Information About the Michigan USDA Planting Zone Map This Michigan planting map, devised by the USDA, divides growing zones into 10-degree F. (-12 C.) increments according to average winter low temperatures over a 30-year period. A new map for 2012 was recently released which indicates warmer average winter temperatures for many areas. This information is useful to both novice and experienced gardeners. To locate your planting zone on the map, you can click to enlarge the map and find your general area....

Mistflower Info Commonly called hardy or wild ageratum or mistflower, mistflowers are botanically named Conoclinium coelestinum and classified as a wildflower. The plant closely resembles the garden variety of ageratum, only larger. Wild ageratum grows on stems reaching 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) tall. Composed of florets, flowers of some cultivars may have a purple or pinkish tint and can be as big as 4 inches (10 cm.) across. Blue mistflowers remain intact longest and retain their color without looking dried up....

Nootka Rose Info Nootka roses are basically wild or species roses named after an island off Vancouver, Canada named Nootka. This wonderful rose bush separates itself from other wild roses in three ways: Uses of Nootka Rose Plants Nootka rose plants can be found in several areas of the United States but may well have crossed with one of the other local wild/species roses, as it will easily cross with other such roses....

Wintering a Coleus Plant Overwintering coleus plants is actually quite easy. They can be dug up and overwintered indoors, or you can take cuttings from your healthy plants to make additional stock for next season’s garden. How to Keep Coleus Through Winter Given adequate light, coleus overwinters easily indoors. Dig up healthy plants in the fall, just before cold weather hits. Make sure you get as much of the root system as possible....

Perennials with Green Flowers Although lime green perennials (and annuals) are bold, the color is surprisingly versatile and pairs well with plants of nearly every color under the sun. Chartreuse is a great attention-getter that works especially well in dark, shady corners. You can also use lime green perennials as a backdrop for other perennials, or to draw attention to a focal point such as a garden sculpture, picnic area or garden gate....

The only way to know for sure is to give moon phase gardening a try. After all, what can it hurt? (And it just may help!) Let’s learn a little more about how to garden by the moon. How to Plant by Moon Phases When the moon is waxing: This is the time to start planting annual flowers such as marigolds, nasturtiums, and petunias. Why? During the waxing of the moon (the period extending from the day the moon is new to the day it reaches its fullest point), the moon pulls moisture upwards....

Gardening in Washington State Gardening in Washington State is all over the map. There are arid, coastal, mountainous, rural and urban regions. Knowing what to plant in May will depend upon your last average frost. An Eastern planting calendar for May will vary greatly from one for the West side of the state. Western Washington Planting Guide Again a planting calendar for May will vary depending upon your location. In general for the western side of the state, the frost free growing season begins March 24 and ends Nov....

Sweet Potato Companions So what are some of the best companion plants for sweet potatoes? As a rule of thumb, root vegetables, such as parsnips and beets, are good sweet potato companions. Bush beans are good sweet potato companions, and certain varieties of pole beans can be trained to grow along the ground intermingled with sweet potato vines. Regular potatoes, though not actually closely related at all, are also good sweet potato companions....

What is a Red Hot Poker Torch Lily? The striking, red hot poker plant (Kniphofia uvaria) is in the Liliaceae family and is also known as poker plant and torch lily. This plant thrives in USDA zones 5 through 9 and is an upright evergreen perennial with a clumping habit. Over 70 known species exist of this South African native plant. Torch lilies grow to be up to 5 feet (1....

What is Polish Red Garlic? There are two major types of garlic: softneck and hardneck. Softneck garlic matures earlier and produces more cloves than hardneck types of garlic. Artichoke garlic is a subtype of softneck garlic that is named for the overlapping layers of cloves. Polish Red garlic bulbs are an artichoke type of garlic. Polish Red garlic plants are very hardy and prolific producers. They sport good sized bulbs containing 6-10 fat cloves that are tan in color with a purple/red tint....

