Learning more about how yard structures can impact the climate of the garden will help growers make the most of their plantings. From topographical to man-made structures, there are numerous factors that can impact temperature in the garden. The presence of various bodies of water, for example, is just one factor which can significantly impact the microclimate of an area. Read on to learn microclimate pond conditions. Do Ponds Create Microclimates?...

Designing Your Flower Border The length of flower borders usually depends on what is being bordered (walkway, property line, etc.), while the width is ultimately determined by your available space. Wide borders allow the opportunity to use a variety of flowers, layering them with varying heights, forms, and textures. Nonetheless, the size and shape of a flower border should stay within a suitable proportion to its surroundings; otherwise, it will look out of place....

Canna Lily Deadheading Should canna lilies be deadheaded? The jury is somewhat out on the question of both how to and if deadheading canna lily plants is necessary at all. Some gardeners are adamant that canna lily deadheading needlessly kills future blooms, while others faithfully cut spent flower stalks down to the ground. Neither method is necessarily “wrong”, since canna lilies are prolific bloomers. And both methods can result in more blossoms....

In the past, fingertips succulent, native to northern Baja California and southern California, was known as mission lettuce or chalk lettuce because the edible leaves were considered to be a delicacy. If this bit of information has piqued your curiosity, read on and we’ll provide a few tips on growing fingertips succulents. How to Grow Fingertips Lady fingers care is easy and growing fingertips plants is suitable in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 10....

What Type of Potatoes are Best for Latkes? Most cooks agree, potatoes with a high starch content are a necessity when making latkes. Starch is the key ingredient to produce latkes which hold together when fried. Some cooks also add matzo meal to the shredded potatoes when making latkes. Others harvest the starch directly from the potatoes. In addition to a higher starch content, these varieties of potatoes have a lower moisture and sugar level than waxy or all-purpose types of tubers....

Saving Pumpkin Seeds Properly Store Pumpkin Seeds for Planting When saving pumpkin seeds, store them so they will be ready to plant for next year. Any seeds, pumpkin or otherwise, will store best if you keep them somewhere cold and dry. One of the best places to store pumpkin seed for planting next year is in your refrigerator. Put your pumpkin seed envelope in a plastic container. Place several holes in the lid of the container to ensure that condensation doesn’t build up on the inside....

What Makes Healthy Bog Gardens? The most defining characteristic of a bog is water. If you have a pond or a natural area that is consistently too wet to grow much, consider turning it into a bog garden. A bog is a particular type of wetland area that builds up dead plant material (mostly moss) and turns it into acidic peat. Once you have built a bog, it needs certain things to stay healthy....

How to Make an Herb Window Box Many culinary herbs do best in full sun and this can make light exposure one of the key requirements when growing herbs in window boxes. For the best results, choose windows which receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Many leaf-producing herbs can thrive in partial sunlight (4 to 6 hours per day), but growth is often slower. Regular pruning to maintain bushiness is recommended....

Dyeing with Woad The process of making natural dyes isn’t dead yet. Many self-taught enthusiasts have the formulas to create a rainbow of natural hues from plants. Woad is a biennial plant with long, rabbit ear leaves. These are the source of a wonderful dye when prepared with the proper steps. Learn how to make dye out of woad and create brilliant blue yarn and fabric. Deep blue colors once came from indigo and woad before chemical dyes were produced....

Orchid Plant Types The variety of orchid plant types is amazing. Some bloom for weeks at a time, while others keep their flowers an amazing four months or more. Always check the tag that comes with the plant to determine the optimum temperature for your orchid. Choose one that fits in with your normal indoor environment, rather than trying to change your environment to fit the orchid. Different Varieties of Orchid Flowers As there are numerous orchid varieties to choose from, it would be impossible to list them all here, but some of the more common orchid plant types include:...

