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Zone 5 Native Grasses Planting native grasses for your particular area offers many benefits because they are perfectly suited to the growing conditions. They provide shelter for wildlife, require little maintenance, survive with limited water, and rarely need pesticides or chemical fertilizer. Although it’s best to check with your local garden center for grasses native to your area, the following plants are excellent examples of hardy zone 5 grasses native to North America:...

Plants that are hardy in Zone 1 accept the coldest temperatures, while plants in the higher zones only survive in warmer areas. USDA Zone 8 covers most of the Pacific Northwest and a great swath of the American South, including Texas and Florida. Read on to learn about plants that grow well in Zone 8. Growing Plants in Zone 8 If you live in Zone 8, your region has mild winters with the low temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees F....

You can have even more fun by creating a zoo flower garden with them – putting in flowers and plants with animal names. What is a Zoo Garden? Some plants get their names because parts of the flower look exactly like the animal’s head and others because of the color of the plant. This offers the perfect opportunity to talk to your child about different animals and how they fit into the plant world....

What is Agave Crown Rot? Agave, or century plant, is native to the deserts of Mexico and hardy in zones 8 to 10. In landscaping, they can be a stunning addition to rock gardens and other xeriscaping projects. The best way to prevent root and crown rot of agave plants is to situate them in a location with excellent drainage, infrequent irrigation, and full sun. Agave plants should also never be watered overhead, a slow trickle of water right at the root zone can prevent the splashing and spread of fungal spores, as well as prevent the crown rot that can happen if water pools up in the crown of agave plants....

Annual vs. Perennial Verbena Verbenas are both long blooming annuals and perennials depending on the type. They can also range quite a bit in size and habit. Verbenas can be low growing, trailing groundcovers that only grow 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) tall or they can be upright plants reaching 6 feet (2 m.) tall. Generally, the annual verbena varieties grow 6 to 18 inches (15-45 cm.) while perennial varieties can be low and trailing or tall and upright....

Aspen Seed Propagation Most aspen trees cultivated for ornamentals are grown from cuttings. You can use branch cuttings or, even easier, root cuttings. Aspens in the wild produce new plants from their root suckers making it easy to “find” a new young tree. Aspen seed propagation is also common in nature. You can start growing aspen seeds in your backyard if you follow a few simple guidelines. When to Plant Aspen Seeds If you are wondering how to grow aspens from seed, you’ll need to learn what to do and what not to do....

Problems Growing Astilbe Astilbe grows best in a shady location with well-draining soil. Too much sun can cause wilting or leaf scorching. Overall, this perennial is generally healthy. However, it can suffer from astilbe plant diseases that can kill the plant if left untreated and several that are untreatable from the get-go. Diseases of Astilbe Plants Powdery mildew and cercospora leaf spot are two astilbe plant diseases that are fungal in origin....

Strelitzia Houseplant Info Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a popular ornamental plant in California and Florida thanks to its huge banana-tree leaves and spectacular flowers. The brilliant orange and blue blossoms resemble exotic birds and are very dramatic. This is even the official flower of Los Angeles. But despite its popularity in this country, these plants are actually native to South Africa. They thrive in the coastal brush of the eastern Cape where the climate is mild and wet....

About Black Vine Weevils Black vine weevil host plants include over 100 different species, but they favor the following above all else: Yew Hemlock Rhododendrons Azalea Mountain laurel Euonymus Japanese holly Grapes Liquidambar These 1/2 inch (1 cm.) long beetles look much like the strawberry root weevil but are twice their size; they may be impossible to distinguish from other members of their family with the naked eye. However, if you’ve got damaged yews nearby, the chances are good that you’re dealing with black vine weevils....

If you happen to be a lucky recipient of a piece of a friend’s bleeding heart, you may question how to plant a bleeding heart rhizome. Continue reading to learn about growing bleeding hearts from tubers. Bleeding Heart Rhizome Planting Bleeding heart plants are usually sold as growing container perennials, bare root plants, or in packages as tubers. As growing container plants, they are already leafed out, may be flowering, and you can plant them in the garden whenever you purchase them....

