Light pruning, low food and moisture needs, and minimal pest and disease issues are hallmarks of Chamelaucium waxflower care, creating a vital, low maintenance shrub for those of us “lazy gardeners.” Read on for Chamelaucium waxflower info and see if this plant is right for your garden. Chamelaucium Waxflower Info Waxflower plants are native to Australia and make excellent border plants in the hot, dry regions of North America. As part of the xeriscape or drought tolerant garden, this perennial can’t be beat for consistent bloom, ease of care and tolerant nature....

What is Cheesecloth? This multi-purpose fabric is a type of lightweight cotton traditionally used by cheesemakers to protect cheese during the aging process, hence its name. Cheesecloth is handy in the kitchen because it allows air to circulate but doesn’t change the flavor of food. However, if cooking isn’t your thing and you’d rather be outdoors, there are a variety of uses for cheesecloth in the garden too. Read on to learn about a few of the many uses for cheesecloth fabric, cheesecloth garden uses in particular....

Tips for Growing Chinese Evergreens Indoors Growing Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) is easy. This gem of a plant is one of the most popular houseplants grown in the home due to its ease of care. You can find Chinese evergreen plants in many varieties, including variegated forms. Although they are tolerant of many growing conditions, following certain recommendations will yield greater results. This includes placing them in well-draining soil, preferably an equal mix of potting soil, perlite, and sand....

How to Plant Chives from Divisions Divisions are the most common way to plant chives. Find an established clump of chives in early spring or mid fall. Gently dig the clump and pull away a smaller clump from the main clump. The smaller clump should have at least five to ten bulbs. Transplant this small clump to the desired location in your garden where you will be growing chives. How to Plant Chives from Seeds While chives are frequently grown from divisions, they are just as easy to start from seeds....

Got an endless supply of pots? Here’s a thought to consider. Why not make a Christmas tree from flowerpots? Most of us gardeners have more than a few terra cotta pots sitting around empty, especially in winter. Read on for tips on how to make a clay pot Christmas tree. Terra Cotta Christmas Tree Clay flowerpots come in lots of sizes starting from tiny and ranging through enormous. If you have a stack outside the back door or on the patio, you aren’t the only one....

Improving Clay Soil Beforehand Amend clay soil with coarse builder’s sand while working in large amounts of well-finished compost. You can also amend clay soil with other finished-off materials such as rotted manure, but sand and compost are most effective. These improve its texture and its tilth, allowing for better drainage. Clay soil remains wet after rain with puddling and poor drainage, causing rot on plant roots. When it dries out, it often becomes so hard that roots cannot penetrate it....

If you have one of these fruit trees in your home orchard, you’ll definitely want to understand the clementine growing season and when and how to harvest these sweet citrus fruit. Mandarins, Clementines, and Tangerines Let’s start out with the botany: what Americans call tangerines are actually mandarins — they are called mandarins everywhere else around the globe. The term “tangerine” appears to have been a marketing ploy for reddish-orange varieties of mandarins....

Seaside Garden Basics Begin planning ocean gardens with a tight hedge of tough shrubs that can take the worst of the ocean front conditions while protecting the rest of the garden. These shrubs need to withstand strong wind and salt spray. Consider using firethorn, which can create a secure, evergreen boundary around your seaside garden. Beach plum and bayberry are also good choices. All of these shrubs can take salt spray without shriveling or discoloring....

Growing Coleus Plants Coleus is probably one of the easiest plants to grow and propagate. In fact, the plants root so easily that you can even start cuttings in a glass of water. They can also be propagated by seed indoors about eight to ten weeks prior to your last expected spring frost. Coleus can be added to beds and borders for interest or grown in containers. They need fertile, well-draining soil and usually perform best in areas with partial shade, though many varieties can also tolerate sun....

Columbines (Aquilegia) are beautiful, flowering perennial plants for any garden or landscape. My home state of Colorado is also known as the Columbine State, as many columbine varieties grow well here. The traditional columbines that can be seen in the mountains here, as well as in several home gardens or landscaped settings, are typically pretty, white-centered blooms with purple or blue-black petals or bonnets. There are many varieties available these days though....

