What is a Soaker Hose? If a soaker hose looks a little like a car tire, that’s because most soaker hoses are constructed from recycled tires. The hoses have a rough surface that hides millions of tiny pores. The pores allow water to seep slowly into the soil. Soaker Hose Benefits The main advantage of a soaker hose is its ability to wet the soil evenly and slowly. No precious water is wasted by evaporation, and water is delivered directly to the roots....

True Ginseng Plant Varieties Oriental ginseng: Oriental ginseng (Panax ginseng) is native to Korea, Siberia and China, where it is highly prized for its many medicinal qualities. It is also known as red ginseng, true ginseng or Asian ginseng. According to Chinese medicine practitioners, Oriental ginseng is considered to be “hot” and is used as a mild stimulant. Oriental ginseng has been widely harvested over the years and is nearly extinct in the wild....

What is a Golden Leyland Tree? The golden Leyland cypress tree is a standout specimen that adds a punch to the landscape. The plants make great hedges or stand-alone details. These are very hardy plants that perform well in USDA zones 5 through 9. Plant them in full sun to maximize their golden color. You can choose cultivars such as Gold Rider or Castlewellan Gold. Both make popular ornamentals or hedge trees....

Take a deep breath and keep reading because we have plenty of Christmas garden shopping ideas. You may even be able to save a bundle on Green Monday gift ideas! What is Green Monday? Green Monday is a term coined by the online retail industry to represent the best sales day of the month in December. This day is the last Monday of December with at least ten days before the Christmas holiday....

Read on to learn more. Banyan Tree Info The Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) is a fig tree that begins life as an epiphyte, germinating in the crevices of a host tree or other structure. As it grows, the banyan tree produces aerial roots that hang down and take root wherever they touch the ground. These thick roots actually make the tree appear to have several trunks. Growing a Banyan Tree Outdoors On average, these trees have high moisture needs; however, established trees are drought tolerant....

Information on Chiltepin Pepper Plants Chiltepin peppers (Capsicum annuum var glabriuculum) can still be found growing wild in southern Arizona and into northern Mexico. The plants bear tiny fruit often referred to as “bird’s eye peppers,” and boy do these little babies pack a punch. On the Scoville heat index, chiltepin peppers score 50,000-100,000 units. That’s 6-40 times hotter than a jalapeño. While the tiny fruits are indeed hot, the heat is fleeting and combined with a pleasant smokiness....

Growing Iris in a Container Though not traditionally considered to be a container plant, irises can grow well in a pot, provided it is large enough. Bigger pots are ideal, as many irises quickly establish robust root systems. Growing iris in a container will require special attention to the needs of the plant, specifically sunlight and watering. Irises should be situated in a location that receives full sun. Container iris plants also require a well-draining potting mix, as the plants can easily become waterlogged....

What is Globe Thistle? Globe thistle (Echinops ritro) is in the Aster family. The large spiky flowers appear in early summer and last up to 8 weeks. They are perennials, so the plants will make long-lasting garden companions with hardy habits and minimal globe thistle care. Globe thistle flowers are particular stand-outs with blooms up to 2 inches (5 cm.) across on 3 to 4 foot (1 m.) stems. Echinops is the botanical name for globe thistle....

What is Herniaria Green Carpet? It’s hard to find fault with herniaria ground cover as lawn substitute. This carpet-forming plant consists of tiny, bright green leaves that turn bronze during the winter months. It is soft enough to walk on in bare feet and it tolerates a fair share of foot traffic. This green carpet lawn alternative tops out at about an inch (2.5 cm.), which means no mowing is required – ever....

Types of Lantana Plants for Containers Although you can grow any type of lantana in a container, keep in mind that some are very large, reaching heights of up to 6 feet (2 m.), which means they need a very sturdy container. Dwarf types are suitable for standard-size containers, reaching heights of only 12 to 16 inches (30.5 to 40.5 cm.). Dwarf varieties are available in a range of bright colors....

Smaller succulent plants often take on the form of bonsai, but you can also promote the shape. There are many succulents for bonsai, but the jade plant is probably one that is most frequently used. Traditional bonsai are planted in shallow dishes, which means they have little room for roots and will often need root pruning to keep the plant small. With succulents as bonsai, you generally won’t need to root prune....

Container Grown Sweet Peas When growing sweet peas in containers, the main concern is giving them something to climb. Sweet peas are vining plants, and they’ll need something tall to support them as they grow. You can buy a trellis or you can simply sink a couple of sticks or bamboo poles into the container’s soil. The best container grown sweet peas are the short varieties that top out at a height of about 1 foot (31 cm....

Only long-tongued visitors can reach the nectar that deposits low in the flower. Hawk moths have the perfect size beak to reach it, and they fly at night. Other beneficial night-moving pollinators may take advantage of the open blooms. A moth garden, with a range of night opening blooms, can help keep them handily around your yard. Growing Tufted Evening Primrose Sources for this plant say it will grow in any location throughout the U....

What is a Weeping Mulberry? Native to China, the mulberry was introduced to provide food for the thriving silkworm trade. Because the tree is unfussy and will tolerate almost any soil and even a fair amount of neglect, it soon became naturalized and considered to be more of a weed. Today’s new cultivars, from the weeping varieties to hybrid dwarf varieties to fruitless types have brought the tree back into vogue again....

Growing Guava Trees in Containers There are three different types of guavas, all of which are suited for container grown guava. Tropical guavas (Psidium guajava): Tropical guavas are the juiciest of the three with the largest fruit. They are more frost tender than the other two and grow 10 to 15 feet (3-5 m.) in height. Strawberry guavas (Psidium lucidum): Strawberry guavas are shrub-like trees with smaller, tarter fruit. They tend to have high yields and attain a slightly smaller height of 12 feet (4 m....

When to Pick Parsley Parsley is a biennial but is usually grown as an annual and is native to the Mediterranean. Like most herbs, it thrives in areas with six to eight hours of sun, although it will tolerate light shade. While it is often used as a garnish, parsley has more to give; it is high in vitamin C and A, as well as iron. Parsley is easy to grow either from nursery starts or from seed....

Seeds of Trumpet Vines Those interesting looking pods on your Campsis vine have ornamental appeal and are full of seed to save and plant if you choose. Deciding what to do with trumpet vine pods depends upon your patience and adventurous levels. Leaving them on the plant for a fun visual effect is one option, but so is harvesting the seed and propagating more of the rampant vine. Be wary, the plant is considered too aggressive for some regions and may pose a problem if cultivation escapes into native flora areas....

When to Pick Spinach When to pick spinach is an important consideration in order to get the best-tasting leaves and prevent bolting. Spinach is a cool-season crop that will flower or bolt when the sun is high and temperatures are warm. Most varieties mature in 37 to 45 days and can be harvested as soon as it is a rosette with five or six leaves. Baby spinach leaves have a sweeter flavor and a more tender texture....

What is a Hemiparasitic Plant? Photosynthesis is an important process for plants everywhere, or so most people think. Smart gardeners, however, know that there are parasitic plants out there that derive some or all of their nutrients by stealing them from other plants. Just like parasitic animals feed on the blood of other animals, parasitic plants do much the same thing. There are two main types of plant parasites: hemiparasitic and holoparasitic....

What are Flea Beetles? There is no one scientific name for a flea beetle because flea beetles are actually several beetles in the same general family. Flea beetles are normally characterized by being very small and the fact that they jump from place to place like fleas do. Since flea beetles actually make up a larger family of beetles, they vary in appearance. Some may be black, others brown, and still others green....