Blossom End Rot and Calcium Blossom end rot (BER) on tomatoes is caused by a deficiency of calcium. Calcium is necessary for plants because it produces strong cell walls and membranes. When a plant does not get the amount of calcium needed to fully produce, you end up with malformed fruit and mushy lesions on fruit. BER can affect peppers, squash, eggplant, melons, apples and other fruits and vegetables, too. Oftentimes, blossom end rot on tomatoes or other plants happen in seasons with extreme weather fluctuations....

What is a Camellia Blueberry? Blueberry lovers across the globe have to be very specific on the variety they grow. That is because many types are cool season, while others can be grown in warm regions. Additionally, each plant has a slightly different flavor, height, and form as well as berry size. The Camellia southern highbush blueberry is suited for the warmer regions. These blueberry plants produce midseason. They were developed by the University of Georgia and bred to show tolerance for high heat and produce large berries....

Barren Strawberry Facts Barren strawberry plants (Waldsteinia ternata) are thus named due to their imitable resemblance to edible strawberry plants. However, barren strawberries are inedible. An evergreen, barren strawberry is a ground cover with a spread of 48 inches (1.2 m.) or more but a low height of 6 inches (15 cm.). The foliage of barren strawberry plants is akin to that of edible strawberries with a wedge shape that turns to bronze in autumn....

Chamomile Tea Uses in Gardens Chamomile flowers are not only attractive additions to the garden, but useful ones too. The plants are often utilized in the making of tea that many people find quite calming. But did you know this tea can be used for other stuff in the garden? Below are some interesting uses of chamomile tea for plants. Prevent damping off Prevention of damping off is probably the most common uses for chamomile tea in gardens....

Chrysanthemum Crown Gall Symptoms Crown gall of mum plants disrupts the flow of nutrients and water to other parts of the specimen. The first observed symptoms are usually on the crown of the plant but can also be seen on the stem. The disease also affects the roots, but this is less easy to detect without digging up the plant. The galls are warty tumors seen upon the basal or crown parts of the chrysanthemum....

Can You Grow Hyssop in Pots? Absolutely, growing hyssop in containers is possible. Hyssop is, like many other herbs, very tolerant of a variety of environments. The herb can grow up to 2 feet (60 cm.) if left to its own devices, but it can easily be curtailed by pruning it. Hyssop’s blooms attract beneficial insects and butterflies to the garden as well. About Growing Hyssop Plants in Containers The name hyssop is derived from the Greek word ‘hyssopos’ and the Hebrew word ‘esob,’ meaning “holy herb....

Barley Stem Rust Symptoms Stem rust is a fungal disease that has been afflicting grain production for more than a hundred years. The fungus keeps evolving to overcome any natural resistance in barley so that varieties of the grain that were once resistant to the disease now may not be. You’ll see the characteristic rust-colored lesions of barley with stem rust on the leaves, leaf sheaths, and stems. The lesions are reddish-orange to brown in color and are elongated as compared to leaf rust lesions, which are smaller spots....

Rhubarb is an example of a perennial addition to the home garden, and the ‘Crimson Cherry’ variety is especially known for its sweet taste. Crimson Cherry Rhubarb Info Rhubarb plants are a popular choice for gardeners who wish to use the stalks in recipes for sauces, pies, and other baked goods. Rhubarb plants are unusual in that only some parts of the plant are edible, while other parts are toxic....

Do You Store Crocus Bulbs? Crocus plants require a chilling period of six to eight weeks before sprouting time. The corms are quite cold hardy but in soil that drains poorly, leaving them in the ground can cause rot. Digging them up and curing crocus bulbs properly will ensure years of blooming and allow you the opportunity to divide the corms, which naturalize and develop more plants. Clumps that are old and heavily populated benefit from lifting and separating....

Controlling Fire Ants Safely If it weren’t for their dangerous and destructive side, you could almost think of fire ants as beneficial insects. After all, they can move and loosen more earth than earthworms, and they help keep several species of pest insects under control. But it would be hard to convince most people that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. As if the painful bites weren’t enough, they also chew on electrical wires and build nests in inappropriate places where they damage homes and other structures....