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Zone 9 Evergreen Shrubs Emerald green arborvitae (Thuja accidentalis) – This evergreen grows 12 to 14 feet (3.5 to 4 m.) and prefers areas having full sun with well-drained soil. Note: Dwarf varieties of arborvitae are available. Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea) – This plant reaches heights varying from 1 to 20 feet (30.5 cm. to 6 m.). Plant in full sun or partial shade in areas having moist, rich, well-drained soil. Note: Bamboo palm is often grown indoors....

Succulent plants are low maintenance and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The Fan Aloe vera plant is technically known as Aloe plicatilis, but is often lumped into the aloe vera category. It has plump leaves like aloe vera, but they are much longer and arranged in a fan shape. This Cape native can get quite large but in a container, it will stay smaller. A fan aloe houseplant will still become a small tree as it matures....

Elderberry Fertilizer Info While elderberries are generally grown for the tasty berry, they are weather hardy (to USDA plant hardiness zone 4) and have aromatic flower clusters which render the plant suitable to grow as an ornamental. Fertilizing elderberries will ensure a healthy shrub and plump, abundant berry production. The berries are rich in vitamin C and contain more phosphorus and potassium than any other temperate fruit crop. As with most fruiting plants, elderberries need well-drained soil with a pH between 5....

Hops Fertilizer Guide Hops fertilizer requirements include the macronutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Other trace minerals are necessary for growth as well, such as boron, iron, and manganese. The correct nutrients should be in the soil prior to planting, but they must on occasion be replenished or supplemented during the growing season as the hops utilize the food to grow and produce. Run a soil test on the area where the hops will be growing if you are not going to use standard application rates of fertilizer....

About Fothergilla Shrubs The flowers that grow on this shrub are white and showy with a delicious fragrance. They have abundant blooms in spring, summer, and fall. In the spring, the blooms are eye-catching and plentiful. In the summer, there is full foliage with the ivory-white flowers. In the fall, they show vibrant, fiery colors of purple, red, yellow, and orange. There are two major Fothergilla species: F. major and F....

Why Use Darker Colors in the Garden? Dark colors definitely have their place in the garden. They can be used to highlight plants or other garden features that are lighter in color, for instance. Darker tones provide contrast and visual interest. They add drama to an outdoor space. Gardening with Dark Colors Depending on how and where you use them, darker colors in the garden can be striking and attractive. Using dark colors can also be tricky and may not have the effect you were hoping to achieve....

Getting Hyacinth to Bloom Year After Year Cut the stalk as soon as the flower fades. Removing the stalk is beneficial because it prevents the flower from developing seeds, which saps energy from the bulbs. However, never remove the foliage until it turns yellow, which usually occurs about six to eight weeks after blooming. The yellowing leaves may be unsightly, but removing the foliage too early prevents the plant from absorbing energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis....

How to Store Gloriosa Lily Bulbs Over Winter In late summer, as gloriosa flowers began to fade, reduce watering. When the aerial parts of the plant wither and die, cut them back to soil level. Before the first frost in your location, carefully dig up gloriosa tubers for winter storage. Many times, as the flowers fade and the plant withers, its energy will go into producing a “daughter” tuber. Though you may have started out with only one gloriosa tuber, when you dig it up in autumn, you may find two fork-shaped tubers....

What to Grow on a Berm A berm is essentially just a raised bit of the landscape, which you may choose to add to your yard for any variety of reasons: improved aesthetics, as a focal point, for a wind break, as a privacy screen, or to redirect drainage. Regardless of the reason, your new berm will be just a hill until you add plantings to it that make practical sense and that add to the beauty of your garden....

About Graptoveria ‘Moonglow’ The Moonglow plant is in a class by itself due to its color, form, and flower. While many Echeveria have a similar appearance, the influence from Graptopetalum lends the plant an iridescent tone and soft magical color. The diminutive plant looks very at home either in its own container or combined with other succulents, including cacti. Moonglow is a flowering succulent that is mostly grown as a houseplant....

