How to Grow Canterbury Bells The Canterbury bells plant is hardy throughout USDA plant hardiness zones 4-10. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and appreciates moist, well-draining soil and reasonably cool temperatures. Therefore, if you live in a relatively hot climate, provide plenty of afternoon shade. Like most bellflower plants, Canterbury bells are easily propagated by seeds. These should be started in late spring or early summer, thinning as needed once seedlings become large enough....

How to Keep a Christmas Tree Alive Keeping a Christmas tree alive and healthy throughout the holiday season is easier than one might think. It takes no more effort in caring for a live Christmas tree than it does a vase of cut flowers. The most important aspect of live Christmas tree care is water. This is true for both cut trees and living (root ball intact) Christmas trees. Water will not only keep the tree alive but will also prevent safety issues associated with drying out....

Camphor Tree Information Camphor trees in the landscape cannot be ignored. Each tree can grow to 150 feet (45.5 m.) tall and spread twice as wide. Camphor tree information also notes that the trunks get to 15 feet (4.5 m.) in diameter in some locations, although in the United States, the maximum trunk diameter is much smaller. Camphor trees have glossy oval leaves that dangle from long petioles. Leaves start out a rusty red but soon turn dark green with three yellow veins....

Mandevilla Ground Cover Info The same qualities that make mandevilla an excellent climbing vine also make it great ground cover. Using mandevilla as a ground cover works well since the foliage is dense and the flowers attractive. The leathery vine leaves – up to 8 inches (20.3 cm.) long – are dark forest green, and they contrast beautifully with the bright pink flowers. The blossoms appear in early spring, and the mandevilla vine continues flowering prolifically through fall....

Spider Plant Groundcover Spider plants, with their long, slender, trailing leaves, look a bit like green spiders. These are great plants for beginning gardeners since they are surprisingly easy going and very tolerant of less-than-perfect cultural care. Many people have a few spider plants indoors as potted or hanging-basket plants. Those who live in warmer climates though, like USDA plant hardiness zones 9b to 11, can grow these lush beauties in outdoor garden beds or as spider plant groundcover....

How to Grow Strawberries in High Heat The trick to growing strawberries in hot climates is to have the berries ready for picking in mid-winter, not late spring or early summer as is common in temperate zones. Keep in mind that strawberries take four to five months of growth before they are ripe for harvest and well-established plants are the most prolific producers. So, the question stands, “How to grow strawberries in high heat?...

True Cinnamon Tree So, I keep mentioning “true” cinnamon trees. What does that mean? The kind of cinnamon usually bought and used in the United States comes from C. cassia trees. True cinnamon comes from Ceylon cinnamon. The botanical name C. zeylanicum is Latin for Ceylon. Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations between 1948 and 1972. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth and changed its name to Sri Lanka....

Methods of Measuring Soil Moisture Content How wet is my garden soil? How can I tell? Is it as simple as sticking your finger in the dirt? If you’re looking for an imprecise measurement then yes, it is. However, if you want a more scientific reading, then you’ll want to take some of these measurements: Soil water content – Quite simply, this is the amount of water present in a given quantity of soil....

Plant Crafts for Kids: Coloring Flowers with Food Dye This is a fun experiment for older kids, but younger kids will need a little help. All you need are glass jars, food coloring, and a few white flowers such as gerbera daisies, carnations, or mums. Fill several jars with water and two or three drops of food coloring, and then put one or two flowers in each jar. Encourage your kids to watch as the color moves up the stem and tints the petals....

Chinese Garden Design Three major elements of a Chinese garden traditionally include: Water – representing living, constantly changing nature Stones – indicating stability and strength Plants – which provide beauty, texture, and meaning Architecture such as pavilions and teahouses provide a place for reflection, conversation, and refreshments. Chinese Garden Plants Chinese gardens contain a variety of plants chosen to provide beauty for each season. Chinese garden plants may include trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and aquatic plants....

