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Lilac Companion Plants If you are wondering what to plant with lilac bushes, you may be surprised at the large selection of lilac companion plants. Companion plants for lilac bushes are plants that either look good near lilacs or else complement the lilacs in some way. When it comes to companion planting with lilacs, spring-flowering bulbs are among the top choices for many gardeners. They make a natural choice to plant as companions plants for lilac bushes because they bloom at the same time....

Note: This article pertains primarily to Roman chamomile (Matricaria recutita), a perennial that works beautifully as container-grown chamomile. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is a hardy annual that needs plenty of open space and, thus, isn’t recommended for containers. If you want to give it a try, use a very large container. How to Grow Chamomile in a Container Chamomile will grow happily in any type of container, as long as it has a drainage hole....

About Growing Tea at Home Tea is grown in 45 countries and is worth billions of dollars to the world’s economy annually. While tea plants are adapted to tropical areas and lowland areas of the subtropics, growing tea plants in pots allows the gardener to control temperatures. Although tea plants are hardy and will generally survive to just under freezing temperatures, they may still be damaged or killed. This means that in cooler climates, tea lovers can grow plants inside provided they give plenty of light and warm temps....

Wisteria Leaves are Curling When wisteria leaf curl becomes apparent in your garden, check the leaves carefully to determine what is causing the problem. Although you might get lucky applying garden chemicals willy-nilly, it’s never a good idea and more often than not will prolong the problem, possibly killing your plant in the process. Pest Problems Aphids – If you see small, seed-like insects that cluster on the undersides of leaves, along with a sticky, sap-like material on the leaves themselves, you’re probably dealing with aphids....

When to Trim a Pumpkin Pumpkin vine pruning, as long as it is done judiciously, doesn’t harm the plants, as is evident by my inadvertent hacking of the vines while mowing the lawn. That said, cutting them back hard will reduce the foliage enough to affect photosynthesis and affect the plant’s health and productivity. Pruning is done to achieve one or both of the following: to reign in the plant’s size, or to promote the growth of a select pumpkin per vine....

There is almost nothing a deer will not eat if it is hungry enough, but some plants, optimistically termed “deer resistant,” are lower on the deer’s list of preferred dining. Read on for information on flowering deer resistant shrubs. Deer Resistant Flowering Shrubs A deer’s list of favorite flowering plants to munch include lilies, tulips, burning bush, and hybrid tea roses. They also love to eat saucer magnolia, as well as crocus, dahlias, daylilies, hostas, impatiens, phlox, and trillium....

Flag Irises vs. Siberian Irises So what is the difference between flag iris and Siberian iris? Flag iris plants When people talk about “flag iris,” they are generally referring to wild iris. Flag iris includes blue flag (I. versicolor), commonly found in boggy areas and swamps of the northeastern United States, and yellow flag (I. pseudacorus), which is native to Europe but now found in temperate climates around the world. Both are types of beardless iris....

The best time to fill uneven lawn low spots is during vigorous growth, which usually depends on the type of grass grown but normally during spring and summer. Should You Level a Lawn Using Sand? Sand is oftentimes used to level lawns, but putting sand on lawns can cause problems. You should never use pure sand to level a lawn. Most lawns contain a lot of clay, which already makes growing grass difficult....

Common Garden and Yard Care Laws Fences and hedges– Among the more common urban garden ordinances are ones regulating how high a fence or hedge can be. Sometimes fences and hedges can be banned all together, particularly in terms of the front yard or street facing yards. Length of grass– If you have dreamed of having a wildflower meadow instead of a lawn, this is one gardening law you need to pay attention to....

The raspberry fruitworm beetle reaches up to about 1/5 inch (5 mm.) long, its reddish brown body is covered in tiny, short hairs. Adults feed voraciously on leaves of raspberry canes, favoring the newest canes and leaves, but may spread further when populations are high. Mating takes place on or near raspberry flowers, where eggs are deposited. Fruitworm Damage on Raspberries Adult raspberry fruitworm beetles appear from mid April to mid May, eating the surface tissues from raspberry leaves or skeletonizing them entirely....

