How to Make Your Own Topiary There are essentially two kinds of topiaries: vine topiaries, where vines are encouraged to grow over topiary forms, and shrub topiaries, where a shrub is cut into a form. Make your own topiary with vines The time it will take to have a fully covered topiary varies depending on how many plants you use and the size of the topiary, but we can guarantee that when it is all filled in, you will be thrilled with the results....

Care of Oleanders in Winter Oleanders are big shrubs. Most grow to 12 feet (4 m.) tall and 12 feet (4 m.) wide, and some shoot up to over 20 feet 6 m.). This doesn’t mean that they can survive cold winters without help though. Winterizing oleander plants is possible, wherever you live. Oleanders are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 10. This means that they can withstand the cold winter weather in those zones....

While a half dead tree might be suffering from a variety of conditions, the odds are that the tree has one of several serious root issues. Read on for more information. Why One Side of Tree is Dead Insect pests can cause serious damage to trees, but they rarely limit their attack to one side of a tree. Similarly, foliage diseases tend to damage or destroy the entire canopy of a tree rather than only half of it....

Triteleia Plant Info Triplet lilies are perennial plants. They are commonly called ‘Pretty Face’ or ‘Wild Hyacinth.’ Blooms of triplet lily plants can be light blue, lavender, or white. Reaching 15 to 20 inches (38-51 cm.), planting triplet lilies among plants that flower earlier adds a splash of color around foliage that should remain in the landscape until it yellows. The blooms will last two to three weeks with the right planting and triplet lily care....

Knowing Your Virginia Zone – Understanding the USDA Planting Map If you live in Virginia, you will be in one of the four Virginia USDA plant hardiness zones that range from 5a in the western mountains to 8a on the eastern shore. These zones should serve as a guideline when selecting flowers, shrubs or trees for your garden. Much of Virginia experiences a relatively mild winter with extreme low temperatures above zero; however, those that live in the northwest could see chilly winter lows down as far as -20 F....

Will Tomatoes Ripen if Picked Green? Tomatoes are a conundrum. For one thing, they are often used as a vegetable but are actually a fruit. While this fruit can be eaten when green it is most often used when the skin turns red and the flesh inside is sweet and juicy. It isn’t always feasible to harvest at tomatoes’ peak ripeness. In this case, will they ripen after picking? The answer is yes....

Hydrophyte Facts: Wetland Plant Info Hydrophytic plants have several adaptations that allow them to survive in water. For example, water lilies and lotus are anchored in the soil by shallow roots. The plants are equipped with long, hollow stems that reach the surface of the water, and large, flat, waxy leaves that allow the top of the plant to float. The plants grow in water as deep as 6 feet (2 m....

Winecup Plant Info Winecups (Callirhoe involucrata) consist of thick mats of trailing, vine-like stems that grow from long tubers. As you may have guessed, winecup wildflowers are named for the masses of pink, maroon, or reddish-purple, cup-shaped blooms, each with a white spot at the center of the “cup.” The flowers, which open in the morning and close in the evening, are borne on the end of the stems. Winecup wildflowers are suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, although they tolerate the chilly winters of zone 3 if they are located in very well-drained soil....

Liberty Bell Tomato Info What is a Liberty Bell tomato? Bred with cooking and stuffing in mind, the Liberty Bell tomato has very thick, sturdy sides and big seed chambers with lots of empty space inside. In fact, its shape and structure are very similar to those of a bell pepper, earning it its “Liberty Bell” name. The average fruit usually reaches 3 inches (7.5 cm.) in diameter, and weighs about 7 ounces (200 g....

What is a Plant Collar? Cutworms and cabbage root maggots feed on tender stems of plants, effectively severing them and causing plant death. A plant collar is a simple tube placed around the base of the plant to prevent these pesky pests from feeding on the plant. A DIY plant collar is a simple structure that can be made easily from recycled items found around the home. How to Make a Plant Collar The good news is that a homemade plant collar is easy to make....

