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How to Take Photos of Flowers Here are some great tips to consider when taking pictures of flowers: Take your time. What attracts you about this bloom? Look at the flower from different angles. Stand back, then get up close. Walk around the flower. Often, a low angle offers a unique perspective. Don’t worry about nipping the tips off the petals. Filling the frame can create a strong image. Hold your camera steady when photographing flowers....

What are Bulbils? So you may be wondering, what are bulbils? Simply put, bulbils are the offspring of their parent plant. Like seed, they will reproduce when given the appropriate conditions, making new plants. Since bulbils so readily propagate, learning how to grow plants from bulbils makes for easy propagation as most can be harvested once they’ve matured. Depending on the type of plant, bulbils may resemble small nodule-like buds in clusters or individual, either coming from the bottom of the plant moving up or aerial ones at the top of the plant....

Quail are a popular game bird but also important to bird watchers. Unfortunately, their population has declined drastically in the last few decades. There is something the average homeowner can do to help though. Providing habitat and food for the little birds ensures them a safe place to make their homes and help build up their numbers. Landscaping with plants that attract quail will give them cover and a food source....

Heat Wave Gardening A handy tool to help navigate heat wave gardening is from the American Horticultural Society. They have created a Heat Zone Map containing 12 zones across the United States. Each zone indicates the average number of days each year that a heat event occurs – when temperatures exceed 86 F. (30 C.), the temperature when plants begin to suffer from heat. Planning a garden specific to your climate is the best way to combat gardening in a heat wave....

Harvesting Basket Weaving Plants People from around the world have been weaving baskets from plants for thousands of years. Modern basket weavers use some of the historical techniques, combined with fresh, contemporary designs. The first thing you’ll need to get started are basket weaving plants. Grasses and reeds are excellent, but there are many vines and even trees from which to harvest materials as well. It may be necessary to play around a bit and check plants throughout the year for flexibility....

Do Pomegranates Need Fertilizer? There is not always a need for fertilizer for pomegranate trees. However, if the plant is doing poorly, especially if it is not setting fruit or production is minimal, a fertilizer for pomegranate trees is recommended. A soil sample may be the best way to determine if the pomegranate tree is really in need of supplemental fertilizer. The local Extension office may provide soil testing services or, at the very least, be able to advise where to purchase one....

About Creeping Jenny Plants This is a trailing, or creeping, herbaceous perennial that produces waxy, small round leaves on thin stems. It is hardy in zones 3 through 9 and includes several cultivars of Lysimachia nummularia. Native to Europe, some of the varieties are more aggressive than others and can be considered invasive. In addition to the pretty leaves, creeping Jenny produces small, cupped yellow flowers beginning in early summer and continuing intermittently through the fall....

How to Grow a Prayer Plant Although the prayer plant houseplant is somewhat tolerant of low light conditions, it does best in bright, indirect sunlight. The prayer plant prefers well-drained soil and requires high humidity to thrive. Prayer plant houseplants should be kept moist, but not soggy. Use warm water and feed prayer plant houseplants every two weeks, from spring through fall, with an all-purpose fertilizer. During winter dormancy, the soil should be kept drier....

There are many brands and several models including a handheld lawn vacuum, walk-behind leaf vacuum, and tow behind, with increasing costs. Power options range from corded electric and gas to battery. Let’s look at the portable leaf vacuum, also called a leaf vacuum shredder, and explore whether it can lighten lawn chores. Pros And Cons of Leaf Vacuums The main purpose of the leaf vacuum is to suck up the debris left behind after blowing....

Potted Fig Trees Figs for small spaces or areas with hard winters thrive in containers where they can be moved indoors for winter. Choose a fig variety that is suitable for your zone and with the degree of hardiness necessary to thrive where you live. If you want fruit, you will also need to choose a plant that can self-pollinate. Provide well-drained soil, a large container, and even moisture. Fertilize in spring to promote the new flush of growth and formation of fruit....

