home sectionhome sectionThe American hazelnut (Corylus americana) grows in a multi-stemmed spreading mound about 8 to 15 feet tall and up to 12 feet wide at maturity, depending on the environment. Its green leaves have no real attraction until fall, when they turn a brilliant orange, red or purple, brightening the landscape. The nuts that form on the plant in fall attract birds and squirrels and can be roasted and eaten by humans as well.
A sustainable garden grows prettier and healthier year after year without stressing you or the environment. Select climate-friendly plants focusing on native perennials and annuals. Local plants don't need heavy watering, fertilizing or herbicide and pesticide applications. Michigan’s diverse climate spans nippy U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 3a to balmier 6b. A short-but-intense growing season runs mid-to-late May to early October.
If you're going to someone's house for brunch, healthy skillet potatoes are the perfect treat to take with you. Make healthy skillet potatoes for a potluck with help from Chef Mareya Ibrahim, The Fit Foody and creator of www.eatcleaner.com, in this free video clip.
Mulch is used by gardeners for a variety of purposes like weed control and soil moisture retention. As the seasons change, so changes the purpose of mulch and the types of plants that require mulching. Winter mulching is an excellent practice, particularly for gardeners in regions that experience freezing temperatures during winter months.
A desktop garden is also a great opportunity to really show off your favorite piece of pottery. Plant a desktop garden with help from an experienced professional gardener in this free video clip.
Planting cacti in a dish garden is definitely going to require you to have access to a pair of heavier gloves. Plant cacti in a dish garden with help from an experienced professional gardener in this free video clip.
Just because winter is coming doesn't mean that all of your plants have to die. Keep your plants alive during the winter with help from an experienced nursing professional in this free video clip.
Planting an urban garden is a great opportunity to really get creative with your traditional planting habits. Plant an urban garden with help from a classically-trained chef with experience in both world class restaurants and private dining companies in this free video clip.
Planting winter corn is a bit different when compared to planting some of the summer varieties. Plant winter corn with help from a classically-trained chef with experience in both world class restaurants and private dining companies in this free video clip.
Although gourds are closely related to pumpkins, these inedible plants are grown strictly for their ornamental qualities. The fruits come in a variety of shapes suitable for containers, birdhouses and other uses. The rinds harden into their durable form after the fruits are picked and cured. Growing gourds from seed gives you access to a wide variety of types, but the seeds germinate slowly and poorly unless properly prepared. Even after preparation, a gourd seed can take up to six weeks before it germinates.
A verandah is most typically a roofed porch or gallery built around a home. It may be supported by floor-to-ceiling pillars or have a waist-high railing running along its length. The extent to which you enclose your veranda depends on its intended use, your budget and how much construction you want to perform. Both permanent and temporary options exist.
Provence, France, sits quietly on the Mediterranean. Its location gives it a warm and dry climate -- hot summers, mild winters and strong sunshine year-round. Even if you do not live in a Mediterranean climate, you may be able to create a replica garden in your own landscape. Plant a Provencal garden by using structures, plants and mulches that suggest the warm and arid Mediterranean climate.
The flames in your chimney's fireplace can reach temperatures that are high enough to crack most normal masonry bricks used to build your chimney. You can build a firebox inside the base of the chimney that can withstand the heat, using specially formulated firebricks and refractory mortar to create a shell within the chimney. The bricks are set into place much as you would standard bricks, so building the firebox is no more difficult that creating any ordinary run of bricks.
No-fuss plants only need a minimal amount of maintenance in terms of watering, soil requirements, sunlight exposure and disease inspection. Gardeners plant no-fuss plants for ornamentation purposes, and these plants allow gardeners to focus on high-maintenance ones. Pruning, consistent flower coloring and a plant's effect on neighboring plants are other factors to consider when deciding on a no-fuss plant.
Many plants perform well in full-sun conditions, but too much hot, intense sun can burn tender plants and cause them to go to seed before their time. Building a simple, inexpensive sun shade can solve the problems that a hot desert or tropical sun can cause. The size and shape of your sun shade will depend on the type of plant you need to protect from the sun’s intense rays. For example, the sun shade you build for lettuce or newly planted seedlings will be smaller than the shade you build for a young tree.