What is an Equinox Tomato? Although tomatoes are sun lovers, there can be too much of a good thing. If temperatures regularly exceed 85 F. (29 C.) during the day and 72 F. (22 C.) or greater in your region, not every type of tomato will grow. It’s just too plain hot. That’s where growing an Equinox tomato comes into play. Equinox is a determinate, heat-tolerant tomato hybrid that sets fruit in spring and fall in warmer regions....

What is Corn Smut? Corn smut is caused by a fungus called Ustilago zeae, which is commonly blown on the wind from an infected stand to an uninfected stand of corn. The spores can live up to three years, making them very hard to completely destroy. The fungus is generally considered an opportunistic fungus, only able to move into the tissues of your corn plants through damaged or torn tissues, but if they get a chance to infect, they waste no time....

What is Peach Yellows? Peach yellows is a disease caused by a microorganism called a phytoplasma– this group of pathogens shares characteristics with both viruses and bacteria. It can affect any tree in the genus Prunus, including cherries, peaches, plums, and almonds, both wild and domestic. In fact, the wild plum is a common silent carrier of peach yellows disease. It is transmitted through infected tissues when grafting or budding and vectored by leafhoppers....

Growing Wildflowers in the Desert If you’re interested in growing wildflowers in the desert, or if you’d like to try your hand at xeriscaping with wildflowers, keep in mind that most desert wildflowers tolerate very warm days and won’t grow in cold temperatures. However, temperatures above 85 F. (29 C.) in late winter and early spring may scorch the seedlings. Desert wildflower plants are adaptable to poor, alkaline soil, but the soil must be well-drained....

Yellow watermelons can be used with or as a substitute for pink and red watermelons, for fun summer treats, or cocktails. This summer, if you feel like getting adventurous in the garden and kitchen, you may enjoy growing a Yellow Crimson watermelon plant, or even two. Yellow Crimson Watermelon Info Yellow watermelons are not a new hybrid fad by any means. In fact, watermelon varieties with white or yellow flesh have been around longer than pink or red-fleshed watermelons....

Meet the American Sycamore What’s the largest hardwood tree in North America? If you guessed the American sycamore, you are correct. It shoots up to 140 feet (42.6 m.) tall with exfoliating bark, giving the tree a camouflaged look. The outer bark is light brown, and inner is back white, green or yellow. This should help with sycamore tree identification. Sycamore leaves are quite large, up to 10 inches (25 cm....

Petunia Cold Tolerance Petunias prefer nighttime temperatures between 57 and 65 degrees F. (14-16 C.) and daytime temps between 61 and 75 degrees F. (16-18 C.). However, petunias usually tolerate temperatures as low as 39 degrees F. (4 C.) with no problem, but they are definitely not plants that will survive the winter in most climates. Petunias are damaged extensively at 32 degrees F. (0 C.), and killed very quickly by a hard freeze....

Recognizing Common Problems with Asters As plants go, asters are relatively problem free. There are, however, several common aster pests and diseases that can become a problem if left untreated. Some aster plant diseases are more superficial than anything, and will not affect the plants’ health or ability to bloom. These include rust and powdery mildew. They can be treated with fungicide. Some other more serious diseases are root rot, wilt, and foot rot, all of which can result in the death of the plant....

About Beneficial Flowers for the Vegetable Garden Incorporating flowers into the vegetable garden is an age old practice brought about by smaller European gardens situated near the kitchen. Gardeners needed easy access to not only food crops, but medicinal herbs and flowers as well. The same method can be used today and has many benefits to crops. Companion planting with flowers makes the garden more diverse. Diversity means that many diseases have difficulty taking hold or spreading easily....

Tomato Botryosporium Mold Info What is botryosporium mold? Botryosporium mold is a problem affecting tomato plants that is caused by the botryosporium fungus. There are actually two different fungi that can cause the issue: Botryosporium pulchrum and Botryosporium longibrachiatum. These two fungi can affect a wide range of plants. On tomato plants, botryosporium mold manifests itself as a thick collection of white to gray conidiophores, or thin filaments attached to the leaves and stems....