What to Do with Overgrown Shrubs Large shrubs started out as small shrubs. If they didn’t get the maintenance pruning they needed, they may now appear as overgrown masses of crossing branches. What to do with overgrown shrubs? Before you hire someone to rip those shrubs out, consider cutting them back to rejuvenate them. How to Trim an Overgrown Shrub Overgrown shrub pruning, also called renewal or rejuvenation pruning, involves cutting out the oldest and largest branches at ground level....

Which Fire Pit is Best? Deciding which style of fire pit to incorporate into your landscape requires narrowing down your requirements and expectation. For instance, do you want to heat just a partially covered patio or lanai or are you interested in having a roaring bonfire on property that, of course, is nowhere near anything flammable? Budget will also be a determining factor when deciding on an outdoor fire pit style....

White Spots on Mums Chrysanthemums are popular garden flowers. They are hardy perennials that thrive in mild or even cool climates. The species flowers are yellow, and the name comes from the Greek words for gold and flower. Today, however, chrysanthemum blooms come in a large range of shapes and colors including white, purple, and red. If you see white spots on mums that look like pale powder, don’t just hope they will go away....

Euonymus Wintercreeper Vines Wintercreeper (Eyonymus fortunei) is an attractive, woody evergreen vine. Numerous varieties are available, including those with a strong climbing habit. Some vines reach heights of 40 to 70 feet (12-21 m.) quickly, making pruning wintercreeper vines necessary to keep it under control. E. erecta is a non-climbing variety with upright leaves and E. kewensis forms a lovely ground-hugging mat. If you have a large open area, or a place where other plants have failed, try wintercreeper....

Wolf River Apple Info The origins of the Wolf River apple variety go back to the late 1800s when a Wisconsin farmer planted Alexander apples along the Wolf River. By chance he got some monster-sized apples, which were then propagated and eventually came to be called Wolf River apples. The fruit of today’s Wolf River apple trees grow up to eight inches (20.5 cm.) in diameter and can weigh more than a pound (450 g....

Fertilizing With Alfalfa Meal What is alfalfa meal? This organic garden booster is a product of fermented alfalfa plant seeds. It’s light and airy looking and has a pleasant, earthy smell. Alfalfa meal generally comes in large quantities, as you use it generously around all your blooming perennials and shrubs. Although you may be able to find alfalfa meal at some larger garden centers, it may be easier and less expensive to get at feed and animal stores....

Identifying Azalea Bark Scale Blackened branches, covered by a sticky soot and white, cottony fluffs in the crotches of the lower branches are all symptoms of one of the most dreaded of azalea diseases. Black branches are the result of mold growing on the honeydew excreted by this azalea pest. Azalea bark scale looks like, and is often mistaken for, mealybugs. The female is covered with waxy threads that harden into a protective scale as her egg sac forms....

What is a Bearberry? Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a low-growing ground cover that usually tops out between 6 and 12 inches (15-31 cm.). The flexible stems sport teardrop-shaped, leathery leaves in dark green. You’ll find a small amount of white or pale pink waxy flowers between March and June. Bearberry grows groups of cherry red berries that measure just under ½ inch (1 cm.) across. A lot of wildlife will eat these berries, but the plant gets its name because bears absolutely love them....

How to Care for a Bergenia Plant Growing Bergenia loves shade and dappled sunlight, so choose a darker corner of the yard or a bed up against the house that rarely gets full sunlight. Plant them 12 to 18 inches (30-46 cm.) apart early in the spring to fill the area without crowding them out. Choose a spot with well-drained, moist soil, and add compost to the bed as needed. Watch for flowers in the early spring....

The blackberry lily plant is also commonly named, not for the flowers, but for clusters of black fruit that grow after flowering, similar to a blackberry. Flowers of the blackberry lily plant are star-shaped, with six petals and are about 2 inches (5 cm.) across. Blackberry Lily Plant Blackberry lily plant, Belamcanda chinensis, is the most commonly grown plant of the species, the only one cultivated. Belamcanda blackberry lilies are of the Iris family, and were recently renamed ‘Iris domestica....

