Seed Saving in the Garden In the past, it was a common practice among flower and vegetable gardeners to save seeds. From carrots, lettuce, radishes, and other fine seeded species to the larger seeds of beans, pumpkins, and tomatoes, every gardener kept a stash of their favorites to plant again or trade with friends. Modernization gave us hybridization — cross breeding. In spite of recent complaints, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing....

Apple Leaf Curling Midge Pests The apple leaf curling midge, also known as apple leaf gall and apple leaf midge, is an exotic pest from Europe. The adult is a small black-brown insect with clear wings. The females lay their eggs on the folds of apple leaves. These eggs hatch into little sticky, yellowish maggots. It’s at this larval/maggot phase that the apple leaf curling midge pests cause the most damage....

Eggshells in Compost A common question is can you put eggshells in compost heaps? The answer to this is yes, you can. Adding eggshells to compost will help add calcium to the make up of your final compost. This important nutrient helps plants build cell walls. Without it, plants cannot grow as fast, and, in the case of some vegetables like tomatoes and squash, fruit will develop blossom end rot because there is simply not enough building material (calcium) coming into the plant....

Many people refer to this strange plant as Indian pipe fungus, but it is not a fungus at all – it just looks like one. It is actually a flowering plant, and believe it or not, it is a member of the blueberry family. Keep reading for more Indian pipe info. Indian Pipe Information Each Indian pipe plant consists of one 3- to 9-inch (7.5 to 23 cm.) stem. Although you may notice small scales, no leaves are required because the plant does not photosynthesize....

Potted Bulb Gardens: Flower Bulbs You Can Grow Indoors Flower bulbs you can grow indoors, with a chilling period, include: CrocusDaffodilsHyacinthGrape HyacinthIrisTulipsSnowdrops Bulbs that grow without chilling are limited to paperwhites and amaryllis. Information about growing these flowering bulbs indoors is included below. When to Plant Potted Bulb Gardens Most bulbs bloom indoors in 12 to 16 weeks, so they are planted in fall or early winter, depending on when you want blooms....

In terms of lush, glossy green foliage, the options for indoor tropical houseplants are nearly limitless. However, many indoor gardeners may want to consider more colorful tropical plants. Specifically, those which will produce vibrant, show-stopping blooms. Learning more about the tropical flowering plants available at nurseries and garden centers is the first step in the creation of a truly memorable indoor floral display. Flowering Tropical Houseplants Aechmea – Most types of aechmea are epiphytes....

Information about Blackthorn Plants Blackthorns are small, deciduous trees also referred to as ‘sloe.’ They grow in scrubs, thickets, and woodlands in the wild. In the landscape, hedges are the most common use for growing blackthorn trees. A growing blackthorn tree is spiny and densely limbed. It has smooth, dark brown bark with straight side shoots that become thorned. The leaves are wrinkled, serrated ovals that are pointed at the tip and tapered at the base....

Planting St Augustine Grass St. Augustine grass lawn is grown in coastal areas due to its salt tolerance. Also known as carpetgrass, St. Augustine creates a smooth even turf which is tolerant to extremely high temperatures and low moisture. It retains its color longer than other warm season grasses when exposed to cool temperatures and requires infrequent mowing. The propagation of St. Augustine grass is usually vegetative through stolens, plugs, and sod....

How to Care for a China Doll Plant China doll plants need plenty of bright, but indirect, light. They need at least four to five hours of this kind of light a day. If the windows in your house are unable to provide suitable light, then you may want to use an artificial plant light to add additional light. They are also fussy about the temperature that they thrive in. These plants prefer to live in temperatures of 65-75 F....

Islamic Garden Design Desert conditions and sparse vegetation dominate much of the Middle East and western to south-eastern Asia. The lack of water and pressing sun, wind, and heat require surcease and shelter from the constant weather. Walled gardens filled with trees, water features, fruits, and flowers were the answer to this need and also glorified God by surrounding the faithful with His riches. In these serene gardens, Muslims could contemplate and meditate upon nature in peace and serenity....

What are Joe-Pye Weed Flowers? Joe-pye weed flowers were named after a New England man that used the plant medicinally for helping people with typhus fever. In addition to its medicinal properties, both the flowers and seeds have been used in producing pink or red dye for textiles. In their native environment, these plants can be found in thickets and woodlands throughout the eastern half of North America. The plants are hardy from USDA Zones 4 through 9....

Arbor Designs for Gardens Perhaps you wish to develop your outdoor living space as you beautify the garden landscape. Add a pergola, gazebo, arbor or a combination. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Adding complementary hardscape features will make yours a unique landscaping design experience. Arbors usually have walls and a roof that is open. The sides and top are sometimes attractively carved but leave room for a climbing plant to reach the top....

Leafhoppers range in size from 3 to 15 mm. Their wings are positioned like a roof over their backs and they have small spines on both hind legs. Although most leafhoppers are green, they can range in colors, especially the ones that live in the turf grass that can be more brownish in color. Nymphs are even smaller with small wing buds. Common host plants include maple, apple, cottonwood, dogwood, oak, poplar, willow, and ornamental plants....

What is a Hybrid Tea Rose? The hybrid tea rose’s blooms are usually what come to mind when most anyone thinks of roses. These beautiful high centered classic beautiful blooms are what many give or receive from friends or loved ones. These beautiful blooms can help express Love, Joy, Peace, and Sympathy better than most words could possibly say. The hybrid tea rose bush produces blooms that are typically one to a stem atop tall canes with long stems perfect for cutting....

What is a Shrub Rose? Shrub rose bushes are defined by the American Rose Society (ARS) as “a class of hardy, easy-care plants that encompass bushy roses that do not fit in any other category of rose bush.” Some shrub roses make good groundcovers while others work well to form hedges or screening in the landscape. Shrub rose bushes can have single or double blooms in many different colors. Some of the shrub rose bushes will bloom repeatedly and bloom very well while some others bloom only once a year....

How to Avoid Pests and Diseases Of Houseplants Buy only clean and healthy plants. This reduces the risk of pests and diseases infecting not only your new plants but your existing ones. If you’re not sure a particular plant is healthy, isolate it for a few weeks, taking care of it and waiting to see if its health seems to improve. This is better than introducing it to a room where there are other plants and chancing that they all become infected....

Leptinella Information The brass buttons plant gets its name from the small yellow to green flowers it produces in the spring. The plant is in the daisy family, and its flowers look very much like the centers of daisy flowers, minus the long white petals. These small, hard-looking flowers are said to resemble buttons. Leptinella brass button plants are native to New Zealand but are widespread now. They are hardy from USDA zones 4 through 9, though just what that means depends on the zone....

Growing Lily of the Valley Lily of the valley generally does not require much care. As a perennial, you can typically put it in the ground and let it spread to fill out a bed or shady space, watching it come back denser year after year. The conditions that this flower likes include partial shade and moist, loose soil. If it gets too dry, especially, the plant will not flourish. Like other perennial bloomers, lily of the valley flowers in spring and summer and goes dormant with no blooms in fall and winter....

Composting Bat Manure for Tea Using bat manure for compost tea is one of the most nutrient and microorganism rich options. Bat dung is harvested dry after it has been composted by guano beetles and microbes and is obtained from only the insect and fruit feeding species. It can be worked directly into the soil as an incredible rich, non-malodorous fertilizer or converted into an extremely beneficial bat manure compost tea....