With their creepy appearance and swift movements, spiders evoke fear in most people, but that fear is not warranted. Garden spiders spend their time catching prey, either by waiting patiently or by searching for their dinner. The most fascinating spiders construct webs to catch the weary flyer. So, the next time you see a spider lurking among the plants, relax, and let it do its work. Good Spiders That Help Gardens Many types of spiders, or arachnids, live in our yards, ridding our plants of insect and arthropod invaders....

Are There Any Black Flowers? Black flowers aren’t truly black in most cases. If you look at them in good light you can see they are usually a deep purple that appears to be black. Selective breeding has almost achieved what Mother Nature could not, black flowers. In the case of the black calla lily, it is quite convincing in its darkness. Black tulips are more purple except in low light, but they are still spectacular and unusual....

Learning how to grow tomatoes is trickier than some other vegetables, but the challenge makes it so much more satisfying come harvest time. As the fruits are heavy feeders, fertilizing tomatoes is a vital part of the process. Commercial tomato feeds are widely available, but a homemade tomato fertilizer is natural, effective, and in most cases costs nothing. Discover the essential ingredients to create powerful homemade tomato fertilizers – perfect for growing an organic vegetable garden....

Planning A Vegetable Garden Vegetable garden planning is the key to the successful harvest of enough food for ourselves and our families. Part of that planning is figuring out how many pounds of vegetables per person per year is needed to keep the larders full. Some plants, such as lettuce, are cut and come again, while others will need to be reseeded for a constant crop. Noting harvest dates and planting times will help you to avoid overplanting....

How often orchids bloom is affected by the individual species, the standard of orchid care, and the growing environment. This article delves into the bloom rate of different types of orchids, and how to encourage orchids to flower more frequently. How Often Do Orchids Bloom? Most orchids bloom at least every 8-12 months. However, some species flower more frequently. The following orchid species bloom the most often: Phalaenopsis orchids – or moth orchids – are the most popular houseplant type....

Even though dormancy during winter is normal, it takes a toll on your lawn. The lack of maintenance, cold temperatures, and snow cover that blocks sunlight contribute to some degree of damage over winter. Use this spring to-do list to bring your lawn back to life after a long winter. 1. Rake And Dethatch To Let Grass Grow Even if you raked up leaves in the fall, your lawn likely has some debris left on it after the last snow melts: blowing leaves, twigs and branches, and dead grass....

Ligustrum vulgare is easy to grow, but it has a bit of a reputation for taking over. In certain places, it is described as invasive. Fortunately, there are ways to keep it in check, so you can be sure of the most well-maintained shrubs and hedges. How to Grow Common Privet Although it’s one of the least ornamental Ligustrum shrubs you can grow, common privet is excellent for hedging. It is a vigorous, medium-sized shrub with shiny, lance-shaped green leaves....

What are Sustainable Vegetables? Sustainable vegetables are often grown organically using local varieties that require fewer local resources such as irrigation. Sustainable vegetables are those that are locally sourced, consumed during their growing season, diverse, and grown organically. A sustainable garden also practices the 4Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink. When you plant eco-friendly veggies, you are reducing water waste, using less energy, minimizing or eliminating fertilizer use, diversifying the ecosystem, and more....

title: “Move Over Green 18 Colorful Hostas To Make Your Garden Pop” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-03” author: “Kimberly Canfield” Different Colored Hostas Colored hostas make standout specimens in the garden. These ornamental, herbaceous perennial plants are native to Asia and relatives of asparagus. There are 5 major leaf color classifications. These are green, gold, blue, medio- variegated, and marginal variegated. Medio-variegated varieties of hosta have dark margins with a light center, while marginal variegated colorful hostas have light margins with a dark center....

Flowering Houseplants Over the Years I have been growing houseplants—success varied—for decades. Long before I really knew anything about plants or how to care for them, I loved having them around. Because I had little experience or knowledge, and no Google yet, I often had plants that lasted a few months or at least less than a year before quitting. In terms of flowering plants, I treasured a crown of thorns, spindly and unhealthy though it was....

My First Houseplant I got this philodendron from a friend who made a cutting for me. I wanted a houseplant of my own for my bedside table. I didn’t have any idea what to do with it beyond sticking the new roots in a pot of soil. I didn’t know what a philodendron was, and because this was pre-internet, I didn’t research it. I simply planted it, watered it, and hoped for the best....

What is Paeonia Californica? Also known as Paeonia brownii, California peony plants have a rich history. Native Americans believed the plant and its roots to have great medicinal value, though many of its purported uses have since fallen out of favor. Despite a close resemblance to their more ornate garden relatives, native peonies differ distinctly in many ways. Most notable of these is the plant’s specific growing needs and unique flower form....

Quite often, there are simple ways to make adjustments. If you are growing orchid trees that fail to flower, you just need to figure out what might be going on. That way, you can address any orchid tree problems as quickly as possible. Healthy Orchid Tree Flowers and Foliage The white orchid tree (Bauhinia aculeata) is also called the bauhinia tree. This hardy bauhinia is generally deciduous and grows to 30ft (10m) tall....

Color selection in the garden can play a key role in how the space is perceived. Pastel colored flowers are an excellent choice for gardeners who wish to avoid overly harsh or “hot” tones, which may cause yards to appear much smaller. Regardless of the rationale, a careful selection of lightly colored plants is sure to delight garden visitors. In this article we will take a closer look at some of the most popular light yellow flowers for the home landscape....

So journey with us as both Shelley and I explore this topic and present our own views on the pros and cons of weeds in the garden. Reasons to Let Weeds Stay in Gardens (Nikki’s viewpoint) Personally, I like weeds - at least I do now for the most part. I will admit that I used to nearly kill myself as I continuously pulled them up, only to have them pop right back up somewhere else....

Who Was Ruth Stout? Ruth was born in the U.S. in 1884 and realized as a young woman that traditional garden methods were a waste of time and effort. In 1930, she and her husband moved to a farm in Connecticut. According to gardening lore, she was frustrated that the man they hired to plow the fields every year was late. Noticing her asparagus poking up, she wondered if she didn’t have to plow to grow that, why plow at all?...

Widely sold at garden centers, these unique flowers can also be grown from seed. Though traditional yellow black-eyed Susan varieties are most common, newer Rudbeckia hirta cultivars come in a much broader range of color and form. Learning more about various types of black-eyed Susan can help growers select those that are ideal for use in their flower borders and cutting gardens. Black-eyed Susan care is straightforward, which means they are among the most popular flowering plants for the ornamental garden....

What Is a Snag Tree? A snag tree occurs when a tree is diseased, damaged by lightning, insects, animals, or old age, or just crowded out. The interior will become exposed in one of these manners, often leading to tree death. A snag tree is most often defined as material that is at least 3 inches (7.62 cm) across. A tree snag is still standing, unlike the downed logs and branches that are common in a forest....

Can Lantana Grow Indoors? For those who wish to save their favorite plants, bringing lantana indoors for winter is among the best options. As cooler temperatures arrive in fall, lantana plants will often show a noticeable decrease in growth. Plants should be removed from the garden just before the arrival of the first frost. This can be done by carefully digging around the outer perimeter of the plant, if it has been grown in the ground, and transplanting it into a large container....

Remember that the fact that a tree is easy on water doesn’t necessarily mean it will thrive in your yard. Growing flowering trees successfully requires that you select appropriate trees for your site, trees that thrive in the growing conditions you offer and won’t exceed the size of the site. Ready to select your flowering drought tolerant trees? Here’s a short list of our favorites. Best Drought Tolerant Flowering Trees 1....