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What are Viridiflora Tulips? The name “viridiflora” is a combination of the Latin words for green and flower. It refers to the fact that all the tulips in this group have a green streak or stripe in the center of each petal. The other colors vary, but all viridiflora tulips flowers have this unique coloration of green. Dating back to the 1700’s, viridiflora tulips are also notable for the fact that their flowers bloom later in spring and that they can last up to three weeks....

Though not as popular, the creation of urban meadowlands has also gained traction among homeowners and city councils. Read on for tips on growing urban meadows. What is an Urban Meadow? Urban meadowscaping can vary greatly. In general, a meadow in the city is done in large areas which have traditionally been kept as turf. Common areas to find these meadowlands include between highways and around parking lots. To begin the conversion of the space to meadow, various types of native grasses and wildflowers are used....

Frost blankets are lightweight, easy to use, and can save the end of season harvest from a cold snap. How does a frost blanket work? The material traps heat stored in soil and keeps plants warm. A professional frost blanket for garden use also allows light to penetrate during the day, which means you can leave the blanket on day and night. What is a Frost Blanket? If you don’t have time to purchase frost cloth, also known as reemay or floating row cover, you can use lightweight sheets or other cloth in a pinch....

What is Grapevine Yellows? Several problems lead to grapevine leaves turning yellow, and some of them are reversible. This article deals with a specific group of diseases called grapevine yellows. It is fatal, but you may be able to stop it before it spreads throughout your vineyard. Tiny microorganisms called phytoplasma cause grapevine yellows. These little bacteria like creatures lack a cell wall and can only exist inside a plant cell....

What is Needle Cast Disease? Needle cast diseases cause spruce trees to “cast off” their older needles and keep only the young needles at the tips of the branches. The tree becomes unattractive and may look as though it is dying, but don’t despair. Rhizosphaera and Stigmina, the two most common needle cast diseases of spruce trees, are treatable. You can have your tree looking lush and beautiful again within a few years by following a program of needle cast treatment....

What is Southern Blight? Southern blight, southern wilt, southern stem rot, and southern root rot all refer to the same disease. It is caused by the soil borne fungus Sclerotium rolfsii. The disease attacks a wide range of vegetable crops and ornamental plants at or below the soil line. Southern blight on plants is most likely to occur in the summer months when the soil is warm and moist. Symptoms include discolored lower leaves, wilted foliage, and plant collapse and it usually results in the death of the plant....

What is Witches’ Broom Disease? Witches’ broom is a symptom of stress found in woody plants, mainly trees, but it also affects shrubs as well. This includes deciduous trees and shrubs as well as conifers and evergreen varieties. The stress results in a deformed mass of twigs and branches, which appear broom-like in appearance. As brooms were once fashioned together from bundles of twigs and since witches were presumed to be responsible for anything unusual, these abnormalities became known as witches’ brooms....

About Pansy Plant Flowering If you wonder “when do pansies bloom,” brace yourself for a long answer to a short question. Different pansies have different pansy flowering seasons in different regions. And many can last in your garden for many, many months. Pansies are known to prefer cool temperatures with thick layers of sunshine. Generally, this means that these easy-care, colorful flowers do best during winter in southern regions, throughout summer in cooler northern regions and during both spring and fall in areas in between....

When to Start Tomatoes The first thing to understand about when to start growing tomatoes is that tomatoes are warm weather plants. While many people try to plant tomatoes as early as possible, the fact of the matter is that this method will not make an earlier producing tomato and also exposes the tomato plant to unexpected late frosts, which could kill the plant. Beyond this, tomatoes will not grow in temperatures below 50 F....

How to Revive an Air Plant Why do my air plants keep dying? If your Tillandsia isn’t looking its best, especially if it’s shriveled or brown, there’s a good chance that the plant is extremely thirsty. Although misting the plant is often recommended, spritzing usually doesn’t provide enough moisture to keep the plant healthy and hydrated. If you determine that this is the case, reviving a Tillandsia means returning the plant to a healthy, well-hydrated state....

Why Force Chicory? Chicory and endive are often used interchangeably, which can lead to some confusion. This is because the forced product of Witlook chicory is also called French or Belgian endive. Endive is grown for its leaves, which are used as salad greens or are cooked while Witloof chicory is forced for chicons. Why force chicory? Well, because forcing a chicory plant begets an altogether sublime, tender, sweeter product that makes eating them an almost transcendent experience....

