Can You Grow Coneflowers in Containers? It is possible to grow coneflowers in a pot, as long as it’s a big one. Coneflowers are naturally drought tolerant, which is good news for containers since they dry out much more quickly than garden beds. That being said, you don’t want your container grown coneflowers to dry out too much. Never let the soil get soggy, but try to water them whenever the top of the soil dries out....
Potted Marigold Plants Any type of marigold can be grown in containers, but keep in mind that some types, such as African marigolds, can reach heights of up to 3 feet (1 m.) and may be too large for standard containers. Most gardeners like to plant smaller container grown marigolds. For example, French marigolds are small, bushy plants that reach heights of only 6 to 18 inches (15 to 20 cm....
Yew Winter Damage Winter damage can and does affect yews, generally presenting as browning of the foliage. Yew winter damage is the result of rapidly changing temperatures during the winter. It is also caused by bright sunshine and inadequate water reserves in the yew’s root system. You usually see the first symptoms of winter injury to yews in late winter or early spring. With winter burn on yews, you will notice that the browning is most pronounced on the south and west sides of the plants....
Pitcher Plant Seeds Collect pitcher plant seeds in late fall by pinching open the dry capsules over an envelope or piece of paper towel. Drop the seeds into a sandwich bag, along with a fungicide, and shake the bag to coat the seeds. Pour the seeds and powder onto a new sheet of paper towel and blow off the excess powder. Spread the seeds out on a dampened paper towel, roll up the towel and store it in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator for two to three months....
If you live in an area with cool spring and summer weather, you can plant celery outdoors in early spring. Warmer regions can enjoy a fall crop of celery if planted in late summer. Sometimes you may find that your garden grown crop has some very bitter tasting celery stalks. If you wonder, “Why does my celery taste bitter?” continue reading to learn more about the reasons for pungent celery....
Due to their popularity, lilies are often some of the first flowers introduced by those wishing to include the element of fragrance into the ornamental border. Though lilies do vary subtly by species, most produce large showy blooms on tall upright stems. Rubrum lilies are an excellent option for those wishing to enjoy a profusion of fragrant blooms late in the growing season. What is a Rubrum Lily? Hardy to USDA growing zones 5 to 7, Rubrum lily bulbs produce large clusters of dark pink flowers with even darker colored pink spots....
Seed Grown Hydrangeas It’s pretty easy to clone a hydrangea cultivar by rooting a cutting from that plant. However, you can also propagate hydrangeas by collecting and sowing hydrangea seeds. Growing hydrangeas from seed is exciting because seed grown hydrangeas are unique. They are not clones of their parent plants and you don’t really know how a seed will turn out. Each of your seed grown hydrangeas will be considered a new cultivar....
Zone 8 Seed Starting Preliminaries Before you get around to planting seeds in zone 8, you have a few preliminary steps to tend to. These are the first essential to-dos on your seed starting schedule for zone 8. First, you’ll have to choose which ones you want and buy them so that you don’t have to postpone zone 8 seed starting. The next step is to determine which seeds you want to start inside and which you will plant directly in the garden beds....
About Spring Allergy Flowers Severe allergy sufferers may be afraid to have landscapes and gardens full of flowering plants. They avoid showy ornamentals like roses, daisies, or crabapples, thinking that with all the bees and butterflies these flowers attract, they must be loaded with allergy triggering pollen. In truth, however, bright, showy blooms that are pollinated by insects usually have larger, heavier pollen not easily carried on a breeze. It’s actually blooms which are wind pollinated that allergy sufferers need to worry about....
How to Root Trumpet Vine Cuttings Propagating trumpet vine cuttings can be done any time of year, as the vines root readily. However, starting trumpet vine cuttings tends to be most effective in spring when stems are tender and flexible. Prepare a planting container ahead of time. A small pot is fine for one or two cuttings, or use a larger container or a planting tray if you plan to start several cuttings....
Concrete Leaf Succulent Info The concrete leaf plant (Titanopsis calcarea) is a succulent native to the Western Cape province of South Africa. It grows in a rosette pattern of gray to blue-green leaves. The tips of the leaves are covered in a rough, dense, bumpy pattern that ranges in color from white to red to blue, depending upon the variety. The result is a plant that looks remarkably stone-like in appearance....
Easy Herbs for Beginners These easy-to-grow herbs require minimal maintenance and aren’t too picky about soil. They just want sunlight and regular water to thrive. How to Grow Easy-Care Herbs Check the requirements for each herb you plant. Some cannot tolerate any frost, while others are hardier. Some are annuals, and others reseed and come back year after year. Most have similar water requirements and tolerate poor soil. You can get transplants from a garden store or nursery, but growing easy herbs from seed is also doable....
Torch Ginger Plant Information Torch ginger flowers may reach 17 to 20 feet (5-6 m.) in height. Plant it where it is somewhat protected from the wind, which can snap the shoots of this tropical plant. Due to the large height, growing torch ginger in containers may not be feasible. Learning how to grow torch ginger lilies will add unusual flowers to your outdoor display, available in a range of colors....
Tortoise Beetle Facts Measuring only about l/4 inch (6 mm.), adult tortoise beetles are odd little bugs with several interesting adaptations that keep them safe from predators. For example, tortoise beetles have hard wing covers that they can clamp down tightly against a leaf surface. The covers also hide the head and legs, which makes the beetles more difficult for predators to grab hold of. Tortoise beetles are often dark in color, but many have a distinctive metallic coloration – usually gold or orange – sometimes with black or red markings....
Does My Houseplant Have Mealybugs? Mealybugs will commonly leave a white residue on a plant’s leaves that resembles cotton. You will find this residue mostly on the stems and leaves. This residue is either the egg sacs of the mealybugs or the pests themselves. You may also find that the plant has a sticky residue on it. This is honeydew and is secreted by the mealybugs. It can also attract ants....
If you don’t know how to make tree coasters, keep reading and we’ll help get you started. Coasters Made of Wood The job of a coaster is to slide between a table and a hot or cold beverage. The coaster goes on the table and the drink goes on the coaster. If you don’t use a coaster, that drink may leave a circle mark that will mar your tabletop for a long time....
While long, hot days are often a requirement for such a crop; there are some varieties that are better suited for growth in more “non-traditional” growing regions and environments. Trovita dwarf orange is just one example of an orange tree which can be grown across a wide range of conditions, including indoors. Trovita Growing Info The Trovita orange tree is a vigorous cultivar of orange which thrives in high heat desert environments....
If you propagate the plant by taking cuttings, it is important to transplant those rooted cuttings at the correct time to give them the best chance of survival. Likewise, if you are thinking of moving a trumpet vine that is mature, timing is important. Read on for information on how to transplant a trumpet vine. Moving a Trumpet Vine Don’t get too worried about transplanting trumpet vine plants. The plants are very resilient, so resilient, in fact, that more people are concerned about their aggressive growth pattern than about them not doing well....
Eating Vegetables for Vitamin D Intake Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because the human body produces it naturally when it is exposed to the sun. Because of this, the simple act of gardening can do a lot to help your body produce the Vitamin D it needs. It doesn’t matter what you grow – as long as you’re out in the sunshine regularly, you’re doing your body good....
What is Volutella Blight of Pachysandra? Pachysandra Volutella blight is a type of leaf blight that can be detrimental to pachysandra plants. The first symptoms of this disease are tan spots on the leaves. Although they start small, they grow fast and can cover entire leaves. The pachysandra leaves yellow and die, while the infected twigs darken and die. When Volutella blight of pachysandra attacks plants during moist weather, you can sometimes spot salmon-colored spores on the blackened twigs....
