Information About the Hardy Ice Plant The hardy ice plant (Delosperma) is a succulent, perennial ground cover with daisy-like flowers. The ice plant is not called an ice plant because it is cold hardy, but rather because the flowers and leaves seem to shimmer as though covered in frost or ice crystals. The plants grow to be about 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 cm.) tall and 2 to 4 feet (0....
The only problem with pineapple mint is that it spreads vigorously. This can be good if you want to use it as a groundcover to fill an area, but it will eventually find its way into the rest of the garden unless you install a deep edging around it. Growing pineapple mint in containers is a good way to keep this and other mints under control, but you’ll still need to take some precautions....
Bad Fish for Aquarium Plants If you want to combine plants and fish, research carefully to determine what aquarium fish to avoid. You may want to skip the following fish that eat plants if it’s foliage you’d like to enjoy too: Silver dollars (Metynnis argenteus) are big, silvery fish native to South America. They are definitely herbivores with giant appetites. They devour entire plants in nothing flat. Silver dollars are a favorite aquarium fish, but they don’t mix well with plants....
Creeping Sedum Info Sedum plants come in many shapes and sizes and are prized for their quick establishment and “set it and forget it” nature. While a little bit of care is required for baby plants, once they have been in site for a couple of months, these charming succulents can mostly be left alone. Rockeries, paths, containers, and hilly areas are perfect sites for growing sedum groundcover, one of the lowest forms of the group....
Hanging Pitcher Plant Care Hanging pitcher plants in baskets is the most effective way to grow them. In the wild, the plants vine up trees, and providing them with plenty of empty space will give them the air circulation they crave and allow the pitchers to grow to their full and most impressive extent. Hanging pitcher plants thrive in light, well-draining soil that’s poor in nutrients but high in organic matter....
Plant Spacing in a Square Foot Garden Square foot garden plots are set up in grids of 4 x 4 squares, or 2 x 4 if set up against a wall. Strings or thin pieces of wood are attached to the frame to divide the plot into equal square foot (30 x 30 cm.) sections. One type of vegetable plant is planted in each section. If vine plants are grown, they’re generally placed in the back to allow for a straight trellis to be installed at the very back of the bed....
Why Do Plants Need Nitrogen? To put it in simple terms, plants need nitrogen to make themselves. Without nitrogen, a plant cannot make proteins, amino acids, and even its very DNA. This is why when there is a nitrogen deficiency in the soil, plants are stunted. They simply cannot make their own cells. If there is nitrogen all around us, as it makes up 78 percent of the air we breathe, you may also wonder why do plants need nitrogen if it is everywhere?...
Spider Mum Facts To those researching chrysanthemums for the first time, understanding the specifics of spider mum care and growth may be somewhat confusing. While bedding type chrysanthemums are extremely popular, spider mum flowers are quite different. Most wish to learn how to grow spider mums due to their use in cut flower arrangements. With an exceptional vase life, gardeners are able to create dazzling displays of these large flowers. Spider mum flowers get their name from their unique form....
Recycled Raised Bed Ideas When spring cleaning time comes around, we often find items that are not used. Consider using some of these for recycled raised bed ideas. Even an old bucket can make a perfect mini, recycled plastic raised garden bed. Sources for materials might also include construction sites, grocery stores, transport companies, and other areas where excess items go unused. Pretty much anything that can hold enough soil for root growth may be used to make a planter or raised bed....
How to Propagate Weigela Weigela bush propagation can be achieved through both hardwood and softwood cuttings. However, each of these weigela plant propagation techniques will be somewhat different. Below, we will take a more in-depth look at starting weigela from cuttings. Hardwood Weigela Propagation Hardwood propagation can be successfully used on many different varieties of hardwood trees and shrubs. Gardeners taking hardwood weigela cuttings most commonly do so just after the arrival of the first frost in the fall, or in the very early spring before the plant begins to leaf out....
Indigo Plant Information According to indigo plant information, these plants are native to subtropical as well as tropical locations around the world. They are members of the pea family. Some indigo plant varieties have beautiful flowers. For example, the flowers of Indigofera amblyanthan are soft pink racemes and cultivated for their ornamental beauty. One of the most attractive indigo shrubs is Indigofera heterantha, with its long clusters of rosy purple, pea-like flowers....
Growing Jade Vines This tropical climber is rambunctious in its natural environment, although the plant is in danger of extinction due to deforestation. If you’re interested in growing jade vines, you may have success growing the vine in the ground if you live in USDA plant hardiness zone 10 through 11. Jade vine plants are also well suited for growing in greenhouses. You may be able to grow jade vine as a houseplant too, if you can provide the proper growing conditions....
If you are ready to jump into July gardening, you’ll have plenty of tasks on your plate. Read on for information about what you should be doing in western gardens in July. July Gardening Throughout the western hemisphere, the month of July is the heart of summer, meaning that the weather is sunny and warm. April’s showers brought May flowers, and June saw many western gardeners sowing vegetable seeds and planting annuals....
Kiwi Plant Care and Support In addition to kiwi pruning, your vines will require additional kiwi plant care. Many kiwi vines die in the first year because the soil is too wet. Water deeply in the absence of rain, and allow the soil around the crown to dry out before watering again. Kiwi plants are sensitive to fertilizers, so use them in small amounts. Fertilize them the first year with a light scattering of fertilizer around the base of the plant monthly from spring until midsummer....
Designing with Bulbs There are a number of bulb designs found online and in glossy garden magazines. Creating bulb patterns in the garden was once the hobby of the rich, but the affordability of most bulbs today opens this classic design concept up to gardeners of any economic tier. The first steps are to graph out your bed patterns with bulbs and choose the varieties of flowers that will comprise the design....
Common Lilac Varieties Horticulturists have cross bred the 28 species of lilac so extensively that even the experts sometimes have trouble telling lilac plant types apart. Even so, some species have attributes that might make them better suited to your garden and landscape. Here are some different types of lilacs that you might want to consider for your garden: Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris): For most people, this lilac is the most familiar....
How to Plant a Lime Tree Many people choose to purchase a lime tree from a local nursery rather than grow them from seed (though they are very easy to grow from seed). Once you have purchased your lime tree, you will need to plant it. The steps for how to plant a lime tree are pretty much the same whether you plan on planting it in the ground or in a container....
What is a Mini Greenhouse? A mini greenhouse is a generic term that encompasses a wide variety of professional and homemade designs. Mini greenhouses can be tall or short, but generally take up less than about 10 square feet (1 sq. m.) of ground or floor space. Many gardeners use them in place of cold frames to start seedlings earlier than normal for their area, or indoors to propagate plants that need high humidity....
About Zen Succulent Arrangements Zen succulent gardens are meant to represent an aerial view of the sea and shore, and whatever lies between. Some Zen gardens are designed with small pebbles, keeping sand to a minimum. Stones represent islands, mountains, and large rocks in the landscape. Sand represents water and the designs you make are ripples or waves. If you don’t like the design you’ve created, use a small houseplant rake to smooth it out and try again....
My Flowers are Falling Over Some tall flowers develop sturdy stems and a bushy growth habit when you cut them back. Unfortunately, bachelor’s buttons don’t fall into that category. All you accomplish with a mid-season cut is a loss of flowers with little time left to produce new ones. Bachelor’s button stems loaded with flowers in full bloom tend to flop over just when the flowers are at their best. It’s a good idea to plan in advance for the likelihood that they will eventually fall....
