Ornamental Grasses Hardy to Zone 6 There are hardy ornamental grasses that are suitable for almost every condition in zone 6 landscapes. Two of the most common types of hardy ornamental grass are feather reed grass (Calamagrotis sp.) and maiden grass (Miscanthus sp.). Commonly grown varieties of feather reed grass in zone 6 are: Karl Foerster Overdam Avalanche Eldorado Korean Feather Grass Common Miscanthus varieties include: Japanese Silvergrass Zebra Grass Adagio Morning Light Gracillimus...

Types and Varieties of Parsley Many people think some parsley types are best for garnish and others are best suited for cooking. Try them all, and you can make your own decision about the best parsley varieties! Curly (Common) Parsley – This standard type of parsley, versatile and easy to grow, is both decorative and edible. Curly parsley varieties include Forest Green parsley and Extra Curled Dwarf parsley, a fast-growing, compact variety....

An Effective Barrier Copper wire in the garden is touted as the best barrier solution. Copper mesh repels snails and slugs with an unfavorable reaction when they try to cross it, much like a shock. They turn and head the other way. However, copper will deteriorate, and it will need to be replaced at some point. These pests like to feed on hosta, basil, delphinium, lily, marigold, strawberry, lettuce, cabbage, and beans, to name a few....

How to Prevent Fruit Flies Preventing fruit flies in worm bins is a difficult challenge; most vermicomposters find they simply have to learn to manage these insects. Because fruit flies and worms have very similar needs, it can be a delicate dance adjusting your worm bin to conditions that will completely eliminate or prevent fruit flies. Here are a few tricks that work well to keep fruit fly populations away from your vermicompost for longer: Feed your worms non-rotten food that’s cut into small pieces....

Planning a Pink Garden Design If you are planning a pink garden, there are many ways to achieve diversity. Mix deep pink flowers with mid and pale pinks to bring about breathtaking color contrast. Using all one color in a garden is termed monochromatic and it can be quite eye stopping if done well. When you use all pink flowers in a small space, it will lift up the space and make it appear large and bright....

Dombeya Plant Information Tropical hydrangea plant, also known as pink wild pear flower, is a native of Africa. Reaching heights of 15 feet (5 m.), this medium sized shrub produces large clusters of pink blooms. Though technically not a member of the hydrangea family, wild pear tropical hydrangea receives its namesake for reminiscent mop-like flowerheads. These fast-growing plants are ideal for adding privacy or color to yard spaces. Growing Pink Wild Pear Tropical Hydrangea Though some have attempted to grow pink wild pear Dombeya in containers, the plants are best suited for growth outdoors in tropical regions....

What is the Plant Goldenrod Good For? After learning the many benefits of planting goldenrod and the simplicity of goldenrod care, you may wish to include it near your garden. Goldenrod plants provide nectar for migrating butterflies and bees, encouraging them to remain in the area and pollinate your crops. Planting goldenrod near the vegetable garden can draw bad bugs away from valuable vegetables. Goldenrods attract beneficial insects as well, which may do away with damaging insects when they approach the food source offered by these plants....

Crocosmia Plant Diseases In order to learn how to treat crocosmia plant diseases, you must first know what they are. Below are some of the most common problems connected with these plants. Gladiolus rust – Although gladiolus hybrids are the primary victims, crocosmia are sometimes affected by gladiolus rust. Symptoms include blackish-brown or brownish-yellow spores that appear mostly on leaves, but can occasionally show up on flowers. Gladiolus rust is caused by low light and high humidity....

Taking Cuttings from Rose of Sharon When to take rose of sharon cuttings is not complicated, as taking cuttings from rose of sharon bushes is easy and versatile. You can do it at almost any time of year and plant it in a few different ways. In early to midsummer, take green rose of sharon plant cuttings. This means you should cut the shoots from the bush that grew in spring....

Problems with Plants That Grow in Sand Sandy soils are especially troublesome to gardeners for many reasons. While well draining and able to prevent root rot in sensitive plants, this free-draining soil has great difficulty in retaining moisture and valuable nutrients in the garden. This is especially true in climates that receive hot summer temperatures. Sandy soil may also become more acidic, requiring balanced applications of lime to correct the pH levels of the soil....

