When and How to Grow Iris You should plan on planting iris bulbs like these early in the fall. These small bulbs have a rough tunic on the outside. The bottom is the part that has the flattened basal plate, so obviously the top is the opposite end. Group Planting Iris Bulbs In groups of five to ten bulbs in a nice flower border, plant Dutch, English, and Spanish irises. Each group of bulbs should be planted next to perennials such as peonies....

Growing Forget-Me-Nots These petite blue flowers are gardener favorites for several reasons: they are easy to grow, are low maintenance, can tolerate shade, and most of all they provide pretty flowers. Plant them once and they will self-seed and spread easily without getting weedy. Grow these in shady areas or in full sun. Forget-me-not plants will tolerate either setting. Once growing, you can leave them alone. There is little you need to do to help them thrive, but you can choose some excellent companion plants to grow with forget-me-not flowers to add more interest to the garden....

How to Plant Rock Garden Iris For planting rock garden irises, follow these guidelines: One problem with the little rock garden iris is that during the first year of planting, it flowers just fine. After that, for some reason the plant just sends up leaves and each original bulb splits into tiny rice-grained-sized bulbs. These tiny bulbs don’t have the food reserves to help support the production of flowers. Deeper planting helps, and so does extra nourishment....

The solution? Grow you own birdseed! Birdseed plants are beautiful and easy to grow. At the end of the season, you can use the seeds to make fresh, nutritious, homegrown birdseed. Growing Plants for Feeding Birds Sunflowers should always be included in homegrown birdseed. The seeds provide energy for many birds, including finches, nuthatches, juncos, chickadees, cardinals, and grosbeaks, among others. These easy-to-grow plants are available in a variety of sizes....

What Plants are Poisonous to Bees? Believe it or not, there are flowers that are bad for bees. They cannot feed randomly on just any type of flower. Here are some examples of poisonous plants for bees: Carolina jessamine: This is a woody vine also known as yellow jessamine. It is found mostly in the southeastern U.S. Summer titi: Also called southern leatherwood or American cyrilla, summer titi should not be confused with spring titi, which is fine for honeybees....

How to Create a Pollinator Garden Pollinators thrive on flower nectar and pollen. Designate a section of the landscape strictly for a pollinator garden filled with a multitude of grasses, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Seek out a site that receives at least six hours of sun each day. If your space is limited, consider growing the pollinator garden plants in containers filled with rich, well-drained soil. Be sure to provide water sources for the pollinators....

In fact, many cultivars of this ornamental plant grow exceptionally well when potted into containers and grown outdoors. Though most azalea plants are hardy and robust, they will require some special care to survive from one season to the next. Becoming more familiar with winterizing outdoor potted azaleas will be key to growing this plant for years to come. Outdoor Winter Azalea Care Before planting azaleas in containers, growers will need to learn more about their own climate and growing zone....

What Causes White Pumpkin Leaves? The reason we have powdery mildew on our pumpkin leaves is due to a leaf-infecting disease that is very common. The name is, in fact, “powdery mildew” and is given to a group of diseases caused by related fungi. Each one has a different host, but they all share the same appearance – a grayish white, powdery carpet that can be seen on leaves, stems, and flowers....

Feeding Fresh Cut Flowers One of the more common ways to extend the life of cut flowers is with aspirin. While these tablets may keep the doctor away, there is little evidence they will keep your flowers fresh for any length of time, so this method is likely no more than a myth. Flowers that have been cut still need water and some form of carbohydrate to fuel continued beauty. The flower food for cut flowers that comes with the bouquet will be comprised of sugars and nutrients that are designed to keep blooms healthy and fresh....

How to Fix Wind Damaged Plants Garden plants whipped by strong winds often develop torn leaves and broken stems. Prompt pruning helps prevent diseases that enter through ragged breaks and gives the plant a chance to regrow. Snip broken stems below the damage and remove tattered leaves by pinching. When you tackle these tasks right away, the plant recovers quickly and more completely. Trees and woody shrubs with broken branches need special attention....

Trimming a weeping crabapple is essential to keep it healthy and blooming. Annual weeping crabapple pruning also helps maintain the tree in an attractive shape. If you are wondering how to prune a weeping crabapple, read on for info and tips. Pruning Weeping Crabapple Trees The flowering crabapple tree known as “Louisa” is an ornamental, beloved for its dramatic, weeping shape. It grows to 15 feet (5 m.) tall and wide in U....

Choosing Red Apples As mentioned above, choosing an apple tree with red fruit is a matter of taste, of course, but there are a few other considerations. About the only thing that apples that are red have in common is, that they are red. First off, not every red apple variety will be suited to your neck of the woods. Be sure that you are selecting only apples that thrive in your region....

What is Redwood Sorrel? Redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) is a low-growing flowering plant that is native to western coastal regions of the United States. Hardy to USDA growing zone 7, this perennial plant is ideal for use as a groundcover and in wild plantings like woodland gardens. While the plant is quite small, the unique clover-shaped foliage and white-pink flowers are an excellent way to add visual interest and texture to landscape plantings....

Regional Gardening in December Here are some tips to help you put together a December to-do list with an eye on regional gardening. Northwest The Pacific Northwest is likely to be mild and wet with rainfall, but that makes some of your December garden chores easier. Be sure to wear rain boots when you go out. Planting is still possible for lucky Pacific Northwest gardeners, so put in new trees and shrubs to your heart’s content....

Rigid Goldenrod Info These goldenrod plants, with their tall, straight stems topped by yellow flowers, are impressive. The straight stems of stiff goldenrod plants can grow to 5 feet (1.5 m.) tall. They bear small yellow flowers on top of the stems. The blossoms appear in July or August and last through October. The flowers grow in flat-topped inflorescences. In addition to adding a unique and colorful touch to your wildflower garden, growing stiff goldenrod is a sure way to attract bees and butterflies....

What are Romeo Cherries? Romeo is a newer variety of cherry that was developed at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. It belongs to a group of cherry varieties developed there that are often called prairie cherries. They were all designed to be hardy, resist diseases, grow small, and produce a lot of fruit. The Romeo variety produces dark red, juicy cherries that are more tart than sweet but have a delicious flavor....

Growing Catnip from Cuttings Cats are gaga over catnip, and it’s probably not the pretty foliage that attracts them. But it is the pretty, heart-shaped leaves growing in an open mound about 3 feet (1 m.) tall that gardeners enjoy. Catnip plants also produce blue flowers throughout the season. This makes catnip a truly ornamental plant to have around. If you or your cat insist on getting more plants than you have, it’s quite easy to grow new catnip from cuttings....

What are Rose Borers? There are actually several wasps and bees that nest in the center pith of cut rose bush canes. The cane boring insects bore a hole down into the center pith of the rose canes in order to create nests for their young. The two most common cane borers are actually small wasps. They are very active at seeking out the cut ends of rose canes to bore down into from early spring all the way through early fall....

Signs of Root Rot in Christmas Cactus A holiday cactus with root rot displays wilted, limp, sagging growth, but an inspection of the roots will tell the tale. Remove the plant gently from its pot. If the cactus is affected by rot, the roots will display blackened tips. Depending on the severity of the disease, rotten Christmas cactus roots will be slimy with black or brown decay. If you determine that your Christmas cactus is rotting, it’s critical to act fast....

Can You Grow Plants in Plastic Pots? The simple answer to this question is, of course. Durability, lightweight, flexibility, and strength are some advantages of growing plants in plastic containers. Plastic pots and containers are excellent choices for moisture loving plants, or for those of us who are less than regular with irrigation. They are made in every color of the rainbow and are usually made of inert material, often recycled....