Gravel Bed Garden Design Your gravel bed can be any shape and as large or small as you need. The secret to beautiful plants growing in the gravel bed is plant choice and soil preparation. Drought resistant plants are perfect for this type of bed. Once the gravel top cover is in place, you likely won’t disturb it. Use a border. This helps define the area and keeps the gravel in place....
About Geranium Houseplants Before we take a look at indoor geranium care, it’s worth mentioning that there are many different varieties of geraniums. The most common variety that is seen everywhere is the zonal geranium. These flower in a variety of colors including white, red, pink, salmon, lavender, and others. Another variety of geranium are the ivy leaf geraniums. These have waxier leaves and are trailing in habit and also flower in a variety of colors....
Hostas make a lovely shade garden plant but there is no reason that these hardy and versatile foliage plants need to remain tucked away in your shade garden. Hostas will also thrive in containers and look wonderful accenting a shady patio or porch. Also, if you have serious trouble with slugs in your garden, container gardening with your hostas may be the answer. How to Plant Hosta Plants in Containers To plant your hostas in containers: Remember that hostas in containers need water regularly....
While true orange cacti are hard to come by, you can achieve the same effect with various “orange” cactus varieties such as moon cactus or cactus that has orange flowers. Read on for more specific ideas. Types of Orange Cactus Moon cactus isn’t actually a true orange cactus, but in fact, a regular green, columnar cactus with a colorful, ball-shaped cactus grafted on top. This collectible little plant, also known as Hibotan or ball cactus, is often grown on sunny windowsills....
Planting smoke trees is easy enough. These trees make a great landscaping addition to most front yards. A lot of people prefer to use them as accent trees similar to the Japanese maple. When the smoke tree blooms, it makes a great accent. Planting smoke trees throughout the border of your yard is another excellent idea for a pretty border that separates your yard from your neighbor’s that both you and your neighbor will enjoy....
Benefits of an Arched Tomato Trellis Many gardeners are aware growing tomatoes directly on the ground exposes the fruit to damp soil, animals, and insects. Not only are the tomatoes dirtier, but they are often damaged by hungry critters. In addition, it’s easy to overlook ripe tomatoes hidden by foliage or, worse yet, step on the fruit as you try to maneuver around the garden. Staking or caging tomatoes reduces these problems, but growing tomatoes on an arch has greater benefits....
Growing Winter Savory Indoors Savory has a slightly peppery taste followed by notes of thyme. It works well in a host of recipes, adding that little something that makes guests ask, “what’s your secret?” In order to have a constant supply of the tasty leaves, keeping winter savory inside will guarantee a steady source. You can grow winter savory from seed, cuttings, or division. If you want to start a young plant indoors, use good potting soil....
About Hardiness Growing Zones in Iowa If you are looking for the growing zones in Iowa, you will need to refer to the USDA plant hardiness zone map. The USDA hardiness map above, for Iowa growing zones, can help you determine what planting zone you live in. You can find growing zones in Iowa by looking at the map above and locating the general area in which you live. Then you can compare the color of your planting zone to those found in the legend to the right of the Iowa plant zones map....
What is a Hackberry Tree? A hackberry is a medium sized tree indigenous to North Dakota but able to survive throughout most of the United States. Hackberry is an easy to identify member of the Elm family, though it belongs to a different genus (Celtis occidentalis). It has a distinctive warty bark surface sometimes described as stucco-like. It has 2 to 5-inch (5-13 cm.) long, alternate leaves with unequal bases and tapered ends....
Choosing Native Hardy Ornamental Grass Plants Ornamental grasses offer movement, dimension, foliage appeal, and interesting inflorescences to perk up the landscape. They are also usually easy to care for and have minimal maintenance once you find the right species. Ornamental grass varieties in zone 5 should be “cool season grasses,” able to withstand some of the most extreme growing conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. Many are hardy down to USDA hardiness zones 3 to 4 with amazing tolerance of cold winters and unmatched beauty in short, hot summers....
