Zone 3 Tree Selections The trees you plant today will grow to become huge, architectural plants that form the backbone around which to design your garden. Choose trees that reflect your own personal style, but make sure they will thrive in your zone. Here are some zone 3 tree selections to choose from: Zone 3 Deciduous Trees Amur maples are a pleasure in the garden any time of year, but they really show off in fall when the leaves turn a variety of brilliant colors....

Viburnums for Cold Climates Viburnums are a gardener’s best friend. They come to the rescue when you need a plant for a dry or very wet area. You’ll find cold hardy viburnums that thrive in direct, full sun as well as partial shade. Many of the 150 species of viburnum are native to this country. In general, viburnums grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 to 9. Zone 2 is the coldest zone you’ll find in the country....

With shapes ranging from ugly to interesting, gourds are often used in modern times for fall decorating and crafting. Naturally, one of the best ways to acquire unusual kinds of gourd colors and shapes is by cultivating them yourself. If this sounds intriguing, here’s our list of the five most fascinating gourds to grow in the home garden. Five Fascinating Gourds to Grow

What is Solanum pyracanthum? Solanum pyracanthum is the botanical name for porcupine tomato or devil’s thorn. Solanum is the genus of the tomato family, and this plant bears many discrete resemblances to tomatoes. A Madagascar native, it was introduced to the U.S., but has not shown itself to be invasive. This is because the plant is very slow to reproduce and birds avoid the berries, so the seeds don’t get distributed....

What is Acacia Honey? Acacia honey is usually colorless, although occasionally it has a tint of lemon yellow or yellow/green to it. Why is it so sought after? It is sought after because the nectar of the blossoms that produce acacia honey do not always produce a crop of honey. So where does acacia honey come from? If you know a bit about trees and geography, then you may be thinking that acacia honey comes from acacia trees, natives of sub-tropical to tropical regions of the world, particularly Australia....

Alligatorweed Identification Alligatorweed displaces native vegetation and makes fishing difficult. It also clogs waterways and drainage systems. In irrigation situations, it reduces uptake and flow of water. Alligatorweed also provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. For all these reasons and more, alligatorweed removal is an important conservation effort. Alligatorweed can form dense mats. The leaves may vary in shape but are generally 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) long and pointed....

Varieties of Almond For those growing almond tree varieties commercially, the considerations for selecting trees include the size and quality of the nut harvest. As a home gardener, you may be more interested in obtaining easy-care almond tree cultivars that will thrive in your climate. Although a few self-fertile varieties of almonds are available, they are not problem free. You are better off selecting compatible combinations of almond tree cultivars than individual trees....

Can You Split an Aloe Plant? While you can divide an aloe, dividing aloe plants is not quite the same as dividing a perennial or ornamental grass. This is usually as simple as cutting the root zone in half and, ta-da, you have a new plant. Aloe plant division is accomplished by removing the offsets, which are the baby plants at the base of the parent. The process takes just moments and rejuvenates the parent while providing a new aloe start to propagate....

Pests of Apples To properly devise a plan of attack against these marauders, we must first identify what they are. Unfortunately, there are numerous pests of apples just a few of which are: Round headed apple tree borer Apple maggot Codling moth Plum curculio San Jose scale Then there are secondary pests like: European red mites Red banded and oblique banded leafrollers Rosy apple aphids Green fruitworms Leafhoppers Japanese beetles Wooly apple aphids...

How do you grow an umbrella plant in water? What about outdoor umbrella plant care? Read on to find out more. Growing an Umbrella Plant Growing an umbrella plant outdoors is possible in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 and above. This tropical plant will die down during chilly winters but will regrow. However, temperatures below 15 F. (-9 C.) will kill the plant. If you live north of USDA zone 8, you can pot aquatic umbrella plants and bring them indoors for the winter....

Can You Eat the Leaves of Okra? Okra is thought to have originated in Africa and cultivation spread to the Middle East, India, and into the southern reaches of North America, most likely brought by the French via West Africa. It has since become a popular food in southern parts of the U.S. While it is the pod which is most favored, okra leaves are, indeed, edible too. Not only the leaves but the beautiful blossoms as well....

