You could say the two colorful, sun-loving plants are cousins, but marigold and calendula differences are notable. Read on and we’ll outline a few important differences between these plants. Marigold vs. Calendula Plants Why all the confusion? Probably because calendula is often known as pot marigold, common marigold, or Scotch marigold, though it isn’t a true marigold at all. Marigolds are native to South America, southwestern North America, and tropical America....

What Is a Monkey Puzzle Tree? The monkey puzzle tree has shiny, tough foliage with spiky, sharp tips that grow upward in whorls. With an open and airy habit, large cones appear on both male and female specimens. This plant is large, unusual, and sometimes described as frightening. Other descriptions of the monkey puzzle plants include grotesque, out of this world, and beautiful. Monkey puzzle grows outside in USDA zones 7b through 11, but for those in other areas, an alternative is learning how to grow monkey puzzle houseplant....

Mountain Laurel Cutting Propagation When you want to grow mountain laurel from cuttings, the first step is to take the cuttings at the right time of year. Experts agree that cuttings from mountain laurel must be taken from the current year’s growth. When exactly should you start your mountain laurel cutting propagation? You can take cuttings as soon as the growth ripens. Depending on which part of the world you call home, this could be early in the calendar year, or in the period August to December....

Help, My Coconut Fruit is Wilting! If you are lucky enough to have a coconut tree in your landscape, you may witness coconut fruit tree wilting. What might be some reasons for a wilting coconut and are there any methods for treating a wilting coconut tree? The first order of business is to figure out why the coconut is wilting. As mentioned, the weather may be a consideration. Not just overly cold temps, but plants — especially young palms, can get sunburned, which will adversely affect foliage....

Why Does Pomegranate Split? There are a couple of very common reasons for split pomegranate fruit on a well-cared for tree. In fact, one of them may be caused by a tree getting a little too much care. Fungal pathogens are notoriously frustrating causes of split fruit. In fact, they often strike just as the fruit is ripening. Fungal diseases are often accompanied by leaf spots, premature leaf drop, or other leaf damage, but sometimes the fruit is the lone target....

Help! My Snake Plant is Drooping! If your snake plant has droopy leaves, there are a few likely possibilities. Improper watering Mother-in-law’s tongue is a succulent plant with thick, moisture-holding leaves. This built-in watering system allows the plant to survive in its native environment – dry, rocky regions of the West African tropics. Like all succulents, the snake plant is susceptible to root rot in soggy conditions, and droopy snake plant leaves often result when the plant is overwatered....

About Narcissus Paperwhite Bulbs Paperwhites are native to the Mediterranean region. They produce daffodil-like white blooms on slender stems 1 to 2 feet (31-61 cm.) tall. Each stem produces four to eight flowers that are typically an inch (2.5 cm.) wide and snowy white. The bulbs prefer warm temperatures of at least 70 degrees F. (21 C.) during the day and 60 degrees F. (16 C.) at night. The flowers are not hardy in freezing temperatures and are only suitable in USDA zones 8 to 10....

New Mexico Olive Tree Facts The New Mexico olive (Forestiera neomexicana) is also known as desert olive tree because it thrives in hot, sunny regions. New Mexico olive usually grows many spiny branches. The bark is an interesting shade of white. Tiny but very fragrant yellow flowers appear on the shrub in clusters in spring even before the leaves. They are an important nectar source for bees. Later in summer, the plant produces attractive blue-black fruit....

These tasks have to be done and can even be pleasurable; therefore, they’re much easier to stick to than the usual resolutions. Resolutions for the Garden Garden resolutions can be part of your New Year’s Eve pronouncements. Typical New Year’s resolutions can be tough to hold to, but garden resolutions encourage beauty, health, and even grow food. These types of goals are just a happy side effect of gardening in the New Year....

What is Onion Mushy Rot? Onions are a prevalent ingredient in many recipes. Whether you sauté them, roast, boil, sear, grill or eat them raw, onions add zest and aromatic delight to any dish. Growing onions is pretty easy in well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. Harvesting and storing onions properly will help keep the veggies for months. Mushy rot in onions is the Achilles’ heel of stored Allium. It will not only rot an infected bulb, but the disease spreads readily in storage situations....

