What is Morning Glory Cypress Vine? Cypress vines are members of the morning glory family. They share many characteristics with the more familiar morning glory, although the appearance of the foliage and flowers is quite different. Cypress vines are usually grown as annuals, even though they are technically perennials in frost-free areas of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. In USDA zones 6 through 9, they may return year after year from seeds dropped by the previous season’s plants....

When to Divide Ornamental Grasses If you have large areas that would benefit from being filled with ornamental grasses, or walkways and paths that would be attractive if lined by these plants, try growing from divisions. Most ornamental grasses grow easily and quickly from just a small start. A hollow center indicates when to divide ornamental grasses. Usually division every two to three years is appropriate. Dividing ornamental grasses is best done in late winter or early spring before growth starts....

Looking for a fun and easy gardening project you can do indoors? Why not try a floating air plant frame? Air plants are extremely easy to care for. Most only require a quick soak in water every couple weeks and misting as needed between waterings, depending on the type you have. This is a project I did from MyGardenBox subscription, but you can do it too with little effort. Here’s how....

Are Fireflies Beneficial? Adult fireflies are very common in gardens. In fact, even those living in larger cities have likely encountered this insect as the sun has started to set. Adult fireflies are those which are most easily identified. More specifically, male lightning bugs are typically the ones seen flying throughout the garden. As they glow, they actively seek female bugs. The female will then “answer” with her own signal. Though adults are most common, larval fireflies also exist in the garden....

Growing Zone 9 Drought Tolerant Trees Here are a few good drought tolerant trees for zone 9 gardens and landscapes: Sycamore – Both California and western sycamores are hardy in zones 7 through 10. They are fast growing and branch out nicely, making them good drought tolerant shade trees. Cypress – Leyland, Italian, and Murray cypress trees all perform well in zone 9. While each variety has its own characteristics, as a rule these trees are tall and narrow and make very good privacy screens when planted in a row....

What are Red or Purple Leaf Peach Trees? There are several peach (Prunus persica) varieties that sport reddish-purple leaves. The most common and readily available is ‘Bonfire.’ Bonfire is a dwarf purple leaf peach tree that only grows to about 5 feet in height (1.5 meters) in 5 years and the same distance across, making it almost more of a shrub than a tree. This cultivar is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and is tolerant of temperatures down to -10, possibly -20 F....

What is an Early Pak Tomato? If you’re like me and love growing and eating tomatoes, you have no doubt noticed just how many different tomato varieties are available for the garden. While I have my specific favorites that I grow every year, I also like to try at least one new variety each season. This has, of course, led me to discovering new favorites and has also helped me determine which varieties not to grow again....

What are Edible Pod Peas? Edible pod peas are peas where the parchment has been bred out of the pod so the young pods stay tender. While there are a number of edible pod pea varieties, they come from two ilks: the Chinese pea pod (also known as snow pea or sugar pea) and snap peas. Chinese pea pods are flat pods with insignificant peas inside that are commonly used in Asian cuisine....

What Do Endophytes Do? Endophytes are living organisms that live within and form symbiotic relationships with other living organisms. Endophyte enhanced grasses are grasses that have beneficial fungi living within them. These fungi help the grasses store and use water more efficiently, withstand extreme heat and drought better, and resist certain insects and fungal diseases. In return, the fungi use some of the energy the grasses obtain through photosynthesis. However, endophytes are only compatible with certain grasses like perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, chewings fescue, and hard fescue....

One way this can be done is through the incorporation of evergreen plants, shrubs, and trees. But exactly what is an evergreen plant? Let’s learn more. Evergreen Plant Info What does evergreen mean exactly and what is an evergreen plant? Generally speaking, evergreen plants and trees are those which do not lose their leaves at the onset of cold weather. Unlike deciduous trees, evergreen trees do not drop their leaves, and they remain colorful (green or otherwise) throughout the entirety of the winter growing season....

