What is a Gutter Garden? If you’ve not seen them, in person or online, you may be asking what is a gutter garden? It’s a rain gutter designed to hold your choice of plants and decorate a wall, fence, porch railing, or another area. Use your creativity to put a gutter garden in some of your free space. If you need inspiration, take a look here. Consider these uses for gutter gardens:...
Is My Black Walnut Dead? If you ask yourself whether your beautiful tree is now a dead black walnut, there must be something wrong with the tree. While it may be difficult to determine exactly what is wrong, it shouldn’t be too difficult to tell if the tree is actually dead or not. How to tell if a black walnut is dead? The easiest way to determine this is to wait until spring and see what happens....
Overwatered plants have the tendency to become stressed, and certain bacteria and fungi thrive in such conditions. Even the expert gardener has been guilty of overwatering, but when container plants are outdoors, it is the result of too much of Mother Nature’s tears. We can’t control how much rain occurs, but you can learn how to protect potted plants from heavy rain. Is Rainwater Safe? Excess moisture causes fungal and pest issues, but it also leaches soil of necessary nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals....
Hail Crop Damage Damage to plant leaves is most severe when hail falls in spring. This is because the majority of plants are sprouting and growing tender new leaves and stems. Hail crop damage in spring can completely kill seedlings. Hail later in the season will reduce harvests by knocking fruit off plants. Hail damage to trees shows up as split and broken stems. The tips and tops of trees become scarred and pitted by the hail....
How to Plant Foxtail Lilies When planting the foxtail lily bulb, choose a location in well-draining soil that has been enriched with compost or other organic matter. While adequate drainage is important with these plants, also keep in mind that they do not like overly dry situations either. Planting of foxtail lily flower usually takes place in autumn (around September). The tuberous roots, which are extremely brittle, should be planted about 4 inches (10 cm....
When to Use Fungicide When using fungicides in your garden, it’s important to first determine if your plant actually needs a fungicide. Many symptoms can be from other causes, so using garden fungicides may do more harm than good. The first thing that should be done is to contact an expert, either at a local nursery or agricultural extension office. They can help you determine what is wrong with your plants and can also recommend the proper types of fungicide to use....
California Sunset Plant Info Durable, grayish new leaves of this hybrid are imparted by the graptopetalum, followed by the pastel coloration. The sunset colors that eventually develop are quite similar to the sedum parent. A happy plant will produce white flowers in spring. Graptosedum ‘California Sunset’ needs sunshine to develop those unusual pinkish colors. Growing in a rosette form, this plant looks similar to an echeveria but is much tougher. Yet, it can get sunburned on the leaves....
Borage Plant Info While not as common as thyme or basil, borage herb (Borago officinalis) is a unique plant for the culinary garden. It grows quickly as an annual but will colonize a corner of the garden by self-seeding and reappearing year after year. June and July are heralded by the presence of the borage flower, an appealing, small, brilliant blue bloom with attractive qualities. Indeed, the plant should be included in the butterfly garden and brings pollinators to your veggies....
Forcing Dutch iris bulbs is easy if you know the steps to take. Read on for information on Dutch iris forcing and tips on how to force Dutch iris bulbs to bloom in winter. About Forced Dutch Iris Bulbs While most irises grow from thick roots called rhizomes, Dutch irises grow from bulbs. This means that you can easily grow Dutch iris indoors by forcing them. Dutch iris forcing doesn’t hurt the plants at all....
Planting Liatris in Pots Liatris belongs to the aster family that is made up of around 40 different species and is also known as gayfeather and blazing star. Hardy in USDA zone 3, the three most commonly cultivated in gardens are L. aspera, L. pycnostachya, and L. spicata. You may very well be familiar with liatris due to its prominence in the cut flower industry. The purple spike of liatris can be found in pricey high-end bouquets, less costly supermarket floral arrangements, and even in dried flower arrangements....
