Lobelia Winter Hardiness Lobelia in winter will die back no matter which variety you have. However, the annual Lobelia may not come back at all even if it formed seed. This is due to incorrect germination requirements. However, it is easy to plant from seed in controlled situations. Perennial plants will die back but, if given proper care, should flourish anew when temperatures warm up. Lobelia erinus is the annual variety of the plant and comes in many species....

What is Ogon Spirea? Ogon spirea is a perennial shrub that reaches heights of up to 6 feet (1.8 m.) tall. The plants, native to Japan, were first introduced to the United States in 1993 by Barry Yinger. ‘Mellow Yellow’ spirea particularly appeals to many landscapers for its large wispy branches and interesting chartreuse willow-like foliage. Spirea thrives in a variety of growing conditions, making it an excellent choice for beginning gardeners wishing to add curb appeal to their properties....

What is Blue Holly? So exactly what is blue holly? According to Meserve holly information, blue or Meserve holly (Ilex x meserveae) is a holly hybrid developed by Mrs. F. Leighton Meserve. Her intent was to develop a cold hardy holly with attractive leaves. Mrs. Meserve crossed a type of holly with excellent cold hardiness with a holly species that was less cold hardy but has beautiful, shiny foliage. The resulting hybrids are termed blue holly and include a variety of cultivars with gorgeous blue-green leaves....

Mexican Fan Palm Info The Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) is native to the deserts of northern Mexico, though it can be grown through much of the American South and Southwest. The trees are hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11 and Sunset zones 8 through 24. They tend to grow to a height of 80 to 100 feet (24.5-30.5 m.). Their leaves are dark green and fan-shaped, reaching between 3 and 5 feet (1-1....

About Mexican Star Flowers Mexican star flowers are native to North America. You can see wild growing Mexican stars in both the southwestern states of this country, like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas as well as in Mexico. They prefer hilly areas with desert grassland and chaparral. All of the plants in the “Milla” genus are cormous. This means that they grow from bulb-like root structures called corms. Mexican star flowers are herbaceous perennial plants that grow from a large bulb or corm....

New York Aster Information New York aster (Aster Novi-belgii), or Michaelmas daisy, is a variety of aster that is taller, which makes it a good choice for a bed’s backdrop. Many of the cultivars of New York aster are very tall, more than 2 feet (61 cm.) and as tall as 6 feet (2 m.). Colors are varied too, with hundreds of cultivars in white, pink, purple, red, blue, yellow, orange, and even those with double blooms....

Tropical Monstera plants (Monstera deliciosa) thrive in most home interiors. The plants are thick-stemmed vines that support themselves on other vegetation in nature and produce long roots from the stem to supplement that support. Houseplant Monstera may require staking but they still produce stiff roots from the trunk. This can make repotting cheese plants something of a challenge. When to Repot Monstera Monstera plant care is relatively low maintenance. The plant needs warm interior temperatures of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 C....

What to Do in the Garden in May Here are some suggestions and gardening tips for May specifically for your region of the country. Northeast Maple syrup season has ended throughout throughout the northeastern states and it’s now time to focus on those monthly garden chores for May. Continue harvesting spring crops of asparagus, lettuce and peas Deadhead early spring flowers Harden off frost-tender annuals Plant summer-blooming bulbs Central Ohio Valley Expect changing weather patterns throughout the month across the Ohio Valley....

Some Fruit Drop in Avocado Trees is Normal An avocado tree will typically drop some of its unripe fruit in the summer simply because it has grown more fruit than the tree can reasonably support. This is normal and allows your tree to better support and develop the remaining fruit. Regular thinning of fruit can often help alleviate this. The fruit that drops may be very small, no bigger than a pea, or a little larger, like a walnut....

What are Nantes Carrots? Nantes carrots were first mentioned and described in the 1885 edition of the Henri Vilmorin family seed catalogue. He stated that this carrot variety has a nearly perfect cylindrical root and smooth, almost red, skin that is mild and sweet in flavor. Revered for their sweet, crisp flavor, Nantes carrots are rounded at both the tip and root end. Additional Nantes Carrot Information Carrots originated over 5,000 years ago in present day Afghanistan, and these first carrots were cultivated for their purple root....

