Snapp Stayman Information According to Snapp apple history, Stayman apples were developed in Kansas near the end of the Civil War by horticulturalist Joseph Stayman. The Snapp cultivar of Stayman apples was discovered in the orchard of Richard Snapp of Winchester, Virginia. This apples is descended from Winesap, with much of the same qualities, and a few of its own. Snapp Stayman apple trees are semi-dwarf trees, reaching mature heights of about 12 to 18 feet (4 to 6 m....

Landscaping with and Growing Tall Flowers Designing and landscaping your garden requires you to consider all different kinds of elements, like color and texture as well as matching plants to growing conditions. It’s easy to look mostly at the horizontal space in the garden when landscaping, but don’t forget vertical space. By designing beds to have a variety of plant heights, you’ll enhance the dimensions of your garden. Use flowers with height to anchor a space, serve as a backdrop for shorter plants, as privacy screening, and as borders....

Growing Twinflowers in the Garden Those looking to learn how to grow Dyschoriste twinflowers will find that it’s quite easy. Twinflower plants are small and delicate, reaching a maximum height of 6-12 inches (15-30 cm.). Because of this, they make for beautiful groundcover and are particularly effective as a low tier plant in a mixed plant container arrangement or wildflower garden. They reproduce both by underground runners and by seed, and can be grown from either seeds or cuttings....

Velvet Love Impatiens Information Impatiens morsei, also known as the Velvet Love impatiens, or velvetea, is a variety from China that has foliage and flowers unlike most impatiens you’ve seen. It may be difficult to find in your local nursery but is worth tracking down, online if necessary. The common name comes from the fact that the leaves are a soft, velvety deep green. They are so dark they appear black in certain light....

While tropical bushes won’t survive the freezes your garden will experience, hardy shrubs for zone 6 are not rare. You’ll find both deciduous bushes and evergreens among the zone 6 shrubs available. Types of Bushes for Zone 6 When you are growing shrubs in zone 6, you’ll have many options. That means you can afford to figure out in advance what types of bushes for zone 6 would work best in your backyard....

About Hawthorn Trees A hawthorn tree is a hardy, fruit-bearing, flower-growing tree that has been known to live for up to 400 years. The hawthorn flowers twice a year and from the flowers comes the fruit. Each flower produces seed, and from the seed, shiny red berries hang in clusters from the tree. The best climate for growing hawthorn trees is in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. These trees love full sun and good drainage....

Sun Tolerant Plants for Zone 8 Zone 8 in the U.S. is a temperate climate with mild winters and stretches from patchy areas of the west coast, through Texas and the middle section of the southeast. It’s a pleasant climate and one in which a lot of different plants thrive. There are some, though, that won’t tolerate the heat, the sunlight, or the potential for drought. That said, there are many more that will tolerate such conditions in the landscape....

Bulbs and Soil Conditions One reason you may see bulbs coming out of the ground is improper site condition. Soil for bulbs needs to be rich and organic, well worked, and free draining. Bulbs will rot in boggy soil, and they have difficulty growing up through hard pan or heavy clay. Amend the bed with plenty of organic matter to increase porosity or the area will get waterlogged, freeze, and force the bulbs up out of the soil as it thaws and refreezes....

When to Prune Hemlocks If you find that you need to prune your hemlock tree, the best time for trimming hemlocks is either in spring or early summer. At this time, the tree is getting ready for or is already in active growth and will recover quickly from any hemlock pruning that needs to be done. In fall and winter, hemlocks are preparing to go dormant and are hardening themselves to be able to withstand the cold of winter....

Fresh Rosemary Wreaths Even if you aren’t particularly crafty, these small rosemary wreaths come together with only a few simple supplies. The basic supplies needed for a DIY rosemary Christmas wreath are listed below. Fresh rosemary sprigsScissors and/or wire cutters and pruning shearsWire, ribbon, or zip tieOptional: Pen or sharpie/ miniature embroidery hoop or hose clamp, hot glue gun How to Make a DIY Rosemary Christmas Wreath There are several iterations of this project depending on how you wish to use the fresh rosemary wreaths....