Can You Grow Fleabane in Gardens? Daisy fleabane (Erigeron speciosus) is an easy-care perennial wildflower with many hybrid offspring to fit almost any informal garden. Common specimens range in height from about 10 inches to 2 ½ feet (25.5 cm to 0.5 m.), and spread up to two feet (0.5 cm.) across in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 through 8, though in zones 7 and 8, daisy fleabane may struggle in the heat of the summer....

How to Grow Gerbera Daisy Plants Indoors Gerbera houseplants require an unusual combination of bright light and moderate temperatures. A spot near a sunny window may be too hot and can scorch the leaves, but without adequate light, the plant won’t produce blooms. Bright sunlight in the morning often works well, but be sure the plant is protected from bright light during the afternoon. Although gerbera daisies tolerate cool temperatures, they won’t survive long in temperatures above 70 degrees F....

Desert Lupine Information A member of the pea family, desert lupine is a distinctive plant with dark green, palmate leaves and spikes of blue or purple, pea-like flowers. Height at maturity is about 18 inches (45 cm.), but desert lupine may reach heights of up to 4 feet (1 m.). Desert lupine plants bloom prolifically in moist years, carpeting the desert with color. However, this hardy plant blooms even in dry years, and is commonly found growing along roadsides....

Keep reading to learn how to grow a bamboo palm indoors. How to Grow Bamboo Palm Plants Growing palms indoors is relatively easy if you start with a healthy plant. Healthy palm plants have dark green leaves and an erect habit. Don’t purchase a plant that is wilting or has brown foliage. It’s wise to transplant your palm as soon as you can after purchase. Choose a container for the palm 2 inches (5 cm....

Seckel Pear Information The vast majority of pear trees available in commerce are cultivars imported from Europe. But one type of pear tree, Pyrus ‘Seckel’ trees, started from a wild seedling in Pennsylvania. This type of pear, pronounced SEK-el, is a variety of fruit tree that grows tiny, bell-shaped pears that are very sweet. According to Seckel pear information, the harvest period starts in September and lasts until February. The pears can last up to five months in storage....

Growing Zone 6 Flowers Proper care for zone 6 flowering plants depends on the plant itself. Always read plant tags or ask a garden center worker about a plant’s specific needs. Shade-loving plants can be stunted or badly burned in too much sun. Likewise, sun-loving plants may be stunted or not bloom in too much shade. Whether full sun, part shade, or shade, there are choices of annuals and perennials that can be interplanted for continually blooming flowerbeds....

Can You Grow New Guinea Impatiens from Seeds? Several varieties of New Guinea impatiens, like many other hybridized plants, do not produce viable seed, or they produce seed that reverts back to one of the original plants used to create the hybrid. This is why many plants, including most New Guinea impatiens, are propagated by cuttings and not by seed. Propagating by cuttings produces exact clones of the plant the cutting was taken from....

When to Harvest Pomegranates Native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India, pomegranates have been cultivated for centuries for their juicy arils. They are grown in mild temperate to subtropical climates in regions with cool winters and hot summers. Drought tolerant, the trees actually prefer a semi-arid climate, planted in deep, acidic loam with good drainage. Don’t expect to begin harvesting pomegranate fruit until three to four years after planting....

Is Baby’s Breath Toxic to Cats? Baby’s breath, native to Eurasia, was introduced into North America for use as an ornamental, specifically in the cut flower industry. The plant readily self-sows and, as such, can now be found naturalized across Canada and into the northern United States. It is often classified as a weed due to the ease of self-propagation and hardiness. To some, it might be a nasty weed, but is baby’s breath bad for cats?...

Laurustinus Plant Information Laurustinus viburnum is one of the short viburnum species, and even unpruned specimens rarely exceed 12 feet (3.6 m.) in height. Some cultivars, like Laurustinus Spring Bouquet, are much shorter. The dwarfed height is one of the key features that makes growing laurustinus shrubs popular. A gardener seeking a short hedge won’t need to prune every other week to keep the plant the right size. Laurustinus plant information states that these evergreen shrubs produce flower buds as early as January....