What is a Fairy Tale Eggplant? Eggplant has many fans, but it’s not considered an especially gorgeous vegetable plant. Your opinion on this topic might change when you read some Fairy Tale eggplant information. What is a Fairy Tale eggplant? It’s a variety of the classic vegetable that produces tender-sweet fruits attractive enough to deserve a place in your annual flower bed. The eggplant “Fairy Tale” is a lovely mini eggplant, only 4 inches (10 cm....

Is Himalayan Balsam Invasive? Himalayan balsam plants are native to Asia. In the early 19th century, they were brought to the British Isles to be planted in gardens, and before long they escaped into the wild, where they continue to cause a number of serious problems. The plant is attracted to damp areas like riverbanks, where it grows in clusters that can reach 10 feet (3 m.) in height. Since it is so tall, it will often shade out shorter native plants....

What is Smartweed? Smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) is an annual broadleaf. As an annual, it reproduces through seeds that drop near the parent plant to produce new plants. The most effective control methods focus on preventing the plants from producing seeds. Before we discuss how to control smartweed, let’s take a look at a few key physical features that can help with smartweed identification. One of the first things you might notice is that the stems are divided into segments....

Why Do Peace Lily Flowers Turn Green? What you may consider a flower on the peace lily is actually a spathe. A spathe is a modified leaf, or bract, that surrounds the small flowers. The natural cycle of the spathe on a peace lily is to develop with a greenish color, turn bright white, and then turn green again as the flowers fade and ultimately turn brown. Most likely your green peace lily blooms are simply part of the process....

Why a Plant as a Wedding Present? Of course, etiquette dictates that you get something from the registry for the bride and groom, but people love to get more thoughtful and personal gifts too. Wedding gift plants don’t have to be expensive but can be a wonderfully personalized gift that will brighten a new home or garden for years to come. Plants to Give as Wedding Gifts Any plant that is thoughtful and means something to you will be a welcome gift to the happy couple....

Desert Marigold Information Botanically called Baileya multiradiata, desert marigold flower is also called paper daisy, as mature blooms have a papery texture. They are also sometimes known as desert Baileya. Desert marigold plants may reach a foot in height with big, yellow flowers that produce lots of seeds. Some of the clumping, daisy-like mounds of flowers are shorter. The plant is an herbaceous, short-lived perennial, returning again next year. Blooms begin in spring and may continue through summer....

What to Plant with Lettuce Lettuce benefits from having most vegetables near it. Chives and garlic, in particular, are good neighbors because they naturally repel aphids, a common problem for lettuce. Similarly, marigolds, one of the big powerhouses of pest repellers, can be planted near lettuce to help keep the bugs away. There are plenty of other plants that, while they don’t actively repel lettuce-eating bugs, are very happy growing next to it....

Why Should You Be Growing Orange Fruit? The plant pigments that color orange fruit varieties are called carotenoids. These same orange colored fruit contain beta-carotene which is converted in the body into vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a large part in helping to maintain vision and healthy mucous membranes. It also elicits cell growth, and promotes a healthy immune system. Orange Fruit Varieties When discussing orange colored fruit, the primary candidate is of course the orange, but there are plenty of other orange colored citrus fruit that will give your body a healthful boost: mandarins, satsumas, kumquats, tangelo, clementine and tangerines for example....

How to Grow Herbs in Zone 8 Herb gardening in zone 8 is very rewarding. Zone 8 is a great area for growing herbs. While some herbs prefer cooler temperatures, a lot of popular cooking herbs are native to the Mediterranean and thrive in hot, sunny summers. Most will do very well in full sun, although a few may benefit from some partial shade. If you’re growing herbs in containers, keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t dry out too much....

How to Know When a Cucumber is Ripe Cucumber harvesting isn’t an exact science. However, cucumbers are generally ripe and ready for harvest anywhere from 50 to 70 days after planting. A cucumber is normally considered ripe when it is bright medium to dark green and firm. You should avoid cucumber harvesting when cucumbers are yellow, puffy, have sunken areas, or wrinkled tips. These are well beyond being ripe and should be discarded promptly....

