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When it comes to pruning hydrangeas, there are a few important rules that you're going to want to follow. Learn about pruning rules for hydrangeas with help from a professional gardener in this free video clip.
Despite its name and fern-like appearance, the frosty fern plant (Selaginella Krausianna Variegatus) isn't a fern, but a member of the Selaginellaceae, or spike moss family. Although it is a perennial suitable for growing outdoors in the warm climates of U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 11 to 15, it is most commonly grown as an indoor plant. This easy-to-grow plant is propagated by stems cuttings or divisions.
Agave plants are succulents that feature thick, water-filled leaves. They thrive in dry, hot conditions and can live for long periods without water. If the weather is too harsh, agave plants becomes dormant, shedding leaves until they take in water again. Agave plants can also suffer from a variety of diseases and pest infestations. Examining your agave plant’s symptoms is the best way to determine the best treatment to nurse the plant back to health.
When aloe vera leaves wither or wilt, the problem is usually related to the way you water the plant. Many people think that because an aloe vera plant has thick, succulent leaves that hold moisture, the plant doesn't need as much water as other houseplants. Nothing could be further from the truth. An aloe vera plant needs soil that is lightly moist throughout spring and summer. Plants may also wilt when grown in wet soil. Overwatering leads to root rot, and once damaged, the roots can no longer absorb water properly.
Stem rot and root rot on a bamboo plant are nearly impossible to treat once infected. The best way to protect your plants from these fungal pathogens is to take preventative measures and to separate healthy plants from dying infected plants. An infected plant will have yellow or wilting leaves and lesions on the stem. If you break open the stem of a plant with stem rot, the stem will be decaying or dead inside.
“Annabelle” is a cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens, also known as wild hydrangea, smooth hydrangea or seven bark, which refers to the Native American name for the plant. “Annabelle” is native to the United States, and is found naturally from southern New England to the South and throughout the Midwest. It prefers shady woodlands and acid soil in moist locations. In optimal conditions, the plants can spread by underground runners to colonize entire areas. The florets are sterile, so cuttings and divisions are the most reliable methods to propagate “Annabelle” Hydrangeas.
Native to Africa, aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is a succulent plant known for the healing gel found in its long, spiny leaves. Although there are more than 300 species of aloe, the one most traditionally known is aloe vera. Its gel is extracted and found in medicines, creams and cosmetics. To use the gel at home, snip off one of the leaves and extract the gel by gently squeezing the end of the leaf. The gel soothes a sunburn, minor kitchen burn or myriad, minor skin conditions. When your aloe plant produces sprouts around its base, transplant the sprouts to…
The Alaska fiddlehead fern, also commonly called the ostrich fern, is a large, showy plant. Each individual frond can be as much as 12 inches wide and 5 feet long, and is shaped much like the plumage of an ostrich. The huge size, rich green color, and the fern's adaptability (it's hardy down to USDA hardiness zone 2) make it popular with many people. Transplanting the ostrich fern is not difficult, and with care you can have it growing almost anywhere you want with a minimum of effort.
Spider ivy plants are an excellent houseplant choice for both beginners and those who possess a green thumb. Even though this plant is simple to care for, it can become unhealthy. The deteriorating health of a spider plant, also known as Chlorophytum comosum, is typically due to basic care issues. By addressing those issues and maintaining proper basic care, you can revive your spider ivy plant for many more years of indoor gardening enjoyment.
Lucky bamboo is the common name for Dracaena Sanderiana, of the lily family. It is an excellent choice for indoor areas with bright light, such as near a sliding glass door or sunny window. Lucky bamboo is an attractive plant that needs minimal care. It grows taller somewhat differently than other houseplants. The stalks stop growing when you prune them. The stalk propagates sprouts that increase the plant’s height. If you decide to trim the sprouts, or to cut the stalk into two pieces, you can transfer lucky bamboo from a pot to a vase. It grows well in soil…
Ginger rhizomes, often seen for sale in the produce section of Asian supermarkets, add a zesty taste to tea, meals and baked goods. When planted in the garden, a ginger rhizome develops into a handsome tropical plant. If allowed to grow for several years, the ginger plant develops large, brightly colored flowers that attract wildlife. Ginger plants grow best in warm climates, but if you protect the rhizomes from the cold, they will go dormant and survive even an icy winter. Mulching works best for gingers in cool climates. If temperatures in your area dip below freezing, bring your ginger…
Aloe vera plants rarely require repotting because the plants thrive when root bound in a smaller pot. The plants only need transplanting when they become so large that the roots begin pushing the plant from the pot or when the plant becomes top heavy and causes the pot to fall over. Cutting away the young plants around the base of the mother aloe vera during repotting allows you to grow more plants and also ensures that the plant isn't wasting energy supporting these smaller aloes.
