Pruning Boston Ivy Vine Pruning Boston ivy vine can be tricky. If done incorrectly, ivy leaves brown “footprints” as well as ragged edges. To keep your ivy looking tip-top, you’ll want to pinch, snap, or cut trailers as they develop. Removing these unruly shoots will keep your ivy at the desired size, and as an added benefit, ivy cuttings root easily when transplanted into a new pot and make a great hostess/host gift at parties....

Bougainvillea for Pots Several bougainvillea varieties are suitable for growing in containers. “Miss Alice” is a shrubby, easily pruned variety with white blooms. “Bambino Baby Sophia,” which provides orange blooms, tops out at about 5 feet (1.5 m.). If you like pink, consider “Rosenka” or “Singapore Pink,” which you can prune to maintain container size. Red varieties suitable for container growing include “La Jolla” or “Crimson Jewel.” “Oo-La-La,” with magenta-red blooms, is a dwarf variety that reaches heights of 18 inches (46 cm....

Watering Boxwood Shrubs Water a newly planted boxwood shrub deeply and slowly to ensure the roots are thoroughly saturated. After that time, water regularly until the plant is well established. As a general rule, one or two deep waterings per week is plenty during the plant’s first year, decreasing to once a week during the shrub’s second growing season. Thereafter, watering a boxwood is necessary only during periods of hot, dry weather....

About Rice with Brown Leaf Spots Brown spots on rice can start on even seedling leaves and are usually small, round to oval circles, brownish in color. It is a fungal issue, caused by Bipolaris oryzae (previously known as Helminthosporium oryzae). As the crop grows, leaf spots may change colors and vary in shape and size, but are usually round. Spots are often a brownish red as time progresses but usually begin just as a brown spot....

The list of welcome garden visitors includes not only our friends, family members, and “furry” friends (our dogs, cats, and maybe even a rabbit or two), but also ladybugs, praying mantis, dragonflies, bees, and butterflies to name a few. One of my favorite garden guests, though, is the butterfly. Let’s look at plants that attract butterflies so that you can welcome these flying beauties. Starting Butterfly Gardening If you like to see the butterflies gracefully dancing about your smiling blooms like I do, planting some flowering plants that help attract them is a great thing to do....

What are Cachepots? Many people are anxious to repot houseplants as soon as they get them home from the store. However, some plants are extremely sensitive, and repotting immediately can disrupt roots and over stress the plant. A better idea is to leave the plant in its original container and use a cachepot. A cachepot is a decorative planter that you can sit your potted plant inside without having to completely repot the plant....

Why is My Cactus Oozing Sap? There are several reasons for sap leaking from a cactus. It could be an indication of a fungal disease, pest problem, tissue injury, or even the result of freezing or excess sun exposure. You will need to become a detective and round up the clues to diagnose the issue by the process of elimination. It’s important to verify that correct care is given, as improper cultivation can also be a cause of a cactus oozing sap....

While citrus leaves smell fabulous, most people aren’t crazy about their bitter taste and fibrous texture, however, they convey delicious flavor and aroma to a variety of dishes, especially orange and lemon leaves. Take a look at a few of these ideas for using lemon leaves and other citrus. How Can You Eat Citrus Leaves? Citrus leaves are often used to wrap meatballs, chicken breasts, roasted pork, or seafood, which are then secured with a toothpick and grilled, steamed, or roasted....

This same eye-catching, evergreen foliage can be an excellent accent in the outdoor landscape as well. With such a tropical-looking plant, many people skeptically question, “Can you grow Ti plants outside?”. Continue reading to learn about growing Ti plants in the landscape. Can You Grow Ti Plants Outside? Native to Eastern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, Ti plants (Cordyline fruticosa and Cordyline terminalis) are hardy in U.S. hardiness zones 10-12....