To narrow it down even further, there are several species of root knot nematodes. The type in your garden may vary from your neighbor’s garden, depending on the vegetables you grow. Different nematodes have different preferences. This article discusses the pea root knot nematode. Peas and Root Knot Nematodes Are peas affected by root knot nematodes? Unfortunately, root knot nematodes of peas are common, especially in sandy soil. What can you do about peas with root knot nematodes?...

What is Ash Yellows? Ash yellows is a newly discovered plant disease, first detected in the 1980’s. It probably existed long before that, but wasn’t detected because the symptoms are so similar to those of other plant diseases. In many cases, you won’t be able to get a firm diagnosis without laboratory tests. A tiny, mycoplasma-like organism that we call the ash yellows phytoplasma causes the infection. A disease that infects members of the ash (Fraxinus) family, ash yellows only exists in North America....

About Azalea Varieties The explosion of blossoms on azaleas creates a show that few shrubs can rival. The generous load of blossoms in vivid shades makes azalea an extremely popular plant. Most azalea plant cultivars bloom in spring, but some bloom in summer and a few in fall, making it possible to have azaleas flower in your landscape for many months. When we say there are quite a few kinds of azalea bushes, we aren’t exaggerating....

Azoychka Tomato Information Azoychka beefsteak tomatoes are heirlooms from Russia. The plants are regular-leaf, indeterminate, and open pollinated. They produce abundantly, up to 50 tomatoes per plant and are early producers, often done before the first frost. The tomatoes are yellow, round but slightly flattened, and grow to about 10 to 16 ounces (283.5-454 grams). Azoyhka tomatoes have a sweet, citrus-like flavor that is well-balanced with acidity. How to Grow an Azoychka Tomato Plant If you manage to get some seeds for this heirloom tomato, growing it in your garden will be very rewarding....

How to Grow a Cucumber Plant in a Bag Follow these simple steps for your own bag-grown cucumbers: Choose a cucumber grow bag. You can purchase bags specially made for this purpose or reuse heavy-duty plastic bags. White potting soil bags work well and can be turned inside out to hide the printed label. Avoid black garbage bags as these absorb too much heat from the sun. Prepare the cucumber grow bag....

Balcony living space can contribute to a relaxing home life. Envisioning your space starts with outlining your goals. Do you simply want a quiet balcony outdoor seating area, or do your aims include growing your own food, or decorating with plants? Once you realize what objectives your space can attain, it’s time to start planning. What to Do With Balcony Space By all means, utilize your outdoor areas. If all you have is a postage stamp sized step out, you can still decorate with lighting, hanging plants, and maybe even some fold up chairs to use when viewing the sunset....

How to Plant a Bare Root Heuchera Heuchera is a shade to partial sun plant that is native to North America. There are many varieties from which to choose and the plants are almost unmatched to brighten up low light spaces. Collectors can find Heuchera in many different hues, from burgundy to coral, with many tones in between. When you receive Heuchera in the mail, you will often be presented with a plastic bag that has holes in it, a bit of sawdust and a wisp of root....

Bay Leaf Tree Care Growing bay leaf trees require a little patience as they are slow growing evergreens, although they may live for 40 years or longer and attain a height of 10 feet (up to 23 feet in the wild) (3-7 m.). Care of bay leaf trees is minimal when bearing in mind that Laurus nobilis is hardy in USDA zone 8, thrives in rich, well-drained soil (pH 6.2), dislikes overwatering, and should be brought indoors when the temperature dips in the fall months....

There’s a lot to be done in the fall garden, but here we’ve gathered many of the basics. From the best trees, flowers, and vegetables to grow, to the right steps to take to get ready for winter, this Beginner’s Guide to Fall Gardening should help you get the most out of your fall garden, even if it’s your very first one. Fall Gardening for Beginners There are many things to do in autumn to keep busy in the garden and one of those is maintenance....