Growing Yucca Flowers Yucca plants are members of the Agave family and include over 40 different types of shrubby perennials that grow in North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Yuccas are slow growing evergreen plants with sword-like leaves. All yucca flowers are bell-shaped and sit on top of tall stems. Yuccas are very easy to grow and can be put in containers or planted in the ground in well-drained soil. Yuccas are drought resistant and can survive for many months without water....

What is Buttercrunch Lettuce? Butterhead lettuces are sought after for their “buttery” flavor and velvety texture. The small, loosely formed heads yield leaves that are at once delicate and yet strong enough to roll into lettuce wraps. Butterhead lettuce has soft, green, slightly curled leaves wrapped around a loose inner head of blanched, sweet-flavored, interior leaves. The butterhead lettuce ‘Buttercrunch’ has the above qualities with the added advantage of being slightly more tolerant of heat....

What is California Late White Garlic? California Late garlic is a silverskin or softneck type of garlic that is later maturing than California Early garlic with a hotter, classic garlic flavor. A prolific grower, California Late garlic tolerates hot spring temperatures and has an excellent shelf life of about 8 to 12 months. It is harvested in the early summer and produces large bulbs with 12 to 16 nice sized cloves that are perfect for roasted garlic or any other use....

About Blackgold Sweet Cherry The Blackgold cherry is a sweet variety. The fruit is very dark, deep red, almost black, and has a sweet, strong flavor. The flesh is firm and dark purple in color. These cherries are ideal for eating right off the tree and can be frozen to preserve the crop for winter use. Blackgold was developed as a cross between the Stark Gold and Stella varieties to get a tree with positive attributes of both....

Camphor Tree Information Camphor trees in the landscape cannot be ignored. Each tree can grow to 150 feet (45.5 m.) tall and spread twice as wide. Camphor tree information also notes that the trunks get to 15 feet (4.5 m.) in diameter in some locations, although in the United States, the maximum trunk diameter is much smaller. Camphor trees have glossy oval leaves that dangle from long petioles. Leaves start out a rusty red but soon turn dark green with three yellow veins....

Using Chicken Manure for Vegetable Garden Fertilizer Chicken manure fertilizer is very high in nitrogen and also contains a good amount of potassium and phosphorus. The high nitrogen and balanced nutrients are the reason that chicken manure compost is the best kind of manure to use. But the high nitrogen in the chicken manure is dangerous to plants if the manure has not been properly composted. Raw chicken manure fertilizer can burn, and even kill plants....

Getting Climbing Hydrangea to Climb Climbing hydrangeas climb by aerial roots that stick to surfaces. Climbing hydrangea attach best to rough textured surfaces like bricks, masonry, and tree bark rather than climbing along trellises. However, they do not cause any damage to buildings or trees they climb, other than leaving behind a sticky residue. Since they like part shade and specifically afternoon shade, they will grow best on a north or east facing wall, or up large shade trees....

About Collar and Stem Rot of Chrysanthemums Collar and stem rot of chrysanthemums are caused by several different fungi. These include Fusarium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. When Fusarium fungus causes the rot, the disease is also called fusarium wilt. You’ll notice that the plants wilt, as if they need water. However, water won’t help with fusarium wilt, and the plants soon turn brown and die. When Fusarium enters through the soil line, it is called chrysanthemum collar rot....

Kohlrabi Companion Plants The nature of companion planting is that of symbiosis. That is two or more different plants are situated in close proximity to one or both plants mutual benefit. The benefit might be by adding nutrients into the soil, repelling pests, sheltering beneficial insects, or acting as a natural trellis or support. The most well-known example of companion planting is that of the Three Sisters. The Three Sisters is a planting method used by Native Americans....

About Snapdragons in Containers Snapdragons have pretty, bell-shaped flowers that grow in clusters on a tall spike. They are cool-weather flowers, so expect them to bloom in spring and fall, not summer. They come in a range of colors including white, yellow, orange, pink, purple, red, and more. Snapdragons also come in different sizes, from 6 to 36 inches (15 cm. to almost a meter). A bunch of snapdragons of approximately the same height, but in a mix of colors, looks stunning in any kind of container....