Interesting Facts About Cup and Saucer Vines The cup and saucer vine was first discovered by a Jesuit missionary priest named Father Cobo. The plant’s Latin name Cobea scandens was chosen in honor of Father Cobo. This interesting tropical beauty grows vertically rather than laterally and will eagerly cling to a trellis and create a lovely display in a very short amount of time. Most vines reach a mature spread of 20 feet (6 m....

Where Does Nutmeg Come From? Nutmeg trees are evergreens native to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) and other tropical islands of the East Indies. The large seed of these trees garners two noteworthy spices: nutmeg is the kernel of the seed when ground, while mace is the grated red to orange covering, or aril, which surrounds the seed. Nutmeg Plant Info Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is steeped in history, although there is no written record of it until 540 A....

Non-Blooming Amaryllis Every amaryllis is a non-blooming amaryllis some of the time. To figure out when it is normal to see no flowers on amaryllis plants, you need a basic understanding of the garden life of an amaryllis bulb. When you first plant an amaryllis bulb, it has no flowers or foliage. It is simply a bulb, but it has potential for great things within its papery coating. Plant a new bulb in a tight pot with potting mix and just a little potting soil on the bottom....

Amur Maple Facts Amur maple trees (Acer ginnala) are native to northern Asia. They are considered to be both large shrubs and small trees, usually topping out at 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.) in height. They have a natural shape of many stems grown in a clumping manner (resulting in a much more shrub-like appearance), but they can be pruned at a young age to have a single or multi trunk tree appearance....

Removing Chinese Lantern Weeds Despite their whimsical appeal, Chinese lantern control can at best be challenging and even frustrating. This is because the plant grows from rhizomes. Trying to manually remove it may leave behind even a tiny piece of root which is all this plant needs to regrow. Many gardeners resort to glyphosate or other chemicals to manage Chinese lantern weeds. However, if you are determined enough, there are non-chemical methods you can use to conquer this persistent plant....

Where to Plant Male/Female Kiwis Okay, let’s address the question, “Are female kiwis toxic to male plants?”. No more toxic than my boyfriend can be to me sometimes; I guess the word would be irritating. The female, in fact, needs the male to fruit. The male’s only job is to produce pollen and lots of it. That said, the number of male kiwis per female needed for fruit production is one male to every eight females....

About Powdery Mildew of Asters Powdery mildew is caused by a fungus. There are several species that cause the infestation, each evolved to be parasitic on certain types of plants. That means that if you get powdery mildew on aster plants, it will not infect plants from other families. The fungus grows on the surface of leaves and reaches into cells to feed on nutrients. It needs the plant to be alive to grow, so it actually favors conditions that also favor the host plant....

What is a Balcony Garden? Think you can’t have a garden on a balcony? You just need some tips on how to garden on a balcony while you also think outside the box. You can design a traditional, retro, edible, flowering, or other planting scheme. Or mix it up. Just be prepared to haul a bit of potting soil to your space. Your balcony can be a place to bring nature in and provide a peaceful retreat....

About Plum Belle de Louvain Although some plum trees are purely ornamental, most gardeners select plum trees with a plum harvest in mind. The plum ‘Belle de Louvain’ is especially attractive to those who cook and bake with plums. In fact, the plums are primarily known as cooking plums. Their flavor is sweet-sharp and perfect for pies, cakes or jams. In addition, the flesh of the plum Belle de Louvain is fairly dry, which means that it won’t soak a pastry with liquid....

Information on Growing Bermuda Grass Bermuda grass is a cold tolerant, warm-season grass that will grow as far north as Virginia. In warmer tropical areas, Bermuda grass will remain green all year long. In other areas that drop below 60 degrees F. (15 C.), it will go dormant. Ideal growing regions for Bermuda grass include the United States Department of Agriculture Zones 7 through 10. Growing Bermuda grass is easy as long as you have the right conditions....

