How to Protect Broccoli Plants from Cold Broccoli does best in cool conditions with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F. (16-21 C.). It can be damaged by a sudden heat wave or a sudden freeze. To keep the plants from being damaged by a late or early frost, allow the transplants to acclimate (harden) gradually to the outdoor temperatures. Transplants that have been hardened off will not be seriously damaged if the temperature drops down to 28 degrees F....

Ideas for Broken Pot Planters The key to making cracked pot gardens is realizing that not all plants need a lot of soil or water to survive. In fact, some thrive with very little. Succulents, in particular, work very well in those weird, hard-to-fill places that don’t hold soil very well. If one of your pots is missing a big chunk, consider filling it in with soil as best as you can and packing that soil with small succulents – they’ll probably take off....

Brussels Sprout Plant Companions The nature of companion planting is situating one or more species of plants in close proximity to another for one or both to benefit. While the Cruciferae gang may like to hang together in the garden, the fact that they share pests and disease problems makes them less than ideal companions for Brussels sprouts. In other words, if a disease tends to infect broccoli, it’s a good probability that it will take a liking to one or several of the other cole crops....

Tools for Bulb Planting Several garden chores can be extremely strenuous, and planting flowering bulbs is no exception. Digging, along with frequent bending and stooping, can leave even the healthiest of us feeling tired and sore. Fortunately, there are several planting tools specifically designed to reduce the time spent putting flowering bulbs into the ground. Most bulb-planting tools fall into one of two categories: handheld or standing. While tools for planting bulbs should feature a strong, sturdy design, understanding the soil conditions within your own garden will be essential to the selection of the right type....

Butterfly Sage Info Butterfly sage (Cordia globosa) gets its name because it is so attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. It produces clusters of tiny, white, star-shaped flowers that aren’t especially showy but are very popular among smaller butterflies who have a hard time feeding on bigger flowers. The plant’s other common name, bloodberry, comes from the abundant clusters of deep red berries it produces when the flowers fade. These berries are excellent for attracting birds....

Basket Plant Information Hardy in zone 10 and higher, basket plants (Callisia fragrans) can be found growing as a shady ground cover in tropical locations. There they are commonly called “inch plants” because of how they inch along the ground, rooting wherever their plantlets come into contact with soil. This Callisia plant is native to Mexico and South America. In cooler climates, Callisia basket plant is more commonly grown as a houseplant in hanging baskets....

How to Grow Cabbage from Kitchen Scraps I do all the grocery shopping for my family and over the course of the last year have steadily watched the receipt stay the same size while the total grows. It’s no secret that food is expensive and getting more so. We already have a garden, so that cuts the cost of produce at least, but what else can a self-professed budget queen do to slash the grocery bill?...

Can You Grow Sunflowers in Containers? As mentioned, dwarf varieties, those under 4 feet (1 m.) in height, lend themselves very well as container grown sunflowers. If you want to grow the really impressive 10 footers (3 m.), which is still doable, a larger container will be required. About Potted Sunflowers The size of the sunflower will dictate the size of the pot. Smaller varieties will do well grown as sunflowers in planters....

What are Currants? Currants are small berries that pack a lot of nutrition. According to the USDA Nutrition Handbook, they have more vitamin C, phosphorous, and potassium than any other fruit. In addition, they are second only to elderberries in iron and protein content, and they are lower in fat than any fruit except nectarines. Currants come in red, pink, white, and black. Reds and pinks are used primarily in jams and jellies because they are quite tart....

Rock Garden Bed Design A well-planned rock garden is not only pleasing to the eyes but relatively carefree. And there are a number of rock-garden designs to choose from – they can be sprawling, naturalistic creations or rustic mounds of growing rocks. The overall design is limited only by your personal taste and growing space. Likewise, the rocks you choose to grow a rock garden bed are up to you. While many people prefer sticking to one type of stone throughout the garden, using a variety of rocks in various shapes, sizes and earth-tone colors can create added interest....

