White Ash Tree Facts Growing a white ash tree is a long process. If they don’t succumb to disease, the trees can live to be 200 years old. They grow at a moderate rate of about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm.) per year. At maturity, they tend to reach between 50 and 80 feet (15 to 24 m.) in height and 40 to 50 feet (12 to 15 m....

Ramson Plant Information What are ramsons? Ramsons are wild garlic plants that you may see during a walk in the woods. They grow well in the shade of a forest but will also grow in sun. Wild wood garlic produces pretty white flowers in the spring and edible leaves, flowers, and bulbs. The leaves are best enjoyed before the plants bloom. Not to be confused with the wild garlic often found growing in lawns, wood garlic somewhat resembles lily of the valley, in terms of its leaves....

Zone 3 Tree Selections The trees you plant today will grow to become huge, architectural plants that form the backbone around which to design your garden. Choose trees that reflect your own personal style, but make sure they will thrive in your zone. Here are some zone 3 tree selections to choose from: Zone 3 Deciduous Trees Amur maples are a pleasure in the garden any time of year, but they really show off in fall when the leaves turn a variety of brilliant colors....

Growing Hardy Hibiscus in Zone 4 Hibiscus plants for cold climates are difficult to come by, as most of the hardy hibiscus plants only tolerate winter chill to zone 5. That being said, Hibiscus moscheutos, also called Rose Mallow or Swamp Mallow, is a zone 4 hardy hibiscus that was developed in the 1950s by the three Fleming brothers. These hibiscus plants for zone 4 have lots of big, bright flowers that bloom in late summer....

Winter Flowers for Zone 6 Climates Zone 6 is a pretty medium climate in the United States and winter temperatures don’t usually go below 0 to -10 degrees F. (-18 to -23 C.). Zone 6 gardeners can enjoy a nice mix of cold climate-loving plants, as well as some warmer climate-loving plants. In zone 6 you also have a longer growing season in which to enjoy your plants. While northern gardeners are pretty much stuck with only houseplants to enjoy in winter, zone 6 gardeners may get blooms on winter hardy flowers as early as February....

What is 2-Row Barley? Commonly referred to as 2-row malting barley, 2-row barley plants are the most common type of barley used for brewing beer. European brewers, specifically, emphasize its use due to the large kernel sizes produced by the plants. This type of barley is extremely easy to identify, as evidenced by the growth arrangement on the seed head. Seed heads of this barley are neatly organized, with two distinct rows of seed growing down the entire length....

This plant is an exceptional option for those looking to add vibrant greenery or those looking for a serious attention-grabber in their tanks. It is also important to note that many different varieties are sold under the same common name. First, you will need to obtain the plants. Due to their popularity, it is likely that they can be found locally. However, those unable to do so can easily find the plants online....

Are Maple Seeds Edible? The helicopters, also called whirligigs but technically known as samaras, are the outer covering that must be removed when eating seeds from maple trees. The seed pods under the covering are edible. After peeling the outer covering of the samara, you’ll find a pod containing the seeds. When they’re young and green, in spring, they’re said to be most tasty. Some info calls them a spring delicacy, as they normally fall early in that season....

Collecting and Saving Bachelor’s Button Seeds When collecting bachelor’s button seeds, it’s important to let the flowers fade naturally on the plant. Bachelor’s buttons will produce new flowers all summer long if you cut the old ones, so it’s a good idea to harvest the seeds toward the end of the growing season. When one of your flowers heads has faded and dried up, cut it off of the stalk. You won’t see the seeds right away because they’re actually inside the flower....

Beechdrops Info Beechdrop wildflowers (Epifagus americana and Epifagus virginiana) consist of brownish stems and spiky clusters of small, cream colored, tube-shaped flowers with prominent maroon or brown markings. Beechdrop plants bloom in late summer and autumn, and by late autumn, they turn brown and die. Although beechdrops reach heights of 5 to 18 inches (13-46 cm.), you may walk past a plant without noticing it because the colors of the chlorophyll-less plants are so dull....

