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What are Arctic Raspberries? Native to northern areas of Europe, Asia, and North America, the arctic raspberry’s natural habitat includes coastlines, along rivers, in swamps, and throughout soggy meadows. Like raspberries and blackberries, arctic raspberries belong to the genus Rubus. Unlike these close cousins, arctic raspberries are thornless and they don’t grow tall canes. The arctic raspberry plant grows as a bramble, reaching a maximum height of 10 inches (25 cm....

White Sunflower Varieties If you haven’t spent much time exploring the different varieties of sunflower available on the market, you may not realize how much variety there actually is. Not all sunflowers are the typical tall stalks with giant yellow heads. There are shorter plants, flowers that are only a few inches (8 cm.) across, and even those striped with yellow, brown, and burgundy. You’ll also find a few whitish varieties that have been around for a while....

Read on for more information about the causes and cures for blackened magnolia leaves. Black Leaves on Magnolia Some magnolia trees and shrubs are evergreen, though many are deciduous. Deciduous trees flower before leafing (creating an extra impressive show), but both types of magnolia plants are known for their attractive green leaves. When you see those magnolia leaves turning black, you know that your plant is experiencing some problem. While any of a number of issues can cause black leaves, the most likely cause is a soft-bodied insect called magnolia scale....

What is a Bosc Pear? Bosc pears were introduced in the early 1800s. This means they have been part of our diet for some time and are firmly entrenched as one of the tastiest of pears. It is unclear if the variety is Belgium or French in origin but it is a late-season producer, often called a winter pear. Cooler regions of the country are perfect for Bosc tree growing. Some tips will help you learn how to grow Bosc pears....

This damage is caused by bougainvillea loopers. While not deadly to the plant, their damage is unsightly. Learn how to control the bougainvillea looper caterpillar below. What Does a Bougainvillea Looper Caterpillar Look Like? Bougainvillea loopers are small, worm-like caterpillars that are commonly called “inchworms.” They will move by bunching up their body and then stretching back out, as though they are measuring the space. The bougainvillea looper caterpillar will be yellow, green, or brown and will be found on bougainvillea, but may also be found on plants from the same family as the bougainvillea, such as four o’clocks and amaranthus....

Phytoremediation – Clean Up Soil with Plants Plants absorb and use nutrients from soil. This extends to the uptake of toxins in the soil, providing us with a useful, natural way to clean contaminated land. Pollution from toxic metals to mine runoff and petrochemicals makes soil harmful and even unusable. One way to deal with the problem is by brute force – simply remove the soil and put it somewhere else....

Potted Naranjilla Trees Loosely translated to “little orange,” naranjilla plants are native to South America. These unique members of the Solanaceae family produce small orange-yellow fruits which are treasured for their use in juices, as well as in baking and in various sweet treats. Intolerant of cold temperatures, mature plants produce clusters of small, 2 inch (5 cm.) fruits. Though technically relatives of tomatoes, the fruits are noted for their sweet (and sometimes sour) taste....

Care of Knock Out Roses Knock Out roses are easy to grow, not requiring much care. They are very disease resistant, too, which adds to their appeal. Their bloom cycle is about every five to six weeks. The Knock Out roses are known as “self-cleaning” roses, so there is no real need to deadhead them. Several Knock Out rose bushes blooming along a fence line or at the edge of an island landscaping is a beautiful sight to behold....

Powdery Mildew on Peonies So what does a peony with powdery mildew look like? You can easily recognize this condition by the white, powdery growth that forms on the plant’s leaves. Occasionally, powdery mildew can be seen on the flowers as well. Any new growth may also appear powdery, exhibiting a stunted or distorted appearance too. In addition to the powdery growth, infected leaves may drop from the plant and flowers become distorted and unattractive....

To get a basic understanding for children’s garden ideas, this quick kid’s guide to gardens can help. Basic Kid’s Garden Design It is important to involve children in garden planning from the very beginning. Teaching kids to design a garden is a great way to introduce basic gardening principles and also instills a sense of responsibility and ownership. Keep your garden design simple; consider planning an interesting shape for your garden such as a butterfly, triangle or circle....