How to Get a Hyacinth Bulb to Bloom Hyacinth flowers not blooming is a common garden problem with many easy solutions, depending on the cause of your bloom failure. Having no blooms on hyacinths is a frustrating problem. After all, these bulbs are practically fool proof. If you’ve got lots of stalks, but no hyacinth flowers, run down this checklist before you panic. Timing – Not all hyacinths bloom at the same time, though you can reasonably expect them to appear sometime in early spring....

Avocado You can grow an avocado tree just from the pit! Remove the pit from the avocado, rinse it, and soak it in a bowl of water for an hour. Then stick three toothpicks in it in the shape of a triangle, and rest it on a cup of water so just the flat bottom is submerged. Leave it in a warm and bright area, and soon it should crack open and grow roots!...

Pine Trees in the Northeast First, let’s clear something up. What’s the difference between a pine tree and a conifer? When we use the term “pine tree” or “evergreen,” we’re usually loosely talking about trees with needles that stay green all year — the traditional Christmas tree-style tree. These species also tend to produce pine cones, hence the name: coniferous. That being said, some of these trees actually are pine trees — those belong to the genus Pinus....

Rules for Oceanfront Gardening in Hawaii The most important rule for a Hawaiian oceanfront garden is mentioned above: use native Hawaiian beach plants. This is extremely important since the weather is warm year round and the soil is going to be more sand than anything else, meaning it doesn’t hold water well. This also means that Hawaiian plants for the beach garden should be drought and salt tolerant as well as able to withstand warm temperatures....

Using Painted Garden Stones and Rocks Putting painted rocks in your garden is limited only by your imagination. Rocks big or small, painted anyway you like, can set the tone for your beds, add an unexpected splash of color, and even serve as memorials. Here are some ideas for how to use this trendy new garden decoration: Use painted rocks as labels for your herb and vegetable garden. Just lay a rock down by each plant or row with the name or picture painted on the rock....

Will Pansies Bloom in the Heat? Pansies are a classic cool weather flower, used in most places as an annual. In some warmer and moderate climates, like parts of California, gardeners can grow them year round. In areas where the climate is more extreme with the seasons, it is more typical to grow them during the cooler parts of the year. These flowers generally do not want to bloom in the heat....

Patio Tomato Plant Info What is a Patio tomato? “Patio” isn’t just a generic name for a plant that can be grown in a pot. It’s actually the name of a specific cultivar that’s been bred with container life in mind. A dwarf variety, the Patio tomato plant grows to just 2 feet (60 cm.) in height. It is a very bushy determinate variety, which means it usually doesn’t even require any staking....

Paul Robeson History What are Paul Robeson tomatoes? First, we need to explore a more important question: Who was Paul Robeson? Born in 1898, Robeson was a spectacular Renaissance man. He was a lawyer, athlete, actor, singer, orator, and polyglot. He was also African American, and frustrated with the racism that perpetually held him back. He was drawn to Communism for its claims of equality and became very popular in the USSR....

Peony botrytis blight is especially frustrating, as it can lead to the loss of flower blooms. What is Botrytis Blight on Peony? Also known as gray mold, botrytis blight is caused by a fungus which, while unsightly and concerning, is not deadly. In peony plants, either Botrytis cinerea or Botrytis paeoniae fungus is the culprit. Peony botrytis blight is most common when the spring weather is especially cool and rainy....

About Peony-Leaf Voodoo Lilies This specific species of voodoo lily with peony leaves (hence, the name) was introduced by horticulturist Alan Galloway. It was discovered in Phang Nga, Thailand in 2011. These wild-growing, peony-leaf voodoo lilies were approximately 9 feet (2.5 m.) tall and 9 feet (2.5 m.) wide. Container-grown species are reported to grow 5 feet (1.5 m.) tall and wide. Peony-leaf voodoo lilies produce a large green-purple spathe, out of which grows a large purple-black spadix....