Fountain grass is an attractive perennial grass with densely clumped growth. Blooming of its foxtail-looking flowers generally takes place from late summer through the fall. The small flowers of fountain grass are tan, pink or purple. During fall and throughout winter, this plant will also reward gardeners with spectacular foliage displays. Types of Fountain Grass There are different types of fountain grass to choose, ranging in size from 12 inches to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm....

Discerning the level of light meant by light shade is important. If you have light shade plants exposed to too much light, they will decline. The same is true if they are put into extremely bright conditions. Light shade may also be called partial shade or partial sun but is slightly different. What is Light Shade? Plants produce much of their food from sunlight through photosynthesis. This is when the plant turns sunlight into carbohydrates to fuel growth and cell production....

Luculia Plant Information Luculias are evergreen shrubs, native to the Himalayas in China, Nepal, India and Bhutan. There are five species in the genus and they all grow in the wild at altitudes of 5,000 feet (1,500 m.). However, you can try growing Luculia in any region with a mild climate. Luculia plant information suggests that British plant hunters brought the shrub to Europe in the 19th century. Today, these plants grow all over the world, right down into the tropics, but do best in area with mild climates....

How to Use Lychee Lychee fruit has a lovely, sweet taste rather like a cross between strawberries, watermelon, and grapes, but before using lychee fruit, it needs to be prepared. The tough outer skin is peeled like a grape to reveal a pearly white interior pulp. If the fruit is very ripe, you can tear off the end of the skin and then push the fruit out. If not, use a serrated knife to cut lengthwise through the skin and around the seed....

What is Lychee Fruit? Lychee fruit is a rarity in the United States, probably because it isn’t commercially grown on the mainland with the exception of small farms in Florida. Because of this, it isn’t any wonder you’re asking what is lychee fruit. While it isn’t commonly found here, lychee has been prized for centuries by the Chinese who passed it along to Burma in the late 17th century, who in turn brought it to India....

How to Grow Macadamia Nut Trees Who wouldn’t want to try growing a macadamia tree? These ornamental plants provide a lovely foil for other tropical vegetation and add interest with glossy leaves and thick clusters of white to pink flowers. Northern gardeners will have to keep their plant in a heated greenhouse for much of the year and container grown plants are not likely to produce nuts, but the attractive tree is enough of a boon as a tropical accent....

Missouri Planting Map Information for Gardeners Gardeners in Missouri benefit from information provided by the USDA plant hardiness map. New information, collected over the past 30 years, has been compiled to create the latest 2012 map. Some areas of the country have seen their growing zones rise due to warmer winter lows that are possibly due to global warming. The map of Missouri above is divided into planting zones according to the average extreme winter low temperatures over the last 30 years....

Math in the Garden Some of the most basic everyday concepts start with mathematical knowledge. Gardening affords a way to instruct in these basic ideas with an inviting and entertaining environment. The simple ability to count as children decide how many rows to plant, or how many seeds to sow in each area, are life-long lessons they will carry into adulthood. Math garden activities, such as measuring the area for a plot or collecting data regarding the growth of vegetables, will become day to day needs as they mature....

Tying Math into Nature Gardening is a great outdoor activity many adults enjoy in a number of different ways. It’s only logical to think the kiddos would enjoy it as well. Most don’t realize it but there are actually several ways to incorporate major school subjects into gardening. One of those subjects is math. When math comes to mind, we normally think about long, drawn out and complicated equations. However, math in the garden can be as simple as counting, sorting, graphing, and measuring....

About Herbal Feverfew The herbal feverfew plant is a small herbaceous perennial that grows to about 28 inches (70 cm.) in height. It is notable for its prolific small daisy-like blooms. Native to Eurasia, from the Balkan Peninsula into Anatolia and the Caucus, the herb has now spread throughout the world where, due to its ease of self-sowing, it has become somewhat of an invasive weed in many regions. Medicinal Feverfew Uses The earliest use of feverfew medicinally is not known, however, the Greek herbalist/physician Diosorides wrote of using it as an anti-inflammatory....

