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Creeping Zinnia Info Also called narrow leaf zinnia, several colors of flowers appear as daisy-like blooms. Foliage is thin leaved and attractive while waiting for the flowers to open. Grow them as a showy groundcover or border specimens. The plants are low maintenance too. This North American native attracts butterflies and is great for cut flowers. Flowers bloom in white, red, orange, yellow, and pink. Warmer zones may grow them as perennials, or self-seeding annuals, and plants sometimes return in colder areas from dropped seeds....

Reasons Why Daffodils Won’t Bloom Removing or folding leaves – Removing the foliage too soon after flowering last year can contribute to why daffodils didn’t bloom this year. Nutrients must be stored for daffodil blooms. These nutrients develop in the foliage after flowers bloom. Cutting down or folding the leaves before they have yellowed and started to deteriorate is a reason for poor blooms on daffodils. Planted too late – Bulbs that were planted too late in autumn or small bulbs may be the reason why daffodils didn’t bloom....

Do Petunias Need Pruning? Many gardeners view annuals as disposable, and simply don’t know how to cut back petunias. But cutting back petunia plants is essential to keeping them looking their best during their short stay in your garden. You must have noticed how, over time, your fabulous hanging petunia baskets suddenly look awful, with stringy, long stems dangling limply down the side of the pot. The leaves are yellowing and the few colorful flowers hold onto the ends of the stems like sailors climbing out of the sea on ropes tossed their way....

Dollar Spot Fungus on Lawns The fungus gets its name from the brown spots it causes in the lawn. They begin about the size of a silver dollar, but you may not notice them until they grow and spread into large, irregularly shaped areas. The spots resemble those caused by drought, but more water only makes the problem worse. The organisms that cause dollar spot fungus on lawns (Lanzia and Moellerodiscus spp....

What is Elfin Thyme? This nugget of information does not completely answer the question of, “What is elfin thyme?” Elfin creeping thyme plant (Thymus serpyllum) is a low growing, one to two inches (2.5-5 cm.) tall herbaceous perennial sub shrub with a dense mounding habit. In cold climates, this little herb is deciduous, while in milder regions, the plant will retain its foliage year round. Flowers are borne upon the fragrant green to grayish blue foliage in summer and are extremely attractive to bees....

What is a Necklace Tree? If you’ve never seen this tree before, you may ask: “What is a necklace tree?” When you study Eve’s necklace tree information, you find that it is a deciduous tree that grows in a rounded or vase shape and rarely rises above 25 feet (7.6 m.) tall. The necklace tree has dark, lustrous green leaves that appear in springtime. The flower buds also appear on the tree in spring and open into showy while blossoms tinged with rosy pink that dangle from the plant in clusters like wisteria....

Rock Garden Design Building a rock garden is not at all difficult. In fact, it’s basically just a variety of low-growing plants nestled into an outcropping of rocks, though they may vary depending on the space. The best way to create a rock garden design is to take a look at Mother Nature’s natural handiwork, and then copy her ideas. The first task is to go on a rock hunting expedition....

Vines That Like Sun Trailing upward, vines that like the sun can grow up a fence, trellis, or an arbor with various purposes in the landscape. Vertical vines can be used to add privacy or block a view from next door. An arbor can be used as an entrance to an area of the yard or garden. Loaded with flowering vines, it becomes even more spectacular. Below are some popular vines for full sun that will add a pop of color and a wow factor to the garden:...

About Lawn for Sand The ideal soil makeup for turf grass is 70% sand, 15% clay and 15% silt. Sandy soil is considered to be soil that is made up of over 50% sand. This means that growing a lawn in sandy soil isn’t as hard as one might think. Many turf grasses are suited as grass for sandy soil. Types of Grass for Sandy Soil When choosing grass for sandy soil, your climate matters....

Since some things are going right, some people have been kind and some things have turned out better than we hoped. One way to remember this – and teach our kids the importance of gratitude in the process – is putting together a gratitude tree with kids. If this craft project interests you, read on. What is a Gratitude Tree? Not everyone is familiar with this enlightening craft project. If you’re not, you may ask “What is a gratitude tree?...