When to Prune a Pussy Willow Tree The first thing to learn when learning how to cut pussy willow trees is when to do it. The best time for when to prune a pussy willow tree is actually when the catkins are on the tree. This will ensure that you trim the plant before it has started active growth, but you will also not inadvertently eliminate the young branches that the catkins grow on....

Why is My Loquat Tree Dropping Leaves? There are a couple of reasons for loquat leaf loss. Since they are subtropical, loquats do not respond favorably to drops in temperature, specifically in the spring when Mother Nature tends to be rather moody. When there is a sudden dip in temps, the loquat may respond by losing leaves. With regard to temperature, loquat trees will tolerate temperatures down to 12 degrees F....

About Reliance Peach Trees Reliance peaches are a freestone cultivar, which means the stone is easily removed. They can be grown in USDA zones 4 to 8, perfect for northern gardeners. Reliance was created in New Hampshire in 1964 and is still one of the cold hardiest of peaches without sacrificing taste. The medium to large sized fruit has a nice blend of sweet and tart. The tree blooms in the spring with a profusion of aromatic pink blossoms....

Tree Shoots at Base of Lemon Tree Lemon tree suckers can grow from the roots and will grow out of the base of the tree and sprout right from the ground around the tree. Sometimes, this lemon tree sucker growth can be caused by the tree being planted too shallow. Building up a bed of soil and mulch around the tree base can help if you suspect your tree is too shallow....

Rhubarb Victoria Variety Most gardeners today grow rhubarb for its tart, succulent leaf stalks. They are often used as “fruit” in pies, jams, and sauces. Rhubarb is divided into two groups, one with red stalks and one with green. Victoria is among the most popular green-stalked varieties. Don’t be surprised to see red blush in the base of the stalks of the rhubarb Victoria variety as well. You’ll find several hundred thousand heirloom vegetable varieties in commerce, but only a few are considered all-time greats....

There are a few methods on how to overwinter a sago plant, and it is essential to take steps before chilly temperatures arrive. As long as you offer sago palm winter protection, you can be sure the slow growing cycad will be around for years of enjoyment. Sago Palm Winter Care Sago palms are found in warm growing conditions. The long feathery leaves are palm-like and divided into sections. The overall effect is of large broad leaves heavily textured and an exotic sculpted form....

Salad Burnet Herb The salad burnet herb (Sanguisorba minor) is a low, 6 to 18 inch (15-46 cm.) leafy plant that begins as a rosette. It has pinnate basal leaves with four to twelve pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are oval and lightly serrated at the edges. The leaves taste like cucumber and add a fresh taste to salads. The herb is savory when mixed into an herb butter, mixed into spreading cheese, chopped and sprinkled over vegetables, or as part of a potato dish....

Salep Plant Information Salep is at the heart of a traditional Turkish beverage. Where does salep come from? It is found in the roots of many orchid species such as: Anacamptis pyramidalis Dactylorhiza romana Dactylorhiza osmanica var. osmanica Himantoglossum affine Ophrys fusca, Ophrys. holosericea, Ophrys mammosa Orchis anatolica Orchis coriophora Orchis italica Orchis mascula ssp. pinetorum Orchis morio Orchis palustris Orchis simia Orchis spitzelii Orchis tridentate Serapias vomeracea ssp. orientali...

Sweetbox Plant Info Creating a “no fuss” garden can be challenging; however, one plant can be the answer to your dreams. Sarcococca sweetbox shrubs have dwarf sized appeal, perennial foliage and surprisingly sweet smelling tiny flowers. You can stand several feet away and smell the delightful scent of just one sweetbox, but when you put them in a mass, the plants can perfume the entire landscape for weeks. Christmas box plants are so called because they are winter bloomers....

About Sheep Fescue Grass Sheep fescue growing is generally for agricultural and livestock purposes. As an ornamental grass, it lacks elegance but is excellent used in a wild meadow landscape scheme. It can provide food and cover for birds and other animals. Best of all caring for sheep grass is simple and easy. This is a hardy, self-sustaining plant. Sheep grass plants are true grasses in the family Poaceae. The plant is considered a cool season grass and has superior tolerance to different soils, drought, and cold....