How to Make an Herb Wall Garden Vertical herb garden ideas abound and it’s a creative, fun and useful project. Let’s look at how to make a DIY herb wall. There are all sorts of really cool indoor and outdoor vertical herb gardens that can be purchased, and most of them are pretty pricey. If you like to tinker a bit and have more time than money, a DIY herb wall garden is the perfect fit for you....
There’s an unspoken bond between kids and bugs, especially in the summer when all sorts of interesting insects are wandering around, just begging to be caught and put into an old mayonnaise jar. If you’ve been looking for an interesting summertime project for your family, you should consider keeping silkworms as pets. Not only are silkworms easy to raise, but they also quickly mature into moths and fly away....
Why Do Cucumbers Have Tendrils? Cucumber plants are vines and in the wild, they are meant to climb up objects in order to take the best advantage of sun exposure. The higher up a cucumber plant can climb, the less likely it is that they will compete with other plants for sunshine. In order to do this, cucumber plants have evolved with a system where specially developed leaves are sensitive to touch....
Planting Thyme Indoors Thyme is both a culinary and aromatic herb. An excellent container for growing thyme is a clay planter. Other types of pots will suffice, but a clay pot will allow the thyme herb to dry out between watering and prevent overly wet roots as thyme isn’t tolerant of soggy root conditions. The container should have at least one large drainage hole. A good mix of sand, potting soil, peat moss and perlite will provide adequate nutrients and drainage....
What Blackberries are Invasive? Of all the species of blackberry (Rubus), cutleaf blackberry (R. laciniatus) and Himalaya blackberry (R. discolor) are the most destructive. Fortunately, these invasive blackberry plants are easy to distinguish from other blackberries. While most blackberries have round stems, cutleaf and Himalayan blackberries have ridged stems with five angles. The leaves of Himalayan and cutleaf blackberries have five leaflets where most other types have only three leaflets. Weedy blackberries spread underground and take root wherever the long, arching vines touch the ground....
How to Make an Irish Garden Crafting an Irish garden is all about making it your own as well as being inspired by and using Irish gardening ideas. You may not be able to recreate a perfect Irish garden if you don’t have the climate for it, but there are still many ideas you can incorporate. For instance, start with architecture. Ireland is full of stone and slate, and the gardens use these materials in low walls, walkways, and decorative elements....
Is Lithodora frost hardy? Keep reading to find out. Is Lithodora Frost Hardy? If you want a no-fuss, easy-to-grow, sprawling, blooming beauty, try growing Lithodora. It grows natively in a Mediterranean climate and needs plenty of water to produce an abundance of flowers. It blooms in spring, but in some climates, a second bloom in summer can be expected. Northern gardeners may have to provide Lithodora with winter protection, due to its half-hardy nature....
What are Canopy Soils? A canopy is the name given to the space made up of the collected treetops in a dense forest. These canopies are home to some of the greatest biodiversity on earth, but they are also some of the least studied. While some elements of these canopies remain a mystery, there is one we’re actively learning more about: soil in trees that develops far above the ground. Canopy soil isn’t found everywhere, but it has been documented in forests in North, Central, and South America, East Asia, and New Zealand....
What are Japanese Wineberries? Japanese wineberry plants (Rubus phoenicolasius) are non-native plants in North America, although they can be found from eastern Canada, New England and southern New York as well as into Georgia and west to Michigan, Illinois and Arkansas. Growing Japanese wineberries are native to East Asia, specifically northern China, Japan, and Korea. In these countries you are likely to find growing colonies of Japanese wineberries in lowland clearings, roadsides and mountain valleys....
About Javelina Resistant Plants There are plants that wild pigs don’t like and even some that repel them. Keep in mind, though, as with deer, if an animal is hungry enough, it will eat anything. So, if you’re in a prolonged drought or experiencing forest fires that are burning out their habitat, it is unlikely that you can keep them totally out of the garden. Be careful around javelina also, as they may harm people and pets when they feel trapped or threatened....
