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Jelena Witch Hazel Information Say goodbye to empty garden blues in winter. All you have to do to liven up the backyard is to start growing Jelena witch hazel shrubs (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’) with their fabulous blossoms. The flowers on Jelena witch hazel plants are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. The dense clusters of flowers cover the shrub’s naked branches in winter. Each flower is comprised of four long, wavy, spidery petals....

Growing a Majesty Palm While majesty palms are somewhat more demanding than most houseplants, it is possible to grow them successfully in containers. First and foremost, it’s important to select a container large enough to contain the plant’s robust root system. Well amended soil, as well as frequent treatment with fertilizer, is essential for this heavy feeding plant. One of the most common issues growers of majesty palm may encounter are yellowing leaves....

Zone 5 Dry Shade Gardens If you have a tree with a dense canopy, the area under the tree is probably in dry shade. Moisture is blocked from above by the tree’s leaves and branches and absorbed from below by thirsty roots, leaving little moisture for other plants to survive. There is no doubt that this is a difficult area to landscape, but there are some shade-loving plants that thrive in dry conditions....

Symptoms of Apricots with Phytoplasma Phytoplasmas fall into the 16SrX-B subgroup of European stone fruit yellows, commonly referred to as ESFY. Symptoms of ESFY vary depending upon the species, cultivar, rootstock, and environmental factors. In fact, some hosts may be infected but show no signs of the disease. Apricot yellows symptoms are often accompanied by leaf roll followed by leaf reddening, reduction of dormancy (leaving the tree at risk of frost damage), progressive necrosis, decline, and eventual death....

Fast Growing Vegetables for the Garden Whether you have a short growing season, planting late in the season, or you just plain want results soon, fast growing vegetables are plentiful and deeply satisfying to grow. Here are some of the best vegetable plants with quick growth times: Radish– Ready in 20 to 30 days. Radishes are the king of fast-growing vegetables. Their seeds sprout after just a few days and the plants grow very quickly....

Careful planning will also allow gardeners to make the most out of their usable space in the coming months. August To-Do List Though vegetable garden production often begins to slow down in this month, the August to-do list continues to grow. For those who have not been sowing in succession, many vegetable plants will need to be harvested and preserved at this time. Beans, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, and squash are all at peak ripeness....

What is Blossom Midge? There are over 100 species of midge (Contarinia spp.). Each species attacks a different type of plant or a small group of closely related plants. Some of the flowers affected by blossom or gall midge insects include: Daylilies Orchids Plumeria Violets Jasmine Hibiscus They also attack vegetable crops including: Tomato Pepper Potato Eggplant Bok choy They aren’t all bad guys though. Some species of Contarinia are beneficial insects, such as the aphid midge, which attacks aphids....

How to Take Care of a Boston Fern The first thing you need to do for proper Boston fern care is to make sure that it’s in the right kind of environment. Boston ferns need a cool place with high humidity and indirect light. When you care for Boston fern plants indoors, it’s a good idea to provide additional humidity for them, especially in the winter. Most homes are rather dry, even more when heaters are running....

The hummingbird firecracker bush is native to the warm climates of Mexico and the southwestern United States, but it can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 to 15 degrees F. (-12 to -9 C.). You can also grow this stunning plant indoors. Read on and learn about growing bouvardia hummingbird flowers in your own home or garden. Growing Hummingbird Flowers Although it is a perennial, hummingbird flower plants will die back in cooler climates....

How to Grow Chamomile Indoors One of the best things about growing chamomile indoors is that it can be planted in the winter. Requiring only four hours of light per day, your chamomile will be fine as long as it has a spot by a south-facing window. It will probably grow no higher than 10 inches (25 cm.), but the plant will still be healthy and the flowers fragrant. Sow your chamomile seeds directly in the soil....