So how do socially distant community gardens look today and what are the Covid community garden guidelines? Community Gardening During Covid A community garden has many benefits, not the least of which is providing food, but it also gets us outside in fresh air while getting light exercise and social interaction. Unfortunately, during this pandemic, it is recommended that we practice social distancing, including in a community garden. While Covid community garden guidelines have broadened, those that are not in an ‘at risk’ category and are not ill can still enjoy their time in the community garden as long as they follow the rules....

What to Plant with Peanuts Peanuts are pleasant plants with pretty little yellow flowers and a spectacular method of nut production. Nuts grow from pegs or stems that insert themselves into the ground and develop into peanuts. Needing as much sun as possible during the day, companion planting with peanuts should not include tall plants, which will shade the ground nuts. Companions to peanuts must enjoy the same soil and sun conditions but also a high amount of calcium, a nutrient that promotes the formation of healthy plants and ground nuts....

What Can I Plant with Onions? Far and away the best onion plant companions are members of the cabbage family, such as: Broccoli Kale Brussels sprouts Cabbage This is because onions naturally repel pests that love cabbage family plants, like cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, and cabbage maggots. Onions also naturally deter aphids, Japanese beetles, and rabbits, meaning that good companion plants for onions are any plants that often fall victim to them....

Tips on Weeding Container Gardens: Getting Rid of Planter Weeds Start with weed-free containers. If your containers aren’t new, scrub them carefully, inside and out. Hot, soapy water or a weak bleach solution will remove residual plant debris. If possible, fill your containers with fresh, sterile, good quality potting mix. If used potting soil still looks viable, it’s a good idea to freshen it by replacing up to a third of the existing potting soil with fresh mix....

Garden Pests in the South Insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts attack and literally drain the sap, fluids, and the life from happily growing plants. They have a beak (proboscis) that is modified to pierce plants. These insects include aphids, leafhoppers, scale insects, and whiteflies. The proboscis is used by the insects similar to the way humans use a straw. Similar damage is caused by insects with rasping/sucking mouthparts, like mites and thrips....

Introduced to England from the Czech Republic in the 1860’s, Count Althann’s trees are upright, compact trees with large leaves. The hardy trees tolerate spring frost and are suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Interested in growing Count Althann’s gage trees? Read on for more information. Growing Count Althann’s Trees The gage ‘Count Althann’s’ requires another plum tree nearby for pollination to take place. Good candidates include Castleton, Valor, Merryweather, Victoria, Czar, Seneca, and many others....

If cutworms are attacking your seedlings, you’ll want to know how to get rid of cutworms. Control of cutworms is possible with a little know-how. Read on for more information on how to kill cutworm pests. Cutworm Damage in the Garden Identifying cutworms is not as easy as you might think since different species are different colors. Some are black, brown, grey or tan while others can be pink or green....

Growing Cyrtanthus Lily Plants If you’re planning a spring blooming garden, or maybe just adding to the one you’ve already planted, you may include some types of the Cyrtanthus lily bulb. Tubular flowers form in clusters on scapes that rise above arching foliage on some of the 60 species. Other types of Cyrtanthus lily bulbs produce bell or star-shaped flowers. Foliage may appear before blooms or at the same time. Foliage varies by cultivar as well....

Deer Resistant Bulbs Flower bulbs that deter deer do so for many different reasons, but most of them have to do with the physical properties of the plants. Some of the reasons deer will stay away from a plant are: Plants with strong tastes and scents. Like people, if something doesn’t taste or smell good, deer aren’t likely to eat it unless they’re desperate. Plants with pickers or thorns. If it’s painful to eat, it’s safer than food that’s not....

Deer Resistant Edibles The sad fact is that there are actually no completely deer proof plants. When herd populations are large and food and water are scarce, deer will graze on whatever they can. Deer get about a third of the water they need from eating plants, so in times of drought they may eat unusual plants just to avoid dehydration. The silver lining is that usually a desperate deer will find wild plants or ornamentals before raiding your vegetable garden....