About Jack-in-the-Pulpits Jack-in-the-pulpit wildflower is native to the lower 48 states and parts of Canada. Native Americans harvested the roots for food, but they contain calcium oxalate crystals that cause blisters and painful irritations when eaten raw. To safely prepare the roots, first peel them and cut them into small pieces, then roast them at a low temperature for at least an hour. Growing jack-in-the-pulpit is easy in the right location....

There are six types of corn: dent, flint, flour, pop, sweet and waxy. The color of the ear has nothing to do with its classification; instead, corn is grouped by kernel type (endosperm). Most ornamental corn varieties are derived from pop type corn as a result of its smaller ears more suitable for indoor decorative purposes. Also called ornamental Indian corn, there are a multitude of ornamental corn plants valued for ear size; plant height; or color of kernel, husk or stalk....

What is Turquoise Tails Sedum? Succulents are noted for their adaptability, ease of care, and wondrous forms and tones. Turquoise tails blue sedum is a cultivar that provides all these traits with deer and rabbit resistance and drought tolerance. What is turquoise tails sedum (Sedum sediforme)? It is a past Plant Select Waterwise winner with years of landscaping excellence ahead of the sedum. As a Mediterranean plant, it is suitable for climates with hot, sunny summers and cool winters....

What is Cassabanana? The cassabanana (Sicana odorifera) is not, as the name suggests, a banana. It’s actually a type of gourd. The fruit, however, is very similar to a melon. Cassabanana fruits grow to about 2 feet (61 cm.) long and 5 inches (13 cm.) thick and are nearly perfect, sometimes curved, cylinders. The skin can be red, maroon, purple, or even black, and is thick enough that it has to be hacked open with a machete....

About Catmint Companion Plants Catmint (Nepeta) is an herbaceous perennial from the mint family and, like other members of this family, has aromatic leaves. It is often confused with catnip and is, indeed, closely related, but where catnip is grown for its highly aromatic herbal properties, catmint is prized for its ornamental qualities. While there are a number of excellent catmint companion plants, the combination of roses and catmint stands out....

China Aster Flowers China aster flowers come in reds, pinks, purples, blues, and whites, with big, puffy blossoms measuring 3-5 inches across. The heavily-clustered petals are thin and pointed, which often gets the flowers confused with mums or regular asters. China aster flowers are especially popular in India because of their bright colors, and are often used in bouquets and flower arrangements. What Are Growing Conditions For China Aster Plants? Growing conditions for China aster are easy and very forgiving....

Popular Climbing Roses for Zone 9 Gardens It might be easier to ask what climbing roses don’t grow in zone 9. While some top out at zone 9, other climbing rose varieties for zone 9 can stand heat up to zone 10 or 11. As a rule, though, most climbing roses do very well in zone 9. Here are a few favorites to try: Golden Showers – A mostly thornless plant that produces lots of very fragrant yellow blossoms....

Selecting Perennials for Zone 9 Since perennial plants for zone 9 are so abundant, choosing the right ones means narrowing the list to those that pique your interest the most, provided they are suitable candidates for your particular gardening site. Below are merely a handful of perennials in zone 9 gardens that stand out amongst most others. Buddleia (Buddleia spp.), also known as butterfly bush for very good reason, is a sun-loving, flowering shrub that reaches heights of 3 to 5 feet (1-1....

Choosing Ornamental Trees for Cold Climates Don’t let the thought of living in a cold region put you off from enjoying the beauty of an ornamental tree in your landscape. Here are some dwarf trees for zone 3 that should work just fine: Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is hardy to -30 F. (-34 C.). It tops out between 20 and 30 feet (6 to 9 m.) tall and produces fragrant white blossoms in August....

Treating Sick Pindo Palm Trees Most often, pindos that appear sick are actually suffering from nutritional deficiencies of some sort. Should this not be the case, your next culprit is fungus. Additional disease issues may come from bacterial infections. Nutrient Deficiency A pindo palm that exhibits extensive leaf drop may be deficient in potassium. This shows up as gray, necrotic tips on leaflets and progresses to orange-yellow speckling. Primarily, the newest leaflets are affected....