What is a Jicama? Okay, but what is a Jicama? In Spanish “jicama” refers to any edible root. Although sometimes referred to as a yam bean, jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) is unrelated to the true yam and tastes unlike that tuber. Jicama growing occurs under a climbing legume plant, which has extremely long and large tuberous roots. These tap roots may each get 6 to 8 feet (2 m.) within five months and weigh over 50 pounds with vines reaching lengths of up to 20 feet (6 m....
How to Avoid Garden Mistakes It may sound overly simplistic, but avoiding mishaps in gardens really comes down to long-term planning. Some of the most common garden mistakes are due to enthusiastic gardeners who don’t take the mature size of their favorite plants into consideration when designing a landscape or vegetable garden. It’s important to space your plants so they have plenty of room to grow — annual or perennial nursery plants don’t stay small for long....
How Much Water Do Lantana Plants Need? Plant watering needs vary by species and region. Lantana watering needs will differ in humid regions versus arid zones. Too much water may cause root rot and other problems while too little can affect foliage and flower development. Water application is always a fine line between too much and too little in any species. Watering lantana plants is necessary, but how do you determine how much and how frequently to do so?...
What is Potato Late Blight? Late blight of potatoes is caused by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Primarily a disease of potatoes and tomatoes, late blight may affect other members of the Solanaceae family as well. This fungal disease is fostered by periods of cool, wet weather. Infected plants may be killed off within a couple of weeks from infection. Symptoms of Late Blight in Potatoes Initial symptoms of late blight include purplish-brown lesions on the surface of the potatoes....
How Do Plants Attract Pollinators? Wind, water, and animals are all potential vectors for pollination. Wind and water are passive, moving pollen by chance. Animals, on the other hand, are pollinators that move from one plant to another, taking pollen with them. This is a more active and productive form of pollination, but it requires that plants draw in pollinators. They attract bats, bees, butterflies, and other animals through showy flowers and some very specific adaptations....
How is Soil Made – What is Soil Made of? What is soil made of? Soil is a combination of both living and non-living materials. One part of soil is broken down rock. Another is organic matter made up of decaying plants and animals. Water and air are also a part of soil. These materials help support plant life by providing them with nutrients, water, and air. Soil is filled with many living creatures, like earthworms, which are responsible for keeping the soil healthy by creating tunnels in the soil that help with aeration and drainage....
Where are Lentils Grown? Where are lentils grown? Lentil cultivation occurs from the Near East to the Mediterranean, Asia, Europe, and in areas of the western hemisphere as well. Most lentil production in North America takes place in the Pacific Northwest, eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and up into western Canada, grown since the 1930’s as a rotation crop with wheat. Suited to the damper, cooler climates of these regions, lentils are primarily exported, although consumption in North America is on the rise....
The two most common types of locust trees are black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), also called false acacia, and honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and both types are North American natives. Except for a few thornless honey locust varieties, locust trees have fierce thorns that grow in pairs along the trunk and lower branches. Read on to find out how to grow a locust tree. Locust Tree Information Locust trees prefer full sun and tolerate reflected heat from structures....
Low Maintenance Garden Tips Low maintenance landscaping involves methods for reducing the amount of watering, weeding, pruning, deadheading, and dividing you have to do on a regular basis. One way to reduce watering and weeding is to add a thick layer of mulch, such as bark or shredded leaves, to your garden beds. The mulch will suppress weeds and retain soil moisture. You can also install a drip irrigation system on a timer, so you don’t have to wrestle with the hose....
Magnolia Tree Diseases The stately and ancient magnolia is a tree beloved by people everywhere, not just those native to the southern United States. Magnolias are so tough that many tree owners will never notice any real problems throughout their tree’s life, but when a sick magnolia tree is identified, the causal agent may be serious. There are several common magnolia diseases that you should be aware of, even if you’re lucky enough to never have to do anything with that information....