Bottlebrush Plant Problems When your bottlebrush plant (Callistemon) won’t bloom, your entire garden looks less joyful. Several different bottlebrush plant problems can result in a situation where bottlebrush won’t bloom. What are the most common reasons for bottlebrush not flowering? If your bottlebrush won’t bloom, it’s probably something you are doing wrong in caring for it. Light Reasons for a bottlebrush not flowering usually begin with a lack of sunshine. The first thing to consider if you notice that your bottlebrush won’t bloom is where it’s planted in your garden and if it gets enough sunshine....

Why is My Pomegranate Tree Turning Yellow? Pomegranates are trees that thrive on neglect, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely indestructible. Yellow leaves can give you hints about what might be wrong with your tree if you listen to them carefully. Watch for these common causes of yellowing leaves on pomegranates: Cooling temperatures. Do pomegranate trees lose their leaves? Even though it might not happen until later in the fall than most of your deciduous plants, pomegranates follow the same seasonal pattern as their cousins....

Can You Mow Wet Grass? Yes, you can mow wet grass, but it isn’t generally recommended. Mowing wet grass isn’t inherently bad for turf, but there are good reasons to avoid it as much as possible. One reason is that the mower wheels are more likely to slip, spin, and slide through the wet dirt, pulling up grass. Mowing over wet turf can also cause a lot of soil compaction, which isn’t ultimately good for grass....

How to Prune Yarrow Yarrow flowers will become faded and brown over the course of their growing season. You will want to deadhead these unattractive spent flowers not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to encourage further blooming. This deadheading, or yarrow trimming, is advocated because yarrow is an aggressive self-sower. Removing the spent blooms will prevent the yarrow flowers from drying out, going to seed, and spreading all over your garden....

Hibiscus Plant Varieties The name hibiscus actually covers a wide range of plant types, including both perennials and annuals, shrubs, and tropical flowering plants. Hibiscus is most often chosen by gardeners for the pretty blossoms they produce, but they are also used because certain varieties grow quickly and provide hardy greenery. Zone 7 hibiscus options generally include the hardy outdoor perennial varieties, not the annuals. Hibiscus Plants for Zone 7 If you live in zone 7, which covers parts of the Pacific Northwest and California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, northern Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and the upper portion of North Carolina, you can grow hardy perennial varieties of hibiscus in the garden....

About Zone 8 Evergreen Shrubs Zone 8 evergreen shrubs offer long-term structure and focal points for your backyard, as well as year-round color and texture. Shrubs also provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. It’s important to make careful selections. Pick evergreen shrub varieties that will grow happily and without too much maintenance in your landscape. You’ll find evergreen shrubs for zone 8 that are small, midsize, or large, as well as conifer and broad-leaf evergreens....

How Many Different Amsonias are There? Amsonia is actually the name of a genus of plants that contains 22 species. These plants are, for the most part, semi-woody perennials with a clumping growth habit and small, star-shaped flowers. Often, when gardeners refer to amsonias, they are talking about Amsonia tabernaemontana, commonly known as common bluestar, eastern bluestar, or willowleaf bluestar. This is by far the most commonly grown species. There are, however, many other types of amsonia that deserve recognition....

How is Anise Propagated? Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is an herbaceous annual grown for the licorice-flavored oil pressed from its seeds. An annual plant, anise has a grooved stem and alternate leaf growth. Upper leaves are feathery, punctuated with umbels of white flowers and an oval-shaped, haired fruit that encases a single seed. Anise propagation is accomplished by sowing the seed. Seedlings are sensitive to transplanting, so they’re best planted directly into the garden....

Can You Eat Lambsquarters? Are lambsquarters edible? Most of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, and stems, are edible. The seeds are also edible, but because they contain saponin, a natural, soap-like substance, they shouldn’t be eaten in excess. Saponins, also found in quinoa and legumes, can be irritating to the tummy if you eat too much. Also known as pigweed, wild spinach, or goosefoot, lambsquarters plants are highly nutritious, providing a fair amount of a number of vitamins and minerals, including iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, and generous amounts of vitamin A and C, to name just a few....