Why Build a DIY Insect Hotel? All insects don’t fly south when winter approaches. Some board down the hatches and go into diapause, a suspended state of development, kind of like hibernation. Homemade hotels for insects fill a role that many people think doesn’t need to be filled. After all, don’t insects find shelter and a place to raise the next generation on their own anyway? It turns out that many gardeners are too tidy....

What is a Hot Bed? A hot bed, also known as a hot box, is a heated cold frame. A cold frame is a plant bed that is protected from the environment to keep it a little bit warmer than outside the frame. Essentially, a hot box is a miniature greenhouse. The main reason to use a hot box is to extend the growing season. There are several ways to do this, and many other reasons to look into garden hot box plans and to build your own....

When to Pick Sloes Prunus spinosa or blackthorn bush is a species of flowering plant commonly found growing along rivers, canals and in hedgerows. The blooms give way to deep purple fruit in the fall. When to pick sloes has become somewhat of a contentious subject, but what is certain is when picking sloes for a sloe gin recipe, you should either pick after a freeze or pick earlier and freeze the fruit yourself....

Dusting and Cleaning Houseplant Leaves Dust diminishes the ability of the leaves to function. The leaves need to breathe in order to grow. Dust will block the breathing pores (stomata) and reduce the amount of light that can feed the growth-activating cells within the leaves. Many houseplants are kept and grown specifically for their beautiful leaves. If the leaves become dirty or damaged, it takes away from the beauty of your indoor garden....

Mango Fruit Harvest Mangos (Mangifera indica) reside in the family Anacardiaceae along with cashews, spondia, and pistachios. Mangos originated in the Indo-Burma region of India and are grown throughout the tropical to subtropical lowlands of the world. They have been cultivated in India for over 4,000 years, gradually making their way to the Americas during the 18th century. Mangos are grown commercially in Florida and are suited to landscape specimens along the southeastern and southwestern coastal areas....

How to Grow Peanuts Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) prefer a long, warm growing season and are typically planted from mid to late spring (after the threat of frost has passed) through mid-summer. When you are growing peanuts, plant them in well-draining, sandy soil that is rich in organic matter such as leaves, compost, or well-rotted manure. They also need to be planted in a sunny location. Planting requirements vary somewhat among peanut varieties....

How Do You Get Rid of Elephant Ears? Giant elephant ear (Colocasia gigantea) and Taro (Colocasia esculenta) are plants in the Colocasia family that both get referred to as elephant ears. The common elephant ear can grow up to 9 feet (2.7 m.) tall though, while Taro, only grows to about 4 feet (1.2 m.). Elephant ears are native to Central and South America where their large tubers are eaten like a potato....

A quick and healthy family meal might just start with tacos. They may contain meat or be a vegetarian version, but one thing a good taco needs is beautiful salsa. Mexican vegetables are readily available in grocery stores, but for the purest flavor, a salsa garden just outside can’t be beat. Those juicy, ripe tomatoes are bursting with sweetness, and the bright green leaves of cilantro add just the right amount of citrus/grassiness....

How to Grow Vegetables on a Hillside The degree of slope affects the type of irrigation you can use, and the slope of the land determines which way the rows run in your garden. The best solution for hillsides is to plant your vegetables across the slope using contour rows, terraces, or raised beds. This not only makes it easier for you but also prevents problems with erosion. Also, take advantage of microclimates when placing crops....

Do Fruit Trees Attract Wasps? Almost an inane question, “Do fruit trees attract wasps?” While wasps feed on a variety of pests during the early to mid growing season, their interest shifts from those protein sources to the irresistible sugary taste of ripe berries and fruits in the late summer to early fall. Don’t we all lust after the fresh produce of that season? It’s no wonder wasps in fruit trees are as intrinsic as people in fruit trees....