Two Types of Savory The first thing to understand before you start planting savory in your garden is that there are two kinds of savory. There is winter savory (Satureja montana), which is a perennial and has a more intense flavor. Then there is summer savory (Satureja hortensis), which is an annual and has a more subtle flavor. Both winter savory and summer savory are tasty, but if you are new to cooking with savory, it is generally recommended that you start growing the summer savory first until you feel comfortable with your cooking savory....

Propagating Cacti and Succulents There are several ways to take cuttings off of succulent plants. Sometimes you’ll root the whole leaf. Sometimes you can cut a leaf into sections. Short stubs are taken from cacti. If you are detaching leaves, you have to be sure not to ruin the mother plant’s shape. If you take a few from the back of the plant, it’s probably not going to be a problem....

Recognizing Physiological Leaf Roll in Tomato Plants Curled tomato leaves can be caused by factors like disease, environmental changes, and even herbicide drift. In healthy plants, the causes of physiological leaf roll in tomato can be difficult to uncover. This is because the effect may be caused by one situation or the result of several, and nature has a place in the occurrence. This can make uncovering the reason a bit tricky....

About Itea Shrubs The Itea bush grows 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m.) in height, with a width of 4 to 6 feet (1-2 m.) when growing in the wild. Cultivated Itea sweetspire often does not reach this size. Cultivars such as the dwarf form ‘Shirley’s Compact’ reaches only 18 inches (46 cm.) and ‘Merlot’ tops out at just 3 1/2 feet (1 m.). Itea plants have medium green leaves up to 4 inches (10 cm....

Jacob’s Ladder Plant Info One of the best features of the Jacob’s ladder plant is its foliage. The plant forms a clump of densely packed leaf stems each bearing tiny leaflets, almost fern-like in appearance, that rise along the stem like the ladder of the Biblical dream of Jacob. This ladder formation is known as pinnate. Each plant grows from 1 to 3 feet (30 to 91 cm.) high with a spread of 1 1/2 to 2 feet (46 to 61 cm....

Growing a Japanese Kerria Kerria Japanese rose (Kerria japonica) is a versatile shrub with arching, greenish yellow stems and masses of golden-yellow, chrysanthemum-like flowers that put on a show in spring. The bright green leaves turn yellow in fall, and the stems provide color in the depths of winter, after the deciduous foliage is long gone. Japanese rose plants grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil, and don’t perform well in heavy clay....

How to Grow an Indoor Topiary If you want to try something new in your indoor gardening, a houseplant topiary is very well suited to growing indoors and makes a nice project. Indoor topiary care requires a slightly different approach, but they can add a beautiful touch to your home. There are three types of topiaries that you can grow indoors: Pruned Topiary Pruned topiary plants probably take the longest time to make and require the most maintenance....

What is an Herb Knot Garden? Picture an English country estate with fragrant herbs planted in symmetric rows and appealing geometric angles and ribbons. The scents, color, and textures are displayed at their best advantage to make a small kitchen knot garden both useful to the cook and a beautiful display. The first step in knot garden design is planning the planting area. It is helpful to use colored sand or even spray paint to line out the areas that will be planted....

What are Green Lacewings? Green lacewings are insect predators that measure ½ to ¾ of an inch (1-2 cm.) long and bear very distinctive, delicate-looking wings that give them their names. These green insects have long antennae and gold or copper eyes. Many different species of green lacewings exist, but they closely resemble one another. Their larvae are flattened, with an alligator-like appearance and reach up to ½ inch (1 cm....

Sooty Canker Tree Disease Identification Sooty canker is one of many tree diseases that affect bark, particularly on the branches of a tree, though it can affect the trunk of a tree as well. The symptoms of sooty canker are: Wilt of leaves, more dramatically during hot or windy weather Small leaves Brown leaves Early cankers will be continually moist, brown areas Bark cracks or falls away from the tree, which normally reveals the later black cankers Later cankers on the branches will look like soot or as if someone has set fire to small parts of the tree...