When using a K cup seed starter, keep the paper liner in place. All parts of the pod except the tear off lid are useful in the seed starting process. Coffee Grounds in the Soil Mix the used coffee grounds into part of your seed starting soil if you wish to try using them for this purpose. Used coffee grounds contain nitrogen that’s good for plants, as well as acid, which is good for certain plants like tomatoes, roses and blueberries....
Wild Violet Flowers Wild violets (Viola odorata) have heart-shaped leaves with purple-blue flowers. Some varieties also have white or yellow blooms. Although in some areas they are considered annuals or biennials, wild violets often self-seed, coming back each year in unexpected locations. The flowers that are low on the plant, referred to as cleistogamous flowers, do not open but instead produce and house seeds, allowing the plant to readily reproduce. The only downside to this attribute is the fact that wild violets have a tendency to become invasive, popping up nearly everywhere, if not controlled with some type of barrier....
How to Make a Seeder A simple homemade garden seeder can be constructed from a variety of materials, many of which may be laying around the garage. A variety of garden seeder instructions can be found on the internet, but the basic design is the same. When making a seed planter, start with at least a ¾-inch (2 cm.) hollow tube. That way, the interior circumference will be large enough for bigger seeds, like lima beans and pumpkins....
Why Pinch Cosmos? Pinching back and deadheading aren’t exactly the same thing, but your annual cosmos benefit from both. The main reason to pinch back any plant is to promote new growth. Doing so stimulates new growth and a bushier, denser shape. Pinching is a simple type of pruning. It refers to picking off new growth on plants. You can use your fingers, hence the term pinching, or sharp shears. For thin, delicate stems, finger pinching is adequate....
It’s easy to get started with cheap seed starting. Let’s look at how to germinate seeds. How to Germinate Seeds Start with seeds that are less than two years old, a soilless seed starting medium of some kind, and a container that can help hold moisture in. Soilless seed starting medium– A soilless seed starting medium will insure that the seeds and seedlings are not killed by too much salt (or salinity) which is frequently found in soil or even regular soilless mixes....
What are Indian Blood Peach Trees? Introduced to Mexico by the Spanish, Indian Blood peaches quickly became a cultivated crop for many Native American tribes. Treasured for its high yields, this gorgeous, deep red fleshed peach is crisp and perfect for use in canning, fresh eating, and pickling. Additionally, its hardiness and disease resistance made this variety of peach tree a staple in home orchards for decades. Over time, the commercialization of fruit production has caused this cultivar to become somewhat of a rarity....
Is Purslane Safe to Eat? Purslane is a pretty tough weed. Native to India and the Middle East, this weed has spread throughout the world. It is a succulent, so you’ll see fleshy little leaves. The stems grow low to the ground, nearly flat, and the plant produces yellow flowers. Some people describe purslane as looking like a baby jade plant. It grows in a range of soils and most heartily in hot, sunny areas....
Japanese Maples Not Leafing Out Trees not leafing out when they’re supposed to will almost certainly cause alarm in homeowners. When this happens to trees prized for their foliage, like Japanese maples, it can be especially heart wrenching. If winter has come and gone, you look to your Japanese maples to start producing their beautiful leaves. If, instead, you see no leaves on Japanese maples in spring or early summer, it is clear that something is amiss....
Arbor Designs for Gardens Perhaps you wish to develop your outdoor living space as you beautify the garden landscape. Add a pergola, gazebo, arbor or a combination. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Adding complementary hardscape features will make yours a unique landscaping design experience. Arbors usually have walls and a roof that is open. The sides and top are sometimes attractively carved but leave room for a climbing plant to reach the top....
What is Knapweed? Knapweed is a noxious weed that is often found in ditches, along highways, in waterways, and other scrubby areas. Many farmers have managed to bring knapweed home in grass hay or on the tires of their trucks without knowing it, spreading this weed even further. This aggressive weed is capable of out-competing both forage and crops, making it a nasty customer for everyone, including homeowners who may lose their lawns and gardens to knapweed....
