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Chelan Cherry Tree Info It is always hard to wait for cherry season. Those juicy, sweet fruits burst with flavor either fresh or in pies and other preparations. Cherries are big business and much money has been expended to find resistant varieties, improve characteristics, and even hasten the harvest season. The cherry Chelan variety is the result of trials through Washington State University at the Prosser Research and Extension Center. The Chelan cherry produces deep, mahogany red, heart-shaped fruits, much like Bing....

Urban Fruit Tree Information So exactly what are columnar fruit trees? Although growers are working to create a variety of columnar fruit trees, apple trees are currently the only type on the market. You can buy peach, cherry, and plum trees that have an upright, narrow growth habit, but they aren’t true columnar trees. Columnar fruit trees are usually 8 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) tall at maturity, compared to standard trees that reach heights of about 20 feet (6 m....

What are Single Late Tulips? If you are a fan of tulips, the last faded blooms mean you have to wait a whole year for more spectacular flowers. With cottage tulip flowers, you can expect blooms in late spring that often hang on until early summer. Their cup-shaped flowers are some of the tallest varieties among tulip bulbs. Single late tulip varieties have not only color diversity but may be striped or have feathered details....

If you want some whimsy and natural form for your wedding, try using succulents. An interesting and charming option is making a succulent bouquet. A quick internet search shows plenty of succulent bouquet DIY tutorials. Learn how to create a succulent bouquet that adds a special touch to your happy day. What is a Succulent Bouquet? The whole affair starts with choosing the perfect plants. Since succulents usually have short stems, you will also need floral tape and wire to make fake stems to grasp....

‘Yellow Stuffer’ Information The open-pollinated Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Yellow Stuffer’ is accurately named, as the shape lends itself to stuffing. Thick walls on this beefsteak tomato help hold your mixture. This indeterminate type grows to 6 feet (2 m.) and also lends itself well to staking or climbing up a garden fence with the right support. It is a late-season grower, joining the ranks of other yellow tomatoes with less acidity than their red and pink counterparts....

What is Creeping Burhead Echinodorus creeping burhead is an aquatic plant with glossy green leaves that grow close together to form a clump. The attractive leaves make this plant ideal for use as a centerpiece in aquariums and fish tanks. When planted outdoors creeping burhead plants can reach four feet (about 1 m.) tall and produce white flowers during the summer months. In some states this plant is endangered but in other areas it has become an invasive weed....

What is Spanish Bayonet Yucca? Also known as aloe yucca and dagger yucca, Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia) is a hardy yucca plant that grows in zones 8 to 12. As the common name implies, Spanish bayonet yucca has very sharp, dagger-like foliage. These 12 to 30 inch (31-76 cm.) long and 1 to 2 inch (2.5-5 cm.) wide blades are so sharp that they can cut through clothing and pierce skin beneath....

What is Strawberry Guava? Strawberry guava (Psidium littoralei) is also known as cattley guava, purple guava, or Chinese guava, although it is native to the Americas. Strawberry guava generally grows to heights between 6 and 14 feet (2-4.5 m.), although they can grow taller. As the name suggests, this tree usually produces red fruit, but yellow fruits are also possible. The fruit on the strawberry guava is similar to that of the common guava: a fragrant, juicy pulp with seeds....

Why Aren’t My Azaleas Blooming? Let’s start with the most common reason why azaleas won’t bloom. It is called inappropriate pruning. Azaleas are one of those shrubs that fix buds for the next season within weeks after this year’s flowers fade. Gardeners who prune, trim, or sheer azalea bushes after that period can remove all of the buds that would have turned into next spring’s flowers. When do azaleas bloom? Generally, azalea blooming periods come in early spring and the shrubs are considered by many the queens of the spring season....

About Green Needles on a Blue Spruce Don’t be surprised if you see green needles on a blue spruce tree. They may be perfectly natural. The blue color of blue spruce needles is caused by epicuticular waxes on the needles that reflect specific wavelengths of light. The more wax on a needle, the bluer it is. Neither the amount of wax nor the blue color is uniform across the species. Some trees can grow decisively blue needles, but others of the same type have green or blue-green needles....

