Plant Basics

Lycopodium is a fern found growing wild in wooded areas. Common types include the Princess Pine, which is harvested for holiday decorations because it looks like a tiny Christmas tree. Lycopodium...

Grass can invade your perennial beds no matter what steps you take to prevent it. Proper soil preparation, solid bed edging and even weedcloth do not seem to deter crabgrass, Bermuda grass and...

The mushroom is the "fruit" of certain fungi, having evolved to enable the fungi to produce spores (the fungal equivalent of seeds) in large numbers. According to David Fischer, author of "Edible...

The Oregon wilderness is not only an outdoor enthusiast's dream; it's also a good place to scrounge up a good meal. But being able to identify what you're going to pick for your plate will mark...

Known as Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon can be one of the more unsightly spreading grasses gardeners have to handle. Growing aggressively, this weedy grass wilts early in the winter causing...

Starting a landscape nursery business is a great way to utilize farm space or achieve your dreams of profiting from your green thumb. A landscape plant nursery can sprout from your backyard or...

Mandevilla is a tropical vining plant with large, showy trumpet-like flowers and dark green, glossy leaves. It grows up to 20 feet tall outdoors in tropical climates and can only be overwintered...

Bamboo is a plant that proliferates quickly, and if not controlled, it can overtake your yard or garden. Running bamboo plants put out underground rhizomes that sprout new shoots periodically....

Texan is a large state with 267,399 square miles of growing area that includes mountains, prairies, piney woods and deserts. There are thousands of different plants growing wild; plants imported...

Grafting is a way of propagating plants, normally done when plants do not grow true from seed or when cuttings do not root well. Grafting is also a popular way of propagating fruit trees and...

People often use the words herbs and spices interchangeably, not realizing that they are two very different things. According to The Herb Companion, herbs are grown more worldwide and usually come...

Primroses belong to a large family of flowering plants that grow all over North and South America, Europe and Asia. And while they thrive in the right climate, they are notoriously difficult to...

There are very few of us who do not enjoy at least one house plant, either hanging or set on a small table and there a few of us who lavish each of our rooms with varieties of indoor plants. This...

There are millions of known plant materials in the world today and unknown millions may yet be undiscovered or are being created by scientists and garden enthusiasts. While plants are organized...

Grafting root stocks is basically a method for combining two different types of like plants. In other words, you can combine the rootstock of a fruit tree with upper portions of other fruit trees....

No question ivy is a beautiful, plentiful plant. It covers the ground and spreads quickly. Ivy effectively prevents soil erosion and remains green year-round. It also flows seamlessly over any...

When you try to raise a plant indoors, you face challenges if you want to make sure it keeps on growing. Plants in nature have adapted to the soil composition, the changing light, temperature and...

Never thought I'd say this, but food does taste better if it's grown in your own home garden. It took me a while to figure things out, but my neighbor helped. So, I started with tomatoes, peppers,...

Spring is on the way and that means an abundance of free, wild food will be available for your picking, preparing and devouring pleasure. Here are a few pointers to get you pointed in the right...

Many people enjoy growing grapes. They look lovely, and as an added bonus, they're tasty. However, they also do require a bit of regular maintenance, and part of that is keeping them pruned....

Nothing is quite as delicious as fresh-picked blackberries in the early summer. But blackberry bushes left untamed can be a nightmare. Although they produce a luscious fruit, the thorny limbs can...

Coleus plants were first discovered being cultivated in the Dutch colony of Java by Karl Ludwig Blume. Its original origins are not known, and as of today there are 150 different varieties of the...

Distillation is the process used to extract the oil from herbs and plants. The oil can later be used for aromatherapy or to alleviate various health problems. Some commonly used essential oils...

If you’ll just look closely (and are careful), you’ll discover that the woods can offer a variety of edible delights. You don’t have to pack all those canned and dried foods or go wild game...

Arizona is not known for its greenery, but weeds will be weeds and a way to grow even in compacted dirt. Dousing your land with ultra-toxic weed killer is one way to get rid of them, but it may...

Marijuana growers pay very special attention to their strains, and Acapulco Gold, a fine yellow plant grown near Acapulco, Mexico is one of the most sought after strains of marijuana grown in the...

Panama Red is a famous strain of marijuana made popular in the 1960's and 70's. Marijuana growers take their jobs seriously, and cultivating specialty strains, including Panama Red, is serious...