Rotting Candelabra Cactus The damage is particularly prevalent in plants grown in a greenhouse. Stem rot on a candelabra cactus (Euphorbia lactea), in particular, is often mistaken for corking or sunburn, but it is generally rot. If the brown place is soft, consider it rotten. Remove it from the area of healthy plants and seclude the diseased plant until you can work with it. The entire stem will normally die. You may be able to cut out around the brown area, but you must make sure to get it all....

Ribbon Grass Plants Ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is a relatively small grass, growing only about a foot high. It has a dense mat of foliage with strappy leaves that begin with pink or white tinged variegation. As the leaves mature, they become striped with green and white, which has earned them the name gardener’s garters. They are also called reed canary grass. The plants are native to Europe and North America and are hardy in USDA gardening zones 4 to 9....

Tea Plants in the Garden The most familiar and widely grown tea plants include two common varieties: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, used primarily for white and green tea, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica, used for black tea. The first is native to China, where it grows at very high elevations. This variety is suitable for moderate climates, generally USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. The second variety, however, is native to India....

What is Sedeveria? Sedeveria succulents have two outstanding qualities that make them popular with gardeners: they are absolutely lovely, and they require very little maintenance. In fact, sedevaria plant care is minimal. These hybrids present delightful rosettes that look like flowers but in shades of green, silver green and blue green. Some sedeveria plants have red or yellow tones or accents. The leaves that make up the rosettes are thick and look padded....

Growing Wave Petunias Wave petunia plants have a spreading growth habit, with the ability to fill flower beds with their blooms that sprout all along their stems, which can reach up to 4 feet (1 m.). Wave petunia plants are so versatile they can accent almost any part of your landscaping design. Create a dense hedge covered in blooms by planting a row of these plants along the base of a 3 foot (91 cm....

What is a Cherimoya? Cherimoya trees (Annona cherimola) are rapidly growing evergreens that are deciduous when grown in the cooler California climate from February to April. They can attain a height of over 30 feet (9 m.), but can also be pruned to restrain their growth. In fact, young trees grow together to form a natural espalier that can be trained against a wall or fence. Although the tree grows rapidly at one time in spring, the root system tends to stay rather stunted and weak despite the height of the tree....

About Cherry Rasp Leaf Disease Rasp leaf disease in cherry trees often enters an orchard on plant material. This happens when the material is infected with the virus through contact with the dagger nematode (Xiphenema spp). The cherry rasp leaf virus can also move through an orchard in soil that contains the nematode. It can also show up on other hosts of the cherry rasp leaf virus, like dandelions and elderberry....

Tips for Pruning Clematis Before you get started, there are a couple tips for pruning clematis that you should know: Dead or damaged stems may be removed at any time when pruning clematis vines. Damaged plant parts will never be productive, so get rid of them as soon as they are noticed. Know when your clematis blooms. You may want to wait until the second year to prune clematis, especially if it is the large flowering variety....

Choosing Hardy Perennial Plants Cool climate perennials come in many heights and widths. Choose a variety of blooms when picking plants for cold regions. Grow delicate and frilly flowers when choosing hardy perennial plants that are members of the Dianthus family, such as Sweet William and carnations. The herb yarrow provides frilly foliage and delicate blooms when used for cold climate gardening. Local garden centers can help with plant choices when you’re growing hardy perennials....

How to Plant Coleus Seed Growing coleus from seed starts with getting the seeds. Coleus seeds are fairly easy to find and should be available at nearly any store that sells flower seeds. If you are unable to find them at a store, many companies sell them online. Coleus seeds are typically sold as mixed, which will give you a nice variety in the foliage colors. Start sowing coleus seed with a flat or container with a damp potting soil....

Dogwoods for Winter It is hard to find more versatile ornamental shrubs and trees than those in the dogwood family. Most flowering dogwoods put on the petal-show in spring, offer bright foliage in summer, and put on a fiery fall show. There are many dogwoods with winter interest as well. Don’t expect flowers or even foliage from winter dogwood varieties. Instead, dogwoods are attractive in winter because the lack of foliage reveals their attractive trunks and stems....