How to Plant Easter Lily After Blooming Caring for Easter lilies properly while you have them indoors ensures a strong, vigorous plant that makes the transition to the garden much easier. Place the plant near a bright window, just out of reach of the direct rays of the sun. Cool temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees F. (18-24 C.) are best for growing Easter lily plants. Water the plant often enough to keep the soil lightly moist and use a liquid houseplant fertilizer every two weeks....

For those passionate about keeping the world clean and safe for all, earth-conscious gardening is a way of life. If you are new to the practice, some tips on how to make your garden earth friendly can get you on the right path to a sustainable way of life that does not impact nature. What is Earth Conscious Gardening? Turn on the television or boot up your computer and you are sure to see products, ideas, and stories on eco-friendly gardening tips....

Elephant Tree Plant Info The elephant tree plant is a small tree in the Anacardiaceae family. It is a succulent related to cashews, mangos, and pistachios. The trees are eye catching with their thick twisted trunks, zigzagging branches, and tiny forest green leaflets tinged red in cool weather. Those growing elephant trees say that mature plants bear red flowers and round, orange fruit. Operculicarya elephant trees grow in the wild in southwest Madagascar and are drought deciduous....

Fishbone Cactus Info The scientific name for the plant is Cryptocereus anthonyanus (syn. Selenicereus anthonyanus), and is a member of the night blooming cactus family. Best known for its long, arching stems coated with serrated leaf nodes, fishbone cactus is found in its habitat in groups, which hang from trees. The plant originates in Mexico, where tropical rainforests create a moist, humid environment. Commonly found in garden centers it is known as Ric Rac cactus or sometimes orchid cactus....

If all flowering bushes don’t carry the same appeal, how to pick the types of flowering shrubs that are most ornamental? No problem! Just use the flowering shrubs list below that includes many of our very favorite selections. Flowering Bushes and Shrubs Bushes and shrubs are virtually interchangeable terms used to describe woody plants that aren’t quite tall enough to be called trees. There is no official height cutoff however, and many taller shrubs are called short trees, while shorter trees are called large shrubs....

Do All Flowers Need Deadheading? You plant flowering shrubs in order to see those lovely blossoms open. In time, the blossoms fade and die. In many cases, you help the plant to produce more flowers by trimming off dead and wilted blossoms. This is called deadheading. Deadheading is a simple enough procedure. You simply pinch or snip off the wilting flower’s stem, making the cut just above the next leaf nodes....

Getting Hyacinth to Bloom Year After Year Cut the stalk as soon as the flower fades. Removing the stalk is beneficial because it prevents the flower from developing seeds, which saps energy from the bulbs. However, never remove the foliage until it turns yellow, which usually occurs about six to eight weeks after blooming. The yellowing leaves may be unsightly, but removing the foliage too early prevents the plant from absorbing energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis....

Tips on Gifting Seeds Always remember to consider your recipient. Where does the recipient live? Be careful and don’t send seeds that may be invasive in that area. Check the U.S. Department of Agriculture website for more information. Are they a foodie that would love to grow fresh herbs or leafy greens? Would they like plants that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, or native plants that provide seed and shelter for birds?...

About Grape Hyacinth Plants Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) is a perennial bulb that blossoms in the spring. It is a member of the Liliaceae family (lily) and is native to southeastern Europe. Its common name is in reference to the small, bell-shaped, clusters of cobalt blue flowers that resemble a bunch of grapes. The botanical name of Muscari hails from the Greek for musk and is an allusion to the sweet, aromatic scent emitted by the flowers....

About the Gray Headed Coneflower Plant Gray headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) is a native perennial flower in much of the central U.S. and southeastern Canada. It grows naturally in meadows and prairies, along roads and railroads, and sometimes in open forests. It grows up to five feet (1.5 m.) tall with long, strong stems that produce one bloom each. The flowers have a grayish brown center. It is shaped like an elongated cylinder or cone, which is how the plant gets one of its common names: gray-headed Mexican hat....

