Vegetable Plants for Nigerian Gardens Located on the West coast of Africa, Nigeria is home to a variety of native vegetables and fruits. These plants, as well as non-native species, have inspired traditional Nigerian dishes and distinctively regional recipes. Classic entrees such as pounded yams, pepper soup, and jollof rice arose from the gardens in Nigeria to bring a bold, spicy flavor and distinctive taste to the palates of local ethnic groups as well as world travelers....

Conditions for West-North-Central Shrubs States in the northern plains and central west region of the U.S. have unique weather and climate conditions. Summers can be hot with long, very cold winters and the potential for plenty of wind and harsh storms. USDA zones range from 2 to 5 in this region. Not just any deciduous shrubs will survive the climate and conditions of foothills and Rockies of Wyoming and Montana, or the plains of North and South Dakota....

Choosing Evergreen Shrubs for the Northwest Gardeners have a diverse selection when it comes to growing evergreen bushes in the Northwest, but it’s important to consider growing zones, as well as requirements for sun and soil conditions in your particular garden. Local nurseries and greenhouses usually offer the best choice of northwestern evergreen shrubs. Evergreen Shrubs for Northwest Gardens To ease the overwhelming choices of Pacific Northwest evergreens, here are a few ideas to pique your interest....

October in the Northern Rockies Continue to water evergreen trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. Damp soil retains heat and protects roots better than dry soil. Continue to hoe, pull, or mow weeds and don’t allow them to go to seed. Rake up weeds and remove dead or diseased plants, as pests and disease can overwinter in garden debris. Harvest squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and any other frost sensitive veggies remaining in your garden....

Onion Diseases and Their Control It’s difficult to tell the difference between the many diseases affecting onion plants. Even the experts often have to rely on laboratory tests for a definitive diagnosis. Fortunately, you don’t have to know exactly which disease has infected your plants to take action. Onion plant diseases arise during warm, moist weather and most have similar symptoms, which include spots and lesions on leaves and bulbs, areas that look as though they are water-soaked, browning foliage, and toppling....

Wintering Over Begonias in Cold Climates In order to keep and enjoy begonias in the garden each year, begin by wintering begonias indoors. Overwintering Tuberous Begonias Tuberous begonias should be dug up and stored indoors during winter until the return of warmer weather in spring. Begonias can be dug up in fall once foliage has faded or just after the first light frost. Spread begonia clumps on newspaper and leave them in a sunny area until thoroughly dry — about a week....

Growing Vines in the Northwestern U.S. Native Pacific Northwest flowering vines are an excellent choice for the landscape. They add vertical dimension to the garden, attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and because most vines grow rapidly, make wonderful privacy screens. Pacific Northwest native vines have already acclimated to local conditions such as weather, soil, and rainfall. This means they are more likely to thrive versus nonnative, subtropical vines, which may do well through the growing season only to die during the winter....

What Causes Spots on Parsnips? Leaf spot on parsnips is usually caused by the fungi Alternaria or Cercospora. The disease is favored by warm, wet weather where leaves are moist for lengthy periods of time. Parsnips with spots on their leaves may also be infected with another fungus, Phloeospora herclei, which is primarily observed in late summer or early autumn crops in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Symptoms of Parsnip Leaf Spot In the case of leaf spot due to Alternaria or Cercospora, the disease shows as small to medium spots on the leaves of the parsnip plant....

What are Little Marvel Peas? Small space gardeners rejoice. There is a semi-dwarf pea plant that produces copious peas on diminutive plants. If you thought there was no way you could grow your own shelling peas, Little Marvel pea plants will prove you wrong. Best of all, the peas stay sweet and tender even when fully ripe. The variety of pea ‘Little Marvel’ is a compact plant that will produce a lot of tasty peas....

How to Grow a Peacock Plant High humidity at a level of 60 percent or more is needed for the best performance of the Calathea peacock plant. Many varieties of peacock houseplants offer a range of attractive foliage. No matter the cultivar of peacock houseplants you’re growing, providing humidity is the key to optimum performance. Providing humidity for peacock plant care Providing humidity for the Calathea peacock plant is as simple as placing bowls of water around the plant....