Can Annuals Survive Indoors? The first step in determining whether or not an annual can survive indoors is to understand the plant type. Annuals refer to plants which grow, flower, and set seed in one season. Perennials are those which return season after season. In climates which are not ideal, many perennials can be grown as annuals. Bringing in these flowers to grow indoors can help you keep your favorite perennials throughout the winter until the next warm season arrives....

Hydrangeas for Zone 3 Gardens Panicle or Pee Gee hydrangeas, offer the most variety in hydrangeas for zone 3. Blooming on new wood from July-September, panicle hydrangeas are the most cold-hardy and sun-tolerant of zone 3 hydrangea varieties. Some zone 3 hydrangea varieties in this family include: Bobo Firelight Limelight Little Lime Little Lamb Pinky Winky Quick Fire Little Quick Fire Ziinfin Doll Tardiva Unique Pink Diamond White Moth Preacox...

About Indigo Pest Control Indigo not only produces vivid dyes, it is also a nitrogen fixing member of the legume family. In many tropical regions, it is not only valued as “the king of dyes” but is also grown as a green manure or cover crop. In addition to being pretty resistant to insect pests, indigo is rarely grazed on by livestock or other wildlife. In tropical regions where indigo can grow into a woody perennial, it can actually become a pest itself by choking or shading out native flora....

What is Bolting? While plants do not “run away” physically, their growth may run away rapidly, and this is basically what this phrase means in the gardening world. Plants, mostly vegetable or herbs, are said to bolt when their growth goes rapidly from being mostly leaf based to being mostly flower and seed based. Why Do Plants Bolt? Most plants bolt due to hot weather. When the ground temperature goes above a certain temperature, this flips a switch in the plant to produce flowers and seeds very rapidly and to abandon leaf growth almost completely....

Should I Prune My Tomato Plants? The answer to this question is actually a personal one. Some people assert firmly that pruning tomato suckers improves the production and health of a plant. Others claim that pruning tomato suckers damages the plant unnecessarily, opening it up to disease and doing nothing to actually help. So, scientifically speaking, who is right? A study at Iowa State University (PDF) published in 2000 showed that pruning tomato suckers sometimes made a difference and sometimes did not in terms of the size the fruit....

Joe-Pye Weed Description There are three species of Joe-pye weed as listed by the United States Department of Agriculture including eastern Joe-pye weed, spotted Joe-pye weed, and sweet-scented Joe-pye weed. At maturity these plants can reach 3 to 12 feet (1-4 m.) tall and bear purple to pink flowers. Joe-pye weed is America’s tallest perennial herb and was named after a Native-American called Joe-pye who used the plant to cure fevers....

What Causes Zucchini Fruit to Fall Off the Plant? The most common cause of zucchini fruit falling off the plant is no or poor pollination. This means that for some reason, the flowers on your zucchini plant were not properly pollinated and the fruit was unable to produce seeds. Remember, a plant’s sole purpose is to produce seeds. When a fruit has shown it will not produce seeds, the plant will “abort” the fruit rather than invest precious time and energy in growing it....

Lizard Control in Gardens A common concern from homeowners spotting lizards in their gardens for the first time is how to keep lizards from eating garden plants and produce. The good news is that if the lizard you’re seeing is a true lizard and not another type of reptile, you don’t have to be concerned– most of these animals are carnivores. Lizards appear in gardens seeking hard to control, but tasty bugs like beetles, ants, wasps, aphids, grasshoppers, and spiders....

Growing Madonna Lilies Madonna lily (Lilium candidum) is one of the oldest cultivated varieties of lily. The stunning blooms on this plant are pure white, trumpet shaped, and between 2 and 3 inches (5-8 cm.) long. The bright yellow pollen in the center of each flower contrasts strikingly with the white petals. You’ll get lots of these pretty flowers too, as Madonna lily is known as a prolific bloomer. Expect up to 20 per stem....

Self-Heal Tea Info Is self-heal tea good for you? Self-heal tea is relatively unfamiliar to most modern North American herbalists, but scientists are studying the plant’s antibiotic and antioxidant properties, as well as its potential to lower high blood pressure and treat tumors. Tonics and teas made from self-heal plants have been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, used primarily to treat minor ailments, disorders of the kidneys and liver, and as an anti-cancer drug....