What is Cypress Mulch? Mulch is any product you use on top of the soil to protect the roots of your plants. It can be chopped dead leaves, dried grass clippings or organic compost. Some people use shredded newspapers, gravel or plastic sheeting. The best mulches are organic and accomplish many jobs in the garden. They regulate the temperature of the soil, keeping it warmer in cold weather and cooler in heat....
Devil’s Club Information Devil’s club plant (Oplopanax horridus) is a historical medicinal and herbal plant used for centuries by First Nations people. It is also known as devil’s walking stick or bear’s claw. Oplopanax devil’s club is found from Alaska down through the western-most Canadian provinces and into Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. It is also found in the Great Lakes area. The plant is well armored, with spines of many different sizes decorating the stems and even undersides of leaves....
Through breeding, the standard color of tomato plant varieties is now red. While red may be the predominate color among tomatoes now, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other colors of tomatoes available. Let’s look at a few. Red Tomato Varieties Red tomatoes are the ones that you will see most commonly. Red tomato varieties include commonly known varieties like: Better Boy Early Girl Beefsteak Beefmaster Commonly, red tomatoes have the rich tomato flavor that we are accustomed to....
How A Dutch Garden Growing System Works A Dutch bucket growing system uses water and space efficiently and typically produces high yields because plants are well-aerated. Although you can use this system for small plants, it is an easy way to manage large, vining plants such as: TomatoesBeansPeppersCucumbersSquashPotatoesEggplantHops A Dutch garden growing system allows you to grow plants in buckets lined up in a row. The systems are flexible and allow you to use one or two buckets, or several....
About Painted Lady Echeveria Also known as Painted Lady, due to its reddish leaf tips, this native Mexican plant dazzles with showy yellow-orange blooms each spring. Since these echeveria plants remain relatively small, usually growing to no more than 4 inches (10 cm.) in height, the Painted Lady succulent is perfect for container culture. Echeveria Plant Care Echeveria plants require warm climates to thrive. Grown outdoors in USDA zone 9 through 11, cultivation in pots or planters is often the best and most common planting option for gardeners living within zones that experience colder temperatures....
For those passionate about keeping the world clean and safe for all, earth-conscious gardening is a way of life. If you are new to the practice, some tips on how to make your garden earth friendly can get you on the right path to a sustainable way of life that does not impact nature. What is Earth Conscious Gardening? Turn on the television or boot up your computer and you are sure to see products, ideas, and stories on eco-friendly gardening tips....
What is Edema? Edema, or oedema, is a type of abnormal water retention in plants, often influenced by the plant’s environment. Favorable conditions actually encourage edema in many cases, since affected plants already have a fair amount of water in their systems, providing them with more can just encourage them to gorge on liquid. Any time the plant takes up water faster than it transpires, edema becomes a risk. Signs of edema plant disease vary between susceptible species, but often include bumps, blisters, or water-soaked areas on the undersides of leaves....
Reasons for Exposed Tree Roots There are several reasons for surface tree roots. Some species, like maples, are simply more prone to this than others. Older trees showing roots is common too. However, this most often happens when there’s little topsoil in the area. This can occur over some time or as a result of poor planting practices. A tree’s feeder roots are normally found within the uppermost portion of the ground, about 8 to 12 inches (20-31 cm....
How to Make a Pumpkin Bird Feeder Feeding birds with pumpkin isn’t a new idea, but neither is it a common use of the fruit. A few ways to turn a pumpkin into a bird feeder are listed online, but use your imagination for this simple project. This is a simple and fun activity to get your kids involved in wildlife education, and a great way to spend quality learning time with them....
What is a Labyrinth Garden? A labyrinth and a maze are not the same things, but either can be made in the garden with plants or other materials. For a labyrinth, you simply construct a continuous path that twists and turns until it reaches the center of a circle, square, or another shape. As compared to a labyrinth, maze gardens are more of a puzzle. This will look similar but contain branching paths....
Here is your August garden to-do list. Gardening Tasks For The Northern Rockies: Garden To-Do List Pay extra attention to container-grown plants. Most need watering daily, and possibly twice during warm, dry spells. Hanging baskets dry quickly in sun and wind. Continue to feed container plants regularly, using a water-soluble fertilizer. Don’t feed trees or shrubs as they begin preparing for winter dormancy. Fertilizing triggers tender new growth that is likely to be nipped by frost....
Let’s take a look at issues of using a white clover lawn substitute and how to replace your lawn with clover once you are aware of these issues. Issues with Using Clover as a Grass Substitute There are a few things you should be aware of before creating a white clover lawn. Clover attracts bees – Honeybees are a wonderful thing to have in any garden as they pollinate the vegetables and flowers....
Among the most important considerations is disease resistance. Choosing strong, robust varieties of roses, which are suited to your own growing zone, is crucial to the success of rose plantings. One good option to consider is the Tuscan Sun rose. What is a Tuscan Sun Rose? One specific rose, the ‘Tuscan Sun’ rose plant, is especially popular due to its ability to withstand adverse growing conditions. Learning more about Tuscan Sun floribunda rose can help you determine whether this cultivar is ideal for your garden....
Planting Bismarck Palm Trees Bismarck palms are huge, gracious trees native to the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa. If you are planting Bismarck palm trees, be sure that you reserve enough space. Each tree can grow to 60 feet (18 m.) high with a spread of 16 feet (5 m.). In fact, everything about this attractive tree is oversized. The silvery-green copal mate leaves can grow to 4 feet (1 m....
When are Acorn Squash Ripe? So when are acorn squash ripe and how do you know when to pick acorn squash? There are several ways you can tell that an acorn squash is ripe and ready to be picked. One of the easiest ways is by noting its color. Ripened acorn squash turns dark green in color. The portion that has been in contact with the ground will go from yellow to orange....
Before You Start Propagating Holly Growing holly is easy; however, in order to produce the bright red berries they’re commonly known for, you need at least one female holly plant and one male. Holly shrubs can be container grown indoors or outdoors as foundation or specimen plantings. While they are hardy and tolerant of a variety of soil, holly prefers moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. They also enjoy sun or partial shade....
What Is Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn Olive? Commonly known as autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata is a tall deciduous shrub that is hardy to USDA growing zones 4-9. In late spring, these bushes produce masses of fragrant white-yellow blooms. Originally introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant and for use in erosion control, singular autumn olive plants are able to produce over 200,000 viable seeds each growing season. Through dispersal of this seed, as well as the production of root suckers and quick establishment, autumn olive plants grow to quickly overtake established flower beds and other native plant life....
How to Start Seeds in Ice Cream Cones Okay, I love this idea, in theory. I admit, I have visions of disaster, namely that the ice cream cone plant pots will degrade or even mold before I get seedlings. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Ice cream cone seed starting is simplicity itself. On top of that, ice cream cone seed starting is a fun and educational project for the kids or the young at heart!...
Inchelium Red Information This variety of garlic was discovered, or re-discovered, growing on the Colville Indian Reservation, which is in Inchelium, Washington. The Inchelium Red has since won awards, including a 1990 Rodale Kitchens garlic taste test. Garlic varieties can be divided into hardneck and softneck types. Inchelium Red is one of the latter, which means it does not have a flower stalk and it produces more cloves per bulb as compared to hardneck types....
Many enthusiastic growers have started to bring their gardening skills indoors. The creation of indoor flower boxes is an interesting way to add appeal and interest to indoor spaces. Better still is the fact that kids can enjoy this too. What are Indoor Window Box Planters? As the name would imply, indoor flower boxes refer to plants kept indoors directly beneath a window or on a windowsill. Window flower boxes work well for a variety of reasons....
