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Height: 1 foot (0.3 m) Spread: 2 foot (0.6 m) Sun exposure: Full Soil requirements: Well draining, gritty Hardiness zones: USDA 8-11 When to plant: Spring or summer Easter Lily Cactus Care Easter lily cactus is a small plant, only measuring 1 foot (.3 m.) in height when fully mature. The body of the plant is a little, rounded clump with numerous ribs arranged around the main form. It produces an early season bloom of funnel-shaped flowers that emit a sweet scent....

tap root The main root of a plant around which all the other roots will grow. They are typically the longest root on the plant. tender A plant that is susceptible to cold weather and will die if the temperatures drop below freezing. tendril A pseudo stem that grows on climbing plants and allows them to attach themselves to the objects that they climb. tetraploid This is a plant that has four sets of chromosomes....

Fortunately, there are many native alternatives to common invasive plants. Native plant alternatives are more sustainable, require less maintenance, and support biodiversity and wildlife. 8 Native Alternatives To Common Invasive Plants Choosing like for like is easier than you might think when replacing exotic and invasive species. From shrubs and vines to grasses and groundcovers, there are plenty of options. Use these and other native alternatives to invasive plants you see in your garden or yard:...

Clementine Quick Facts Botanical name: Citrus clementinaHeight: 15-25 feet (4.5-8 m)Spread: 6-12 feet (2-4 m)Sun exposure: Full sun to light shadeSoil requirements: Sandy, neutral, well-drainingHardiness zones: USDA 8-11When to plant: Spring or fall Is a Clementine a Mandarin? The Clementine is a chance hybrid of mandarin, purportedly originating in the Algerian garden of Father Clement Rodier in 1902. The mandarin is a category of citrus that includes clementine as well as tangerine....

What Is Hydrozoning? Hydrozoning is grouping plants with similar water needs into the same area of the garden or bed. Different types of plants have different watering needs. For instance, shrubs and new trees need less frequent, deeper watering than turf grass, which needs water more regularly. Most irrigation systems are set up to water everything in the garden the same way. This is inefficient and wastes water. It can even negatively affect some plants that get too much or too little water....

What is Hygge? Hygge is a little hard to explain. In 2017 this term was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, so it looks like it’s here to stay. Pronounced “hue-gah,” hygge loosely means taking pleasure from small things like coziness, togetherness, relaxation and the pursuit of everyday happiness with the goal of a better quality of life. The modern meaning of hygge dates back to about 1800, but it predates this definition and can actually be traced back to an Old Norse word from the Middle Ages that meant “protected from the outside world....

How to Get Rid of Johnson Grass As with most invasive weeds and grasses, using multiple strategies usually works best for Johnson grass control. Johnson grass reproduces and invades crop areas in two ways, spreading both by seed and rhizomes to overtake farmland and other areas of your property. The rhizomes of Johnson grass are identified by thick cream-colored rhizomes, covered with orange scales. When combined with cultural practices that prevent the spread of rhizomes and seeds, an organic herbicide program may be helpful, but may still not eliminate it....

Monarchs in My Garden As far back as I can remember in my life, it has always been a treat to see a monarch, even when they were more common. Maybe it’s the striking, black and orange, tiger-like coloring. Many butterflies fold up their wings and hide the vibrant colors, showing the dull brown-gray of their undersides, but monarchs are bright and colorful from any angle. Another reason I love these insects, and why so many people do, is the spectacular journey they make....

I Have a Noisy Garden My vegetable garden sits at the back of our long, narrow, two acre lot. The two neighbors flanking each side of our property also have long lots with houses close to the road, like ours. Behind our collective properties are woods and farm fields. Naturally, one would think my garden would be a quiet, peaceful place to work. Nothing could be further from the truth. When I close my eyes and listen, I’m amazed at how noisy my garden really is....

So why is peat-free gardening gaining a foothold? Well, despite attempts by those who profit off of and harvest peat bogs in saying that the product is “eco-friendly”, the harvest and use of peat is anything but. As more of us educate ourselves on how a peat bog is formed, its importance as a delicate ecosystem and the dangers harvesting and processing peat has on the environment, we’re choosing peat-free gardening....

