That brings us to a great idea – why not make a gardening calendar as a gift for your gardener friends? Whether they are just getting started in the plant world or are experienced growers, they are sure to find a few gardening holidays to celebrate they didn’t know about before. Creating a Gardening Calendar Gardeners have something to celebrate every day, since the garden itself yields many surprises: a bud here, a curious insect there, crops and flowers, or birdsong....

Using a Microwave in Gardening There have been some studies, particularly on radishes, which suggest that seeds experiencing no more than 15 seconds of moist heating will germinate more rapidly than those without the treatment. This is not effective on all seeds and can actually kill the embryo within if done for too long at a high power. But other microwave gardening ideas have more practical benefits. We’ll investigate a couple of the most useful ways of using a microwave in gardening....

Top 10 Pink Perennials Below, we have outlined some of the most common perennial plants with pink flowers which are often available to landscapers at garden centers and nurseries.

Grapevine Types Grapevine varieties are divided into table grapes and wine grapes. This means that table grapes are primarily used for eating and preserving while wine grapes are for, you guessed it, wine. Some varieties of grapes can be used for both. American grapevine varieties and hybrids are generally grown as table grapes and for juicing and canning. They are also the most common varieties of grapes for the home gardener....

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you need a Thanksgiving centerpiece idea. While there are plenty of ideas to be found, not everyone is crafty. Don’t despair; fall tea light gourd votive holders are so simple to make children, under supervision, can help. About Gourd Votive Holders Early evidence of squash consumption and use dates back through the late Prehistoric era. Ornamental squash was likely used as containers which are exactly what this Thanksgiving centerpiece idea is all about....

Barley Plant Information Barley is a good cover crop but it is also an important malting ingredient and may be turned into flour. You don’t need acres of land to grow barley in the garden, but it may be hard to source small amounts of seed. It is a cool season grass that is also used as a feed for domesticated animals. Even if you are not a beer enthusiast, you can learn how to grow barley for bread, soups, and stews....

How to Grow Bleeding Hearts Care for bleeding heart includes keeping the soil consistently moist by regular watering. The bleeding heart plant likes to be planted in organic soil in a shady or part shade area. Work compost into the area before planting the bleeding heart plant in fall or spring. Organic mulch breaks down over time to supply nutrients and helps retain moisture. Growing bleeding hearts need a cool, shady area for optimum bloom in warmer southern zones, but farther north this specimen may bloom in a full sun location....

What is Bottlebrush Grass? Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) is a perennial grass that is native to most of the eastern U.S. and Canada. The species name, hystrix, comes from the Greek word for hedgehog and describes the bristly seed head. The seed head also resembles a bottle brush, hence the common name for this grass. The grass is green but turns brown as it matures, typically beginning in late summer. It grows to a height of between 2 and 5 feet (61 cm....

Japanese Forest Grass Plant Japanese forest grass is an attractive, graceful plant that grows slowly and is not invasive. The grass gets 18 to 24 inches (45.5 to 61 cm.) tall and has an arching habit with long flat, foliar blades. These arching blades sweep from the base and gracefully re-touch the earth. Japanese forest grass comes in several hues and may be solid or striped. Most varieties are variegated and have stripes....

What is Hechtia? There are approximately 56 genera in the Bromeliad family. Hechtia are in the sub-family Pitcairnioideae, and are wonderful little examples of the plant form. They are most commonly grown indoors or in greenhouses, but some regions can support outdoor growth so long as the plants aren’t subjected to temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 C.). These small bromeliads thrive from Texas into Mexico and Central America. They occur in areas with cactus and other succulents where soils are harsh and arid....

Growing Ocotillo Ocotillo provides architectural interest and fantastic color displays of bright, red to pink flowers. The ocotillo plant is a succulent with good drought tolerance once established and a cold hardiness of 10 F. (-12 C.). Growing ocotillo requires a well-drained soil in full sun. Ocotillo plant tends to lose its leaves when exposed to extreme drought, but leafs out in spring and summer rains. Ocotillo really has no special needs and is an easy to grow plant provided it is used in a climate that can provide plenty of sun and heat....