Wildlife Gardening for All Seasons A true four-season wildlife habitat is welcoming to all types of wildlife, not just bees, bunnies, and other cute, furry little creatures. Your garden will be home to an assortment of creatures such as butterflies, birds, bees, squirrels, chipmunks, turtles, frogs, toads, salamanders, groundhogs, deer, snakes, and all manner of insects. If you’re feeling a little hesitant about wildlife gardening year-round, remember that a diverse ecosystem is better, not only for wildlife, but for the environment....

Regional To-Do List: West North-Central Gardening Here are a few December gardening tasks for the northern Rockies. Give your houseplants a little extra love during December in the northern Rockies. Water them with tepid to avoid shocking the roots but be careful not to overwater. Most indoor plants are dormant during winter and may rot in wet soil. Move plants away from drafty doors and windows. Tap branches gently with a long-handled tool to remove heavy snow from evergreen shrubs and trees....

Creating a Worm Bin with Kids Creating a worm bin is easy and brings the lessons of composting and natural degrading processes into the home or classroom. All you need is some worms, a few simple materials, and kitchen scraps and the kids will be well on their way to unique and tutoring new pets. Often when we think about worms, images of slimy, squishy creatures leap back out of our brains....

Zone 5 Fruit Trees Zone 5 gets pretty cold in the winter, but some fruit trees grow happily in even colder zones like this. The key to growing fruit trees in zone 5 is to pick the right fruit and the right cultivars. Some fruit trees survive zone 3 winters, where temperatures dip down to -40 degrees F. (-40 C.). These include favorites like apples, pears, and plums. Those same fruit trees grow in zone 4, as well as persimmons, cherries, and apricots....

Growing a Winter Vegetable Garden in Zone 9 Before choosing your zone 9 winter vegetables, you need to select a garden site and prepare it. Choose a site that has at least eight hours of direct sunlight each day with well-draining soil. If you are using an existing garden, remove all old plant detritus and weeds. If you are using a new garden site, remove all grass and till the area down to a depth of 10 to 12 inches (25-31 cm....

What is Acid Rain? Acid rain forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide react with chemicals like water, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Water containing these acidic compounds falls back to the earth as rain, harming plants and other immobile objects below. Although the acid from acid rain is weak, normally no more acidic than vinegar, it can seriously alter the environment, damaging plants and aquatic ecosystems....

What is a Silk Tree? Mimosa trees are a member of the Fabaceae family and are a popular ornamental tree in the home landscape. Also known as silk trees and Albizia silk trees, these beauties have a lovely feathery habit with wispy pink to rose aromatic flowers. Ideal for USDA planting zones 6 through 9, this tree provides light shade and adds a lovely burst of color amongst other deciduous or evergreen trees, or when used as a specimen....

Most of the nation’s artichokes are grown in the coastal California region because conditions are most favorable. Artichokes like frost-free winters and cool, foggy summers the best. When and how to harvest artichokes in the home garden depends on the type you are growing. Types of Artichokes There are two main types of artichokes — those that are round are known as “Globe” and those that are long and tapered are known as “Violetta....

Recognizing Aster Yellows on Potatoes Aster yellows is transmitted by tiny leafhopper insects. Once the disease progresses, the tubers are significantly damaged and generally inedible. Early insect control and removing host plants around the potato garden are important contributions to reducing the spread of the disease. The symptoms are often seen in plants in the Aster family, but the disease also touches crops such as celery, lettuce and carrots as well as other ornamental species....

How to Avoid Transplant Shock Disturb the roots as little as possible – Unless the plant is root bound, you should do as little as possible to the rootball when moving the plant from one location to the next. Do not shake the dirt off, bump the rootball, or rough up the roots. Bring as much of the roots as possible – Along the same lines as the tip above for plant preparation, preventing shock means when digging up the plant, make sure as much of the root as possible is brought up with the plant....