Delosperma Kelaidis Info Delosperma ice plants are low-growing, succulent, groundcover plants that are native to South Africa. Originally, ice plants were planted in the United States along highways for erosion control and soil stabilization. These plants eventually naturalized throughout the Southwest. Later, ice plants gained popularity as a low maintenance groundcover for landscape beds because of their long bloom period, from mid-spring to fall. Delosperma plants have earned their common name “ice plants” from the ice-like white flakes that form on their succulent foliage....

Rather than the production of flowers, poinsettias are actually known for their highly attractive, colorful bracts. Throughout late fall and early winter, potted poinsettia plants are commonplace at retailers, specifically throughout the holiday season. Though red poinsettias are considered to be the most traditional type, new visually-interesting cultivars offer their growers a much wider range of options in terms of color and pattern. In this article we will explore several different types of poinsettias that are likely to be available this season....

Mini Indoor Greenhouse Garden A mini greenhouse indoors is great at creating and maintaining the perfect microclimate for starting seeds before spring. This greenhouse garden for indoors can also be used to cultivate houseplants, force bubs, propagate succulents, or grow salad greens and herbs – anytime. There are lots of indoor greenhouse gardens for sale from elaborate Victorian era versions to simpler boxed sets. Or you can opt for a DIY project....

What is a Stroll Garden? If a stroll garden was simply a garden you could walk through, every garden would qualify. Instead, Japanese stroll gardens are outdoor areas designed with a different intent than most gardens. The Japanese apparently got their initial stroll garden ideas from the Chinese who developed two sorts of gardens, gardens to foster spiritual development and gardens to provide pleasure. The Japanese made two similar types of gardens often identified as Zen gardens and stroll gardens....

Are Birds Pollinators? Bees are the most important pollinators globally. They get a lot of the attention for this reason and also because their populations are declining, putting our food supply at risk. We require pollinators to move pollen between flowers in order to get fruit production. But birds play a role too. Bird pollinated flowers are mostly wildflowers, which are much less important from a food standpoint. In North America, there are no commercial food crops that rely on birds....

What is Dryland Farming? Crops grown in dryland farming regions are cultivated without the use of supplemental irrigation during the dry season. Simply put, dry farming crops is a method of producing crops during the dry season by using the moisture stored in the soil from the previous rainy season. Dry farming techniques have been used for centuries in arid regions such as the Mediterranean, parts of Africa, Arabic countries, and more recently in southern California....

About Beet Juice Dye The brilliant red of beets is the result of betalains, rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, low calorie and teeming with vitamins and minerals. Those who have prepared beets know that beet juice can and will stain anything it comes into contact with, which makes one wonder about dyeing with beet juice. Beet juice dye isn’t anything new. People have been using beets (and other veggies) to dye fabric for centuries....

Early Color Change of Foliage When your tree is so stressed from something in its environment that it starts to change colors, you’re witnessing a last stand of sorts. Your tree’s leaves start to change colors, even under normal conditions, due to a lack of chlorophyll. This can happen when the tree starts to prepare itself for winter, or it can happen when the tree or shrub perceives a threat to its well-being....

Earthworm vermicompost is the natural product yielded by garden worms. Also called castings, it’s nutrient rich and provides excellent food for your plants. Learn how to deal with vermicompost issues to ensure healthy worms and rapid break down of your kitchen waste. How to Deal with Vermicompost Issues Worm bins are simple to make, but a few vermicomposting problems arise as a direct result of an incorrectly built bin. For example, if there are not enough holes, the interior will be too moist and the food scraps will rot....

When to Pick Elderflowers Harvesting elderflowers is a late spring tradition in many parts of the world. They grow wild in temperate regions, especially the Northern Hemisphere. The flowers are useful as a syrup, nutritional supplement, and in cosmetics. You can even make elderflower fritters or use them in a sorbet. The first step is learning how to harvest elderflowers. Then you can try some of the many recipes widely available online....

