How to Grow Yuletide Camellia Bushes Hardy to USDA growing zone 7, evergreen camellia shrubs produce large single red flowers. As the name would imply, the Yuletide camellia bloom time often coincides with the holiday season in much of its growing zone. In fact, many growers even cut the flowers for use in decorative indoor vases and centerpieces. With so many positive attributes, it is easy to see why camellias are such an exceptionally popular choice for adding color and texture to home landscapes....

Cambridge Gage Information Greengage or just gage, is a group of plum trees that originate in France, although the Cambridge was developed in England. The fruits of these varieties are often green but not always. They tend to be juicier than over varieties and are great for fresh eating. Cambridge gage plums are no exception to this; the flavor is high-quality, sweet, and honey-like. They have a green skin that develops a slight blush as they ripen....

Cameo Apple Information What is a Cameo apple? While most commercially available apples are the product of rigorous cross breeding by scientists, Cameo apple trees stand out because they came into existence all on their own. The variety was first discovered in 1987 in an orchard in Dryden, Washington, as a volunteer sapling that sprang up on its own. While the tree’s exact parentage is unknown, it was found in a grove of Red Delicious trees near a grove of Golden Delicious and is thought to be a natural cross pollination of the two....

Can You Cut Back Hostas? Can you cut back hostas? Yes, there’s no law against pruning hosta plants, and if you decide to undertake the task, your garden will thank you. For example, you can begin cutting back hosta plants if you don’t want the hosta flowers. It may seem odd to snip off the flowers from an ornamental, but keep in mind that the glory of hostas is their foliage....

About Dymondia Silver Carpet Dymondia has gray green leaves with fuzzy white undersides that curl up on the edges. The overall effect of dymondia groundcover is variegated when close up or a soft gray green from a distance. Dymondia is slow growing but will spread a bit faster with regular irrigation. It will crowd out most weeds over time. In summertime, its yellow daisy flowers brighten up the landscape. Dymondia silver carpet withstands a little foot traffic and is deer resistant....

Children’s Steppingstone Projects Gathering molds is the first step in teaching kids how to make steppingstones. The plastic saucers from planters are ideal, but your child may want to experiment in size and shape by choosing a pie or cake pan, a dish pan, or even a cardboard box. As long as the container is relatively sturdy and at least 2 inches (5 cm.) deep, it will work for this project....

Although the process of growing these flowers is relatively simple, there are some issues that may cause failure at bloom time, like chrysanthemum verticillium disease. Verticillium of Chrysanthemums While many plant issues and diseases show distinctive signs and symptoms early in the growing season, others do not. Chrysanthemum verticillium wilt is one of these and is caused by certain types of verticillium fungus. Mums with verticillium wilt are unique in that the presence of infection may go undetected by growers throughout the vast majority of the growing season....

Container Gardening Design with Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers Container flower gardening need not be intimidating to those new to the garden world. In fact, a simple method for ensuring beautiful focal points in the home or garden includes the use of thriller, filler, and spiller plants. Thriller plants – Thrillers are the big, bold focal point of your container plant designs. This plant provides an eye-catching vertical element. Tall ornamental grasses such as purple fountain grass or Japanese sweet flag work well, but you can also use spiky blooming plants such as:...

What is Chalky Soil? Chalky soil is comprised mostly of calcium carbonate from sediment that has built up over time. It is usually shallow, stony, and dries out quickly. This soil is alkaline with pH levels between 7.1 and 10. In areas with large deposits of chalk, well water will be hard water. An easy way to check your soil for chalk is to put a small amount of the soil in question in vinegar, if it froths it is high in calcium carbonate and chalky....

Similarly, traditional growers believe no fruit should be removed from the tree until harvest, when all fruit is removed at once. However, there are strong indications that lychee fruit thinning encourages larger, healthier fruit and prevents overloaded branches from breaking. Read on to learn more about thinning lychee trees. Tips on Thinning Lychee Trees Thin the canopy to increase sunlight, as lychee trees won’t bear fruit without adequate sunlight. Thinning also improves air circulation in the center of the tree and protects the tree from wind damage....