Learn how to grow alliums, which are also related to chives and garlic, for their large and showy flower heads and as a repellant for many insects and wildlife you may wish to keep out of the garden. More than 400 species exist and offer a wide range of bloom sizes and bloom times. Flowers of the allium plant rise above the foliage, and you can grow alliums in the colors of white, pink, purple, yellow, and blue....

Can I Grow Quince from Seed? Many types of fruit can be started from seed. Not all of them will be true to the parent plant, including seed grown quince, but if you are a curious, experimental gardener like me, then by all means, try growing quince fruit from seeds. How to Grow a Quince Tree from Seed Quince seed germination isn’t particularly difficult, although it takes some planning since the seeds need a period of cooling or stratification prior to planting....

Sweet Beet Varieties Beet aficionados swear by certain beets. Some of the most commonly named forerunners include: Chioggia – Chioggia beets are sweet Italian heirlooms with a distinctive red and white striping. Detroit Dark Red – Detroit Dark Red is a popular deep red (as its name suggests), round beet that is amenable to a variety of soil and temperature conditions. Formanova – Formanova is a cylinder shaped beet that can grow quite long; up to 8 inches (20 cm....

What is Texas Needlegrass? Texas needlegrass (Nassella leucotricha) is a perennial grass that thrives in cooler weather. It blooms in early spring to early summer and attracts butterflies. It grows in a range of soils, but especially thrives in soil that has been disturbed. It tolerates heat, needs a lot of sun, and does not need much water. Texas needlegrass uses include forage for livestock because it grows well in the winter when other grasses have died back....

Bok Choy Seed Harvest Bok choy is a cool season vegetable like all the cruciforms. However, it is more tolerant of extremes than common cabbage. You can sow in spring or late summer for a fall harvest. Bok choy requires partial shade to prevent bolting. If you allow the plant to bolt, it will form flowers and seed, providing a bok choy seed harvest. The seed is housed in pods that you take when the husks turn brown and dry....

This fascinating, hardy tree can live a century or more and can reach heights in excess of 100 feet (30.5 m.). In fact, one tree in China reached a grand height of 140 feet (42.5 m.). As you might imagine, fertilizing ginkgo trees is rarely necessary and the tree is adept at managing on its own. However, you may want to feed the tree lightly if growth is slow – ginkgo usually grows about 12 inches (30....

Dyeing with Woad The process of making natural dyes isn’t dead yet. Many self-taught enthusiasts have the formulas to create a rainbow of natural hues from plants. Woad is a biennial plant with long, rabbit ear leaves. These are the source of a wonderful dye when prepared with the proper steps. Learn how to make dye out of woad and create brilliant blue yarn and fabric. Deep blue colors once came from indigo and woad before chemical dyes were produced....

Propagating Pindo Palms Pindo palms are relatively cold tolerant plants. They do grow from seeds well, but the seed needs to undergo several stringent conditions, and even then, seed is slow to germinate. It can take nearly 50 weeks before germination occurs in the best conditions. Pindo palm propagation may be challenging, but the end result is a wonderful new plant. Fresh, ripe seed is the most viable and easy to germinate....

What are Hygrophila Aquarium Plants? Hygrophila in an aquarium makes a nice decorative element, adding depth, color, texture, and places for your fish to hide and explore. The genus contains several species of aquatic flowering plants that grow mostly submerged in fresh water. They are native to tropical regions. Some of the species you’ll easily find include: H. Difformis: This is native to Asia and is great for beginners. It grows up to 12 inches (30....

Growing Indoor Gesneriads Keeping gesneriads in the home is a delight, especially since this group of houseplants will also flower freely indoors. Many other houseplants will need a lot of direct sunshine in order for flowering to occur, but gesneriads are much more adaptable and will flower well in much lower light. In general, indoor gesneriad plants do well right in front of windows that have plenty of bright but indirect light....