My Hellebore is Browning – Why? First, it helps to understand your hellebore plants. These are evergreen to semi-evergreen perennials. Whether the greenery lasts all winter, or you get hellebore turning brown depends on your climate zone. Generally, hellebore is evergreen in zones 6 through 9. In colder climates, these plants may be semi-evergreen. Hellebore is hardy to zone 4, but in zones 4 and 5, it will not fully behave as an evergreen perennial....

Compost is nothing more than decayed organic matter. This matter can be: leaves grass clippings yard trimmings most household waste – such as vegetable peelings, eggshells, and coffee grounds An empty coffee or plastic pail kept in your kitchen can be used to collect the kitchen waste to be dumped into your compost bin or garden compost pile. Compost Bin Plans An outdoor compost bin can be as simple as just choosing an unused corner of your yard to pile inside and outside waste....

With minimal care, homeowners are able to keep their hostas looking lush and beautiful. However, there are some maintenance aspects that will be a necessity. Establishing a consistent irrigation routine will be key in keeping hostas looking their best all summer long. Read on for more info on hosta water needs. How Much Water Do Hostas Need? When it comes to growing hosta, watering requirements will vary depending upon the conditions in the garden and the time of year....

How to Transplant Seedlings One common question from people who are growing plants from seeds is, “How do I know when my seedlings are big enough to put out in my garden?” This is a good question to ask when learning how to start plants from seeds because planting seedlings out in the garden at the proper time is crucial to their development later on. If you put them out before they are ready, they may have a hard time surviving the elements....

How Low of a Temperature Can Peas Stand? Peas are able to do just fine in temperatures as low as 28 degrees F. (-2 C.) If temperatures don’t fall below this mark, peas and pea seedlings will be just fine. When temps are between 20 and 28 degrees F. (-2 to -6 C.) peas can survive the cold but will suffer some damage. (This is assuming that the cold happens without an insulating blanket of snow....

When planning a vegetable garden or flower beds throughout the landscape, proper placement of seeds is critical. Therefore, you’ll need to know how much space is available. It is important to have this information before seeds or transplants are ordered. It’s the same with groundcovers, flowers, and even grass seed. Using the method detailed below you can get a good idea of the size of your gardens and flower beds in order to plant them properly, make them look their best, and offer optimum production....

What is the Common Garden Snail? Chances are, if you have snails in your garden, they’re the common garden snail, also called the brown garden snail. The scientific name is Helix aspersa. The common garden snail can be identified by its brown rounded shell and grey body. How to Control Garden Snails Here are the most common methods for getting rid of snails in the garden: Introduce predators – One effective organic snail control is to introduce or encourage predators....

About Calibrachoa Cutting Propagation Calibrachoa plants were first collected wild in the late 1980’s. They hail from South America and are also sold as million bells due to the many tiny blooms. There are numerous colors from which to choose as well as double petal varieties. Preserving your favorite is as simple as taking cuttings and providing certain cultural conditions. Calibrachoa cutting propagation is the method preferred by professional growers. While calibrachoa growers take cuttings in late winter in order to achieve sellable plants by spring, gardeners can take cuttings in spring for late summer plants....

What Is Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn Olive? Commonly known as autumn olive, Elaeagnus umbellata is a tall deciduous shrub that is hardy to USDA growing zones 4-9. In late spring, these bushes produce masses of fragrant white-yellow blooms. Originally introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant and for use in erosion control, singular autumn olive plants are able to produce over 200,000 viable seeds each growing season. Through dispersal of this seed, as well as the production of root suckers and quick establishment, autumn olive plants grow to quickly overtake established flower beds and other native plant life....

Plants That Deter Insect Pests A number of herbs, flowers, and even vegetable plants can make ideal repellents for insect pests. Here are some of the more commonly grown: Chives and leeks deter the carrot fly and can also improve the overall health of garden plants. Garlic helps to repel nasty aphids and Japanese beetles. When planted alongside onions, this plant also deters moles and mice. Basil shoos away flies and mosquitoes; try setting some around the porch or other outdoor areas....