Can You Plant Bulbs In Containers? Yes, you can! Autumn is the time to plant bulbs, and planting bulbs in containers is no exception. When picking out your container, you can go as wide as you want, but you want it to be deep enough to accommodate 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm.) of soil in the bottom, plus the height of your bulbs, plus an inch (2.5 cm.) of space below the rim....

What is a Christmas Rose Plant? Christmas rose plant is a member of the hellebore family. Like other types of hellebore, these flowers are known for their early season bloom. Christmas rose flowering time will vary greatly depending upon one’s own climate. While the plant may burst into bloom near the holiday season in warmer climates, most will see it begin to flower in late winter or very early spring. Christmas rose hellebore is an evergreen plant which produces glossy foliage, even during winter....

Planting annual flower beds is a quick and easy way to add large sections of dramatic color to home flower gardens. With careful planning, annual flower borders can provide vibrant bursts of color throughout the entire growing season, at very little cost to gardeners. Annuals with Yellow Flowers Easy to grow annual flower varieties are especially popular with beginner gardeners and those who hope to design growing spaces that are both colorful and inviting to guests....

Read on for some coral bark tree information. About Coral Bark Maple Trees Coral bark maple trees (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’) are Japanese maples with four seasons of interest in the landscape. In spring, its seven-lobed, simple, palmate leaves open in a bright, lime green or chartreuse color. As spring turns to summer, these leaves turn a deeper green. In autumn, the foliage turns golden yellow and orange. And as the foliage drops in fall, the tree’s bark begins to turn an attractive, reddish-pink, which intensifies with the cold weather....

What are Costus Plants? Costus plants are related to ginger and at one time were classified with them in the Zingiberaceae family. Now they have their own family, Costaceae. These plants are subtropical to tropical and develop from a rhizome that produces one flower on a spike. Costus plants are great for height in the landscape, as they can grow up to 6 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) tall. They are hardy to zones 7 through 12....

You can find greens by foraging from trees on your own property. If branches are not available to you, a quick trip to your local garden center may be the best option. As far as container choices, plastic is preferred as clay may crack during the winter. Once you’ve gathered your branches, separate them by length to see what you have to work with. Start with the largest, most erect and upright branches, such as spruce, in the back....

Feeding Pothos: Do Pothos Need Fertilizer? Potting soil often comes with fertilizer pre-mixed, so if the soil is fresh, you won’t need to worry about feeding pothos for about six months. After that, regular feeding will replace depleted nutrients. What Is the Best Pothos Fertilizer? It isn’t necessary to use a special pothos plant food and any good quality, all-purpose fertilizer will work. Water-soluble fertilizer is easy to use and it’s difficult to make a mistake, however, the amount suggested on the label is usually too strong and may burn your plant....

What are Essential Oils? Essential oils are extracts that are distilled from the bark, flower, fruit, leaves, or root of a plant. Most true essential oils are steam distilled, though in a few cases a process called cold pressing is used to extract essential oil from plants. Plants naturally contain essential oils for many reasons such as: to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects as protection or deterrent from pests, including rabbit or deer as protection against fungal and bacterial diseases to compete with other plants by releasing alleopathic essential oils into the garden....

When to Fertilize Figs The first thing you need to know is what to feed fig trees. A general-purpose fertilizer with an analysis of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 is fine. It’s easy to overdo it with stronger fertilizers. It’s best to provide fertilizer for fig trees only when the tree shows symptoms of slow growth or pale leaves, but there are a couple of exceptions where fig trees need regular feedings. Nutrients leach out of sandy soils quickly, so you’ll probably need to fertilize annually if the tree grows in a sandy location....

Topographical characteristics, as well as features of the landscape, can greatly influence the climate of the garden and how it is used. By utilizing microclimates to their advantage, however, gardeners can create beautiful and vibrant garden spaces that serve a wide range of purposes. How to Use Microclimates When designing a garden with microclimates in mind, it will first be important to closely observe the various conditions. It is imperative to consider the needs of the plants and be sure those are met during both the warmest and coldest times of the year....