The following information will help keep you and your family safe. Is it Safe to Order Garden Supplies? The U.S. Postal Service and the World Health Organization (WHO) have announced that there is very little risk that an infected person can contaminate commercial goods, even when the package is shipped from another country. The chance that COVID-19 will be carried on a package is also low. Due to shipping conditions, the virus is unlikely to survive for more than a few days, and one study by the National Institutes of Health indicated the virus may survive on cardboard for no more than 24 hours....

Ornamental Dwarf Grass Full-size ornamental grass can tower 10 to 20 feet (3-6 m.) over the landscape, but compact ornamental grass generally tops out at 2 to 3 feet (61-91.5 cm.), making some of these smaller types of compact ornamental grass perfect for a container on a balcony or patio. Here are eight popular dwarf ornamental grass varieties for smaller gardens – just a handful of the many short ornamental grasses currently on the market....

Tea Olive Cultivation Osmanthus bush uses revolve around the shrub’s scent. Plant it near windows, outdoor seating, and patios where you can enjoy the fragrance the most. Growing Osmanthus plants as a hedge creates a wall of fragrance. Passers-by will wonder at the source of the delightful fragrance, never suspecting the tiny little flowers on the Osmanthus shrub. Fragrant tea olives begin blooming in fall, and in warm climates, the blooms continue all winter....

How to Fix Ozone Damage Plants under stress are most likely to be seriously affected by ozone damage, and they recover slowly. Treat injured plants by providing conditions as close to the ideal for the species as possible. Irrigate well, especially on hot days, and fertilize on schedule. Keep the garden weed-free so that the plants don’t have competition for moisture and nutrients. Treating ozone injured plants won’t correct the damage that is already done, but it can help the plant produce new, healthy foliage and help prevent diseases and insects that normally attack weak and injured plants....

Symptoms of Parsnip Powdery Mildew While powdery mildew affects many plants, it can be caused by a number of different fungi, many of which target only certain plants. For example, parsnips with powdery mildew are infected specifically by Erysiphe fungi. Erysiphe heraclei, in particular, is often a culprit. Powdery mildew symptoms start as small, white spots on both or either side of the leaves. These spots spread to a fine, sooty coating that can cover the entire leaf....

Waterlogging Peach Tree Problems While most crop plants prefer not to have standing water, some can tolerate it better than others. Peach trees are not on that list. They are very sensitive to waterlogging. Standing water around the roots of a tree can cause serious problems. The main issue is that the waterlogging creates an anaerobic environment for the roots. Roots need access to oxygen in the soil to be healthy and to grow....

What’s Eating My Pecans? Pecan trees produce edible nuts that have a rich, buttery flavor. Sweet and delicious, they are used extensively in cake, candy, cookies, and even ice cream. Most people who plant pecans do so with the nut harvest in mind. If your pecan tree is at long last producing a heavy crop of nuts, it’s time to celebrate. Keep an eye out; however, for pests that eat pecans....

Penstemon Beard Tongue Information If you have gone hiking in areas of Mexico to western North America from May to August, you will have seen these attractive flowers. Penstemon plants are related to snapdragons and come in a variety of cultivated hues for the home gardener. The flowers are perfectly shaped to accommodate hummingbirds, who spend their nesting period at the Penstemon snack bar. Each flower has five petals and they come in hues of lavender, salmon, pink, red, and white....

Pepper Companion Planting Companion plants for peppers or other veggies work together symbiotically, each giving and/or receiving something from the other. Companion planting simply means grouping different, but complimentary, plants together. This may accomplish several things. Companion planting may provide shade or act as a wind barrier, it may succeed in retarding weeds or deterring harmful pests and disease, or it may act as a natural trellis or aid in moisture retention....

How Can There Be Perennials to Avoid? For a gardener and plant lover, it can be hard to face the fact that there are some plants you just need to avoid. In some cases, it’s because they aren’t suited to your particular location. For instance, you’ll get nothing but trouble trying to grow a succulent in your waterlogged rain garden. On the other hand, there are perennials that are just hard for anyone to love, no matter the local environment and conditions....