Ice Cream Bean Tree Information Ice cream beans are legumes, just like the beans you grow in your vegetable garden. The pods are about a foot long and contain beans about the size of limas surrounded by a sweet, cottony pulp. The pulp has a flavor similar to vanilla ice cream, hence its name. In Columbia, ice cream beans have many uses in folk medicine. Decoctions of the leaves and bark are thought to relieve diarrhea....

How Long Does it Take for Bulbs to Sprout? Answering the question, “how long does it take for flower bulbs to grow?” may take a little explaining. Spring bulbs grow and bloom when warm temperatures arrive. They only form flowers if they have had the proper chilling period to break dormancy. In most of the country, October is the best time to plant spring bulb flowers. This allows the bulb a chilling period of 12 to 15 weeks, which is necessary for spring bulbs to sprout....

Wax Myrtle Care Tips Wax myrtle care involves fertilization and pruning for shape or pruning when limbs are damaged or split off by heavy ice and snow. Historically, leaves of the wax myrtle tree were used for fragrance and flammability when making candles. This fragrance, still used today, has earned the shrub a common name of southern bayberry. Wax myrtle often exhibits growth of 3 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m.) a year....

Rose Oil Infusion vs. Essential Rose Oil Essential oils yield a potent aroma that requires some technology and significant plant material which equal a higher cash outlay than making a rose oil infusion. Store bought essential oils use the benefit of distillation to really concentrate all that aroma. Die-hard essential oil enthusiasts could, indeed, make their own at home provided they are prepared to spend some money on a distillery or make one of their own....

Problems with Invasive Tree Roots Trees that have invasive root systems invade pipes because they contain the three essential elements to sustain life: air, moisture, and nutrients. Several factors can cause a pipe to develop a crack or small leak. The most common is the natural shifting and movement of soil as it shrinks during droughts and swells when rehydrated. Once a pipe develops a leak, the roots seek out the source and grow into the pipe....

Japanese Knotweed Identification The Japanese knotweed plant (Fallopia japonica) tends to grow in clumps and can grow up to 13 feet (4 m.) tall in the right conditions, but is often smaller than this. The leaves are heart shaped and about the size of your hand, with a red vein running down their center. Japanese knotweed stems are the easiest to identify, as they also give it its name. The stems are hollow and have “knots” or joints every few inches (8 cm....

Care for Zone 8 Juniper Bushes Juniper plants come in many different sizes and shape for landscape use. Generally, juniper varieties fall in to one of four size categories: low growing groundcovers, medium growing shrubs, tall columnar shrubs, or large shrub-like trees. Junipers also come in many colors, from light to dark green, blue shades, or yellow shades. Regardless of shape or color, all junipers have the same growing requirements. Zone 8 juniper plants, like any other juniper plants, prefer to grow in full sun but can tolerate part shade....

Gardening from scraps has gained a lot of popularity, and it’s a great tool for teaching children about the growth process. Creating a kitchen scrap garden will also help you teach lessons related to food waste, organic growing, and sustainability. What is a Kitchen Scrap Garden? Sometimes referred to as a “quickie vegetable garden,” gardening with things from your kitchen is an easy way to grow produce parts that would usually be discarded, meaning that new vegetable plants are grown from items that would otherwise be headed toward the compost pile....

Oriental Bittersweet Information Oriental bittersweet plants are vines that grow up to 60 feet long and can get four inches (10 cm.) in diameter. They are fast-growing and attractive, with light green, finely toothed leaves. The round yellow fruits split to reveal red berries that birds happily devour all winter long. Unfortunately, oriental bittersweet plants have many very effective methods of propagation. The bittersweet plants spread within colonies by seeds and root sprouting....

Kumquat Not Flowering Kumquats are small trees and typically top out at 10-12 feet (3-3.5 m.). They have attractive, bright, medium-green leaves and aromatic, white flowers. They are prized for both their edible components and their ornamental value. Sometimes people struggle with how to get blooms on a kumquat tree. No pretty white blooms. No lovely scent. No fruit. That is sad. They ask “When do kumquats bloom?”. They look for kumquat flowers in spring, which is the wrong time by the way....