Phomopsis Gall on Forsythia The bright yellow flowers of the forsythia herald spring, but when your bushes develop unusual swellings on their branches, it’s hardly a cheery start to the season. Galls aren’t uncommon problems for woody plants and trees, but unlike most common galls, forsythia phomopsis gall is caused by an aggressive fungus. The fungus Phomopsis spp. is responsible for the irregular swellings that appear throughout affected forsythia shrubs. These galls are typically 1 to 2 inches (2....

How to Plant Foxtail Lilies When planting the foxtail lily bulb, choose a location in well-draining soil that has been enriched with compost or other organic matter. While adequate drainage is important with these plants, also keep in mind that they do not like overly dry situations either. Planting of foxtail lily flower usually takes place in autumn (around September). The tuberous roots, which are extremely brittle, should be planted about 4 inches (10 cm....

Some of our most common plants could show us the dark side of nature if we don’t approach them with caution. The Dark Side of Nature Poisonous plants have a well-established place in history, both for their potential to harm, but also occasionally for their ability to heal. A little bit of some plants can actually be a boon, but you must approach with caution, as these dangerous garden denizens can also kill you....

Increase Your Home’s Curb Value “Curb value” is a term used in the real estate business to indicate the impression a house makes from the street in front of it. How attractive is your home to visitors walking in the front gate? Upkeep on the house, such as new paint, modern windows, and a finished driveway all play a role in a home’s attractiveness. Assuming the basics are in order, you can further increase your home’s curb appeal by upgrading the front yard landscaping and fixing any landscape issues....

Garden Tips and Tricks to Engage Kids Gardening with kids helps teach them about nature and the world around them. Here are some tips to help get the kiddos outside and make gardening easier: Cinnamon, pepper, and sand: My son has a sandbox and it’s one of his favorite places to spend the day. Cinnamon sprinkled into the sand helps keep bugs out and it also smells great! Another idea is to sprinkle a perimeter around the sandbox or garden area with black pepper, which is said to help keep ants out....

Growing Plants for Healthy Skin Part of having healthy skin is keeping your skin both hydrated and free of toxins. Growing houseplants can achieve both of these. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. Not only that, it is also a major detoxification organ. Many houseplants have been proven to detoxify the air, thus lessening the burden on our skin and body in detoxifying. A famous NASA study has documented the ability of various plants in being able to remove many VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that many materials inside of our homes emit....

Plants for an Indoor Atrium Garden A number of plants are suitable for indoor atriums and include those for both low light and sunny locations. Low or Moderate Light Plants for Atriums Most indoor plants require sunlight, and low light doesn’t mean no light. However, some plants perform best a few feet (1 m.) away from direct light– usually in locations bright enough to read a book during the middle of the day....

Garden Inspired Cocktails There are a number of good herbs for mixed drinks. Here are some of the most common: Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is the mint of choice for mint julips. Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is terrific in vodka or gin gimlets. Shiso (Perilla frutescens) can replace mint and add a snazzy zip to mojitos. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) will enlighten your average gin and tonic. Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) is yummy in sangria....

What Is a Goth Garden? Popular in the Victorian era, these once picturesque gardens used to be the equivalent to a fun-filled theme park in their day. Loaded with carefully orchestrated effects and morbid reflections of death, the gothic garden drew crowds then for the same reason horror flicks grab our attention today– a good scare. This, of course, need not always be the case. Gothic garden design can take on a more magical concept too, depending on the gardener....

ornamental plants cactus cotton nuts conifers shade trees Cotton root rot on grapevines is devastating for growers in Texas and much of the southwestern United States. The grape phymatotrichum fungus lives deep in the soil where it survives almost indefinitely. This type of root rot disease is extremely difficult to control, but the following information may help. Grapes with Cotton Root Rot Grape cotton root rot is active in the summer months when soil temperatures are at least 80 degrees F....

