painted Daisy Plant Painted daisy perennials, Tanacetum coccineum or Pyrethrum roseum, repel many bad bugs and browsing animals that are prone to munching on your valuable plants. Repellant properties are so beneficial that petals of the white variety are dried and used in the organic insecticide Pyrethrum. Growing painted daisies in select areas of the garden can deter pests from surrounding plants. Pests and the painted daisy plant don’t normally exist in the same area, although young plants may occasionally be bothered by aphids or leaf miners....
What is Frizzle Top? What is frizzle top? It is a disease of palm trees, which is caused by manganese deficiency. Frizzle top on palm trees is most common on Queen and Royal palms, but other species, including sagos, may also be affected. Coconut palms exhibit problems after periods of cold. Cold temperatures minimize the effectiveness of roots to draw manganese into the tree’s vascular system. Early diagnosis will enhance frizzle top treatment to preserve the plant’s health....
While some plants take up a lot of room in the garden, lettuce takes very little space and can be grown in the cool temperatures of spring, fall, and even winter in some regions when very few other garden veggies are growing. You can also plant different varieties of lettuce in succession for a longer season of harvesting fresh leaves and heads. One excellent lettuce to try in the garden for a long harvest is Parris Island cos lettuce....
Why Use Permaculture? Permaculture gardens serve many functions. Rather than limit the garden to only one use, permaculture gardens employ a variety of uses. A permaculture garden provides food and medicinal crops, wildlife habitats, crafting materials, an attractive appearance, and a private, relaxing atmosphere throughout every season. These types of gardens produce food by using a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers. Flowers are not only grown for their edible or medicinal properties but also for use as cut flowers for beautiful bouquets or dried out for additional longer-lasting displays, and numerous plant materials are used for crafts as well....
Pickerel rush care is easy and the tenacious plant is an unusual addition to riparian zones and along home ponds. Few tips are necessary to learn how to grow pickerel rush, but this semi-aquatic plant is worth a try if you plant it in a submerged pot to prevent unwanted spreading. About Pickerelweed Plants Pickerelweed plants are rushes that are closely related to grasses. The plants are in the family Pontederia, named after an 18th century botany professor....
Pine Fines Information Sometimes overlooked, the quality of the soil within a garden is one of the most important keys to success. Depending upon where you live, soil may require certain adjustments in order to create the ideal conditions for plant growth. As you can imagine, the process of amending large garden areas can become quite costly. In fact, this is the reason that some gardeners choose to build and grow in raised bed planters or containers....
Log Planters for Gardens In nature, storms, old-age, and many other things can cause trees or large tree branches to fall. Shortly after these logs fall to the forest floor, they’ll become inhabited by insects, mosses, fungi, vascular plants, and maybe even small mammals. One fallen tree limb can quickly become a beautiful, little, natural ecosystem of its own. Planting flowers in logs adds an excellent, rustic flare to many garden designs....
Ornamental Grass for Cold Climates Ornamental grasses are usually divided into two categories: cool-season grasses or warm-season grasses. Cool-season grasses sprout up quickly in spring, bloom in early summer, may go dormant in the heat of mid-late summer, and then grow again when temperatures cool in early autumn. Warm-season grasses can be slow growing in spring but really take off in the heat of mid-late summer and bloom in late summer and fall....