Savory Uses after Harvesting With its peppery taste and spicy aroma, it’s no wonder that savory has found its way into a plethora of dishes. Bean dishes are often associated with savory, and it is often combined with other herbs such as those comprising Herbes de Provence, a classic French combination of herbs. Savory is also said to have an aphrodisiac effect and is useful as an antiseptic and as tonic for digestive ailments....
Breadfruit Growing Preferences The tropical fruit known as breadfruit is native to New Guinea but has been widely distributed to many tropical regions, especially the Pacific islands. There are hundreds of varieties, each with attributes preferred in certain regions. The plant is suited for areas where temperatures of at least 60 degrees F. (16 C.) occur but fruits best where at least 70 degrees F. (21 C.). For gardeners that have trouble growing breadfruit, it is first important to examine the conditions in which they grow....
Hellebore Black Death Info Hellebore Black Death is a serious disease that was first observed by hellebore growers in the early 1990’s. Since this disease is relatively new and its symptoms are similar to other hellebore illnesses, plant pathologists are still studying its exact cause. However, it is believed by most to be caused by a Carlavirus — tentatively called Helleborus net necrosis virus or HeNNV. It is also believed that the virus is spread by aphids and/or whiteflies....
Symptoms of Fusarium Wilt in Okra Okra with fusarium wilt disease causes a noticeable yellowing and wilting, often showing up on older, lower leaves first. However, wilt may occur on a single branch or an upper branch, or it may be limited to one side of the plant. As the fungus spreads, more leaves become yellow, frequently drying up, and dropping from the plant. Fusarium wilt disease is most troublesome when temperatures are between 78 and 90 degrees F....
Japanese Honeysuckle Weed Info Japanese honeysuckle was introduced in the U.S. as a ground cover in 1806. Birds loved them and spread the vines by eating the seeds and transporting them to other areas. By the early 1900’s, it was clear that the vine could spread rampantly in both open fields and forests, crowding and shading out native species. Freezing winter temperatures keep the vines in check in cold, northern climates, but in southern and Midwestern states, managing honeysuckle weeds is a never-ending problem....
Continued exposure to high temperatures can cause leaf scorch, leaf drop, and even leaf sunburn. In addition, high temperatures interfere with photosynthesis and can cause a buildup of toxins in plants. Plants that are stressed because of the heat may develop misshapen or bitter fruit. Gardeners need to know how to protect vegetables in hot weather in order to avoid irreversible damage. Protecting Plants in Scorching Temps One of the most popular ways of protecting plants in the summer heat is by using a shade cloth for gardens....
Wheat Harvesting at Home Harvesting wheat from your home garden can seem like a daunting task. After all, farmers use a large piece of equipment called a combine to bring this crop in from the fields. But for 10,000 years, humans have harvested wheat using a sickle to cut the plants and a flail to thresh the grain. Don’t worry if you don’t have access to these ancient tools. A sharp pair of scissors, large kitchen knife or hedge shears can be used to cut wheat....
Sedum Dendroideum These can grow to three feet (.9 m.) in height in the right container and spread to three to four feet (.9 to 1.2 m.) across. While many Stonecrop varieties are hardy in cold temperatures, the Dendroideum and Frutescens need to avoid temperatures that drop to frost (42°F or 0° C). Otherwise, you can grow these outside in the full sun with filtered sun being preferred. Plant them in areas with poor or sandy soil where nothing else tends to do well....
The Benefits of Growing Plants in Bags of Potting Soil It’s a unique idea to grow plants right in the bags of potting soil you get from your local garden center, but there is also a lot of sense behind it. These are some of the reasons to try it and the benefits of growing plants this way: Better soil. One of the best reasons to consider this type of growing is that you get purely high-quality soil for your plants....
Wassailing referred to the delightful practice of downing some warm cider, usually prior to setting off caroling in the winter cold. It was most common in regions where cider apples grew, due to the availability of the beverage’s key ingredient. It all started well before Christmas existed and was a part of the Yuletide celebration, which fell around January 5th or 6th. What is Wassail? A traditional wassail recipe featured mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and sugar....
