What are Self-Watering Containers? You can find self-watering containers in every size and shape imaginable, from large planters to small houseplant containers to window boxes. A self-watering container includes two chambers: one for the potting mix and plants and a second, typically underneath the first, which holds the water. The two chambers are separated by a screen or a piece of perforated plastic. Water wicks up from below into the potting mix, keeping the moisture level almost constant as long as the water reservoir is filled whenever it runs low....

What is American Wisteria? Using native plants in the garden is a smart choice. This is because native plants are uniquely adapted to the region and require less specialized care. They also won’t harm the wild flora if they happen to escape cultivation. American wisteria is one such indigenous plant. What is American wisteria? It is a friendly local vine with gregarious blue-flowered charm and might be perfect in your garden....

What is Myrtle Spurge? So exactly what is myrtle spurge? It is a species of spurge plant that is a succulent. It also has been called creeping spurge or donkey tail. The myrtle spurge bears yellow flowers, but they are not showy and can be hidden by the bracts. You’ll spot the blue-green succulent style foliage arranged in spirals around the stems. Myrtle spurge plants are native to the Mediterranean, so it’s no surprise that they like sunny locations and well-drained soil....

What is Xylella? Xylella leaf scorch is a bacterial disease caused by the pathogen Xylella fastidiosa. This bacteria is believed to spread by insect vectors, such as leafhoppers. It can also be spread from grafting with infected plant tissues or tools. Xylella fastidiosa can infect hundreds of host plants, including: Oak Elm Mulberry Sweetgum Cherry Sycamore Maple Dogwood In different species, it causes different symptoms, earning it different common names. When xylella infects oak trees, for instance, it is called oak bacterial leaf scorch because the disease causes the leaves to look as if they’ve been burned or scorched....

Winter Pruning for Shrubs While all deciduous plants go dormant in winter, not all of them should be pruned in winter. The appropriate time to trim these shrubs depends on a plant’s growth habit, when they flower, and whether it is in good shape. Healthy spring-flowering shrubs should be pruned back immediately after the blooms fade so that they can set buds for the following year. However, if they are overgrown and require a severe rejuvenation pruning, go ahead with cutting back plants in winter....

Reasons a Cactus Won’t Bloom The type of cactus you grow may actually be unable to produce flowers for many decades. 50 to 100 years is not uncommon for cactus bloom times on certain varieties. If you desire ready flowering indoor cactus, choose from the following types: Mammillaria Gymnocalycium Parodia Notocactus How to Get a Cactus to Bloom When keeping cactus indoors during winter, try to locate them in the coolest spot....

About Ornamental Poppy Plants Hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9, oriental poppies are herbaceous perennials that bloom in spring and early summer. They have bluish green foliage that is hairy, thistle-like, and sometimes silvery. They grow quite tall, up to 3 feet (1 m.), and produce large, papery flowers, typically reddish orange, but sometimes pink, white, or even bi-colored. The oriental poppy is fairly easy to grow and does not often suffer from pests or diseases....

Best Vegetables for Cold Climates Here are some suitable vegetables for zone 4 gardening: Swiss chard is an attractive vegetable with shiny, arrow-shaped leaves. This plant isn’t only nutritious and delicious, but it can tolerate temps as lows as 15 degrees F. (-9 C.). Leeks are remarkably cold hardy vegetables and darker varieties are even more cold tolerant than pale green leeks. Carrots are one of the best vegetables for zone 4 because the flavor gets sweeter in cooler temperatures....

Hardy Palm Trees If you live in zone 6, your winter temperatures dip down to zero and sometimes even to -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 C.). This is not generally considered palm tree territory, but zone 6 palm trees can happen. You’ll find hardy palm trees in commerce. Some of the hardiest available include: Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis) Mediterranean fan palms (Chamaerops humilis) Windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei)...

What is Acacia Honey? Acacia honey is usually colorless, although occasionally it has a tint of lemon yellow or yellow/green to it. Why is it so sought after? It is sought after because the nectar of the blossoms that produce acacia honey do not always produce a crop of honey. So where does acacia honey come from? If you know a bit about trees and geography, then you may be thinking that acacia honey comes from acacia trees, natives of sub-tropical to tropical regions of the world, particularly Australia....