Compacted Soil Information Soil that is compacted does not have the porous spaces for water, oxygen, and other nutrients that plants need to survive. Compacted soil is usually caused by urban development, but can sometimes be caused by hard, heavy rains. Areas that have been travelled on by heavy equipment such as tractors, combines, trucks, back hoes, or other farming and construction equipment will usually have compacted soil. Even areas that receive a lot of foot traffic from people or animals may have compacted soil....

What is Apricot Pit Burn? Apricot pit burn, also referred to as ‘stone burn’ in apricots, is a when the flesh surrounding the apricot stone, or pit, browns and begins to soften. When caught early, fruit afflicted with pit burn is still edible as long as the fruit shows no signs of rot. In many commercial apricot groves, growers are replacing some traditionally grown older varieties that are susceptible to pit burn with newer proprietary cultivars less inclined towards the disorder....

Are Soldier Beetles Good or Bad? Soldier beetles are your allies in the fight against harmful insects. They eat soft-bodied insects, such as caterpillars and aphids, while doing no harm to garden plants. They may take a sip of nectar or nibble at pollen, but they never chew leaves, flowers, or fruit. In fact, they help pollinate garden flowers as they travel from plant to plant. While the beetles attack insects above the ground, their larva consumes the eggs and larva of garden pests below the ground....

Either way, there are plenty of December gardening tasks to keep you busy. Your December gardening to-do list should include plenty of downtime; your garden rests during the winter, and so should you. Here are a few ideas for Southwest gardening in December. December Gardening To-Do List: Tips on Southwest Gardening in December Continue planting spring-blooming bulbs until the end of the year if the weather is comfortable and the ground isn’t frozen....

What is Spinach Blight? Fresh spinach is nutritious, delicious and a speedy grower. From seed to table, it usually only takes just over a month before you can start harvesting the tender, sweet baby leaves. Spinach blight is an issue that can rapidly decimate your tasty crop. What is spinach blight? It is a virus that is spread by leafhoppers, aphids, and cucumber beetles. There is no treatment for the disease, so prevention is your best option....

What are Staghorn Fern Pups? Staghorn fern pups are little plantlets that grow off of the parent plant. In nature these pups will eventually grow into new, whole plants. The pups will be attached underneath the brown, dry shield fronds of the plant. Gardeners have two choices: removing the pups and propagating new plants to give away or allowing them to remain in place to form the appearance of a much larger, more imposing single fern....

Can You Plant Seeds in Cold Frames? The answer is a resounding yes, cold frames for spring seedlings is a great idea. In fact, you should consider starting your seeds in early spring this way for a few reasons: With a cold frame, you can start seeds as much as six weeks earlier than you would put them in the ground. You can control the soil content more easily in a cold frame than in an outdoor bed....

When to Dig Up Hyacinth Bulbs for Storing It’s important not to dig up your hyacinth bulbs at the wrong time, or else your bulbs may not have enough energy to sprout. Once the blooms have passed, cut off the blossom stalk to keep the plant from wasting energy on seed production. Keep the leaves and continue to water them as usual– the leaves are essential for storing up energy in the bulb....

What is Sudden Oak Death? The fungus that causes sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum) results in a quick death for tanoaks, California black oaks, and live oaks along the coast of California and Oregon. The fungus also infects the following landscape plants: Bay laurel Huckleberry California buckeye Rhododendron Here are the symptoms of sudden oak death: Cankers on the stems and branches. Leaves in the crown that turn pale green, then yellow, then brown....

Distinguishing Eupatorium plants can be confusing, as many plants formerly included in the genus have been moved to other genera. For instance, Ageratina (snakeroot), a genus that now contains more than 300 species, was formerly classified as Eupatorium. Joe Pye weeds, previously known as types of Eupatorium, are now classified as Eutrochium, a related genus containing about 42 species. Today, most plants classified as types of Eupatorium are commonly known as bonesets or thoroughworts– although you may still find some labeled as Joe Pye weed....