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10 Must-Have Cottage Garden Flowers

Most plants have green leaves, so the question is: What plants have red berries? Read on for 10 great trees and shrubs with beautiful Christmas-red berries. What Plants Have Red Berries? Red berries on shrubs are more common than you might think, but not all bear fruit around the holidays. Some bloom in spring and fruit in summer, like high bush and low bush cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries; here and gone before the first frost....

About the Acerola Tree Barbados cherry, or acerola, is a large, bushy shrub or small tree that reaches mature heights of about 12 feet (3.5 m.). This attractive shrub produces thick, bright green leaves. Small, pinkish-lavender flowers bloom from spring to fall, and may pop up year round in warmer climates – usually after irrigation or a rainfall. Acerola tree blooms are followed by shiny, bright red fruit shaped much like miniature apples or tiny cherries....

About Aloe Plant Propagation Many people ask, “Can I grow an aloe plant from a leaf cutting?” You can, but the most successful method of aloe plant propagation is from offsets or “pups” with resulting plants almost immediately. Aloe vera is a succulent and as such, is related to the cactus. Cacti are fairly easy to propagate from cuttings, but aloe vera cuttings, with their high moisture content, rarely become viable plants....

Reasons an Apricot Tree Won’t Flower Apricots, like all fruit trees, have some basic requirements that must be met before they start to create blooms, and another set of requirements that keep those growing buds and blooms alive through the end of fruiting. It sounds really complicated, but it’s easier than you think to cure no flowers on apricot trees. Start with these basic questions when you’re trying to determine how to get blooms on an apricot tree: How old is your tree?...

Arborvitae grow in full sun to partial shade. Most need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Perfect for many landscapes, use them as single focal points or as part of a windbreak or privacy fence. If you need a different size or are interested in various cultivars, check out the following varieties of arborvitae. Types of Arborvitae Some types of arborvitae are globe shaped. Others are mounded, conical, pyramidal, rounded, or pendulous....

Reasons for Edges of Rose Petals Turning Black We watch excitedly as those nice big buds develop, and just when they open up, the edges of the petals go to black or a dark crispy brown. Why does this happen and what can we do about it? Frost More often than not, this condition is caused by either Jack Frost kissing the rose blooms early or late in the season. That frosty kiss creates a burn on those delicate petal edges....

Are Juniper Berries Poisonous? First, it is important to take a closer look at what we consider a juniper berry. Juniper is a conifer that occurs naturally in many parts of the world. They can be found in the forms of small sprawling shrubs, medium-sized shrubs, right up to medium-sized trees. Juniper varieties are native to North America, Europe, and Asia. Throughout history, different parts of juniper have been used in different culinary and medicinal recipes, though it is the juniper berries that are used in juniper’s most noteworthy recipes....

Artificial Lawn Installation The first thing you want is a clear, level area. Remove any existing grass or vegetation, as well as 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm.) of topsoil. Pry out any rocks you may find and remove or cap any sprinkler heads in the area. Apply a base layer of crushed stone for lasting stability. Compact and smooth your base layer with a vibrating plate or roller. Give the area a slight grade, sloping away from your house to improve drainage....

Collecting and Saving Bachelor’s Button Seeds When collecting bachelor’s button seeds, it’s important to let the flowers fade naturally on the plant. Bachelor’s buttons will produce new flowers all summer long if you cut the old ones, so it’s a good idea to harvest the seeds toward the end of the growing season. When one of your flowers heads has faded and dried up, cut it off of the stalk. You won’t see the seeds right away because they’re actually inside the flower....

Why Remove Fruit Salad Tree Fruit? The breeding programs for fruit trees are so advanced that you can now have a wide variety of fruits on the same tree. In the first few years, you should thin fruit on a fruit salad tree to avoid stressing young limbs. Fruit salad tree thinning will allow the plant to spend more energy on developing strong limbs and a good scaffold that will support future crops....

The opened flowers resemble those of bellflowers, their kissing cousin. While most often deep blue or purple, white and pink varieties are also available. Depending where you are, the balloon flower may also be known as Chinese or Japanese bellflower. Growing Balloon Flowers The balloon plant is easy to grow and hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 8. It will thrive in sun or partial shade. It likes well-drained, slightly acidic soil; and although the balloon flower plant will tolerate dry conditions, it prefers (and needs) plenty of moisture....

What are Beneficial Nematodes? Members of the Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae families, beneficial nematodes for gardening purposes, are colorless roundworms which are non-segmented, elongated in shape, and usually microscopic and commonly found living within the soil. Entomopathogenic nematodes, or beneficial nematodes, can be used to control soil borne insect pests but are useless for control of pests found in the leaf canopy. Beneficial nematodes for gardening insect control may be used to squash pests such as:...

About Ornamental Grasses Ornamental grasses may be native, hybrid, suited for sun or shade, vary in height from low to incredibly tall, and come in a variety of colors and textures. Ornamental grasses are also one of the few plants that can be incorporated into the landscape that give almost year-round interest to the garden. Ornamental grasses are categorized as either warm or cool season. Their active growth period will tell you if a grass is cool or warm season....

Using Blue Star Creeper as a Lawn Blue star creeper ground cover (Isotoma fluviatilis) is a no-fuss plant that works well as a lawn substitute. It is also more than happy to fill in gaps between stepping stones, under shrubbery, or over your spring-blooming bulbs. At a height of only 3 inches (7.5 cm.), blue star creeper lawns require no mowing. The plant withstands heavy foot traffic and tolerates full sun, partial shade, or full shade....

Researching these plant types will help you better determine whether or not they will be well suited for growth in your region. Blue witches’ hat (recently changed to Coleus livingstonei), for example, also known as hedgehog sage plant, offers its growers saturated blue blooms that are beloved by pollinators. However, it does require specific conditions for growth. About Blue Witches’ Hat Plants Blue witches’ hat plants, formerly found under the nomenclature of Pycnostachys urticifolia, are native to regions of South Africa where they are frequently found near wetlands and along the banks of waterways....

Tomato Botryosporium Mold Info What is botryosporium mold? Botryosporium mold is a problem affecting tomato plants that is caused by the botryosporium fungus. There are actually two different fungi that can cause the issue: Botryosporium pulchrum and Botryosporium longibrachiatum. These two fungi can affect a wide range of plants. On tomato plants, botryosporium mold manifests itself as a thick collection of white to gray conidiophores, or thin filaments attached to the leaves and stems....

If you are planting new boxwoods, consider varieties that are mite resistant. For example, Japanese boxwood is less susceptible to boxwood spider mites than European and American varieties. If your beloved boxwoods are already infested, read on for tips on boxwood mite damage and boxwood mite control. What are Boxwood Bud Mites? What are boxwood bud mites? They are tiny insects that eat away on the bottom of boxwood leaves....

This showy evergreen ground cover is native to the Pacific northwest and is particularly at home in moist soil and in shaded locations. If you live in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 through 7, you can enjoy the attractive bunchberry ground cover as it draws birds, deer, and other wildlife to the area. Some people even eat the berries, which are said to taste a bit like apples. How to Grow Bunchberry Although bunchberry prefers shade, it will tolerate some light morning sun....

Butterfly Bush Problems Butterfly bushes are truly tough plants and grow well under a variety of conditions. In fact, they grow so well and spread so easily that, in some locations, they are considered invasive. Generally, you’ll experience few problems with butterfly bushes, as long as they are planted correctly. If you find that your bush is not flowering, for example, it probably is not getting enough sunlight. They absolutely must have full sun if you want maximum flowering....