What is Drunken Composting? Getting a compost pile hot and combining it with the correct ingredients can be a time-consuming task. Using a homemade compost accelerator speeds up the process, but does fast composting work? Drunken compost has nothing to do with becoming intoxicated but refers to accelerating the decaying process by introducing beer, soda (or sugar) and ammonia. Fast composting with beer, soda and ammonia actually does work. Compost will be ready in a scant few weeks as opposed to months....

What are Easy Elegance Roses? Bailey Nurseries, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, developed the series of roses known as Easy Elegance. They developed the plants to be easy to care for while still producing beautiful flowers. They are disease-resistant, cold-hardy, and durable, and are the offspring of shrub roses that were crossed with a range of varieties to produce different colors, fragrances, and sizes of blooms. There are several to choose from, including:...

About Early Transparent Gage Plums This plum variety comes from England and dates back to the 19th century. All gage plums date back to an even earlier period in France, where they are called Reine Claude plums. As compared to other types of plums, gages are very juicy, which makes them exceptional for fresh eating. Among the gage, Early Transparent is a variety with unique coloring. It is yellow to pale apricot with a blush of red that creeps over the fruits as they ripen....

Gardening To-Do List From planting to clearing out the growing space, the gardening to-do list for this month can be quite extensive. Learning more about the various tasks that need to be completed in the South Central region can help create and maintain beautiful green spaces. September is a time of great change in South Central gardens. Regarding vegetable crops, most to-do lists put great emphasis on the harvest of remaining summer plantings....

Managing Flowers in October in Midwest Gardens Flowers are close to being done blooming in the upper Midwest in October, but there is still a lot to do for annuals, perennials, and bulbs: Keep deadheading any annuals that are still in bloom. Water as neededRemove spent annuals for composting Bring in any tender potted plants, such as tropical plants Plant bulbs for spring flowers Divide perennials that are getting crowded Cutback browning perennialsRemove and store tender bulbs like gladiolas, dahlias, and cannas...

Companion Planting with Grapes Companion planting is an age-old art of planting different plants in close proximity to each other to benefit one or both. There may be mutual benefits or only one plant may profit. They may repel pests and disease, nourish soil, provide shelter to beneficial insects, or shade other plants. Companion plants may act as natural trellises, retard weeds, or help retain moisture. There are a number of plants that grow well with grapevines....

Flowering Bulbs in Warm Regions Many common flowering bulbs originated in warmer regions of the world and don’t require colder weather in order to bloom. These tropical types of flower bulbs for hot climates thrive with month after month of warm weather, as long as they are planted in good soil and watered frequently. When you are planting bulbs in southern regions, begin with a bed of rich, well-drained soil. If your soil is clay or has a problem with drainage, build a raised bed with a mixture of soil and compost and use it for the heat loving bulbs....

When to Pick Sloes Prunus spinosa or blackthorn bush is a species of flowering plant commonly found growing along rivers, canals and in hedgerows. The blooms give way to deep purple fruit in the fall. When to pick sloes has become somewhat of a contentious subject, but what is certain is when picking sloes for a sloe gin recipe, you should either pick after a freeze or pick earlier and freeze the fruit yourself....

Fertilizer for Native Flowers Do you need to feed native plants? Native plants are adapted to the local environment, and most are accustomed to growing in difficult conditions. Feeding native plants isn’t necessary because the plants take their nutrients from the soil. In fact, when it comes to feeding native plants, fertilizer can be very harmful. The plants have evolved in low fertility native soil and most are sensitive to chemical fertilizers that can burn the plants or make them weak and floppy....

You can identify soldier beetles by their yellowish to tan color, along with a large black spot on each wing. Otherwise known as leatherwings, the colors of soldier beetles vary depending on the part of the country in which they live. Are Soldier Beetles Good or Bad? The soldier beetle life cycle begins as a larva that hatches from an egg in the fall. These larvae are predators and will eat the eggs of many garden pests, as well as damaging larvae and soft insect bodies....