Eucalyptus Shallow Root Dangers Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, where the soil is so leached of nutrients that the trees stay smaller and their roots must dive deep in order to survive. These trees are not likely to suffer damage like that from strong storms and wind. However, eucalyptus trees are also cultivated in many parts of the world with richer soil. In more fertile soil, eucalyptus tree roots have no need to descend very far to search for nutrients....

Planting Fall Annuals Before planting fall annual flowers, first consider your growing zone and your region’s first frost date. While many growers are able to plant tender annuals for display in fall flower beds, if your region has an early first frost date you may need to consider more hardy autumn annuals that demonstrate some tolerance to cold. When to Start When to start the seed for autumn annuals is an important consideration....

Cherry Tree Fertilizer Gardeners should remember that fertilizing cherry trees does not guarantee more fruit. In fact, the main result of applying cherry tree fertilizer heavy in nitrogen is more foliage growth. Fertilize the tree if the foliage growth is slow. But only consider cherry tree fertilizer if the average annual branch growth is less than 8 inches (20.5 cm.). You can calculate this by measuring from last year’s bud scale scars that formed at the shoot tip....

Floratourism Information What is floratourism? In very basic terms, it’s the phenomenon of traveling to nature-themed destinations, and it’s a hot new trend that’s being spearheaded by younger generations. Whether it’s national parks, botanical gardens, historical estates with vast landscapes, or just overgrown walks and trails, in the past few years the green places of the world have seen visitors in record breaking numbers, and they only seem to be getting more popular....

Planting for the pantry garden starts with a little planning, seed acquisition, and soil augmentation. With a little advance prep, you’ll be making meals from your garden in just a few months. Keep reading for a little pantry garden info. How to Grow a Living Pantry Our parents or grandparents may have participated in a Victory Garden, but today’s gardeners grow a wide variety of food just for fun, as an economic gesture, and in order to ensure their consumables are safe and organic....

What is Frankincense and Myrrh? Frankincense and myrrh are the aromatic resins, or dried sap, derived from trees. Frankincense trees are of the genus Boswellia, and Myrrh trees from the genus Commiphora, both of which are common to Somalia and Ethiopia. Both today and in the past, frankincense and myrrh are used as incense. Frankincense trees are leafy specimens that grow without any soil along Somalia’s rocky ocean shores. Sap that flows from these trees appears as milky, opaque ooze that hardens into a translucent golden “gum” and is of great value....

Are English and French Lavender Different? They are related, but different types of lavender. French lavender is Lavendula dentata and it is not actually that commonly cultivated, although we often think of France when picturing fields of lavender. English lavender is Lavendula angustifolia. This variety is much more commonly cultivated and is typical in gardens and containers. Here are some other important differences: Hardiness. A big difference between French and English lavender is that the latter is much hardier....

Frozen Pindo Palm: Is my Pindo Palm Dead? You will probably need to wait a few weeks to determine the severity of pindo palm frost damage. According to North Carolina State University Extension, you may not know until late spring or early summer, as palms grow slowly and may take several months to re-leaf after pindo palm freeze damage. In the meantime, don’t be tempted to pull or prune dead-looking fronds....

Galinsoga Facts Any gardener familiar with shaggy soldier weed plants understands the challenges faced with their eradication. This stoic weed can take anything you can dish out and still merrily leave behind offspring to plague you the next year. In non-crop situations, you can bring out the chemical warfare and fairly easily combat these weeds; but in food crop situations, the battle isn’t so simple and often the soldier weeds win....

Garden to Table Meaning If garden to table trends ring some bells, it is likely due to the concept of farm to table, wherein the table is situated right on the farm and the food served comes directly from its fields or other locally, sustainable producer. One of the first farm to table restaurants is Chez Panisse in Berkeley, C.A. opened by Chef Alice Waters in 1971. So what is garden to table then?...