What is a Black Bell Eggplant? The eggplant variety ‘Black Bell’ is an Italian type of eggplant with the classic oval pear-shape and glossy purple-black skin. The fruit is generally about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) in length. The overall mature plant size is about 3to 4 feet (around a meter) in height and 12 to 16 inches (31-41 cm.) across. Black Bell is a hybrid eggplant that is pretty much like the heirloom Black Beauty in appearance, taste, and texture although it does produce a bit earlier....

Pandorea Vine Information What is a bower vine? The bower vine (Pandorea jasminoides) is an Australian native that goes by several other names, including bower climber, bower of beauty, and just plain Pandorea. It is a frost tender evergreen hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11. It can grow 15 to 25 feet (5-8 m.) in length. It doesn’t grow especially dense, instead spreading out with a delicate, open structure. At the same time, it grows quickly and can be used as a screen....

Many garden projects such as edging, retaining walls, garden paths, and more can be accomplished using leftover bricks around the garden. And if you are fresh out of bricks, rather than purchase new, it is easy to acquire reclaimed bricks. Bricks last a long time, have that old world charm, and are easy on the pocketbook if purchasing new. Here are several brick garden ideas you can use in your own yard....

Cutting Back Dwarf Spruce Trees Can dwarf spruce trees be pruned? That really depends upon what you’re trying to do. If you just want to do some shaping and encouraging bushier growth, then pruning should be easy and successful. If you’re looking to cut back a large or overgrown tree to a more manageable size, however, then you might be out of luck. Vigorous Dwarf Spruce Pruning If your dwarf spruce tree is larger than you’d hoped, and you’re trying to cut it down to size, you will probably run into some problems....

Can Mesquite Trees Grow in Containers? The short answer is, not really. One of the major reasons that these trees are able to survive in the desert is their extremely deep root system, with a particularly long and fast-growing tap root. If allowed to get to any size in a pot, the roots of container grown mesquite trees will start to grow around themselves, eventually strangling the tree. Growing Mesquite in a Container If you have an adequately deep container (at least 15 gallons), it’s possible to keep a mesquite tree in a pot for a couple of years....

What is a Snow Sweet Apple? Snow Sweet is a new variety, developed at the University of Minnesota and introduced in 2006. The trees are hardier than most and can be grown as far north as zone 4. They also have above average resistance to fire blight and scab. This is also a later variety, beginning to ripen in mid-September and about two weeks after Honeycrisp. The apples are the real standouts of this new variety....

Introduced to England from the Czech Republic in the 1860’s, Count Althann’s trees are upright, compact trees with large leaves. The hardy trees tolerate spring frost and are suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Interested in growing Count Althann’s gage trees? Read on for more information. Growing Count Althann’s Trees The gage ‘Count Althann’s’ requires another plum tree nearby for pollination to take place. Good candidates include Castleton, Valor, Merryweather, Victoria, Czar, Seneca, and many others....

Dahlberg Daisy Information Also called golden fleece or golden dogwood, dahlberg daisies (Dyssodia tenuiloba syn. Thymophylla tenuiloba) are small but mighty. These annuals have a plethora of small, ½ inch (1 cm.) wide golden flowers. Plants have a bit of a trailing habit and are low growing, getting to around 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) in height, and their feathery foliage has a pleasant citrusy aroma when crushed or bruised....

Dancing Bones Information A native of Brazil, dancing bones cactus isn’t a desert cactus but rather an epiphytic denizen of the rainforest. The stems are spineless, although older plants may develop a few spiny growths at the base. A mature dancing bones cactus plant reaches heights of 12 to 18 inches (31-46 cm.) Growing dancing bones is possible outdoors only in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 to 12. Gardeners in cooler climates, however, can enjoy this tropical plant indoors....

Different Types of Moss There are 22,000 varieties of moss worldwide, so you have quite a few options. A good way to narrow down your choices in what garden moss types to use is to determine what you want to do with your moss. Nothing says a lawn has to be grassy, and a damp, highly shaded yard, in particular, may perform much better with a type of moss that can handle high foot traffic....