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About Swallowtail Butterflies Swallowtails belong to the Papilionidae family of butterflies. Several species are native to and common in the U.S. The swallowtails are among the most spectacular of butterflies with their characteristic “tails” reminiscent of swallows. Since they are so attractive, many people want to bring more swallowtails to their gardens. To get more in your backyard, choose appropriate host plants for swallowtail butterflies. These are the plants on which particular species lay their eggs....

Basic Orchid Care for How to Make an Orchid Bloom Light for Getting Orchids to Bloom For most houseplant orchids, the lack of light is the number one reason that the orchid won’t flower. Orchids are deceptive when it comes to light because the leaves of the plant can look healthy and green while, in fact, the orchid plant is getting too little light to truly thrive. If you are trying to make an orchid rebloom, the first thing to try is moving the plant to a brighter location....

The scientific name for rosemary plant is Rosmarinus officinalis, which translates to “mist of the sea,” as its gray-green foliage is thought to resemble mist against the sea cliffs of the Mediterranean, where the plant originates. Evergreen Rosemary Plant Care Rosemary plant care is easy. When growing rosemary plants, provide them with well-drained, sandy soil and at least six to eight hours of sunlight. These plants thrive in warm, humid environments and cannot take extremely cold temperatures....

When to Pick Jackfruit Jackfruit was one of the earliest cultivated fruits and is still a staple crop for subsistence farmers in India to southeast Asia, where it is also used for timber and medicinal uses. A large fruit, most come into ripening in the summer and fall, although an occasional fruit may ripen during other months. Jackfruit harvest almost never happens during winter months and early spring. About three to eight months after flowering, start checking the fruit for ripeness....

When Do You Fertilize Lime Trees? As mentioned, lime trees are copious feeders that require not only additional nitrogen, but phosphorous to produce blooms as well as micronutrients such as magnesium, boron, copper, and zinc necessary for fruit production. Newly planted young trees should not be fertilized until after they gain 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) of growth. Thereafter, fertilizer should be applied around young limes in a 3 foot (just under a meter) ring....

Essential Tools Every New Gardener Needs You don’t need anything fancy or expensive to get started in gardening. A few hand tools for a new gardener will be adequate enough and fit nicely into a small tool belt or apron for easy access. These may include items such as: Gloves: Invest in a good pair that fit well. Gardening gloves should be breathable and waterproof. You won’t regret spending a little extra on these....

Before you get too upset about a houseplant dropping leaves, keep in mind that a houseplant dropping leaves may not even be a problem. Even healthy houseplants drop leaves from time to time – especially the lower leaves. However, if leaves falling from houseplants aren’t replaced by healthy ones, consider the following possibilities: Environmental changes: Many plants are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment, including drastic differences in temperature, light, or irrigation....

Uses for Cattail Plants Many species of cattails are native to the U.S. However, a lot of the more aggressive species we see in waterways now are introduced species or species that came into existence by natives and introduced species cross-pollinating. For centuries, Native Americans used cattails for food, medicine, and as a fiber for various items like shoes, clothing, and bedding. Leftover remnants of the plant were then worked back into the earth....

Mulching with Corn Cobs Although corn cob mulch isn’t as common as bark chips, chopped leaves, or pine needles, mulching with corn cobs provides many benefits and a couple of drawbacks. Read on for information about using corn cobs as mulch. Benefits of Using Corn Cobs as Mulch Ground corn cobs are highly resistant to compaction, so the mulch remains loose even if your garden gets plenty of foot traffic. Corn cob mulch is fire-resistant, unlike bark mulch that is highly combustible and should never be placed near structures....

Why Do Strawberries Get Deformed? First of all, weird looking strawberries don’t necessarily mean they are inedible; it just means they’re weird looking strawberries. Yes, there is no doubt a reason for misshapen strawberries like these. There are three reasons for deformity in strawberries with a possible fourth put forward for discussion: Poor pollination. The first reason is the most likely and has to do with lack of pollination. This can be discerned vs....