Why Thinning Pears May Be Required The question of when to thin pears is an important one to answer for optimum fruit production. Not all fruits need to be thinned and in fact, some will naturally thin themselves. The stone fruits, with the exception of many cherries, will develop better if some form of culling is applied. This is especially true if proper pruning wasn’t done the season prior. Reducing the fruit load on the terminal branches helps prevent overloading and damage to the limbs....

Pie Cherries vs. Regular Cherries The main difference when it comes to pie cherries vs. regular cherries is the amount of sugar you’ll have to use. Pie cherries, or sour cherries, are not nearly as sweet as the cherries you buy to eat, and have to be sweetened with a lot of extra sugar. If you’re following a recipe, see if it specifies whether you need sweet or sour cherries. Often your recipe will have sour cherries in mind....

Piperia Plant Info Piperia rein orchids produce fragrant flower spikes of white to greenish white, or sometimes white with green stripes. This elegant wildflower blooms in early and mid-summer. Rein orchid plants are best enjoyed in their natural environment and they’re almost certain to die if you attempt to transplant wild plants into your garden. Like many terrestrial orchids, rein orchids have a symbiotic relationship with tree roots, fungus, and decaying plant debris in the soil and they won’t grow in a habitat that isn’t just right....

How Pistachios Grow The pistachios we purchase in grocery stores have a hard shell, but we never see the outer hull, which is known as the epicarp. The epicarp adheres to the inner shell until the pistachio ripens, then it is removed. When to Harvest Pistachios Pistachios develop in early summer and ripen in late August or September nearly everywhere in the world, with the exception of Australia. In that case, pistachio harvesting generally takes place in February....

Enjoying a Vacation in Your Backyard When uncertainty makes travel difficult and frightening, you can always take a vacation in your backyard. With a little thought and advance planning, your backyard staycation during this time of quarantine will be something you’ll always remember. Think about how you want to spend your precious vacation time. You don’t need a rigid schedule, but just general ideas for days ahead. Croquet or lawn darts?...

In order to make this easier, we have put together this handy plant spacing chart to help you. Use this vegetable plant spacing guide to help you plan how best to place vegetables in your garden. To use this chart, simply find the vegetable you plan on putting into your garden and follow the suggested spacing for between the plants and between the rows. If you plan on using a rectangular bed layout rather than a traditional row layout, use the upper end of each between the plant spacing for your chosen vegetable....

These pre-formed hedge plants come already trimmed and ready to install. What is a Pre-formed Hedge? If you are the type of person that wants what they want right now, planting an instant hedge would be right up your alley. What is a pre-formed hedge? These come from companies that grow the plants to maturity and prune them so they fit closely together. Once installation is complete, your privacy is immediate and low maintenance....

Before Planting Cherry Tomatoes It’s a good idea to know the basics of how to grow cherry tomatoes before you get started. In early spring, whether you’ve started your seeds indoors or purchased seedlings, be sure there’s no more chance of frost by planting day. Tender seedlings will die if they get too cold. Wait until your little plants are 6 to 10 inches tall (15-25 cm.), and be sure you leave at least a couple feet between planting holes....

If you are thinking about dipping your toes in the water, you’ll want to select topiary varieties that are easy to shape. Read on to learn about the best topiary shrubs. Shrubs for Topiaries In theory, any bushes can be used as shrubs for topiaries since they can all be shaped to one degree or other. But given that the intention of topiary is to create a recognizable, three-dimensional form, you’ll want to pick topiary plants that have a dense branching pattern and small leaves....

About Sun Devil Lettuce Plants Sun Devil is a type of iceberg lettuce. Also known as crisphead varieties, iceberg lettuces form tight heads of leaves that have high water content and are crispy with a mild flavor. Iceberg lettuces are also desirable because you can pick the whole head, and it will last unwashed in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. You can remove leaves to wash and use as needed....