Choosing and Growing East North Central Evergreen Shrubs When choosing evergreen bushes to grow in the northern Midwest, it’s important to find those that will be hardy enough for the cold and snowy winters. These shrubs also need to be able to handle hot summers, sometimes variable conditions, and stormy spring and fall seasons. Also, make selections based on what you need in your yard. For instance, if you want a year-round privacy screen in your backyard, choose a species that will grow tall enough....

Irish Mint Echeveria Info What is an Irish Mint succulent? An echeveria cultivar, Irish Mint is the resulting offspring of Echeveria derenbergii and Echeveria runyonii ‘Topsy Turvy.’ The plant can be identified by its bright mint green leaves that have a distinct tubular shape and grow in an upswept pattern. It tends to grow to about 6 inches (15 cm.) in height. Like most echeveria plants, it will readily produce pups that can be separated and started as their own plants....

Does Epsom Salt Help Roses? Epsom salt is a form of the mineral magnesium sulfate. It’s a common product you’ll find in any drug store. Many people soak in it for relief from muscle aches and soreness. The name comes from the town of Epsom in England where the mineral was first found. As for gardening, Epsom salts may be beneficial to plants because magnesium and sulfur are both trace nutrients....

Eugenia Plant Facts The Eugenia genus contains over 1,000 different species. The group is native to tropical regions and cannot survive freezing conditions. Some forms can easily grow up to 20 feet (6 m.) high, but the shrub is easy to keep to a lower habit with annual pruning. Leaves are shiny and oval, with news leaves arriving reddish in hue and changing to green as they age. Brush cherry is an evergreen and performs best in sun but can tolerate partial shade....

Evergreen Trees for Landscaping Most evergreen trees are needle-bearing while evergreen shrubs also include broadleaf varieties. In addition, their growing characteristics vary greatly among species. Therefore, it’s important to recognize the differences between them before adding these plants to the landscape. Needled evergreen trees make great additions to the landscape, especially when scattered amongst other plantings. They have an extraordinary range of shapes and sizes and are well adapted to many soil types and growing conditions....

Why is My Fennel not Producing Bulbs? Okay, a little information about fennel. You know that you can eat the stems, leaves, seeds, and bulbs of fennel, but what you may not know is that there are two types of fennel. Foeniculum vulgare is harvested like an herb – the stems, leaves, and seeds are utilized. This type of fennel grows 3-5 feet (1-2 m.) in height, with feathery foliage much like dill....

Fern Pine Information What is a Fern pine? The fern pine (Podocarpus gracilior) is native to Africa but is now common in USDA zones 10 and 11, especially in urban and suburban areas. This evergreen rainforest tree has skinny green leaves that grow 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm.) in length, giving the overall appearance of feathers or ferns. The effect is a billowy green cloud that is very attractive in gardens and yards....

About Firebush Reproduction Firebush is native to Mexico and thrives in the intense heat of that region, growing well in places like southern Texas, Arizona, and California. It is a large shrub or a small tree, depending on how you grow and train it. Firebush is named for its red-orange flowers that bloom profusely in early summer and well into the fall. The shrub does well in the heat and will tolerate drought conditions better than many plants and will grow in any type of soil that drains well....

Planting Fruit Trees in the Garden With a little planning, you can soon be biting into juicy fruit from your own backyard fruit trees – including apples, cherries, plums and pears – even if you only have a small garden. Your first step is to evaluate your site’s soil and sun. Most fruit trees require good drainage and full sun to thrive. If your fruit tree garden ideas are huge but your yard area isn’t, consider selecting dwarf and semi-dwarf cultivars as your backyard fruit trees....

Garden Folly History Although follies are found around the world, they are most common in Great Britain. The first follies were expensive structures built on the estates of wealthy English landowners in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The elaborate follies were often named after the owner, builder, or designer. Follies reached a peak of popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries, when they became an important component of elegant French and English gardens....

For most of us, gardening is limited during the winter months, but there are still many ways to help others. Read on for tips and ideas for holiday garden giving. Holiday Garden Giving: Holiday Donations Arrange a community clean-up, then spend the day pulling weeds and hauling away trash. A community event instills pride and encourages people to spruce up their yards. Next time you visit your local drive-through coffee stand, surprise the folks in the car behind you by paying for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate....

Here are tips on how to get the party started. Garden Party for Memorial Day Need some ideas on how to celebrate Memorial Day in the garden? We’re here to help. Plan Ahead To make any party a success, be sure to plan ahead. Start with a guest list and invitations (if social distancing is still in place, keep the invites limited to less than 10 people). Invites can be mailed out or just emailed to friends and family....

Gardens are designed for all sorts of functions. Some gardens are specifically grown for food or medicinal herbs, while other gardens may be grown purely for their aesthetic value. However, even gardens filled with nothing but ornamental plants can have some medicinal and healing value – a collection of plants meant to soothe and heal the mind and body are known as healing gardens. Continue reading for some healing garden ideas to help get you started in creating a healing garden of your own....

How to Propagate Garlic You know you want it. Garlic with its pungent, zesty flavor and intense aromatic properties is actually quite easy to grow. Choice of variety that is suitable for your growing zone and soil is the first concern when propagating garlic bulbs. Softneck varieties grow best in warm climates, while the hardneck types are more suited to cooler climes. For the indecisive gardener, the Asian species can perform well in either climate....

Graptopetalum Ghost Plant Information Thick, fleshy leaves and stems characterize most succulent plants. Ghost plants (Graptopetalum paraguayense) have thick leaves that hold excess moisture so the plant can withstand periods without rain. The silvery gray to bluish green foliage has a pinkish tinge to the edges of the leaves when they are young. Layers of leaves form the rosette, which range in size from less than an inch (2.5 cm.) across to several inches (7....

Golden Korean Fir Information Golden Korean fir trees (Abies koreana ‘Aurea’) are slow-growing conifers with truly beautiful foliage. The needles grow in golden, then mature into chartreuse. They remain chartreuse throughout the winter. Another colorful feature of the trees is the fruit that appears as cones. When these are immature, they are a deep violet-purple. As they mature, they lighten into tan. Golden Korean fir trees are not for every setting....

Companion Planting with Grapes Companion planting is an age-old art of planting different plants in close proximity to each other to benefit one or both. There may be mutual benefits or only one plant may profit. They may repel pests and disease, nourish soil, provide shelter to beneficial insects, or shade other plants. Companion plants may act as natural trellises, retard weeds, or help retain moisture. There are a number of plants that grow well with grapevines....

Where to Grow Herbs in the Office Even with very limited space, you can grow a few plants in the office. If you have an entire office to yourself, you have options. Create a space by a window for a small garden or tuck it into a corner with an adequate light source. For smaller spaces, consider desktop herbs. Carve out a little space on your desk for a small set of containers....

How to Grow Pizza Herbs & Vegetables A pizza herb garden typically has six plants in it. These are: Basil Parsley Oregano Onions Tomatoes Peppers All of these plants are easy and fun for kids to grow. Of course, you can add additional plants to your pizza herb garden that may go into making a pizza, such as wheat, garlic, and rosemary. Be aware, these plants may be more difficult for a child to grow and could cause them to become frustrated with the project....

This plant may be annual or perennial, and baby’s breath flowers grow in rose, pink and white and may have single or double blooms. Double blooming baby’s breath plants have been grafted, so take care to cut above the graft union. How to Grow Baby’s Breath Growing baby’s breath is simple and you’ll likely find it a useful garden specimen. Learning how to grow baby’s breath can be a lucrative hobby, especially if you sell it to florists and others who make professional arrangements....