In the Maryland, Delaware and DC regions, we depend on bees, bats, birds, butterflies, and other beneficial critters for pollination. But our precious monarchs are in particular trouble from loss of their habitat, climate change, pesticides and deforestation, to name a few. A Special Offer for Mid-Atlantic Gardeners Our human race can’t really survive without pollinators of all kinds. The decline of the monarch is a clear warning to us, but we can support their survival by growing the plants they need for fuel....

Bistort Plant Information Bistort plant (Bistorta officinalis) consists of long, sparsely leafed stems growing from short, thick s-shaped rhizomes, thus lending to the various Latin (sometimes placed in the genus Polygonum or Persicaria) and common names associated with it. The stems bear spikes of tiny, pink/purple or white flowers in midsummer depending on species. The flowers rarely produce seeds and bistort reproduces by tiny bulbs that develop in the axils of the leaves....

Grape Leaf Blister Mite Info Adult blister leaf mites are tiny– smaller than a mote of dust. If you could view them with the naked eye though, you would see cream-colored worms with two pairs of legs. Grape erineum mite damage appears on young leaves as dark green to pink tinged swellings on upper areas. The underside of leaves have a concave appearance, littered with blister-like edemas covered with a felted carpeting of dense long leaf hairs....

About Mr. Bowling Ball Thuja Arborvitae are common ornamental shrubs. The specimen Mr. Bowling Ball arborvitae has curved appeal that needs no pruning to keep it in true form. This charming shrub is a rounded ball-like plant with a perky appearance and compact shape. While not readily available at many nursery centers, the plant is easy to order from online catalogs. What’s in a name? This arborvitae is also known as Bobozam arborvitae....

Bonsai Bougainvillea Tips Bougainvilleas are tropical plants with brilliant bracts that look like petals. Their branches resemble vines, and you can prune them into a bonsai. Can you make a bonsai out of bougainvillea? It is not only possible, but also easy if you follow these bonsai bougainvillea tips. Bougainvillea bonsai plants are not actually different plants than bougainvillea vines. If you want to know how to make a bougainvillea bonsai, start with selecting an appropriate container with good drainage....

How does Nature Inspire Us? Those who regularly ditch the phone and drop the remote to take time in the great outdoors know the benefits of tuning into Mother Nature. Not only are you getting physical activity and boosting your vitamin D intake, but are also becoming more calm and focused which in turn allows the mind to invent, produce and imagine; all the hallmarks of creativity. How to Increase Creativity A study done in England showed that when office staff made design decisions in a work area with plants versus an area without, productivity increased by 38% and creativity by 45%....

Boston Fern Fronds Turning Black Isn’t Always Bad There is one case in which a Boston fern with black fronds is perfectly natural, and it’s good to be able to spot it. You may see small black spots on the undersides of your fern’s leaves, lined up in regular rows. These spots are spores, and they’re the fern’s way of reproducing. Eventually, the spores will drop to the soil below and grow into reproductive structures....

How to Propagate Breadfruit Trees from Seed Breadfruit tree propagation can be done by seed. However, breadfruit seeds lose their viability in just a few weeks, so seeds need to be planted almost immediately after harvesting them from the ripened fruits. Unlike many plants, breadfruit relies on shade for germination and proper growth. To successfully propagate breadfruit, you will need to provide it with a location that is at least 50% shaded throughout the day....

Different Types of Burning Bush Pruning Rejuvenation of a Burning Bush Burning bushes are notorious for slowly overgrowing their space. What started out as a lovely, well-shaped shrub can turn into a monster of a plant that is scruffy, leggy, and sparse. While your first reaction would be to remove it, you should consider instead rejuvenating your burning bush. Rejuvenation is simply severely cutting back the plant so that it can grow all new growth....

Can Freesias Grow in a Pot? Can freesias grow in a pot? Absolutely. In fact, their bulbs are some of the best suited to container planting. The only thing you need to be mindful of when planting freesias in containers is your climate. Freesias are native to South Africa, and their bulbs cannot overwinter in climates colder than USDA zone 9. If you live in zone 9 or warmer, plant your bulbs in autumn (between August and December) and expect growth in the spring....