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About Zone 7 Deer Resistant Shrubs Even in little subdivisions on the edge of town, trees, flowers, and shrubs invite wildlife into the yard. Certain plants can be more appealing to certain animals. Birds flock to ripening berries, not caring if it’s the native shrub you planted specifically to attract birds, or your patch of strawberries. Squirrels build nests in large trees and forage for seeds and nuts in your yard and bird feeders....

What shrubs do well in full sun? There are more than a few. Here is a short list of full sun shrubs that are well worth your consideration. Full Sun Shrubs and Bushes “Full sun” is a little misleading as gardening phrases go. All day sun shrubs do not require, nor can most grow happily, in a site with 12 hours of sun a day. Rather, full sun shrubs and bushes are those that thrive with some six hours of direct sunlight most days....

However, if choosing to grow baby’s breath in the flower garden, there are some common Gypsophila diseases that may cause rapid decline in the health of the plants – problems you should be aware of. Common Problems with Baby’s Breath Baby’s breath disease issues can generally be divided into two of the most likely to occur issues– blight and rot. While these diseases of baby’s breath plants are common, prevention is often the key to avoiding the loss of plants....

Cherry Tree Problems Common cherry tree problems include rot, spot, and knot diseases. Trees can also get blight, canker, and powdery mildew. Root and crown rot diseases result from a fungus-like organism that is present in most soils. It only infects the tree if the moisture level of the soil is very high, like when the tree grows in standing water. Symptoms of rot diseases include slowed growth, discolored leaves that wilt quickly in hot weather, dieback, and sudden plant death....

Common Nut Tree Diseases Although we don’t have enough space to cover all possible nut tree diseases and nut tree disease symptoms, we’ve picked out some common nut tree diseases to highlight in order to get you started on your nut tree care adventure. As your trees grow and mature, keep your eyes open for these common problems: Anthracnose. Wet weather in late spring and early summer make anthracnose better able to survive on nut trees....

Greenery to Use in Hanging Christmas Baskets Add varying types of greenery to some of the baskets. These may be sprayed with snow or allowed to display naturally, with some adding fragrance. Evergreen boughs with cones, holly with berries, along with pine and traditional cedar boughs and branches are perfect additions to festive Christmas hanging baskets. You could also use fan clubmoss or running cedar as part of these displays for the holiday....

How to Make Mason Jar Snow Globes Making snow globes from jars is a fun, simple craft. You’ll need just a few materials, which you can find at any craft store: Mason jars (or similar – baby food jars work great for mini snow globes)Glitter or fake snowWaterproof glueGlycerinDecorative elements Glue your decorative elements to the underside of the jar’s lid. Fill the jar with water and a few drops of glycerin....

How to Clean Your House Naturally You can turn to your herb garden for some natural, safe cleansers, just don’t rely on these to thoroughly disinfect or protect your family from the flu, cold, and other viruses. For general cleaning, however, try these natural disinfectants: Lavender. Lavender oil mixed with baking soda makes a great carpet deodorizer. Sprinkle it on, let it sit a while, and then vacuum. Mint. Mint oil with lemon juice and water makes a good glass cleaner that repels pests too....

Emory’s Barrel Cactus Info Emory ferocactus grows outdoors in USDA zones 9 through 11. Even though they are hardy within these zones, plants grow best in regions with relatively little rainfall, since too much moisture can lead to root rot. Reaching heights of up to 4-8 feet (1.2-2.5 m.), these cacti thrive in desert and rock gardens. Though the plants may be able to handle an occasional light frost, it’s best that temperatures do not fall below 50 F....

What is Cytospora Canker? Cytospora cankers occur when the airborne cytospora fungus enters a tree through injuries and damage. It forms a sunken canker that spreads gradually, eventually girdling the branch and killing everything beyond the site of the canker. The diseased area may become covered with a growth of black fungus. What Causes Amber Sap on Trees? Cytospora canker is caused by the fungus Cytospora chrysosperma. The fungus enters the tree through damaged bark....