About Topsy Turvy Succulents The Topsy Turvy plant is a cultivar of Echeveria runyonii that has won awards and is simple to grow, even for beginner gardeners. Topsy Turvy forms rosettes of leaves that grow up to between 8 and 12 inches (20.5 and 30.5 cm.) in height and width. The leaves are a silvery green color, and they grow with a lengthwise fold that brings the edges downward. In the other direction, the leaves curl upward and toward the center of the rosette....

This airy shrub has aromatic green, silvery green, yellow, or green and white foliage depending upon the cultivar. Caryopteris blue mist shrub’s prized feature, however, is the blue to purple blooms, flowering in late summer all the way up until the first heavy winter frost. The flowers on growing blue mist shrubs are great attractors for pollinators such as butterflies and bees. How to Grow a Blue Mist Shrub Blue mist shrub planting can occur in USDA zones 5 through 9 and is deciduous in most regions, although it may remain evergreen in mild climates....

What are Capers? Caper plants (Capparis spinosa) are usually found growing wild in the Mediterranean in dry stony areas similar to those where olives are grown. Capers grow in viney brambles, much like blackberries do in North America. Cultivation of a caper bush is most often found in Spain and Africa, but in the past, Southern Russia was also an exporter. Growing capers are, as mentioned, the buds of a shrub-like perennial (3 to 5 feet (1 to 1....

What are Chinese Chestnuts? If you plant a Chinese chestnut tree, your neighbors will probably ask the inevitable question: “What are Chinese chestnuts?” A full answer includes both the tree of that name and the nut of that tree. Chinese chestnut trees (Castanea mollissima) are medium height trees with spreading branches. The leaves are glossy and dark green. The tree produces delicious and edible nuts called chestnuts or Chinese chestnuts. Chestnuts grow on the trees inside spikey burs, each about an inch (2....

Growing Conditions for Aloes Aloe plants are native to Africa and grow in many climates. There are over 400 species of aloe, with Aloe vera one of the best known. Aloe vera is not frost tolerant and cannot withstand chilling temperatures, but there are alpine varieties that have cold tolerance to nearly freezing. Aloe grows in USDA zones 8 to 11 outdoors. Can you grow aloe outside of these zones? You can in the summer in a container, but you should move it indoors for the cold season....

Plants as Gifts Plants make perfect gifts. They provide a relaxing vision, last for a long period, and are economical. Plants as gifts for holidays or special occasions can come in the form of a potted indoor plant, specialty flower, or even a new tree for your landscape. The types usually bestowed are from the grocery store floral department or big box store holiday displays. Growing holiday plants in their season generally requires average plant care....

How to Grow an Orange Tree If you’ve not planted an orange tree yet, but are thinking of growing one, you may be thinking of starting one from orange tree seeds. Some orange varieties may come true from seeds, but most often commercial growers use trees that are grafted through a process called budding. Seed grown trees often have a short lifespan, as they are susceptible to foot and root rot....

How to Start an Organic Herb Garden Apart from convenience, one of the best things about growing your own food is that you know exactly what goes into producing it. Growing organic herbs in your garden is as easy as using only organic certified materials and avoiding non-certified ones. Since you’re in control, there are no surprise chemicals and being in control of herbs is so easy. Most of the popular herbs in Western cooking are native to the Mediterranean, so they thrive in similar conditions....

How to Prevent Forked Parsnips Parsnips germinated indoors in typical germination trays are almost guaranteed to have deformed roots. Trays used to germinate other seeds are too shallow for parsnips. When a parsnip seed germinates, it first sends down its deep taproot (single plunging root) and only later sends up a tiny shoot with its first leaves. This means by the time you see the seedling emerge from the soil, its root has already hit the bottom of the tray and begun to coil or fork....

What is Peppergrass? Peppergrass is an annual, or winter annual, that will grow in most climates. It can thrive in many types of soil, in full sun to partial shade. It is often found in disturbed ground and in urban areas, like vacant lots and roadsides. The plant can grow to three feet (1 m.) in height and become bushy when it has no other competition. It starts out as a low-growing rosette that bolts upward rapidly to form long, thin leaves, small white flowers, and seed pods....