Hydrangeas are often a staple in the home garden, adding large splashes of color during the late spring and summer months. If your hydrangeas are not blooming, make a few cultural changes to force them to bloom. Continue to care for them properly, and your hydrangeas should once again become reliable bloomers. You can also force some hydrangeas to bloom pink, blue or purple flowers to add that missing or special flower color you've always wanted in your landscape.
Although the characteristic yellow flowers of black-eyed Susans are frequently seen along highways and roadsides, they are also easy to grow in the home garden. They are tolerant of cold and drought and are also insect-resistant, which makes them ideal for a low-maintenance flower garden.
A member of the Agave family, yucca plants are hardy evergreens with more than 50 species. These plants are drought tolerant and adapt well to most light conditions, from full sun to partial shade. Although wilting is a common symptom for the suffering yucca, there are several potential ailments that can be the cause of its downfall. The healthy yucca plant generally will respond positively when the ailments are identified and addressed upon first symptoms.
Variegated shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), also known as pink porcelain lily, is named for its fragrant hanging clusters of white seashell-like blooms, each porcelain white flower tinged with pink. Variegated ginger is most appreciated, though, for its attractive variegated foliage. This 6-foot perennial develops very large leaves, 2 feet long and 6 inches wide. Plants may tolerate full sun with plenty of water, but they thrive in light to medium shade. Dry soil and frost stress variegated ginger, a tropical plant related to culinary ginger. Both situations cause leaves to turn brown at the edges and curl.
Ivies are easy-to-care-for plants in the Hedera genus, grown for their attractive foliage and vining habit. Used as houseplants, ivies are also cultivated outdoors as groundcover or to cover fences and walls. Air layering is a propagation method in which the stem remains on the plant while producing roots. It is one of the easier methods of propagating ivy and is suitable for both the indoor and outdoor grown plant.
Water hyacinths are an invasive aquatic plant that grows fast and quickly spreads. This innocent looking plant will take over your pond or lake, suffocating other aquatic plants as well as preventing water flow. In addition, the aggressive plant can starve the water of oxygen, which is fatal for aquatic wildlife such as fish. Killing water hyacinths is a rather difficult process, but a few methods can help eliminate the problem plants.
Plant supports are used in gardening and household plant care to support a plant’s weight and to direct growth. Using plant supports can also bring organization and aesthetic beauty to your garden and house plants, whether you are growing one or many plants. Bamboo is a material often chosen for plant support due to its versatility and abundance. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. The timbers are straight, weather-resistant and available in many lengths and thicknesses. Making a round bamboo plant support is a relatively easy project that requires few materials.
Forever and Ever Plants is a brand of plants developed by the Berry Family of Nurseries founded in 1993. Forever and Ever plants are meant to be hardy and long-lived perennials; they consist of hydrangeas, azaleas and ground covers. The hydrangeas, of the cultivar macrophylla, are intended to grow in cooler climates in addition to warmer ones. These hydrangeas are easy to replant from the pot they come in when you get them home.
Many orchids make successful houseplants because they do well in conditions comfortable for humans. Among the 28,000 orchid species, well-known varieties include oncidium, with its yellow, brown or white flowers, and dendrobium, with white or lavender flowers. The easiest orchids to grow include tiny-flowered epidendrum and popular phalaenopsis, or moth orchids. Since most varieties need at least five years to flower, novices should begin with plants already in bloom. Exercise moderation in the care of your orchids to keep them healthy.
Growing hydrangeas indoors as houseplants or outdoors in containers provides a colorful and energetic blooming plant wherever you choose to place the container. If you receive or purchase a blooming hydrangea, encourage it to continue thriving by caring for it properly. With the right environment and care, you can get potted hydrangeas to rebloom for additional displays of beautiful blossoms.
Erica carnea and Erica herbacea are two synonymous botanical names for spring heath, which is a species of low-growing shrub native to the mountains of central and southern Europe. Gardeners in mild areas include Erica carnea in landscaping as a ground cover or edging plant both for its ability to suppress weeds and its bright green foliage and dainty bell-shaped flowers. Erica carnea will grow reliably from both seeds and cuttings, but cuttings provide the most reliable results since they accurately reproduce the favorable traits of the parent plant.
Oak leaf ivy is easy to care for indoors and is often used in hanging baskets to take advantage of its long chains of leaves. Ivy is scentless and flowerless, making it particularly appropriate for individuals sensitive to fragrance. Although primarily an indoor plant, oak leaf ivy can be kept outside in the shade during warm weather.
Jasmine comes in many varieties, including the delicate white-blooming common jasmine, the yellow winter jasmine, and the fragrant night-blooming jasmine. These plants are relatively problem-free, although some insect pests can infest the foliage. Jasmine also attracts beneficial insects with its fragrant blooms.