Popular Petunias That are Purple When you think of petunias, your mind might jump to classic pink. These flowers come in a wide range of colors, however. Here are some popular purple petunia varieties: “Sugar Daddy” – Bright purple flowers with a deep purple center that spreads out through the petals in veins. “Littletunia Indigo” – A compact plant that produces a prolific number of small, purple to blue blossoms. “Moonlight Bay” – Deep, rich purple flowers with creamy white petal borders....

Flowering Quince Propagation Native to China, Chaenomeles, or flowering quince, flowers on the previous year’s wood. Like most shrubs, it can be propagated by layering, cuttings, or seed. Asexual propagation (propagating quince from cuttings or layering) will produce plants that are exact replicas of the parent plant. Sexual propagation with the help of pollinators and flowering quince seeds produces plants that will vary. Propagating Quince from Cuttings To propagate flowering quince by cuttings, take 6- to 8-inch (15 to 20....

When to Prune Lavender You’ll start trimming lavender in the second year that it is in the ground. Newly planted or very young plants need a chance to establish themselves, and in order to do this, they need to be able to focus on growing roots. If you cut back lavender in its first year, it will put energy towards growing leaves rather than roots and this will make it a weaker plant in the long term....

Can You Prune Citronella? Scented geraniums prefer a sunny, well-drained location with afternoon shade. Siting mosquito plants close to the patio or where people congregate makes handy access to its citronella properties. Hardy in zones 9 to 11, mosquito plant also does well in containers that can be moved inside in cooler zones. Lavender flowers brighten the plant’s ruffled, green foliage in late summer and early fall. However, the fragrant leaves of scented geraniums are the primary attraction....

Rattlesnake Plant Info Native to the Brazilian rainforest, the rattlesnake plant thrives in moist, warm, semi-shady climates. If conditions are just right, the plant produces bright, yellow-orange blooms in late spring and early summer. The rattlesnake plant is a real attention-getter, growing to heights of 30 inches (76 cm.) and sometimes more. Like other calathea plants, it is so named for its attractive foliage and interesting patterns. How to Grow Rattlesnake Houseplants Grow rattlesnake plant in a container filled with regular, good quality potting mix....

Pruning an Overgrown Oleander The good news is that you can do rejuvenation pruning of oleanders and get old, overgrown plants back into shape. You’ll have to evaluate the health of the oleander shrub and determine if it can withstand drastic pruning all at one time. The problem with one severe pruning is that it can induce excess foliage growth and encourage basal sprouting. If the plant is in fragile health, its vigor can be reduced and a very weak plant may even die....

So, I guess I shouldn’t treat it like a castaway. And, no, no matter how much I try to rationalize, yellow is not the new green! It’s time to cast the guilt and these foolish notions aside and find a solution for yellow rubber tree leaves! Yellowing Leaves on a Rubber Plant One of the most common reasons for the presence of yellow rubber tree leaves is over or under-watering, so it is highly recommended that you know how to properly water a rubber tree plant....

Symptoms of Plant Rust Rust fungi are very easy to identify on the plant. The disease can be characterized by a rust color on plant leaves and stems. The rust will start out as flecks and will eventually grow into bumps. The plant rust will most likely appear on the underside of the leaves of the plant. The good news is that there are so many kinds of rust fungi and they are so plant specific, that if you see the rust color on plant leaves of one type of plant, you will not see it appear any other types of plants in your yard....

When to Cut Back Bachelor’s Buttons Feel free to cut back a bachelor’s button plant by about a third of its height about midsummer, or any time the plant looks scraggly and flowering begins to slow. Cutting back bachelor’s buttons tidies the plant and encourages it to put forth a new flush of flowers. Deadheading bachelor’s buttons, on the other hand, should be done continuously throughout the blooming season. Why? Because bachelor’s buttons, like all plants, exist primarily to reproduce; when flowers wilt, seeds follow....

Silky Dog Information Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) is named for the silky gray hairs that cover the undersides of leaves and twigs, which turn purplish in spring and reddish brown in autumn. It is from these silky hairs that make silky dogwood identification fairly easy. Clusters of tiny creamy white flowers bloom in late spring and early summer. The plant is often found in shade or semi-shade but tolerates moderate sunlight....