Why Use Compost as Soil Amendment? Mixing compost with soil is a win-win for the garden. Amending soil with compost provides numerous benefits and is a natural way to enhance soil health. However, using too much compost as soil amendment can cause certain problems, especially with specific plants. Learn how to add compost to soil at the correct ratio to optimize the advantages of this common soil amendment. Mixing compost with soil provides nutrients for plants today but also enhances soil for future years....

What is Amethyst Basil? There is something about the pairing of a fresh, vine ripe tomato and basil. Use Amethyst basil and you have a powerful color combination as well. What is Amethyst basil? Amethyst basil info lists it as having the same flavor as a regular sweet basil but the color precludes it from being used cooked or in pesto. Use it fresh to retain the beautiful color. The best Genovese basil is said to grow in Italy, but you can grow this Amethyst variety in USDA zones 9-11 year round, or as an annual elsewhere....

Andromeda Plant Info Japanese andromeda is an evergreen shrub with many uses in the landscape. Use it in shrub groupings or as a foundation plant, or let it stand alone as a specimen plant that few other shrubs can rival. The plant is a bit fussy about soil and light exposure, but if azaleas and camellias do well in the area, Japanese andromeda will probably thrive too. Here are some noteworthy cultivars:...

Are Aster Plants Invasive? Asters that spread aggressively include hoary aster (Dieteria canescens), a low-growing aster that has invaded certain areas in the western United States. While the plant isn’t on the federal invasive and noxious plant list, it is considered to be a problematic plant that easily becomes weedy in dry areas, including pine forests, chaparrals, and deserts. White wood aster (Eurybia divaricate, formerly Aster divaricatus) is a rambunctious plant that spreads by underground rhizomes....

Atlantic White Cedar Information At one time, Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) was found growing profusely in swampy areas and bogs of eastern North America, primarily from Long Island to Mississippi and Florida. Atlantic white cedar was widely used by early settlers, and the light, close-grained wood was valuable for ship building. The wood was also used for cabins, fence posts, piers, shingles, furniture, buckets, barrels, and even duck decoys and organ pipes....

Baby Blue Eyes Plant Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii) is a low spreading, shrub-like plant that has succulent stems and flowers with six curved blue petals. Baby blue eyes may get 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) high and over a foot (31 cm.) wide. The blue flowers have a romantic, soft hue that shows well with other pastel flowers as part of a native wildflower garden. You can expect baby blue eyes flowers in late winter where temperatures are moderate and the plant blooms until late spring to early summer....

Signs of Yellow Dwarf Virus of Barley Crops Symptoms of barley yellow dwarf virus vary depending on the crop, but the primary signs of disease are stunted growth and discoloration. Older leaves of wheat plants may turn yellow or red, while corn turns purple, red, or yellow. Diseased rice plants turn orange or yellow, and barley with yellow dwarf becomes a distinctive shade of bright, golden yellow. Yellow dwarf virus of barley can also cause water-soaked areas on the leaves....

What are Budworms? Budworms are moth caterpillars that chew their way into the tightly coiled buds of flowers and slowly eat them from the inside out. Budworm caterpillars start life as tiny larvae that measure less than 1/16 inch (1.5 ml.) long, but grow up to 2 inches (5 cm.) over the course of the summer. These larvae start out cream colored with brown heads and light colored stripes, but mature into colors ranging from green to rust to black....

What is a Bur Oak? Bur oaks, also called mossycup oak, are decidedly impressive oak trees native to North America. They grow in the wild in central and eastern sections of the continent. The common names come from a mossy scale, or bur, on the acorn cup rim. Bur Oak Information Bur oak trees are medium to large sized trees. They are deciduous members of the white oak group and grow to heights between 60 and 150 feet tall (18-46 m....

Clove Tree Information The clove tree is native to Indonesia, but clove tree information suggests that it has naturalized in many warm countries. These include Mexico, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. The plant has been cultivated since 200 B.C. to produce cloves. The most important clove tree use is, of course, the plant’s aromatic dried buds, or cloves. The name cloves comes from Latin “clavus,” meaning nail, as cloves often look like small nails....