Only the long, thin beaks of hummingbirds and the proboscis of certain butterflies and moths can reach the nectar in certain flowers with deep, narrow tubes. As they sip this hard-to-reach nectar, they also collect pollen that they take with them to the next flower. Attracting hummingbirds to the garden ensures that narrow tubed flowers can be pollinated. Continue reading to learn how to attract hummingbirds in zone 9....

Zone 9 Screen Plants and Hedges Your local garden center or nursery should have plenty of choices for your area, but in the meantime, here is a brief list of zone 9 hedges and their growing conditions. Florida privet (Forestiera segregata) – Frequently grown as small trees, shrubs, or hedges, Florida privet tolerates areas with full sun to light shade and most soil types. Abelia (Abelia x. grandiflora) – Abelia is a great choice for a flowering hedge....

1920s Landscaping Trends Early gardens usually focused on the back of the home. This is where life was lived, parties occurred, and children played. Around the early part of the 1900s, lawns were a must-have feature of the landscape. Cavorting around these were flower beds, bushes, evergreen shrubs, and smaller trees. The heritage garden also featured hardscape details and items like bird baths. The early 1900s saw gardening as a pleasure, where plants and other features lived in harmony....

What Are Aeoniums? Succulent plants have a special adaptive survival strategy for hot, dry locations. They come in a wide range of colors, textures, and sizes. What are aeoniums? These plants also have the fleshy leaved characteristic of succulents, where they store moisture. Unlike many other succulents, however, aeoniums have shallow root systems and cannot be allowed to dry out completely. Only the top few inches (8 cm.) of soil should be allowed to dry out when growing aeoniums....

Common Aloe Varieties There are many common varieties of aloe and some that are rare or difficult to find. Most are native to various parts of Africa and nearby areas and, as such, are drought and heat tolerant. The aloe vera plant has been around and in use for centuries. It is mentioned in the Bible. Aloe vera and its derivatives have currently reached an all-time high for both internal and external use....

Heavenly Bamboo Replacement Nandina domestica can escape cultivation and outgrow native plants in the forest. It was once thought to be a great addition to the landscape, growing in many of your neighbor’s yards. It presents a constant battle with suckers and rhizomes to keep it under control. What are some good alternatives to heavenly bamboo? There are many Nandina alternatives. Native shrubs have great characteristics and won’t spread out of control....

Care of Angel Vines Angel vines are native to New Zealand and hardy from zone 8a through 10a. They are frost sensitive and should be grown in a container and brought indoors in colder climates. Luckily, angel vine care in containers is very easy, and many gardeners actually prefer to grow the plant in pots. The vine grows very fast and can reach 15 feet (5 m.) in length, putting out a thick covering of small round leaves....

Apartment Gardening Ideas Outdoors Outdoor container gardens for apartment dwellers is much easier if you use self-watering containers with reservoirs that hold enough water to keep the soil moist without constant attention. Outdoor containers, particularly those in full sun, dry out quickly on hot days and may need watering more than once a day in the heat of summer. With a self-watering container, you don’t have to arrange your life around a watering schedule....

How to Grow Asiatic Lilies Scout for a location and prepare the soil ahead of time when planting Asiatic lilies. Information about the Asiatic lily advises planting in a sunny to partly sunny location. At least six hours of sunlight is necessary for the Asiatic lily plant. Soil should be well-draining, which may require the addition of organic material worked in several inches (8 cm.) deep. If you already have rich, organic soil in the area where you’ll be planting Asiatic lilies, make sure it is loose and well-draining 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm....

Planting perennials in drifts not only draws the attention of pollinators, but it is a pleasing arrangement to our eyes. Groups of the same plant provide swaths of color that are appealing. When we plant in drifts, the large groupings pop with color and bring in insects like bees. What is Drift Planting? Drift planting is the use of just a few species but massed in groupings. It often follows a color scheme, but may also be developed from a variety of sizes and flower types....

