Every year there are new releases of hybrids and specialized bedding plants. Many are award winning performers, while others are simply new plays on the old species. Choosing good plants for flower beds relies upon knowing your zone, soil type, and sun exposure. There truly is something for everybody in the annual plant selection. Fun New Releases in Bedding Plants The name “bedding plants” is not a botanical moniker, but simply refers to the way in which they are commercially grown....

About Begonias with Botrytis Botrytis of begonia is also known as botrytis blight. It is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea and is most likely to appear when temperatures dip and moisture levels rise. Begonias with botrytis blight decline rapidly. Tan spots and sometimes water-soaked lesions appear on the foliage and stems of the plant. Cuttings rot at the stem. Established begonia plants rot as well, starting in the crown. Look for dusty gray fungal growth on infected tissue....

Identification of Black Medic Weed Black medic (Medicago lupulina) is considered an annual clover (but is not part of the clover genus). It has the teardrop-shaped leaves that are often found on clovers but, unlike other clovers, has yellow flowers. It is normally an annual, but in some warmer areas it can survive for several years before dying. Like many clovers, the leaves grow in groups of three and are oval shaped....

Care of Blueberries in Winter Specific care of blueberries in winter is usually not necessary, as fully dormant blueberry plants are generally very cold hardy, and rarely suffer any severe blueberry winter damage. There’s the caveat, however, the plants must be fully dormant and Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate and allow the gradual cold hardening necessary to prevent potential winter damage of blueberry plants. Also, a sudden return to warm temps after a period of cold, especially in warmer climates, can cause injury to the berries if they begin to bloom early followed by a sudden cold snap....

Luckily, moving flower bulbs may be a simple solution to this problem. Should You Move Bulbs? Once planted, many bulbs do not need to be moved. However, in some cases, it will become necessary for bulbs to be transplanted. Moving flower bulbs is most often needed when a plant becomes too dense. As bulbs multiply throughout the years, the space needed for adequate root growth of the bulbs diminishes. One important sign of dense plantings is the lack or decreased number of flowers produced during the bloom period....

About Burlap Wind Protection Breakage isn’t the only issue in high wind areas. Wind burn is a common problem where plants have been roughly treated by intense wind and physical damage as well as moisture loss occurs. Want to learn how to make burlap windscreens? This step-by-step tutorial will help you make quick burlap wind protection to save your plants without breaking your bank. Many trees and shrubs can stand up to a little wind and not withstand any injury....

How to Grow a Coleus Houseplant Growing coleus plants indoors isn’t at all difficult but does require a few basic needs when it comes to light and temperature. Coleus likes bright light, but be careful of intense sunlight. Look for a spot where the plant gets bright, morning sunlight but indirect light during the afternoon. You may need to supplement available light with artificial lights during the winter. Watch the plant closely....

Carolina Moonseed Info The Carolina moonseed has several common names, including Carolina snailseed, red-berried moonseed, or Carolina coral bead. Except for the latter, these names are derived from the berry’s single distinctive seed. When removed from ripened fruit, moonseeds resemble the crescent shape of a three-quarter moon and is reminiscent of the conical shape of a seashell. The natural range of the Carolina moonseed vine runs from Southeastern U.S. states through Texas and northward into the southern states of the Midwest....

Growing Beer Ingredients in Planters: Hops Hops require a large container, so the roots have room to spread. Look for one with a diameter of at least 20 inches (51 cm.). Plan on one rhizome per container. You’ll also need some type of adjustable trellis to accommodate the vines as they grow. You can easily make a trellis with wooden stakes and twine. (Technically, hops produce “bines,” which attach themselves to a trellis with suckers and tendrils)....

Do Crabapple Trees Produce Fruit? Crabapple trees are great ornamental choices for a variety of settings, and most are hardy across a wide climate range. Most people choose crabapples for their smaller size and for the pretty white or pink flowers that they produce in spring. Of secondary consideration is the fruit on a crabapple tree, but most will produce them. By definition, a crabapple is 2 inches (5 cm.) or less in dimeter, while anything larger is just an apple....

Hardy Crepe Myrtles If you ask about hardiness zones for growing crepe myrtle trees, you’ll probably learn that these plants thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 and above. They can even suffer cold damage in zone 7. What’s a zone 6 gardener to do? You’ll be happy to learn that some new, hardy crepe myrtles have been developed. So will crepe myrtle grow in zone 6 now? The answer is: sometimes....

How to Dry Peanut Plants Peanut curing in gardens doesn’t occur directly but only after harvesting. Peanuts, also known as goobers, goober peas, ground peas, ground nuts, and earth nuts, are legumes that uniquely flower above ground but fruit under the soil. Peanuts are categorized by either nut variety (Spanish or Virginia) or by their growth habitat — either runner or bunch. Virginia peanuts are the type found at baseball parks around the country with one or two large kernels per peanut pod....

What is Deep Mulch Gardening? Gardener and author Ruth Stout first laid out the concept of deep mulch gardening in her 1950’s book “Gardening without the Work: for the Aging, the Busy, and the Indolent.” In short, Ruth’s method used layers of mulch to choke out weeds, retain soil moisture, and add organic matter and nutrients to the garden bed. She described a method of growing garden plants right in deep layers of straw, hay, wood chips, compost, manure, leaves, or other organic materials rather than growing plants in the conventional finely tilled soil garden beds....

What is Yarrow? Yarrow is a low-growing plant that produces flower stalks four times its foliage height. The plant is recognized by the feathery, almost fern-like, green foliage. Each leaf is between 1 and 6 inches (2.5-15 cm.) long. Each plant can produce several flower stalks covered by fine hairs. Flower heads are borne in corymbs or umbrella shaped clusters. Each flower has five colored flowers surrounding 10 to 20 pale yellow florets....

However, after heavy storms, you may see a significant buildup of snow bending over evergreen branches. It can be quite dramatic, with branches nearly touching the ground or bent back half way. This may alarm you. Has the snow and ice caused winter damage to evergreens? Read on to learn more about evergreen snow damage. Repairing Snow Damage to Evergreen Shrubs and Trees Every year trees and shrubs damaged by snow break off or become misshapen....

About African Baobab Trees Native to the African Savannah, baobabs are best suited to warm climates. The trees are also grown in Australia and sometimes in large, open estates and parks in Florida and parts of the Caribbean. The tree’s overall appearance is unusual. The trunk, which can be 30 feet (9 m.) in diameter, contains a soft wood that is often attacked by a fungus and hollows out. Once hollow, the tree can be used as a meeting place or dwelling....

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....

Can I Give a Tree as a Wedding Present? It’s not a typical present, but that doesn’t mean that trees as wedding gifts can’t be done. A quick search online will turn up a number of nurseries that ship trees around the country and that will even gift wrap them and include a special message. If you’re worried that it might be rude to go off the registry for a gift, get something less expensive from the couple’s gift registry and also send them a smaller, less expensive tree....

When to Harvest Gooseberry Plants In order to determine when to begin picking gooseberries, it’s a good idea to know how you are going to utilize them. Why is that? Well, the great news is that you can harvest gooseberries that are not fully ripe. No, they don’t continue to ripen but if you are going to use them for preserves, they actually work better when they are unripe, firm, and slightly bitter....

Several types flower profusely from the rounded domes, as does the Krainz crown cactus. It is one of the earliest to bloom and has a continuous flowering cycle, making them long-lasting. Blooms are brightly colored in oranges and yellows. Growing a Crown Cactus If you grow crown cacti or are thinking of getting one, you may have questions about the care of crown cactus plants. One point that stands out from crown cactus info is the strict need for yearly repotting during the first few years....