Avoiding an aphid infestation on hydrangeas can save time, money and most importantly your hydrangeas. Aphids are tiny pear-shaped insects ranging in color from pale green to black. Equipped with mouth parts enabling them to pierce stems and leaves, aphids cluster under leaves and along stems where they drain their plant host dry. Signs of aphid infestation include yellowing or withering leaves along with spots and small bumps along stems and branches. Closer inspection typically reveals an infestation of aphids.
Elegant on the table, easy to make and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, palmiers (“elephant ears”) are the ideal dessert for the time-pressed host or beginning baker. Starting with some store-bought puff pastry, pastry chef Heather Bertinetti helps you twist and roll your way to impressive palmiers.
Donkey ears is the common name for Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri, a species of succulent plant native to Madagascar. The silvery green foliage and orange-tinted flowers appeal to many gardeners, and it is widely cultivated in gardens within warm, frost-free areas. Donkey ears needs specific soil, moisture and light requirements to be met to thrive, but it is otherwise very easy to care for and will live for many years.
Air plants belong to the genus Tillandsia, which includes well-known epiphytic plant species such as Spanish moss. They require little care apart from occasional watering; however, sometimes the leaves require light trimming if the tips dry out and turn brown. While not difficult, trimming air plants must be done sparingly since removing too much length from the leaves will inhibit the plant's ability to feed itself and may shorten its lifespan.
Perfect plant arrangements are in the eyes of the beholder. While the professional florist is almost sure to create a perfect-looking arrangement, you do not have to be a professional florist to create your own stunning plant arrangement. Glossy green foliage and brilliant colors make Japanese orchids ideal selections for a plant arrangement.
Ask any botanist, horticulturalist or aquaponics grower about water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), and you'll likely get one common response -- nuisance. Although the flowers are beautiful, this perennial plant grows rapidly and can take over lakes, ponds or any body of water where just a few bits of the plant are placed. Although it can be hard to believe they can be so troublesome when looking at a gorgeous array of floating blossoms, these plants are quite invasive and very difficult to control in large bodies of water. When it comes to growing water hyacinths, you would be wise to…
Hostas and begonias are versatile plants for garden decorating. Most hostas are grown for their foliage, although many also have fragrant flowers. Most begonias are grown for their flowers, although some are prized for their foliage. Mixing and matching foliage and flowers from these two plants results in eye-catching design combinations.
A hoya plant infested with mealy bugs is not difficult to treat if you use the right methods. This vine, also known as a wax flower and a wax plant, has variegated or solid green foliage that grows to about 4 inches long. The plant blooms in the spring and summer months, producing creamy white or pink clusters. Each bloom has a pink center that resembles a star shape. Proper care ensures that the infestation of mealy bugs does not result in leaf drop, yellow foliage or destruction of the plant.
Lucky bamboo, Dracaena Sanderiana, is a decorative houseplant that can grow in just water. To encourage lucky bamboo leaf growth, keep the plant in indirect sunlight and make sure its roots are siting in clean, fresh water at all times. Change the plant's water whenever it becomes cloudy or if you detect an odor. If the bamboo plant's leaves turn yellow due to too much sunlight or unclean water, trim them immediately for best results.
Aloe vera gel can help minimize the pain from minor burns, such as sunburns, and cuts. You can cut open a fresh leaf, and rub it on the affected area, although this wastes a lot of the gel. While you can purchase aloe vera gel in the store, you can just as well make it yourself if you have your own aloe vera plant.
Hedgerows bring beauty and bounty to your property. Hedgerows have been in use for more than 5,000 years, mainly by farmers or urban dwellers wishing to mark their property boundaries, create privacy, or keep livestock in and predators out. Hedgerows are made of a combination of small trees, shrubs, flowers and ground covers, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Black-eyed Susans grow in sensitive annual varieties and hardier perennial varieties but always produce tall flower stalks with bright, yellow petals and black or brown centers. Longer-lived perennial black-eyed Susans, or Goldstrum varieties, expand through summer to take up larger areas and crowd out their sites over time. Divide these plants at the root in early spring and move divisions to new sites or alternative environments like hydroponic gardens.
The growing requirements of hydrangeas and hostas are similar enough that the plants may be paired and grown as companions in the flower garden. Both plants originate in the temperate regions of China, Japan and Korea. Hydrangea plants bloom with showy flowers starting in the early spring. They continue to produce flowers until late autumn. Hydrangeas are grown for their ornamental leaves and flower in the summer. With advance planning, the tall, shrublike hydrangea and the smaller, shorter hosta plant can be grown in a harmonious arrangement. Hydrangeas are the center of attention, with the hostas providing a foliage accent.
Durable, affordable, versatile and abundant, bamboo appears in products ranging from furniture to flooring to beauty products. In the kitchen, cutting boards, bowls and – perhaps less commonly – salt boxes are sometimes made from bamboo. These stylish, eco-friendly kitchen accessories store salt and other spices, providing a convenient space solution and helping seasonings maintain their flavor. With proper care, you can make a bamboo salt box last for years.