Growing Catnip from Seed Like many other members of the mint family, catnip is fairly easy to grow. It does so well, even in locations with poor soil, that catnip is considered invasive in some places, so always make certain to do thorough research before deciding to plant this herb in the garden. Here are some common methods of catnip seed propagation. Catnip Seed Sowing Indoors Catnip plants are commonly found at garden centers and plant nurseries in early summer....

Chameleon ground cover, of the Lizard’s-Tail family, is attractive. Colors of red, bronze, cream, and yellow border green leaves when growing chameleon plants. Chameleon ground cover is an herbaceous perennial, dying back in winter. In June and July, inconspicuous flowers bloom, but are most often not noticeable. Containing Growing Chameleon Plants If you’re interested in having the chameleon plant growing in your yard, pond, or bog, look at ways to minimize chameleon plant care by planting in containers and contained areas....

Can Parsley Be Grown from Seeds? Parsley is a biennial that is primarily grown as an annual. It’s suitable for USDA zones 5-9 and comes in both curly-leaf and flat-leaf parsley. But I digress from the question, can this herb be grown by seed? Yes, parsley can be grown from seed. You just might need to pack a little patience. Parsley takes a whopping six weeks to germinate! How to Grow Parsley from Seed Parsley, like most herbs, does best in a sunny area with at least six to eight hours of sun per day....

Numerous varieties of snapdragon exist with dwarf, intermediate and tall flowering stems that provide a range of colors to work with in the garden. Snapdragons are available in most colors except blue and co-ordinate or contrast with other early spring bloomers. Height of the snapdragon may reach 3 feet (1 m.) or as short as 6 inches (15 cm.). Planting snapdragons out can be among the first late winter gardening tasks....

Heliconia Plant Info Tropical gardeners are lucky to get some of the most fascinating flowering plants to grow. Heliconia is in a group of plants that may grow up to 15 feet (4.5 m.) tall in nature but likely only to 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m.) in a home landscape. They are not at all frost hardy, and therefore not suited for growing outdoors where cold temperatures are common. The thick bracts make excellent cut flowers with a long vase life....

When planning a vegetable garden or flower beds throughout the landscape, proper placement of seeds is critical. Therefore, you’ll need to know how much space is available. It is important to have this information before seeds or transplants are ordered. It’s the same with groundcovers, flowers, and even grass seed. Using the method detailed below you can get a good idea of the size of your gardens and flower beds in order to plant them properly, make them look their best, and offer optimum production....

Growing Daffodils in Water or Soil First, choose which growing medium you will use to grow a daffodil indoors. Your choices are water or soil. If you choose water, you will need to get a forcing glass, which is a cup specially designed to hold the daffodil bulb upright over water. Each forcing glass will hold one daffodil. This is an excellent choice if you only want to grow a few daffodils to brighten up a dark corner....

What is Sandfood? Rare and unusual plants are found in most natural communities and sandfood is one of them. Sandfood relies upon a host plant for food. It has no true leaves as we know them and grows up to 6 feet (2 m.) deep into sand dunes. The long root attaches to a nearby plant and pirates that specimen’s nutrients. During a walk along the California coast, you may spot a mushroom shaped object....

Planting Organ Pipe Cactus Organ pipe cactus grows well in well-drained, gritty soils. Planting the cactus in an unglazed clay pot will allow excess moisture to evaporate. Use either a cactus mix or make your own with one part potting soil, one part sand and one part perlite. Immerse the cactus in the soil up to the bottom of the stems and press the soil around it to firm. Put a mulch of tiny rocks on top of the soil to conserve moisture and prevent weeds....

Feeding plants with fish waste has been used for quite some time and is the major benefit of aquaponics, but how does fish waste help plants grow? Keep reading to learn why fish poop is good for plants. Is Fish Poop Good for Plants? Well, one of the most popular organic fertilizers is a fish emulsion made from plant waste, so yes, it only makes sense that fish poop is good for plants too....