Indoor plants that smell good will also give gardeners something green to tend to while awaiting the spring planting season. What are Some Indoor Plants That Smell Good? There are a number of fragrant indoor plants that can be grown by the frustrated gardener. The gardenia is an extremely popular choice when growing aromatic houseplants. Gardenias have an intense, sweet aroma with dark green, glossy leaves and stunning white flowers....

How To Grow Blue Corn: Best Varieties For Homegrown Blue Corn Tortillas Blue corn is an open-pollinated flour corn originally developed by the Hopi people, hence the name. The Hopi were a true agricultural society developing many varieties of corn, some of which exist to this day. Interestingly, the color of the corn was associated with direction. For example, yellow related to the north, white to the east, red to the south and blue, west....

Epidendrum orchid care is a labor of love and provides a unique hobby for the orchid enthusiast. The following is an overview of how to care for Epidendrums. About Epidendrum Orchid Most orchid care is the same, but just in case you don’t have a clue which variety of orchid you have, here are some details on the Epidendrums. The majority of these plants are epiphytic and live suspended from a tree or cliff with minimal soil....

Can You Plant Store-Bought Pepper Seeds? Can you plant store-bought pepper seeds, and will they grow into the type of pepper you want depends upon several factors: Is the pepper a hybrid? Store-bought bell pepper seeds from hybrid varieties of peppers don’t have the same genetic make-up as the parent pepper. Therefore, they rarely grow true to type. Was the pepper self-pollinated? While pepper flowers often pollinate themselves, the possibility of cross-pollination exists....

How to Grow Kidney Beans There are a number of kidney bean varieties to choose from. Some of them, like Charlevoix, are more prone to viruses and bacteria, so do your research. They come in both bush and vine varieties. In the same family as black beans, pinto, and navy beans, these big red beans are a staple in most chili recipes. They are only used dried and then cooked, as the raw beans are toxic....

When to Plant Parsnip Seeds Plant parsnips seeds as soon as the ground is workable in spring, but not until the soil has warmed to 40 degrees F. (4 C.). Parsnips don’t germinate well if the soil is too cold or if air temperatures are below 75 degrees F. (24 C.). How to Grow Parsnips from Seed When it comes to growing parsnips from seed, proper soil preparation is critical. Work the soil well to a depth of at least 18 inches (46 cm....

How to Grow Peaches Although growing peach trees can’t be taken lightly, it can be highly rewarding. Peaches provide Vitamins A and C as well as potassium and fiber. Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned peaches are one of nature’s true delights. You need to first decide whether you want freestones (best for eating fresh) or clingstones (work well for canning). Peaches are self-fruitful, meaning that for pollination purposes you don’t need to plant more than one....

Wild Hydrangea Shrubs This species of hydrangea forms a low mound of heart-shaped green leaves and sturdy stems that turn dark yellow in the fall. The plant foliage has a coarse texture, and grows to about 3 to 4 feet (1 m.) tall with an even wider spread by the time fall comes around. The flowers are fertile and of a uniform height, slightly flattened and displayed atop sturdy stalks. When they open, they are slightly green....

Hypoxis Stargrass Information Curious gardeners may wonder, what is stargrass? The genus is Hypoxis with variety hirsuta the most common form. In their wild habitat, yellow stargrass flowers are found in open woodland, dry prairies, and meadow hillsides. They are small, yellow, grass-like plants that grow only 12 inches (31 cm.) tall and sport ¾ inch (2 cm.) sunny blooms from March to June. Flower stems are 3 to 8 inches (8-20 cm....

When to Prune Olive Trees Don’t start trimming olive trees during their first year or their second year. You shouldn’t touch that pruner to your tree branches until the olive tree is at least four years old. During these early years, you should encourage foliage to form and leave it alone. A tree’s leaves produce its food, so having many leaves when the tree is young provides good energy for growth....