Browsing Category
Trees & Houseplants : Home & Garden
How to Grow Exhibition Roses
Growing exhibition roses is more than just a hobby -- it's a lifestyle. An exhibition rose is judiciously manicured and pampered to produce blooms of such perfection they seem to be sculpted. Exhibition growers have their favorite rose bushes and specialty techniques. To grow exhibition roses you ne
How Do Bush Tomatoes Grow?
All tomato plants have one of two growth habits. Older tomato varieties, including heirloom types, exhibit vining or indeterminate growth, meaning that branches continue to grow throughout the season and form flower and fruit clusters on lateral branches. Many newer tomato varieties are determinate,
Black Hollyhock Varieties
Alcea rosea "Nigra" is the only variety of black hollyhock, however it is marketed under a number of names including Jet Black, Arabian Nights, The Watchman, Nigra Erfurter, After Midnight and Black Beauty. Black hollyhock was described by John Parkinson, herbalist to King Charles I, in 1629. It is
Why Watering Plants is Important
Water is the most essential element to all forms of life on Earth, and plants are no exception. Not only does water provide the means by which they obtain essential nutrients from the soil, but it also acts as a stabilizer, moving up through plants and causing their cells to enlarge, which enables t
Ficus Benjamina Disease
Weeping figs (Ficus benjamina) are large shrubs or small trees that range between 6- and 18-feet tall with a 2- to 10-foot spread. They are often cultivated as indoor foliage. Weeping figs are susceptible to several diseases.
Tall & Short Sunflowers
The giant sunflower grows in gardens throughout the world. The plant is commonly associated with its towering height -- some varieties of giant sunflower grow as tall as 15 feet. Gardeners with an affection for sunflowers and the constraints of a small gardening space can look to a number of small g
Types of Planting Beds
Different types of planting beds resolve various gardening issues, such as sloping land or limited time for digging. The garden bed is the starting point for garden design and planning. Before you plant one seed or seedling, you have to have a site prepared for growing. The many methods for creating
What Are Some Adaptations of Roses?
Greek poet Sappho crowned roses the ''queen of flowers.'' Thousands of years later, many still consider this lovely, fragrant flower the standard by which all other blooms are judged. Adaptations have enabled these flowering plants to thrive for generations. Structural adaptations, or physical featu
How to Keep Your Vermiculture Warm
Small organisms that are raised in a controlled environment are termed "cultured." Your vermiculture setup -- bins, bedding and food -- allows you to raise the red wiggler worm so it fulfills a role in turning organic kitchen waste into worm poop, or castings. The key to a thriving worm herd is to k
Native Brazilian Plants
Brazil's dense, tropical rain forests are home to many native plants.Peeter Viisimaa/Photodisc/Getty ImagesBrazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world. Its diverse geography features mountains, highlands and plains. It has a complex system of...
Is Bayer Lawn Insect Killer Harmful to Lizards?
Bayer lawn insect killer is available as a spray, granule or concentrated formula to control insect problems and re-infestations for up to one month. Insects are killed on contact or when they ingest the pesticide on plants. Rain and garden irrigation cannot wash the product off lawn turf, flowers o
When Can I Move My Knockout Roses?
Shrub roses are hardy, carefree rose varieties easily grown as specimen shrubs but more often grown together as hedges, given their overall health, dense growth and long-blooming flowers. As a general category, shrub roses are easy to care for, but the Knock Out collection developed by rose breeder
The Secret to Growing Big Ferns
Ferns are primitive plants that produce spores rather than seeds. Many species grow well as indoor houseplants provided that they are watered regularly and kept in bright, indirect light. Ferns thrive in humid conditions and make ideal plants for the bathroom. The potential size of your fern depends
Irrigation for Tomatoes
Few things are quite like a juicy, homegrown tomato, picked and sliced when it's still warm from the summer sun. Tomatoes are not difficult to grow in most areas. In addition, the taste of a homegrown tomato fresh from the vine is far superior to anything you could buy in the grocery store, which ha
How to Trim an African Iris
The African iris plant is native to South Africa as its name suggests but has been spread around the world as an evergreen perennial that thrives in most climates and can survive winter freezes and drought conditions. The plant can grow up to 2 feet tall and wide, with stiff leaves that resemble swo
Powdery Mildew on Rhododendron Leaves
Fungal parasites cause a powdery mildew that can bring about serious disease and complete defoliation of many species, cultivars, and hybrids of rhododendron. Death of the shrub may also occur.
How Often Do Eastern Cottonwood Tree Drop Seeds?
A fast-growing deciduous tree, adding as much a 5 feet of growth annually, the eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) is native to a wide expanse of temperate central North America. Shorter-lived than other hardwood trees native to the same area, eastern cottonwood will mature to 150 to 200 feet tal
What Is a Parlor in an Old House?
The parlor was the most formal and elaborately decorated room in a Victorian house; it was where the Victorian family received and entertained guests. Its decor and displays served to highlight the family's interests and travels as well as its wealth and position in society.
How to Take Care of the Phragmipedium Slipper Orchid
Phragmipidium slipper orchids come in a variety of yellows, oranges and reds, typically having four teardrop-shaped petals and supple stems. "Phrags" are native to South America, growing very near or on top of sources of running water. It is common for the roots to grow right into the water source,
When to Plant Rose Bushes in Washington
According to the Seattle Rose Society, gardeners in Washington can plant new rose bushes or move roses as early as March. In warmer coastal regions such as Puget Sound, roses can be planted in late February.