Houseplants That Freshen the Air There are many houseplants that act as natural air fresheners. Among the most popular fragrant houseplants are the scented geraniums, perfume-leaved members of the genus Pelargonium. Varieties are available with fragrances reminiscent of apple, coconut, lemon, rose, cinnamon, and dozens of other scents. Scented geraniums also have attractive leaves with interesting shapes ranging from rounded to crinkled to deeply divided. Many people are familiar with the sweet-smelling blossoms of citrus trees, whose extracts are used in perfumes and confections....

Growing Palm Trees in Containers Here are some of the more popular palm trees for pots in sun: Adonidia (Adonidia merrillii) – Also known as Manila palm or Christmas palm, Adonidia is one of the most popular potted palms for full sun. Adonidia is available in a double variety, which reaches about 15 feet (4.5 m.), and a triple variety, which tops out at 15 to 25 feet (4.5-7.5 m.). Both do well in large containers....

What is Gac Melon? While the fruit is commonly referred to as gac, it is variously referred to as baby jackfruit, spiny bitter gourd, sweet gourd (which is it?), or cochinchin gourd. Its Latin name is Momordica cochinchinensis. Gac grows on dioecious vines – male flowers bloom on one plant and females on another. They are a common sight growing on lattices at the entries to rural homes and gardens in their lands of origin....

Dropping of Buds on Gardenia Bushes A commonly seen problem is gardenia buds falling off plants. This can be caused by a variety of things. Probably the most common reason for gardenia buds falling off plants is a change in location. Gardenias do not like to be disturbed. They are extremely sensitive to being moved or even touched. Try to keep gardenia flower plants in one location, moving as little as possible....

September in the Northeast Garden Labor Day weekend is often a time for family gatherings and the last chance to enjoy summer weather. However, that doesn’t mean winter is imminent. There will still be plenty of days to get out in your northeast gardens to work on that to-do list for fall. For one thing, fall crops need to be harvested and then processed for storage. Weeds continue to flourish and must be dealt with, and while rain showers are more often in the forecast, some watering will likely still need to be done....

Ants help us by eating fleas, caterpillars, termites, and dead remains of insects and animals. They eat the waxy material from peony buds, allowing them to fully bloom. With all these attributes, if you still want to know how to get rid of ants, or need help controlling multitudes of ants, read on. Ants in the Garden In your garden ants are primarily interested in insects that produce sticky “honeydew,” like aphids, whiteflies, scales, and mealybugs; all of which can do considerable damage to your plants....

About Ginseng Pest Control Ginseng pests include bugs that eat ginseng as well as other insects or wildlife that live on and injure the plant. In fact, you can define garden pests as anything that interferes with the desired growth of your ginseng, including rodents. Treating ginseng pests is a little tricky since you intend to consume the plant yourself when it is mature. That means that standard pesticides may not be appropriate for ginseng pest control....

Grass Clipping Garden Mulch Fresh or dried grass trimmings are often collected in the lawnmower bag. This heap of green can simply go to your municipal compost facility if you have one, or you can use them to help your landscape. For us truly lazy gardeners, leave the bag off and just let the clippings do their work in the sod. Grass clipping garden mulch is simple, effective, and one of the sneaky ways to benefit from garbage....

What to Use for Greenhouse Floors There are several options for greenhouse flooring materials. The most ideal is a poured concrete floor, especially if it’s insulated. A concrete floor is easy to clean and walk on, and if poured correctly, should drain away any excess water. Concrete will also reflect light and retain heat throughout the day. Concrete isn’t the only option available for the floor of a greenhouse, though. Depending upon your budget and consideration, there are plenty of other greenhouse flooring ideas, some with better results than others....

Mass Planting Ideas & How Tos As with any gardening endeavor, mass planting requires planning. First, you’ll need to figure out the size of your planting area in square feet (or square meters) by multiplying the length by its width. Then, depending on how much spacing is necessary for your desired plantings, you should be able to estimate the number of plants you’ll need for the project. Prior to planting anything, it’s usually helpful to amend the soil....