Mirror Plant Information Mirror plant (Coprosma repens) is an evergreen shrub suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. This fast-growing shrub can reach mature heights of 10 feet (3 m.) fairly quickly. Mirror bush plant is available in several variegated forms and various combinations of creamy white, lime green, bright pink, purple, gold, or soft yellow. The colors intensify when cooler weather arrives in autumn. Dwarf varieties, which top out at 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm....

Help, There is White Mold on My Bean Plants! Gray or white mold on beans is an indicator of either a fungus or bacterial infection. Powdery or downy mildew (usually found only on lima beans) is caused by fungal spores that germinate on dry foliage when the humidity is high. Especially common in the late summer and fall, these mildew diseases do not usually kill the plants, but it does stress them, potentially resulting in a lesser crop yield....

What is a Mosquito Fern? Native to California, the mosquito fern plant, Azolla filculoides or just Azolla, is named thus due to its habitat. While the plant starts off as small as ¼ inch (5 mm.), mosquito fern habitat is that of a matting, aquatic plant that can double its size in a couple of days! This thick-living carpet is named mosquito fern plant because it repels mosquito attempts to lay eggs in the water....

What happens though when there are no blooms on cosmos? Keep reading to learn more. Why are My Cosmos Not Blooming? Cosmos are fairly easy to grow and generally quite hardy, although some gardeners report that their cosmos did not bloom as expected. Below are the most common reasons for non-blooming in cosmos plants. Immaturity Sometimes we get a little overzealous for plant bloom but forget that it takes about seven weeks for cosmos to come into bloom from seed....

What Causes White Squirrels? The explanation for most cases of white fur is leucism in squirrels. Leucism is a genetic trait in which a recessive allele results in a reduction of pigment. You can see leucism in many types of wild animals, including squirrels. Whether you’re seeing white fox squirrels or white gray squirrels may be hard to tell. With their more typical coloring, it’s easy to identify the yellowish belly of the fox and the white belly of the gray squirrel....

Orach Plant Harvesting Orach is an ancient crop entertaining a more recent resurgence in popularity. Botanically its name Atriplex hortensis comes from the French “arroche” and the Latin for “golden.” Orach can also be found under the common names of French spinach, German mountain spinach, Garden orache, or saltbush. It is a member of the Amaranthaceae family, the goosefoot subfamily, and so named due to the plant’s leaves, which look somewhat like the foot of a goose....

Ornamental Grass in the Garden The term ornamental grass in gardening refers to actual grass species but also plants that resemble grass, like sedges. Most are perennials, but some grasses are annual. If you grow species native to the Upper Midwest, they should come back every year. Grasses from warmer climates will grow as annuals here. Ornamental grasses come in two different types of growth habit: spreading and clumping. Spreading grasses can be used as groundcover but can also quickly take over areas of the garden....

About Dieffenbachia Plants Dieffenbachia seguine is also known as dumb cane. It is a tropical plant native to the Caribbean and South America. In the U.S. it grows outdoors in zones 10 through 12. In most places, though, it serves as a popular houseplant. Outside, in its natural conditions, dieffenbachia can grow quite large, up to 6 feet (2 m.) tall. In a container it can still grow several feet tall, up to 3 feet (1 m....

Pacific Rhododendron Info Using native plants in the landscape is a foolproof way to reduce maintenance. This is because they are already adapted to growing well in the region and suffer less problems than exotic or imported species. The soil should be acidic for growing California rosebay and it needs to live in an area that has cool winters and mild summers. If you’re looking for a bee magnet and a breathtaking early summer bloomer, consider Pacific rhododendron plants....

Trimming a Palm Tree Some experts recommend avoiding all palm tree pruning, but most suggest you avoid cutting too much or too often. When should you think about pruning palm plants? Think about cutting back a palm tree if you notice dead or dying fronds. Removing these fronds by pruning palm plants not only prevents breakage damage, but also eliminates nesting places for rats, scorpions, and other pests. Another good reason to start trimming a palm tree is when it has become a fire hazard or visual hazard in your yard....