Wildflowers for Zone 5 Gardens Here is a partial list of cold hardy wildflowers for zone 5. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia) Cape marigold (Dimorphotheca sinuata) California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) Shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum) Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Bottle gentian (Gentiana clausa) American blue vervain (Verbena hastata) Penstemon/beard tongue (Penstemon spp.) Turk’s cap lily (Lilium superbum) Scarlet flax (Linum grandiflorum rubrum) Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Rocky mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata) Swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) California bluebell/desert bells (Phacelia campanularia) Bigleaf lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) Bachelor’s button/cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) Scarlet sage (Saliva coccinea) Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale)...

What is Southern Blight of Pepper Plants? Southern blight does not only affect peppers, but pepper plants are a target of this fungus. Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, this disease is also known as southern wilt or southern stem rot. Other plants affected by southern blight include: Carrots Potatoes Tomatoes Sweet potatoes Cantaloupe Beans The fungus attacks plants initially on the stem, right at the soil line. One of the earliest signs of the disease is a small, brown lesion on the stem....

Why Homemade Plant Markers First, you can choose not to label your plants, but that can lead to confusion, especially when growing plants with different growing conditions. Labels will help you keep different varieties and types of plants identifiable so you can provide the right water and fertilizer. You could just buy those plain white plant labels at the garden center, but DIY plant markers have a few benefits. You can make your own for less money, depending on the materials, and recycle what you would otherwise throw out....

When to Harvest Cucumbers To get the maximum flavor from your cukes, you will want to harvest them when they are at the peak of ripeness, but when is that? Because there are so many types of cucumber, it is best to read the information on the seed packet or plant tag of the variety planted. This will give you a fairly good idea of the date they will be ready....

How is Dracaena Propagated? Plant propagation is the process by which gardeners are able to create new plants. While starting new dracaena plants from seed is a possibility, many years are often required to establish seedlings. In some cases, plants grown from seed will not be the same as the parent plant. Luckily, many plants can be propagated another way. By taking cuttings, or other small pieces of the parent plant, growers are able to root and grow an exact clone of the parent plant....

Is Epsom Salt Good for Plants? Yes, there seem to be good, relevant reasons for using Epsom salts for plants. Epsom salt helps improve flower blooming and enhances a plant’s green color. It can even help plants grow bushier. Epsom salt is made up of hydrated magnesium sulfate (magnesium and sulfur), which is important to healthy plant growth. Why Put Epsom Salts on Plants? Why not? Even if you don’t believe in its effectiveness, it never hurts to try it....

False Lily of the Valley Facts False or wild lily of the valley is a low-growing perennial native to the Pacific Northwest. It has big glossy leaves. They are heart-shaped and grow on long stalks. The flowers are white and tiny. Each flower has four tepals, four stamens, and a two-parted ovary. The plant blooms in late spring and summer. How to Grow False Lily of the Valley If you are interested in learning how to grow false lily of the valley, it is a bit complicated but entirely doable....

May in California In California, the merry month of May is usually sunny and dry. In the northern half of the state, the average temperatures range from 51 to 64 degrees F (10-18 C.), while average southern high temperatures get to 10 degrees warmer. May tasks for California gardens include a lot of planting opportunities. No matter where you live in the state, May in California is a great time to plant warm-season vegetables like beans, melons and squash....

Garden Inspired Cocktails There are a number of good herbs for mixed drinks. Here are some of the most common: Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is the mint of choice for mint julips. Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is terrific in vodka or gin gimlets. Shiso (Perilla frutescens) can replace mint and add a snazzy zip to mojitos. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) will enlighten your average gin and tonic. Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is yummy in sangria....

Types of Lantana Plants for Containers Although you can grow any type of lantana in a container, keep in mind that some are very large, reaching heights of up to 6 feet (2 m.), which means they need a very sturdy container. Dwarf types are suitable for standard-size containers, reaching heights of only 12 to 16 inches (30.5 to 40.5 cm.). Dwarf varieties are available in a range of bright colors....