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No matter how harmless it looks, however, you should never eat a wildflower unless you are absolutely certain the plant is non-toxic. In some cases, the leaves, blooms, berries, stems, or roots may be poison or even deadly. Edible Wild Plant Guide Common edible plants and wildflowers you can eat include: Cattails– Cattails grow in wet areas along creeks, lakes, and ponds. The starchy roots can be eaten raw, but boiling will tenderize tougher shoots....

Esperanza Growing Conditions Esperanza plants need to be grown in warm conditions that closely mimic that of their native environments. In other areas they are usually grown in container where they can be overwintered indoors. While esperanza plants can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, it’s preferable that they be given fertile, well-draining soil. Therefore, any poor soil should be amended with organic matter (i.e. compost) to improve its overall health and drainage....

What are Field Peas? Field peas, also referred to as southern peas or cowpeas, are grown on over 25 million acres throughout the world. They are sold as a dry, shelled product and used for either human consumption or livestock food. Closely related to the garden pea, field peas are annual plants. They may have a vining habit to an erect habit. All stages are edible, from the blossoms to the immature pods, called snaps, to the mature pods full of peas and the overly mature pods full of dried peas....

Why Do Birds Eat Flower Buds? Certain flower buds provide birds with nutrition in early spring when their preferred fruit and seeds are not available. The following blossoms provide energy for migrating cedar waxwings in the spring: Pear Apple Peach Plum Cherry Crabapple Cardinals, finches, mockingbirds, blue jays, goldfinches, grosbeaks, quail, and grouse have also been known to feed on these fruit tree blossoms. Both finches and cardinals also seem to be quite fond of forsythia flowers....

Garden Chores for Winter If gardening is your passion, you probably dread the cold, dead days of January. You can make the most of this down time. Instead of feeling bad about the season, take the opportunity to enjoy other aspects of your garden and get some much needed chores done in preparation for the growing season. Here are some garden tasks for January that you can do: Plan for spring....

Historic Garden Design and Heirloom Vegetables Heirloom vegetables refer to specific varieties of open-pollinated edible plants, in which the seeds have been saved and passed from one generation to the next. Lineage of these vegetables can often be documented and traced throughout history. Without the availability of hybrid seeds, historic garden design depended greatly upon these heirlooms. Growing techniques, such as the three sisters garden, were also an important aspect of vegetable cultivation....

What is Bushy Beardgrass? Also known as bushy beardgreass, this is an attractive ornamental grass for areas that have damp to wet ground. Adding fall and winter color and interest, Glomeratus beardgrass, brightens areas that have gone drab with colder seasons. Showy copper-orange stems and plumes are long lasting, persisting through cold temperatures when adequate water is supplied. Bushy bluestem grass grows in most areas of the U.S. (zones 3-9), supplying beautiful color in a range of beds and borders and around streams and ponds....

Cherry Plum Information Prunus cerasifera is a true plum tree native to Asia and hardy in zones 4 and 8. They are mostly grown in the landscape as small ornamental trees, though with the correct pollinator nearby, they will produce some fruit. The fruit they produce are plums and have no attributes of a cherry, but still they became known commonly as cherry plum trees. Popular varieties of Prunus cerasifera are:...

As you are planning a conifer garden, you’ll want to consider bringing in trees and shrubs of different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors as well as mixing them to best effect. Read on for tips about designing with conifers. Conifers in the Garden It is rewarding to start landscaping with conifers since your vision is only limited by your imagination and the size of your backyard. In a small area, conifers in the garden can mean a few compact specimens of various textures that accent a corner of a garden bed....

What is Globe Thistle? Globe thistle (Echinops ritro) is in the Aster family. The large spiky flowers appear in early summer and last up to 8 weeks. They are perennials, so the plants will make long-lasting garden companions with hardy habits and minimal globe thistle care. Globe thistle flowers are particular stand-outs with blooms up to 2 inches (5 cm.) across on 3 to 4 foot (1 m.) stems. Echinops is the botanical name for globe thistle....

Four species of petunias include hundreds of cultivars and offer a perfect addition to the home landscape: Grandiflora petunias are the most common type of growing petunias. This species features 3- to 4-inch (7.5-10 cm.) blooms which often grow upright but may spill over the side of your container or window box. Multiflora petunias have smaller flowers and a more abundant bloom. Milliflora petunias are miniature versions of growing petunias; they are compact and reblooming....

Nestled Pots for Succulents Planting succulents in nestled pots, a pot inside of another pot, provides space to add a variety of succulent types to expand interest. By allowing a couple of inches (5 cm.) in the bottom pot, we can plant cascading succulents like string of pearls or string of bananas and add color by using a semi-succulent type such as Tradescantia zebrina. Most often, nestled pots are the same, just in different sizes....

Growing succulents in the shade isn’t ideal for most varieties, but a prized few will actually flourish in low light situations. The trick is to choose the right succulents for shade and care for them appropriately. About Outdoor Shade Succulents It is not common to see succulents like burro’s tail or string of pearls hanging in planters under a covered patio or porch. These varieties will still prosper even though they usually only get filtered light....

Understanding the best growing conditions for watermelons will help you grow this wonderful fruit. How Do Watermelons Grow? When considering how to grow watermelons, know that it is not that difficult. The plant does all the work. They grow great in the south during warmer seasons, but if you live in the north, there are tips for growing watermelons that can be followed so you are successful in your endeavors....

Does Angelica Plant Need Trimming? Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is also known as garden angelica, Holy Ghost, wild celery, and Norwegian angelica. It is an ancient herb used for its medicinal and magical properties; it was said to ward off evil. The essential oil contained in all parts of the plant lends itself to a multitude of uses. The seeds are pressed and the resulting oil is used for flavoring foods. The Lapps not only eat angelica but use it medicinally and even as a substitute for chewing tobacco....

Seven Son Flower Info What is a seven son flower? Native to China, seven son flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is classified as a large shrub or small tree with a vase-like growth habit and a mature height of 15 to 20 feet (3-4 m.). Tiny, white, sweet-scented flowers provide contrast against the dark green foliage in late summer to early fall, followed by cherry red seed capsules that are even showier than the blooms....

How Do Flowers Get Their Colors and Why? The colors you see in flowers come from the DNA of a plant. Genes in a plant’s DNA direct cells to produce pigments of various colors. When a flower is red, for instance, it means that the cells in the petals have produced a pigment that absorbs all colors of light but red. When you look at that flower, it reflects red light, so it appears to be red....

Signs of Hydrangea Botrytis Blight During cool, damp periods an opportunistic fungus may invade your garden. It is hydrangea gray mold, but it doesn’t confine itself just to that genus. Botrytis blight may also attack other ornamental plants. A hydrangea with botrytis will have its flowers attacked initially and as the disease progresses, the foliage will suffer. It’s important to your plants to learn how to diagnose and control this damaging disease....

Creating Ice Cream Gardens In order to be successful with growing ice cream in the garden, you’ll want to begin with cool weather – after all, if it gets too hot, everything will melt. This will be something to consider when harvesting your yummy treats too. Late fall is a good time for planting an ice cream tree in the garden. The plant will have plenty of time to establish strong roots for the blustery winter months to come....

What Does Italian Parsley Look Like? Even the foodie with moderate herbal knowledge may wonder, what does Italian parsley look like? This 6 to 12 inch (15-31 cm.) tall plant has sturdy, slender stems topped with flat, deeply divided leaves. The leaves are soft and pliable and useful whole or chopped. In fact, the entire stem is good cut up and used in chicken salad or other places where celery or some crunchy vegetable would be appropriate....