Several types flower profusely from the rounded domes, as does the Krainz crown cactus. It is one of the earliest to bloom and has a continuous flowering cycle, making them long-lasting. Blooms are brightly colored in oranges and yellows. Growing a Crown Cactus If you grow crown cacti or are thinking of getting one, you may have questions about the care of crown cactus plants. One point that stands out from crown cactus info is the strict need for yearly repotting during the first few years....

When to Plant Durham Early Cabbage Set out cabbage plants four weeks before you expect your last frost in spring. For a fall crop, plant six to eight weeks before the first frost is expected. Cabbage is a cool season crop and the Durham Early variety is one of the hardiest. Cabbage needs steady growth to be ready for harvest before hot temperatures arrive. You may also grow from seed. Start seeds indoors, allowing six weeks for development and adjusting to the cold before planting into the garden....

About Hardy Fuchsia Plants Hardy fuchsia plants (Fuchsia magellanica) are perennial flowering shrubs that are hardy to USDA zone 6-7. They grow from four to ten feet (1-3 m.) in height and three to six feet (1-2 m.) across. The foliage is green, oval, and arranged opposing each other. The shrub blooms in spring and reliably persists through fall with red and purple dangling blossoms. These plants have naturalized in South America and other mild climatic regions and are so prolific they are now considered an invasive species....

Hawaii Vegetable Growing Problems Without the aid of cold winter temperatures to control pest populations, these critters are obstacles gardeners must face when growing vegetables in Hawaii. Nematodes, fruit flies, pepper weevils, and slugs flourish year-round. Likewise, some microclimates on the islands experience as much as 200 inches (508 cm.) of rain per year, creating ideal conditions for fungal diseases and root rot. Additionally, soil erosion from high winds and heavy rain is common in some areas....

Neoregelia Bromeliad Varieties Diverse and interesting patterns of the Neoregelia varieties have caused them to be the most hybridized, adding even more plants to the category. Neoregelia bromeliad facts advise this is one of the more compact of the group and typically grows in rosette form, mostly flat and spreading. Cups, called tanks, form in the center of this plant. Neoregelia bromeliad flowers emerge briefly from these tanks. Likely, the most well-known of this type is the Neoregelia carolinae, or those that look similar....

Can Peonies Grow in Pots? One of my favorite memories as a child was picking peonies for my grandmother from the big bush that would suddenly appear each year out front. The huge blooms and intense color were her favorite cut bowl blooms. Down the road, apartments were the spaces I had to grow in, and I learned to get really creative. Container grown peonies were part of the menu, in large brightly colored pots....

Ceranthus Jupiter’s Beard Plant The Jupiter’s beard plant reaches 3 feet (0.9 m.) in height, often the same in width, and displays profuse panicles of fragrant red flowers. Colors of white and pink are found in some cultivars of the wild red valerian plants. Native to the Mediterranean, the Jupiter’s beard has successfully transitioned to many areas of the United States and attracts butterflies and the all-important pollinators to the area in which it is planted....

Working with Structural Plants Start with relatively mature plants, if your budget allows. Although they may be more expensive, mature plants provide instant form and style. Consider the eventual size of the plant, and allow space accordingly; otherwise, you may have to remove the plant at some point in the future. Avoid overcrowding, especially if your garden is small. Leave enough space for your architecture to show at its full potential....

Just because sunflowers are easy to grow, however, does not mean that they should be dismissed from the grown-up garden. The variety of sunflowers available to the home gardener is absolutely amazing and, as an added bonus, sunflowers can help attract some local birds to your garden. What Sunflowers Look Like Sunflowers come in sizes that range from dwarf varieties, which can be as small as a foot and a half (46 cm....

Tamarack Tree Information Tamaracks (Larix laricina) are medium-sized deciduous conifers that are native to this country. They grow wild from the Atlantic all the way across to central Alaska. If you look for tamarack tree information, you may find it under other common names for this tree, like American larch, eastern larch, Alaska larch or hackmatack. Given the huge range of the tamarack, it tolerates extremely varied climatic conditions, from -30 degrees to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (34 to 43 C....