Baby Blue Eyes Plant Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii) is a low spreading, shrub-like plant that has succulent stems and flowers with six curved blue petals. Baby blue eyes may get 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) high and over a foot (31 cm.) wide. The blue flowers have a romantic, soft hue that shows well with other pastel flowers as part of a native wildflower garden. You can expect baby blue eyes flowers in late winter where temperatures are moderate and the plant blooms until late spring to early summer....

Bacterial Wilt in Beans Bacterial wilt of dry beans is caused by Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. Flaccumfaciens. Both bacterial wilt and bacterial blight in bean plants are fostered by moderate to warm temps, moisture, and plant wounds both during and post-flowering. The bacterium affects many types of beans including: Soybeans Hyacinth beans Runner beans Limas Peas Adzuki beans Mung beans Cowpeas The first symptoms of bacterial wilt in beans appear in the leaves....

Baneberry Identification Two species of baneberry bushes are commonly found in North America – red baneberry plants (Actaea rubra) and white baneberry plants (Actaea pachypoda). A third species, Actaea arguta, is thought by many biologists to be a variant of red baneberry plants. All are bushy plants largely identified by long roots and large, feathery saw-toothed leaves with fuzzy undersides. Racemes of small, fragrant, white flowers that appear in May and June are replaced by clusters of berries in late summer....

When to Prune Fruit Trees Most fruit trees don’t need pruning annually once they have been trained. Initial fruit tree pruning is important to help young trees produce thick stems and open canopies where light and air can enter and promote flowering, as well as reduce fungal and bacterial diseases. The best time for pruning fruit trees is at planting and in subsequent years, in early spring before buds break and trees are still dormant....

What Causes Cherry Black Leaf Spot? Cherry black leaf spot is a disease caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas arboricola var. pruni, also sometimes referred to as Xanthomonas pruni. It affects only stone fruits, and while it is most common on plums, nectarines, and peaches, it is also known to affect cherry trees. Symptoms of Shot Hole Disease on Cherries Cherry trees that fall victim to black leaf spot first exhibit symptoms as small, irregularly shaped spots of pale green or yellow on the undersides of leaves....

Common Boxwood Varieties Finding the perfect ornamental plant for the garden can be a matter of taste, practicality, hardiness, and maintenance level. Buxus, or Boxwood, is one of the most appealing shrubs on the market with a wide range of uses in the landscape. Boxwood bush types may be used as bonsai, container plants, hedges, topiary, and single specimen spectacles. Not all plants are created equal, however, and Boxwoods are equally diverse and uniquely suited to different uses and site conditions....

Why Homestead? Homestead Gardens boasts the East Coast’s largest selection of high-quality annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, with their three locations across Maryland and Delaware offering more than 275,000 square feet of plant heaven. They not only sell all the plants you need, but will help you every step of the way with their landscape design and build service, installation services, and their large team of trained horticultural experts. Homestead Gardens also offers live events like “Designing Gardens Using Color” and “Bonsai 101” to build your skills in community with other local gardeners!...

Can I Divide Agapanthus? The answer is yes, you can and you should. As the plants mature, they crowd against each other underground, and this overcrowding limits their flowering. The best way to remedy the problem is to start dividing and transplanting agapanthus. But you’ll want to learn how and when to split agapanthus to be sure you do it right. When to Split Agapanthus Don’t think about dividing agapanthus plants while they are offering you those lovely blossoms, even if the flowering seems less than last year due to overcrowding....

Can You Propagate Hyacinth Seeds? While not the quickest and easiest method of hyacinth propagation, with some patience, you can grow hyacinths from seed. To do so, first you’ll need to allow the hyacinth seeds to mature on the plant. Rather than cutting the faded blooms back on all your hyacinth, leave a few to develop seed pods. At first, these seed heads will be bright green and fleshy but, as they mature, they turn a tan color and split open to disperse little black seeds....

Can You Use Garden Soil for Containers For the most part, garden soil can be the ideal medium for growing plants in the ground. The native soil in your backyard has a natural ability to drain off excessive amounts of rainwater, yet it can also retain moisture during dry spells. It’s full of beneficial insects, fungal colonies and even burrowing rodents to aerate and break down organic matter. All these things work well together to provide in-ground plants with the things they need to grow and flourish....