Okra, related to hibiscus and hollyhock, is a podlike vegetable often fried, boiled, or used in soups or stews. Also known as gumbo, okra is a hot weather plant, which makes it appropriate for desert climates. The secret to growing okra successfully in desert climates is maintaining excellent soil nutrition and adequate -- but not too much -- water. Because of its attractive blooms, okra adds color and interest to the vegetable garden.
Moisture and cold weather are constant forces capable of jamming the hinges or lock of a gate over time. Untreated metals tend to rust up or become stiff if dirt is allowed to stick to lubricating oil over a period of years. Cleaning the gate, loosening the mechanism and applying a suitable lubricant are the best ways of restoring a gate to good working order. Stuck locks can also be remedied.
Italian arum (Arum italicum) provides year-round interest and marked seasonal changes in the perennial garden. The plants produce large, heart-shaped leaves that may persist through winter. The flowers resemble Jack-in-the-pulpit, and when they appear in spring, the foliage shrivels and dies. In summer, the flowers fade and are replaced by bright, decorative, red and orange berries. The foliage returns in the fall and hides the berries from view. The plants fit well in both traditional and naturalized areas and look especially nice when planted near pools and streams where they benefit from the constant moisture.
Signature plants of the tropics, bougainvilleas (Bougainvillea spp.) are native to Brazil but are grown in warm climates throughout the world. These vigorous, woody vines are natural climbers and can reach 40 feet. They can also be trained into tree form or allowed to trail over the edges of window boxes or hanging baskets. Bougainvilleas are hardy outdoors only in USDA Plant Hardiness zones 9b through 11. In cooler climates, bring the plants indoors before the first frost. These pest-free plants require full sun and high temperatures to bloom well.
To plan a successful garden, you must consider many factors, such as sunlight and soil conditions. If part of your landscape is in a windy area, this also should be considered. Careful selection and placement is a must in high-wind locations to save plants from damage, such as broken branches, significant heat loss, dehydration, stunted growth or death.
Acer barbatum goes by several names -- Florida maple, Caddo Florida maple, or southern sugar maple. Regardless of what you call it, Acer barbatum is the maple to grow if you live in a warm, southern climate. These trees tolerate more heat and drought than most maple varieties, and have a smaller form, as well.
Some varieties of holly are self-pollinating, but most cultivars have separate male and female shrubs. To get berries, you need to plant them near each other so the male hollies can pollinate the female hollies. Choosing a self-fruiting cultivar eliminates the need for multiple plants, but they often bear more fruit if a male plant is nearby.
Campanula goes by many common names. Often referred to as bellflower, bluebell or Canterbury bells, campanula is an old-fashioned flower found in cottage and other informal gardens throughout many regions. There are perennial, biennial and annual varieties available in white and shades of purple and blue. The bell-shaped flowers that bloom from late spring into summer and autumn, have somewhat different germination needs than most flower seeds. By providing the correct medium and planting requirements, you will have success in germinating campanula for your garden.
Related to the familiar black-eyed Susan, the green-headed coneflower has yellow, recurved petals surrounding a green "eye" as opposed to black. Also known as cutleaf coneflowers, they have light green, oval leaves with three deep, pointed lobes. They are native to most of the U.S., perennial and hardy. These tall flowers grow 3 to 4 feet in cultivation and bloom from July through September.
Fall brings shorter days, lower temperatures and -- especially in colder climates -- a dearth of pretty green foliage. If bare tree limbs and umpteen shades of brown are disheartening, try your hand at gardening indoors. Nursery managers and plant experts say just about any common plant may be started inside quite easily. Some houseplants are nearly foolproof.
Red twig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a hardy shrub producing mid-to-dark green leaves and small white clusters of flowers during the summer. The plant's beauty becomes apparent when it loses its leaves in the fall as the dogwood's branches and stems range from scarlet red to pale orange. Red twig dogwood adds brilliant winter color to stark landscapes and also provides strong focal points against a background of typical bare trees or evergreens.
Nicotiana alata “Lime Green” is an annual cultivar of tobacco that produces lime green flowers and mixes well with other bedding annuals. The tubular flowers that emerge in June through October attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds and yield a pleasant fragrance in the afternoon and evening. The plants are open and airy, with large, sticky leaves similar to those of commercial tobacco. Lime Green, however, is an ornamental form of tobacco only. A hardy cultivar, it demands little effort from the grower, thriving in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 11.
