Growing Jade Vines This tropical climber is rambunctious in its natural environment, although the plant is in danger of extinction due to deforestation. If you’re interested in growing jade vines, you may have success growing the vine in the ground if you live in USDA plant hardiness zone 10 through 11. Jade vine plants are also well suited for growing in greenhouses. You may be able to grow jade vine as a houseplant too, if you can provide the proper growing conditions....

How to Make a Keyhole Garden In a permaculture keyhole garden, plants that are used on a regular basis (and those that require the most upkeep) are placed nearest the home, for quick and easy access. By using creative patterns and designs, gardeners can increase productivity, especially with the use of keyhole garden beds. These beds can be designed in a number of ways, depending on the gardener’s needs and preferences....

Teaching Kids and Garden Yoga Practicing garden yoga with kids is no different than practicing with adults, albeit a bit noisier. Adult yoga is usually all about calm and centering yourself, or meditation. While the kids may attain some level of serenity practicing yoga in the garden, this isn’t the end goal. Kids and garden yoga are a match made in heaven. Children are all about movement anyway so why not harness some of that energy....

Why is Controlling Wild Violets So Difficult? Wild violets are cool season perennials that grow best in shady, moist soil. There are three problems with these tough little plants that make killing wild violets so difficult. Wild violets have two types of flowers — the pretty purple ones that children gather for their mothers and the plain, unopened ones that shelter beneath leaves that protect them from most types of wild violet control....

What is Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate Plant? Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Polygonum orientale or Persicaria orientale) used to be very popular in the U.S. Originally from China, it was a particular favorite of Thomas Jefferson. As time went on and the popularity of compact, easily transplanted flowers grew, the kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate flower fell out of favor. It’s making a comeback now though, as more gardeners are learning about its benefits. Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate Info Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate is a very fast-growing annual that self-seeds in the fall....

What is Knapweed? Knapweed is a noxious weed that is often found in ditches, along highways, in waterways, and other scrubby areas. Many farmers have managed to bring knapweed home in grass hay or on the tires of their trucks without knowing it, spreading this weed even further. This aggressive weed is capable of out-competing both forage and crops, making it a nasty customer for everyone, including homeowners who may lose their lawns and gardens to knapweed....

What is Komatsuna? Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis) is an incredibly hardy green sometimes referred to as Japanese mustard spinach, although it really isn’t spinach but a member of the Brassica family. It is a biennial that is tolerant of very cold temperatures as well as the heat, although extreme heat may cause it to bolt. It matures in just 40 days, is drought tolerant, and can be sown and grown year-round in many climates....

Koreanspice Viburnum Information Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) is one of over 150 known Viburnum plant species and cultivars. While viburnums can be both deciduous and evergreen and reach up to 30 feet in height, Koreanspice viburnum plants are deciduous and known for their relatively small, compact growing habit. They tend to grow to between 3 and 5 feet tall and wide, but they can reach as high as 8 feet in ideal growing conditions....

If you aren’t familiar with this gorgeous and unusual plant, you’ll be interested in a few kowhai tree facts. Anyone living in a mild zone can consider planting a kowhai tree in order to enjoy the beautiful blossoms spring after spring. Read on for tips on kowhai tree care. Kowhai Tree Facts The iconic Kowhai tree fascinates botanists and gardeners alike. Kowhais produce brilliant yellow flowers in spring, such a prominent feature of the plant that the word “kowhai” means yellow in te reo, the language of the Maori....

Where Do Lacquer Trees Grow? It is not hard to guess where lacquer trees grow. The trees are sometimes called Asian lacquer trees, Chinese lacquer trees or Japanese lacquer trees. This is because they grow in the wild in parts of China, Japan and Korea. What is a Lacquer Tree? If you read lacquer tree information, you find that the trees grow to about 50 feet tall and bear big leaves, each composed of 7 to 19 leaflets....

Lady Slipper Seed Germination Lady Slipper orchids are terrestrial plants native to the eastern United States and Canada. This is one of the largest orchids and it grows wild in dry woods, especially pine forests. The orchid blooms April through May and produces large seed pods filled with 10,000 to 20,000 seeds. Growing Lady Slippers from seed can pose a problem due to its need for a symbiotic relationship with Rhizoctonia mycorrhizae, a natural soil-borne fungus....

What is a Lanai? The term lanai is Hawaiian in origin and was first used in the late 1860’s to describe a roofed structure or porch with open sides. The benefit of a lanai porch is to enable the user to access the outdoors year round. Some lanais are screened to keep insects at bay and some have paneled glass or plastic “walls” that can be removed when the weather is pleasant....

There is a difference between lava rock and feather rock, however. A little more information will help you decide which is right for your landscape design. What is Feather Rock? Feather rock forms during volcanic activity. It is caused by the reaction of air and lava which “churns” the lava making it foamy and porous. Lava rocks are any form of rock that is created when lava or magma erupts through the earth’s surface and cools....

A gardener may wonder about the wind chill effect on plants. Do plants feel wind chill? Does the wind chill factor affect plants? The short answer to both these questions is no, but that doesn’t mean your plants are necessarily safe. Both cold wind and cold temperatures can damage garden plants even if they don’t react to the wind chill factor. What Is Wind Chill? How exactly does cold air create wind chill temperatures?...

Parsley is considered a biennial but is treated as an annual in cold climates. This herb can be grown in containers or out in the garden and is generally established through seeds. Read on to learn more about how to grow parsley. When to Plant Parsley Seeds Parsley seeds can be started indoors or out. While they can be sown directly in the garden as soon as the soil is manageable in spring, the best time when to plant parsley seeds is to sow them indoors about six weeks beforehand....

Benefits of Coconut Basket Liners There are several reasons for using coconut fiber liners. They can hold a great deal of water, releasing it slowly to allow plant roots to better take it up. These water-saving coconut liners also provide good drainage. They’re porous too, allowing for good aeration. These liners are very absorbent, so if hanging baskets or planters should become too dry, they will quickly re-absorb water. In addition, the organic material of coconut coir contains a neutral pH (6....

When to Plant Caladium Bulbs One of the most important things you can do for proper care of caladiums is to plant at the right time. But when to plant caladium bulbs varies depending on where you live. The list below outlines the proper time for planting caladiums based on USDA hardiness zones: Hardiness zones 9, 10 – March 15 Hardiness zone 8 – April 15 Hardiness zone 7 – May 1 Hardiness zone 6 – June 1 Hardiness zones 3, 4, 5 – June 15...

When to Dig Up Dahlia Bulbs Dahlias are technically grown from tubers. These tubers quickly grow to produce large plants each season. For those living outside of the dahlia plant’s hardiness zone, knowing when to lift and store the tubers is key in saving them for next season. Most experts suggest allowing the plants to die back naturally with the arrival of the first frost. Once plants have turned brown, gardeners often allow one to two weeks to pass before digging the tubers....

Why Do Plants Need Sunlight? Planting a plant in soil and then watering it is not enough for the plant to grow. The plant, like you or me, needs food. Incredibly, plants have the ability to feed themselves. Sunlight is one of the most important building blocks to creating the food the plant needs. Plants can’t use the light energy they absorb to make food. Instead, the light energy is converted to chemical energy....

What are Leek Moths? Also called onion leaf miners, leek moths (Acrolepiopsis assectella Zeller) were first detected in North America in 1993. Natives of Europe, Asia, and Africa, their appearance on the North American cotenant began in Ontario, Canada, and a few years later they moved south into the U.S. They were slow to catch on at first, but now pose a significant threat to allium crops. They are known to feed on 60 different species of allium, both cultivated and wild....