Care for Staghorn Ferns Before mounting staghorn ferns in your home or yard, make sure you understand the needs of this unique air plant. These are tropical plants, so if grown outdoors, you need to be in a warm, subtropical to tropical climate. They grow large, so only mount in an area that has at least 3 feet (1 m.) for your fern to expand. Your fern will need to be watered regularly but should not be allowed to get soggy where it is mounted to a surface....

When to Repot Christmas Cactus Most plants are best repotted when they display new growth in spring, but Christmas cactus repotting should be done after blooming ends and the flowers have wilted in late winter or early spring. Never attempt to repot the plant while it is actively blooming. Don’t rush to repot Christmas cactus because this hardy succulent is happiest when its roots are slightly crowded. Frequent repotting can damage the plant....

What are Cicada Killer Wasps? Cicada killer wasps are a group of solitary wasps that feed on flower nectar while paralyzing live cicadas for their offspring. In a garden plagued by cicadas, these large wasps are both a blessing and a curse. This yellow banded wasp rarely bothers gardeners, but they can cause considerable damage to lawns and gardens while excavating the dens where they will lay their eggs. Females do the digging, preferring sandy or loose soils for her ½ inch (1 cm....

Getting Climbing Hydrangea to Climb Climbing hydrangeas climb by aerial roots that stick to surfaces. Climbing hydrangea attach best to rough textured surfaces like bricks, masonry, and tree bark rather than climbing along trellises. However, they do not cause any damage to buildings or trees they climb, other than leaving behind a sticky residue. Since they like part shade and specifically afternoon shade, they will grow best on a north or east facing wall, or up large shade trees....

Coir Discs for Seed Planting If you enjoy raising your plants from seed but hate the hassle, you might want to try coir pellets. For germination of seeds, pellets are an easy, fast, and clean method. When compared to peat pellets, coir discs for seed planting are an eco-friendly option. Although peat is a natural material, it’s not considered a sustainable product. Peat is the decaying remnants of sphagnum moss. It takes hundreds of years to form peat bogs and considerably less time to deplete them....

About Growing Citrus Trees in Zone 7 Temperatures in USDA zone 7 may dip down as low as 10 to 0 degrees F. (-12 to -18 C.). Citrus doesn’t tolerate such temperatures, even the hardiest citrus tree varieties. That said, there are a number of things you can do to protect citrus trees grown in zone 7. First off, never plant citrus in an area where it will be assaulted by cold northern winds....

Growing Grapes in Zone 5 In cooler regions, choosing the correct varietal is crucial. They need to be able to mature before the first frost hits. Even with cold hardy grape varieties, the northern gardener will probably be leaving the grapes on the vine well into early fall, sometimes up to the first killing frost of the season. This puts the grower into a perilous area. The grapes won’t ripen off the vine, but a hard freeze will ruin them....

What Do I Plant in a Fall Garden? There are a number of plants and flowers for fall gardening. Most autumn gardens are planted from September through October. However, you should always check your growing zone in order to choose the best plants for a fall garden in your area before planting anything. Many cool-season annuals work well in autumn gardens. In addition, various bulbs make ideal cold temperature plants. Many fall-blooming perennials can also provide interest throughout winter....

Sugarcane Insect Control How to deal with sugarcane plant pests depends largely on which one is affecting your crop. Below are some of the more common culprits you’ll come across when cultivating sugarcane. Sugarcane grubs Saccharum spp., commonly known as sugarcane, is a tropical, perennial grass that quickly self-propagates by underground stems. These underground stems, in particular, can fall victim to white grubs, also known as sugarcane grubs. These pests of sugarcane feed on the plant’s roots and underground stems....

Bacteria are able to survive extreme conditions where other life forms crumble. In nature, compost exists in areas such as the forest, where compost-enhancing bacteria decompose organic matter like tree and animal droppings. Putting beneficial bacteria to work in the home garden is an environmentally friendly practice that is well worth the effort. The Job of Compost Bacteria Beneficial bacteria found in garden compost are busy breaking down matter and creating carbon dioxide and heat....