Collarette dahlia varieties, for instance, can easily add appeal to flower borders and cut flower gardens. Exactly what are Collarette dahlias though? Collarette Dahlia Info With thousands of cultivars, dahlias are among the most dynamic options for the flower garden. Ranging in size from dinnerplate to pompon, dahlia flowers can quickly become an obsession. Collarette dahlia varieties produce a flower with a very specific structure. Collarette dahlia blooms are flat with a small inner ring of flower petals around the center....

Rembrandt Tulip History Visit your local museum and take a look at Old Dutch Master paintings. Many were still-life pictures featuring fruits and flowers, and many included tulips with more than one blossom shade. These bi-color tulips had a base color often red, pink, or purple, but they also had “flames” of secondary colors like white or yellow. They were extremely popular in Holland at that time, part of the reason for the speculative market bubble for these bulbs, known as Tulip Mania....

What is a Black Beauty Eggplant? As one of the most popular cultivars, Black Beauty eggplant info abounds. Dating back to the early 1900’s, this variety of open-pollinated and heirloom eggplant has been a favorite for vegetable gardeners throughout decades. When picked at peak maturity, these large glossy fruits offer impressive yields. Early to mature, Black Beauty eggplants are a well-suited option for those with shorter growing seasons. Additionally, compact and upright plants make them an ideal candidate for container culture....

Quandong Facts What is a quandong tree? Quandong fruit trees are native to Australia and vary in size from 7 to 25 feet (2.1 to 7.6 m.) in height. Growing quandong fruit is found in the semi-arid regions of Southern Australia and are tolerant of both drought and salinity. Trees have drooping, leathery, light grey-green foliage. Insignificant greenish blossoms appear in clusters from October to March. Quandong is actually the name of three wild bush fruits....

What is a Gasteraloe? Gasteraloe plants, also known as x Gastrolea, are an unusual category of succulent plants that are hybridized from Gasteria and Aloe plants. It is thought that these plants first originated in South Africa. Gasteraloe plants have thick succulent leaves that are usually marked or spotted with each leaf having toothed margins. These plants sometimes produce tubular flowers that bloom on extensions that can be up to two feet (....

What is an Interrupted Fern? Interrupted fern plants grow a vase-shaped rosette of erect to nearly erect 2 to 4 foot (61 cm. to 1 m.) high leaves. The common name for these ferns is derived from the broad fronds being “interrupted” in the middle by three to seven spore-bearing leaflets, called pinnae. These middle leaflets, which are also the longest ones on the frond, wither and fall off in midsummer leaving a blank space or gap on the stem....

What is Lime Sulfur? Lime sulfur is a mixture of calcium hydroxide and sulfur. In horticultural dormant sprays, lime sulfur is usually mixed with an oil, like mineral oil, to make it stick to plant surfaces. These horticultural oil sprays contain a high concentration of lime sulfur that is only safe to use on plants that are dormant because the sulfur can burn leaf tissues. Lime sulfur can also be mixed in much weaker concentration with water for use when plants have leafed out....

The Latin name for rangoon creeper plant is Quisqualis indica. The genus name ‘Quisqualis’ means “what is this” and for good reason. Rangoon creeper plant has a form more closely resembling that of a shrub as a young plant, which gradually matures into a vine. This dichotomy flummoxed early taxonomists who eventually gave it this questionable nomenclature. What is Rangoon Creeper? Rangoon creeper vine is a woody climbing liana with green to yellow-green, lance-shaped leaves....

What is Spring Squill? Spring blooms are simply magical, as they signal an end to winter and the start of the long, languorous days of summer. In coastal parts of Europe, the lucky hiker or beach goer may see the spring squill flower. This delicate blue bloom peeks out among seaside grasses. Its habitat is threatened, so populations are getting scarcer, but the dedicated beach comber can still find the plants in naturalized masses....

How to Transplant Salvia in the Garden If you are wondering how to transplant salvias, the answer varies. Choose a day that is not too hot or too cold. In other words – transplanting salvia plants during a heat wave is not a good idea. Transplanting salvia plants during winter is hard on them too. Your salvia plant will need to re-establish its roots in new soil. Excessive heat makes it difficult to keep those roots moist....