What is Sapodilla Fruit? The answer to, “What is sapodilla fruit?” is quite simply a delicious tropical fruit ranking among the likes of mango, banana, and jackfruit. Sapodilla answers to quite a few monikers such as Chico, Chico sapote, Sapota, Zapote chico, Zapotillo, Chicle, Sapodilla plum and Naseberry. You may recognize the name ‘Chicle,’ which refers to the latex excreted by the sapodilla fruit and is used as a chewing gum base....

Among the most important considerations is disease resistance. Choosing strong, robust varieties of roses, which are suited to your own growing zone, is crucial to the success of rose plantings. One good option to consider is the Tuscan Sun rose. What is a Tuscan Sun Rose? One specific rose, the ‘Tuscan Sun’ rose plant, is especially popular due to its ability to withstand adverse growing conditions. Learning more about Tuscan Sun floribunda rose can help you determine whether this cultivar is ideal for your garden....

Choosing Hanging Plant Hooks In exploring ways to hang plants, our first priority will be to examine the needs of the plants. Choosing hooks for hanging baskets will have to take into account the amount of both light and moisture where the plants are to be placed. This can be exceptionally tricky when designing indoor green spaces, and may even require the addition of a supplemental grow light. Taking the mature size of the plant into consideration will be imperative....

Planting Bismarck Palm Trees Bismarck palms are huge, gracious trees native to the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa. If you are planting Bismarck palm trees, be sure that you reserve enough space. Each tree can grow to 60 feet (18 m.) high with a spread of 16 feet (5 m.). In fact, everything about this attractive tree is oversized. The silvery-green copal mate leaves can grow to 4 feet (1 m....

Hand pollinating squash isn’t a difficult task, but it can be tedious. The first important step of hand pollination is to make sure your plants are producing both male and female flowers. If the weather is too hot or too cold, the production of female flowers will be low, making hand pollination a little difficult. How to Hand Pollinate Squash When you pollinate by hand, identify the male and the female flowers....

Picking Elderberries and Other Info Elderberries are easy to grow, non-invasive plants that are attractive additions to the landscape, especially with their cluster of large white flowers in the summer that turn into bunches of black edible berries. The plants are very hardy in USDA growing zone 4 but some varieties are suitable to zone 3. Elderberries flower in late June, so the crop is less susceptible to late spring frosts....

One such problem that we receive many questions about here at Gardening Know How pertains to tomato plants that produce abnormally small fruit. If you’ve noticed that your tomatoes are too small, read on to learn some reasons why tomato fruit won’t grow to an appropriate proper size. Why Does Tomato Fruit Stay Small? The most common cause for small tomatoes is stressed plants. When plants are experiencing stressing circumstances, such as extreme drought or heat, insect infestation, or disease, they oftentimes stop sending their energy into flower or fruit production....

Hibiscus Growing in Zone 9 Few plants can match the beauty of hibiscus plants. In zone 9, you have the option of choosing a tropical variety grown in a pot and overwintered indoors, or a hardy species which can be grown in ground. The hardy varieties can withstand temperatures of -30 degrees F. (-34 C). Hibiscus that grows in zone 9 are unlikely to experience such low temperatures but it is good to know they have the ability to survive cold weather....

Wreaths, floral arrangements, and even ornaments can be fashioned from materials in your backyard. So, this year, try holiday decorating with plants from your garden. How to Grow Your Own Christmas Decorations Creating holiday décor from the garden is simple and easy. You can collect materials from plants throughout the year. Flowers, like hydrangeas, are beautiful additions to a wreath or holiday floral arrangement. Hydrangeas don’t bloom in December, so the flowers must be collected and dried during the summer months....