Few flowering shrubs are easier to cultivate and more attractive in landscaping than spiraea. All species of spiraea grow quickly and possess a somewhat sprawling growth habit, which can sometimes lead to problems when it overtakes small garden beds. Fortunately, spiraea shrubs transplant easily and will quickly reestablish themselves in a new bed. However, it is best to move them in spring or fall since they are less likely to succumb to transplant shock during cool, moist weather.
Not all plants can tolerate frost. Even a light frost can damage tender plants, including most summer vegetables, annuals and tropical ornamentals. Covering the plants protects them from light frost damage. The cover traps in heat and prevents moisture from freezing on the foliage. A simple A-frame cover keeps the covering from touching and damaging the foliage. The shape of these covers is suitable for both low-growing plants and taller plants and shrubs.
Mountain Mahogany, also known as Silver Mountain or True Mountain Mahogany, is a nearly indestructible tree native to Texas. It is not related to the mahogany trees used for commercial purposes; it is a shrub-like member of the rose family. The tree has dark green leaves with white, wooly undersides. It fruits in the late summer. The fruits are plumed, and look like narrow silver threads or feathers. It may grow to a height of 15 feet, is extremely drought tolerant, and can survive being burned or chopped with an axe. It is sometimes used as landscaping in areas prone…
A tree's roots are vital to the tree's health for a variety of reasons, the most important being that they serve as a transportation system for nutrients and water. Some trees have massive root systems that may cause problems for your shade garden -- or they may become damaged or injured because of your shade gardens.
High-altitude gardening occurs in areas higher than 4,500 feet above sea level. At that altitude, the air is cool and the growing season short. If you want to grow a cherry tree in such conditions, the sour types are the best options. They are self-pollinating -- just one tree gets you an abundant crop -- and become productive in as few as three years. The high-altitude desert is a particularly good location for cherries, for the dryness it offers. In humid climates, the stone fruit absorbs water and swells, resulting in split skin and rotten fruit.
A cultivar of the nootka false cypress or Alaska cedar, weeping nootka (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis "Pendula") matures 20 to 28 feet tall and 10 to 18 feet wide. Although with an upright, but broad pyramidal silhouette, the weeping false cypress displays open branches covered with drooping sprays of needles, creating an architecturally interesting plant. With such a visually stunning silhouette, do not crowd this tree next to other garden plants or by planting it too closely to walls or buildings. Also keep it away from overhead utility lines, as too much pruning destroys the natural grace and habit of this evergreen.
Ornamental grasses are useful in the garden for their prized foliage and fall bloom displays. The strap-like leaves of grasses often form upright fountain-like clumps that offer form contrast from other garden perennials. Many varieties of ornamental grasses are suitable for growing in partial sun conditions.
Sunshine is not only welcome to most plants -- it's necessary for them to grow. The south-facing wall of a home typically gets a lot of sun, unless large trees shade it from overhead. When designing gardens, you can utilize a south-facing wall to grow plants vertically on trellises. Your choices are many regarding plant types. Choose what grows best in your USDA hardiness zone, and experiment with shape and color.
Desert Lupine is not technically a cactus, but it is a desert-dwelling plant that requires very little water and easily survives drought. Fortunately, unlike many other desert plants, Desert Lupine reproduces quickly and easily through seed. It is an annual, so each year the old stems and flowers die, and the next year new plants emerge. Desert Lupine blooms in late winter through late spring since it grows naturally in hotter climates where most plants bloom early in the season.
The lavatera belongs to the Mallow family and is native to southern Europe. Some varieties, such as Lavatera trimestris, grow in shrub formations, while others, including Lavatera olbia and L. assurgentiflora, are classified as mallow trees and can grow as tall as 10 feet. Lavatera also comes in annual and perennial varieties.
Oleanders (Nerium oleander) constitute a type of tropical flowering plants grown in warm climates in the United States. Common in Florida, Texas and the South and Southwest, oleanders can suffer freeze damage even in the warmest regions of the continental United Sates. Expert gardening resources such as university extension services offer advice for protecting plants from freeze damage in your area, and these methods apply to all plants experiencing difficulty with their climate, including oleander specimens.