Luckily, there is something you can do, whether you have a garden, a back yard, or even just kitchen scraps. Sustainable landscaping, regenerative gardening, and environmentally friendly living all fall under that great big umbrella called sustainability. What is sustainability? It can mean planting a pollinator garden to benefit bees, butterflies, and other bugs and animals we rely on so much. It can be growing native plants, either in a garden bed or as a replacement altogether of you water-hungry, pollinator-unfriendly lawn....

Squash is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes cucumbers. Often grown and harvested as a vegetable, squash is botanically a fruit. Native to the Andes and Mesoamerica, there are five edible species consumed for their flesh and seeds. They may be referred to as squashes, gourds or pumpkins. We’ve included winter and squash varieties in our selection of the sweetest. Summer squash is a tender fruit, while winter squash has a harder outer shell to give fruit a longer shelf life....

Air Plant Varieties After a bathroom remodel last year, I wanted to bring some life into what was now a fairly austere, although very sanitary, looking restroom. With its white subway tiles, the room was a bit sterile and needed some greenery. I considered ferns and other plants which would enjoy the often steamy atmosphere of our second most used room, but rejected them due to size. I found some suction cup mounted planters which would be fun on the shower walls, but needed a small plant to fill them....

title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-08” author: “Arnold Alber” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-13” author: “Retha Friel” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-13” author: “Bart Lomax” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-08-27” author: “Brenda Meggs” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-20” author: “Trisha Simmer” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-19” author: “Ebony Mesta” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-12” author: “John Gustafson” title: “Vego The Best Raised Beds For Gardening Sustainably” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-03” author: “James Gardner”

With roots in Victorian design and literature, gothic gardening is becoming one of the biggest garden design trends among those looking to embrace the darker, more unusual side of planting and landscaping. ‘Cemeteries are becoming hip hangouts, and people are flocking to plants with dark foliage, blood-red flowers, and peeling bark,’ says Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group, which highlighted the goth craze in its 2024 trend report. ‘Investigation into darkness retreats and decaying places is happening by all generations, but particularly Gen Z, driving viral content such as the memorable greenhouse scene in Netflix’s Wednesday, and The Last of Us, enchanting and terrifying the masses with deadly fungi....

Of course, even if you are looking to create a dedicated bird sanctuary in your garden space, a lot of common songbirds will vary from region to region, but I’ve put together a shortlist of North American songbirds you may see in your backyard. Here are seven common songbirds that may be making that garden music. What Is a Songbird? If you are keen on planting a garden for songbirds, it helps to know exactly what constitutes a songbird....

But while you are soaking in the delights of this year’s garden, start planning for next spring and summer. There are some beautiful flowers to plant in August, allowing you to get a head start on the upcoming growing season. You can evolve your garden in many other ways – from vegetable seeds to plant in August, to propagating plants from cuttings and harvesting seeds from spent flowerheads. However, what could be more joyful than sowing flower seeds and nurturing the young seedlings into glorious blooms?...

Most of us are familiar with edible pinecone seeds or nuts, which are indeed delicious, but interestingly, the entirety of some types of pinecone can be ingested if properly prepared. Read on to learn about edible pine nut trees. Can you Eat a Pinecone? As noted above, pinecones, at least some varieties, are indeed edible. In fact, most pine trees are completely edible with the exception of lodgepole, Norfolk, ponderosa, and yew, which are quite toxic....

What is chaos gardening? Chaos gardens are a recent trend, with gardeners taking a more relaxed approach to the hobby. While the practice might be too much for the general landscape, a chaos vegetable garden will still grow prize-winning squash, just with a lot less effort. What Is Chaos Gardening? Chaos gardening mimics the way nature grows. It is a practice of blending playfulness with natural structure. In the wild, plants are not growing in rows, or organized in any way....

Isn’t It Gross to Eat Bugs? To some people, eating bugs sounds rather peculiar, if not downright disgusting. However, around 2 billion people worldwide include them in their diets. People in approximately 130 countries eat wild insects, and over 2,000 species are eaten worldwide. That’s quite a big menu! Proponents suggest eating bugs can help cut down on insecticide use. I’m not sure that will happen, but with a host of health benefits, the high cost of food and its production, and the impact modern farming and ranching currently has on the earth, why not eat the bugs?...