Growing Gooseberry Plants When you are considering planting gooseberry plants, you need to prepare the soil well before putting the plants in. Gooseberry plants require a soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.5. Your soil should contain at least one percent of organic matter that runs 18 to 24 inches (46-61 cm.) deep into the area you are going to plant in. Make sure your soil has been prepared by removing any weeds and rocks....

Green Anjou Pear Info Green Anjou pears are sweet, juicy, mild pears with a hint of citrus. The perfect all-purpose pear tree, Green Anjou is delicious eaten fresh but holds up well to roasting, baking, poaching, grilling, or canning. Unlike most pears that change color as they ripen, Green Anjou pear variety may take on a very slight hint of yellow when it ripens, but the attractive green color generally remains unchanged....

What is a Green Ash Tree? If you’ve never seen a green ash tree, you may well ask “what is a green ash?” Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) are large ash trees native to eastern North America. According to green ash information, the tree’s native range stretches from eastern Canada down to Texas and northern Florida. It grows well in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 to 9. Green ash trees are among the most adaptable trees that are native to this country....

What are Green Burials? The modern funeral industry is a billion dollar business. However, this has certainly not always been the case. Burial practices as we know them today first began to take shape during the Civil War. As soldiers were killed in battle, the need for preservation of the bodies was required in order to be shipped home for burial. Over time, the preservation of the body before burial became common societal practice....

What is Greensand? Oceans once covered many areas of the earth. As the seas receded, they left behind nutrient-rich marine beds (these deposits harden into layers of minerals) where rich sediment is harvested from the sandy rock for garden soil amendment. Greensand fertilizer is a rich source of glauconite, which is high in iron, potassium, and magnesium. These components are all important to good plant health. It also helps loosen soil, improve moisture retention, soften hard water, and increase root growth....

About Blue Fescue Grass Blue fescue plants are evergreen, but they do lose some of the older blades and grow new fresh deep blue leaves in spring. The older leaves adhere to the plant and spoil the bright coloration. However, you can simply comb them out with your fingers. The grass forms low tight mounds and produces tall flower tipped stems in May to June. A key fact about blue fescue would be its zonal tolerance....

Learn About the Caraway Plant The caraway plant (Carum carvi) is an herbaceous biennial that will mature to 30 inches (75 cm.) tall. The plant is only about 8 inches (20 cm.) tall in the first season with carrot-like foliage and a long taproot. By the second year, the plant will triple in size and the foliage becomes more feathery with stout stems. Tiny white flowers appear on the umbels, which begin in May and last until the end of summer....

How to Propagate Gooseberry Cuttings When you are propagating gooseberry cuttings, you cut off a piece of the plant’s stem—a cutting—and encourage it to root. It’s important to take the cutting at the correct time of the year when you go about rooting gooseberry cuttings. By propagating gooseberry cuttings, you are creating clones of the parent plant. You can create one or many new plants each season. Taking Cuttings from Gooseberry Bushes When you are taking cuttings from gooseberry bushes, be sure that they are hardwood cuttings....

Leonotis Plant Information Leonotis is a fast-growing plant that can quickly reach heights of 3 to 6 feet (0.9 m. to 1.8 m.). The plant consists of sturdy, upright stems that bear rounded clusters of fuzzy, reddish-orange, tube-shaped blooms measuring 4 inches (10 cm.) across. The colorful blooms are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. In its native habitat, Leonotis grows wild along roadsides, in scrublands and other grassy areas....

Landscaping with and Growing Tall Flowers Designing and landscaping your garden requires you to consider all different kinds of elements, like color and texture as well as matching plants to growing conditions. It’s easy to look mostly at the horizontal space in the garden when landscaping, but don’t forget vertical space. By designing beds to have a variety of plant heights, you’ll enhance the dimensions of your garden. Use flowers with height to anchor a space, serve as a backdrop for shorter plants, as privacy screening, and as borders....