Winter greenhouse gardening is similar to summer gardening when the right plants are chosen. Read on to find out what to grow in a winter greenhouse. Winter in a Greenhouse You can grow many winter greenhouse plants by simply utilizing the natural sunlight or by broadening your repertoire with a heated greenhouse. Either way, how do you choose plants for a winter greenhouse? Winter greenhouse gardening can provide you with most of the produce you need throughout winter months....

Yellow plants as a single color scheme greatly enliven the garden, especially when the area is small or shaded, brightening and enlarging the garden space. Yellow gardens also bring warmth to the landscape at those times of the year when the sun’s rays are not at their peaks, such as spring and autumn. How to Create a Yellow Garden When designing garden schemes with yellow plants, beware that a monochromatic planting can look unpleasant....

Yellow watermelons can be used with or as a substitute for pink and red watermelons, for fun summer treats, or cocktails. This summer, if you feel like getting adventurous in the garden and kitchen, you may enjoy growing a Yellow Crimson watermelon plant, or even two. Yellow Crimson Watermelon Info Yellow watermelons are not a new hybrid fad by any means. In fact, watermelon varieties with white or yellow flesh have been around longer than pink or red-fleshed watermelons....

Growing Azaleas in Cold Climates Azaleas are beloved by gardeners for their showy, colorful flowers. They belong to the genus Rhododendron, one of the largest genera of woody plants. Although azaleas are most often associated with mild climates, you can start growing azaleas in cold climates if you select cold hardy azaleas. Many azaleas for zone 4 belong to the sub-genus Pentanthera. One of the most important series of hybrid azaleas available in commerce is the Northern Lights Series....

A shiny gold bottle with the image of a large, bright red hibiscus flower on it makes the consumer think of the shining sun and a tropical paradise. Hibiscus flowers are often used as a symbol of an exotic, tropical place even though plenty of hibiscus varieties are hardy in northern climates. No one ever looks at a suntan bottle with a large image of a hibiscus flower and thinks of Iowa, Illinois, or the like....

Plants with Star-Shaped Flowers Plants with star-shaped flowers aren’t a rarity. The simple arrangement of five petals can be found in the common bellflower. Of particular note in the Campanulaceae family, however, is Isotoma axillaris, common name laurentia. Native to Australia, laurentia is hardy in zones 7-10 and is also known as blue star plant or star flower. It produces fragrant star-shaped blooms of blue, pink or white throughout the growing season up until the first frost....

Types of White Iris 

Details about Bowiea Sea Onion Bowiea is the genus for the climbing onion plant. These plants are native to Africa and indigenous where soil is poor, moisture is minimal and heat is severe. They grow well in most home interiors provided there is not excessive humidity. The plant itself is a curiosity, with its surface growing bulb and green starry flowers. Climbing sea onions (Bowiea volubilis) grow out of a bulb....

Tomato Mulch Options Mulching helps retain soil moisture, protect the plant, and keep weeds at bay. There are several options when it comes to tomato mulch, many of which are free or very low cost, but effective. The best mulch for tomatoes depends on many things including your budget and personal preferences. Shredded Leaves: Don’t bag up those fall leaves; compost them instead. Composted leaves provide valuable mulch for your entire vegetable garden, including your tomatoes....

Arorus Sweet Flag Info Japanese sweet flag, also known as Calamus, is native to Japan and China. It is a cooperative, slow-spreading plant that attains a width of 2 feet (61 cm.) in about five years. Miniature greenish yellow blooms appear on spikes in spring and early summer, followed by tiny red berries. The grassy leaves emit a sweet, rather spicy aroma when crushed or stepped on. Sweet flag is hardy to USDA plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, although some Acorus sweet flag info indicates the plant is tough enough for zones 5 through 11....

How to Grow Healthy Ageratums Ageratum problems can be largely prevented if you grow these plants under the right conditions. They need full sun and will tolerate only very light shade. The soil should drain very well but remain moist most of the time. The soil should also be fertile and amended with compost, if necessary. Deadhead spent flowers for more blooms and to reduce disease risk. Troubleshooting Problems with Ageratum With the right conditions, this plant is relatively trouble free, but there are some ageratum plant issues that may plague your beds and borders....

What is an Algerian Iris? An Algerian iris is unlike any other iris plant in your garden in that it is winter blooming. The Algerian iris plant starts out slowly as it produces an evergreen mound of narrow, arching, grass-like foliage. Then, starting in late fall, you will delight in its lovely flowers. Algerian iris bulbs produce small, lovely lilac blue flowers with a yellow throat. The flower stalks are not tall....

Signs of Excessive or Inadequate Aloe Watering Excessive aloe plant watering can cause it to rot, often killing these beautiful and useful succulents. Watering an aloe can be tricky because they will suffer with too much water but can shrivel and die with too little. In the absence of a moisture meter, doling out the proper amount can be difficult. In order to keep those glorious sword-like leaves thick and healthy while preventing root damage, a hands-on approach is warranted....

Chicory Lifespan Info Plant lifespan is often a subject of debate. This is because not only do natural and man-made conditions affect the plant’s duration of life, but also its usefulness. For instance, many annuals in the north are actually perennials or biennials in the south. So, is chicory an annual or perennial? Continue reading to see which… or if there is a third, unexpected choice. Chicory is native to Europe and likely brought to North America by settlers....

Annual and Perennial Sunflowers Sunflowers are either an annual (where they need to be replanted every year) or a perennial (where they will come back every year from the same plant) and telling the difference is not that hard if you know how. Some differences between annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and perennial sunflowers (Helianthus multiflorus) include: Seed heads – Annual sunflowers can have either large or small seed heads, but perennial sunflowers have only small seed heads....

Let’s take a look at the benefits of growing a southern annual flower garden: Sprout easily from seed Flowers develop the first season Add color while waiting for perennials to bloom Grow edible flowers Planting Southeastern Annual Flowers Annual flowers can be planted from seed for a less expensive way to fill your flowerbeds with beauty. Planting seeds allows you to know exactly what’s been used to feed the plants, important info if you’re growing edible flowers or planting an organic bed....

What is Apple Cork Spot? Apple cork spot disease affects an apple’s quality and visual appeal. It is a physiological disorder like that of other apple fruit disorders, such as bitter pit and Jonathan spot. While it renders the look of the fruit less than appealing, cork spot in apples does not affect their flavor. Cork spot in apples afflicts York Imperial and less often Delicious and Golden Delicious cultivars. It is often mistaken for damage from insects, fungal disease, or hail injury....

Reasons to Thin Apple Trees Apple crops vary from year to year. In years of plenty, thinning out apples allows the remaining apples to grow larger and healthier. Apple tree thinning removes some of the small apples from the cluster, enabling the tree to expend its energy on the fewer remaining apples. Thinning also gives you an opportunity to inspect the tree to see if there are any diseased or broken limbs or any early signs of insect infestation that can then be effectively treated....

Either way, taking care of April gardening tasks will make your life easier as summer progresses and temperatures rise. Take a look at our Southwest garden guide for April, then check tasks off your gardening to-do list. April Gardening Tasks in The Southwest Prune trees and shrubs to remove broken or damaged limbs. Also, remove limbs crossing or rubbing other limbs. At low elevations it’s safe to plant tender annuals....

Boston Fern Root Nodules Highly valued as an indoor plant, Boston fern thrives in pots or hanging baskets. In warm climates where temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees F. (10 C.), the fern is easily grown outdoors. If you ever repot or transplant a mature Boston fern, you may notice balls on roots of ferns. These balls, which develop where the fronds meet the underground rhizomes, are small, round growth nodules about the size of a grape....