What Do Flower Types Mean? Flowering plants are one of the visual treats in the world. The sheer number of colors and forms make angiosperm one of the most diverse forms of life on our planet. All that diversity requires descriptions to help reference which species of plant is under study. There are so many flower types and inflorescences, specific categories need to be set up to discuss their unique traits....

Store-bought pumpkin puree often contains loads of sugar and preservatives. But it’s easy to make pumpkin puree from scratch, to make your own for homemade pie pumpkin cooking. Start by growing your own organic pumpkins and then follow a few short steps for home grown and homemade pumpkin pie. Varieties to Grow You will want one of the smaller pumpkins in most cases. The bigger pumpkins have stringy, often almost tasteless flesh, but the pie varieties are firmer and sweeter....

Fuchsia Sunlight Requirements Below you will find information about fuchsia sun needs based on the most common factors influencing the growth of these plants. Climate – Your fuchsia plants can tolerate more sunlight if you live in a climate with mild summers. On the flip side, fuchsias in a hot climate will likely do better in very light sunlight or even total shade. Cultivar – Not all fuchsias are created equal, and some are more sun tolerant than others....

How to Control Fungal Growth To help prevent fungal problems, use the following tips for fungus control when seed starting: Start with fresh, uncontaminated seed-starting mix. Unopened bags are sterile, but once opened, the mix comes in contact with pathogens easily. You can sterilize seed-starting mix by baking it in a 200 degree F. (93 C.) oven for 30 minutes. Warning: it will stink. Wash all containers and garden tools in a mixture of one part bleach to ten parts water....

Steps to Planting a Garden in Layers Layered garden ideas are not new concepts but have been around as long as mankind has cultivated garden spaces for pleasure and productivity. The process takes some planning and time as the garden fills in, but the effect is unique at all times of the year and takes advantage of each plant’s attributes, creating a rich artwork out of the landscape. To start creating a layered garden, consider your soil, lighting, needs, and picture the effect you wish to present....

When to Start Planting Seeds A variety of factors influence when to start seeds. Your zone, the type of plant, the last day of frost, days until maturity, and more will inform the planting time. If you want to get a jump on the garden, it is also useful to understand when to start seeds indoors. Seed packets will give you some of this information, while online tools such as freeze maps can fill in the gaps....

What is a Garden Soil Inoculant? Organic gardening soil inoculants are a type of bacteria added to the soil to “seed” the soil. In other words, a small amount of bacteria is added when using pea and bean inoculants so it can multiply and become a large amount of bacteria. The kind of bacteria used for legume inoculants is Rhizobium leguminosarum, which is a nitrogen fixing bacteria. These bacteria “infect” the legumes growing in the soil and cause the legumes to form the nitrogen fixing nodules that make peas and beans the nitrogen powerhouses they are....

Taking a closer look at June gardening tasks and creating a garden to-do list can help southwestern growers keep their crops healthy and productive throughout even the toughest portions of the summer growing season. What to Do in June June in Southwest gardens can be challenging. Many tasks for the Southwest region are directly related to irrigation and maintaining a waterwise space. Though some landscapes are xeriscaped, vegetable gardens will require careful attention....

Growing New Pothos Vines One way to make foliage grow in the pot is to clip the plant stems under a node to push growing energy to the nodes above. Let a leaf or two remain on what you’ve cut off. New pothos vines will sprout and eventually become longer shoots. If you continue the clipping process your pothos will grow more foliage from each node, but you must allow time for growth....

Plants That Bring Good Luck Whether you’re looking for lucky plants inside the home or out in the garden, there are a number of plants considered lucky that you can choose from. Lucky plants inside the house Lucky bamboo: this plant isn’t a bamboo at all but a type of Dracaena. Associated with Feng-Shui, each arrangement of this plant has a specific number of stalks, each with its own specific meaning: three means happiness, longevity and wealth; five stalks are for wealth; six will bring luck; seven good health; eight for growth; and 10 for completion....