Hedge Rose Varieties There are many types of plants that make beautiful hedges. Using roses for hedges adds that extra something to the landscape. All the hedge row varieties are nicely behaved to USDA zone 2. They have no major pest problems and many are even unpalatable to deer. Giving them a good start at planting will start these roses off to best advantage and minimize future hedge rose care. Depending how tall you want your border, there are tall and short roses for hedges....

About Heliconia Pruning In order to understand how to prune lobster claw, you need to get an overview of the plant structure. The plant leaves look like banana leaves, and the stems are formed by a series of leaf bases. Heliconia blossoms form at the terminal end of each plant stem. Lobster claw Heliconia flowers stand upright and are extremely decorative and flashy. Pruning a Heliconia plant should be kept to a minimum because of its unique growth pattern....

What is Ginseng Used For? Ginseng remedies are often seen in holistic or natural health food stores. It may be raw but is generally sold in a drink or capsule. In Asian markets, it is often found dried. There are many purported uses for ginseng, but no actual medical evidence of its effects. Nevertheless, ginseng remedies are big business and most studies seem to agree it actually can help reduce the incidence and duration of the common cold....

Read on to find out what herbs will grow in one pot and other helpful information about growing herb plants together. Herbs to Grow Together in a Pot Consider height when selecting herbs to grow together in a pot. Tall herbs, like fennel, will look rather ridiculous for the scale of a smaller pot, and they may even become too top heavy, causing the container to fall over. If possible, mix in some trailing herbs to cascade over the container edges....

How do you Attract Purple Martin Birds? Purple Martins (Progne subis) are the largest species in the swallow family in the U.S. These social birds are often welcomed for their aerial displays and melodious chatter. What attracts Purple Martins? Well, what is attracting to Purple Martins would seem to be food, but the fact is, these birds eat on the fly, literally. They have a very diverse diet consisting of all kinds of insects, but they don’t ever settle down to eat....

How Hardy are Lavender Plants? It has ancient medicinal properties, a heady fragrance and season-long spectacular purple to white flower spikes. Bees love it, it dries well and the scent remains long after the flowers have died. There are no reasons not to grow lavender, but is it right for your zone? With a sunny, well-draining location and plenty of spring and summer sun, the plants will thrive, but when winter comes, they are often killed to the ground if temperatures are too cold....

What are Heirloom Seeds? There are four characteristics that qualify seeds as heirloom. First off the plant must be open-pollinated. Open-pollinated means the plant has not been cross-pollinated with another varietal and is naturally pollinated via the wind, bees, or other insects. Another quantifier is that the varietal needs to be at least fifty years old; many times passed down from generation to generation and often older than half a century....

What are Cycads? Cycad plants are hardy, evergreen gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) that grow in sand or hard rock. Cycads are dioecious plants; there are separate male and female plants. The female plant produces seeds, and the male plant produces cones filled with pollen. The most popular cycad is the sago palm. They are slow growing and have a long life. They usually grow to 3 to 5 feet (91 cm-1-1/2 m....

Details on Echeveria Plants Echeveria spp. stem from thick-leaved rosettes. The leaves are fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. Often the leaves are colored and a firm touch can mar the skin and leave marks. The Echeveria succulent plant is slow growing and usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches (31 cm.) in height or spread. Native from Texas to Central America, the plants prefer desert conditions, but will tolerate periods of moisture as long as they are allowed to dry out before applying more water....

How to Grow Ginger Root Planting ginger starts with finding some ginger root to plant. You can find a ginger root dealer online, but just as easily you can head to your local grocery store and buy a ginger root right out of the produce section for growing ginger plants. Choose a healthy, plump looking ginger root that is about 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm.) long with at least a few “fingers....

Why Can’t I Grow Grass Under a Tree? Grass seldom grows well under trees due to the shade. Most types of grass prefer sunlight, which gets blocked out by the shade casted from tree canopies. As trees grow, the amount of shade increases and eventually the grass beneath begins to die. Grass also competes with trees for moisture and nutrients. Therefore, the soil becomes drier and less fertile. Rain shielded from the tree’s canopy can also limit the amount of moisture in the soil....

Using Seaweed as Fertilizer for Plants There are many benefits to using seaweed in the garden, and many different ways to use it. Like most organic material, seaweed improves soil structure, increasing soil porosity while also improving moisture retention. Nutrients in the seaweed also stimulate beneficial soil bacteria, creating rich, healthy soil for flowerbeds or edible gardens. For this purpose, dried seaweed is tilled or turned directly into the garden’s soil....

How to Plant Violets in Pots Violets are readily available in most garden stores, but it’s easy to start violet seeds indoors about 10 to 12 weeks before the last expected frost in your area. Violets are relatively slow to germinate. Simply fill a planting tray with a good quality potting mix (be sure the container has at least one drainage hole). Sprinkle the seeds lightly over the surface of the soil and cover them with 1/8 inch (3 mm....

How and When to Prune a Grapevine Grapes should be pruned during their dormancy, usually in late winter. When it comes to pruning grapes, the most common mistake people make is not pruning hard enough. Light pruning doesn’t promote adequate fruiting whereas heavy pruning provides the greatest quality of grapes. Knowing how to prune grapes can make the difference between a good crop and a bad one. When pruning grapes, you’ll want to cut off as much of the old wood as possible....

How to Winterize a Holly Desiccation occurs when moisture is lost faster than it can be absorbed, usually due to harsh winter winds, sunlight, and long periods of cold, dry weather. It is most likely to occur to young hollies during the first couple of winters. You can apply holly winter protection in the form of an anti-desiccant but follow directions closely because applying the products too early can cause more harm than good....

Hubbard Squash Information The hubbard squash has an extremely hard outer shell and can, therefore, be stored for long periods of time — up to six months. The green to gray-blue shell isn’t edible but the orange flesh inside is delicious and nutritious. Consistently sweet, hubbard squash has virtually no fat and is low in sodium. A cup of this squash has 120 calories, a good amount of dietary fiber and vitamins A and C....

When Do Hydrangeas Bloom? Hydrangeas are woody flowering shrubs grown for their beautiful blossoms. As to when hydrangeas bloom, the simple answer is that a usually a hydrangea flowers from mid-spring through the late summer or early fall. The answer isn’t more definitive because the timing for hydrangea flowers depends on other factors besides just being a hydrangea. So, if you have a hydrangea that’s not blooming this season, you may need to learn more about your specific variety and other factors that can influence its flowering....

Identifying Scarlet Pimpernel Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is an annual weed that is quick to invade cultivated areas such as lawns, gardens, and agricultural lands. Scarlet pimpernel looks a lot like chickweed, with small, oval leaves growing opposite of each other on plants that grow no more than 1 foot (30.5 cm.) tall. The two main differences between the weeds are found in the stems and the flowers. The stems are round on chickweed plants and square on scarlet pimpernel....

Southern Blight of Apples For years, scientists thought that southern blight in apple trees was only a problem in warm climates. They believed that the fungus structures that overwinter were not cold hardy. However, this is no longer considered true. Gardeners in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan have reported incidents of southern blight of apples. It is now known that the fungus can survive winter cold, especially when it is covered up and protected by layers of snow or mulch....

Types of Sunflower Seeds There are two kinds of sunflowers grown commercially: oilseed sunflowers and confection sunflowers. Oilseed flowers are grown for oil production and birdseed. Sunflower oil is low in saturated fats and doesn’t have a strong taste. It is growing in popularity due to its heart-healthy reputation. Confection sunflowers produce seeds that are large gray and black striped seeds that are sold for snacks. They are sold either in the shell, roasted or salted, or shelled for salads and baking....