Angel ivy (Muehlenbeckia complexa) is also known as wire vine or maidenhair vine. The thin vine thrives to USDA zone 8, but it doesn't tolerate the hard frosts and cold winters in other climates. Light frost may kill back the vine but it quickly regrows from its roots. The vine wraps tightly around trellises and fencing as it climbs to a height of 16 feet or more, or you can grow them as a creeping groundcover. It tolerates most types of soil and makes a suitable climber or ground cover for shady areas of the landscape.
Knee High sweet peas produce full-sized, colorful blossoms with all the characteristics of taller varieties on vines that grow only 2 1/2 feet tall. Unlike taller types, Knee Highs don’t need a supporting structure and can be planted in the mid-section of a flower border. Sweet peas have an enticing fragrance, reminiscent of orange blossoms and honey, but some Knee High types don’t have a fragrance at all, so read the seed packet carefully if the scent is important to you. Sweet peas need about 50 days of cool spring temperatures to produce an abundance of flowers. In cool climates,…
Orchids are beautiful, delicate flowers to grow but they are also sensitive to less-than-ideal conditions. One sign that your orchid may have a problem is black spots on the leaves. A few orchids, such as Oncidium hybrids, get these black spots from exposure to sun, but most black spots are signs of a fungus. This can spread and destroy the foliage on a plant. Treat the spots as soon as you see them to keep the plant healthy.
Staghorn ferns, also known as antelope ear and elk’s horn, are a diverse genus of ferns. The staghorn genus (Platycerium) includes 17 different species found across the globe in countries that include Australia, Bolivia, Madagascar, Peru, the Philippines and Singapore. In their natural environment, staghorn ferns are found living in trees. Known as epiphytes, or air plants, staghorns receive nutrition not from the trees upon which they grow, but from decaying leaves that have dropped from the trees. Such a natural habitat is why staghorn ferns prefer to be grown in open containers -- wire baskets are common -- lined…
The term pygmy fern actually encompasses a number of fern species that reach a maximum growing height of 12 inches. Creeping ferns, spleenwort ferns, fragile ferns and evergreen holly ferns are just a few of the plants classified as pygmy ferns. These hardy plants may have different names and grow in different regions, but they can all be cared for in the same general fashion.
Peat moss has long been used as an acceptable and beneficial organic amendment for clay soils. It is also the ideal amendment for lowering the pH and creating a more acidic soil for various types of plants. Sand, on the other hand, may seem like an excellent soil amendment due to its high availability and low cost, but it comes with a set of problems when used as a soil amendment. To amend the soil with sand, you need to get enough sand to make the soil at least 80-percent sand and 20-percent regular soil. Weigh your options before changing…
Little Marvel peas are an heirloom pea variety first developed in 1908. The Little Marvel is bred to be semi-dwarf, 12 to 18 inches in height, big in flavor and early to harvest. Little Marvel peas go from seedling to harvest in roughly 60 days. If you start your Little Marvel peas early in the spring, you can grow two or more mature crops in the same container. All they need is water, fertilizer and lots of sunlight.
Bamboo steam baskets are a staple utensil in Asian cooking. These support food over boiling water, letting the steam cook the food. Unlike metal steamers, bamboo baskets absorb excess moisture, yielding food that is perfectly steamed without becoming soggy from condensation. Once you have a bamboo steamer basket, take care of it properly to ensure that it will last for years.
Hoya, also known as the wax plant, is grown by many gardeners for its unusual waxy flowers and thick, waxy foliage. Hoya is an unusual, if not somewhat temperamental, houseplant. It does not like being transplanted, but should be trained and trimmed frequently and those trimmings used to start new plants. Hoya plants root easily from leaf-petiole cuttings or by removing preformed plantlets from aerial shoots. Whether rooting cuttings or plantlets, though, the procedure is the same for the hoya.
Variegata ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), a type of shell ginger, is a dramatic perennial plant that displays clumps of lance-shaped leaves adorned with green and yellow stripes. Although the non-variegated variety of shell ginger reaches heights as tall as 10 feet at maturity, Variegata grows only to 3 to 4 feet. Shell ginger blooms year-around, but the pink-tipped white flowers are most plentiful during the summer months. The blooms of the Variegata cultivar have a pleasant, spicy aroma.
Hydrangea shrubs provide some of the most striking flower-head clusters of all temperate garden plants in summer. Numerous species exist and confound gardeners as to how and when to properly prune. Incorrect pruning times can prevent flower production that year. While overpruning any hydrangea bush likely won't kill it, the plant will need an extra year of growth to reach a substantial size again with abundant numbers of flowers on branch tips.