Succulent plants have thick, fleshy leaves or stems, and are usually indigenous to dry regions. The cells of these plants retain large amounts of water, helping them survive in their natural environments. The designation “succulent” serves a descriptive, rather than botanical, purpose. For instance, all cacti qualify as succulents, though some grow in scorching lowland deserts and others in cool mountainous areas. Growth requirements for succulents ultimately depend upon the species in question.
Coconut trees grow from fresh coconuts with their husks still on. It is possible to start your own coconut tree from a fallen green coconut. The trees grow best in tropical climates and can tolerate somewhat salty soils and salt spray. They do not tolerate freezing temperatures, and grow best with minimum average temperatures of 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the world of vines, there are two main classifications -- monstrous vines and manageable vines. Monstrous vines can easily overtake your yard if not controlled. They cannot grow in containers. Manageable vines are still vigorous, but many of them can adapt to life in a container if it is large enough and you can keep it moist throughout the season. If your sunlight is limited, you will not be able to grow abundant flowers, but you can still have beautiful vines with splashes of color.
Holly bushes belong to the genus Ilex, comprised of several native and nonnative species as well as cultivars of some hollies that normally attain tree size. These hollies typically thrive in a full sun location, with none able to prosper when planted in full shade. Nevertheless, a number can survive and generate their foliage and fruits in partial shade throughout North America.
In mild winter areas, winter planting has the advantage of cool, moist weather to minimize transplant shock and the need for constant attention to watering. Even gardeners in cold winter areas may take advantage of winter and early spring to move dormant bushes. Because new shrubs will not show the same cold tolerance as established plants, however, make sure that whatever you plant is completely hardy in your area.
Those interested in planting holly bushes can find more than two dozen types to choose from. These shrubs come in a variety of sizes, with smaller bushes standing 2 to 4 feet tall and larger ones reaching 15 to 35 feet high. While most are evergreens, deciduous varieties include the “Sundance” holly and the finetooth holly. Some produce clusters of red fruit which can persist into winter, and their branches can be found in Christmas wreaths and other decorations. If you’ve planted a holly bush that is not thriving, several factors could be to blame.
The Texas mulberry tree is a deciduous tree that thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture growing zone 5 and can reach heights of 25 feet when it is fully mature. It blooms in the spring, producing tiny white blossom clusters that fall away to make room for red and purple berries in the fall. When you prune a Texas Mulberry tree, seal the exposed inner bark with a sealant to prevent infection and insect activity, which can damage or kill the tree.
With its fast-growing habit and glossy, deep green leaves, Boston ivy, also known as Japanese creeper or Parthenocissus tricuspidata, is a choice gardeners often use to cover building walls. Although it needs no support, it will gladly grow on one. Because Boston ivy can grow up to 50 or 60 feet tall, choose a trellis that is large enough to handle this fast-growing plant.
Taiwan moss is an aquatic plant. It can be grown in a tank alone, with other aquatic plants or in an aquarium that contains aquatic animals. When parts of the Taiwan moss turn brown and the parts that remain green stop growing, it is most likely due to a combination of problems. These problems can also be harmful to other tank inhabitants and should be rectified quickly.
Butter beans or lima beans come in two types, pole or bush, and make a valued source of protein when eaten fresh or dried. The Florida Butter Speckled lima cultivar produces cranberry and white mottled beans. This variety tolerates drought and hot weather, making it a suitable choice for regions long summers. A cold-sensitive crop, lima beans must be planted after all danger of frost passes and the soil warms up.
Cress is a quick-growing, cool-season vegetable that is ready to harvest 15 to 20 days following sowing. There are many kinds of cress, including watercress, Upland cress and garden cress (Lepidium sativum). Garden cress is commonly called mustard cress, broadleaf cress, pepper cress or peppergrass. This annual herb is grown for its green leaves and seed pods that have a peppery taste. Cress grows quickly outdoors in the garden as soon as you can work the soil in the spring.
Color Infra-Red imagery allows you to see the heat levels in a photograph. Since most CIR photos are aerial, you can use CIR imagery to identify landscape features based on the level of heat. To find cattail beds, you have to make inferences based on the nature of CIR imagery and the biology of cattails. Vegetated areas have certain characteristics that alter their appearance in CIR photos. Cattails in particular have certain habitats that you can identify by cross-referencing the CIR photo with an ordinary aerial photograph.
