Plants, Flowers & Herbs

Wood bugs have many names like pill bugs, roly-polys and woodlice, but they all refer to the same oval, segmented insect that may inhabit your flower pots. Although these bugs are not harmful to...

Judges pore over flower entries at shows, scrutinizing every detail to separate the elite from those that don't quite measure up. Consider the criteria judges look for when choosing the blue...

Identifying a plant may seem like a daunting task. However, if you break the plant down into more manageable pieces you will begin to notice small features that can help you make a positive...

If you want to decorate your home, consider making flower pot hangers to display your plants. Hanging flower pots add color to both inside and outside of your home by suspending your plants at or...

Shrubs add beauty, texture and interest to landscape designs. Despite their easy-care reputation, however, there are some steps you must take to ensure healthy growth and abundant flower...

Prune and pinch tomato plants to promote bigger and better fruits. When side shoots are allowed to grow, they pull energy from the plant that is needed for fruit development and growth. Prune and...

Generally speaking, plants don't require pollination by hand-collected pollen. However, collecting pollen allows you to cultivate species for desirable characteristics such as color or hardiness....

You can grow medicinal plants at your home, or in your office. It is important to make sure that you can produce and harvest seeds from your medicinal plants so that you can continue to have...

Many people incorporate yucca shrubs into their interior decor and their outdoor landscaping. Since yucca plants are evergreens, their leaves remain green year-round, and in early spring, yuccas...

Flower plugs are commonly sold at nurseries and gardening supply stores. They are developing plants that are ready to be planted into the landscape of the yard. Plugs are preferred by many...

Sowing your own seeds is an economical way to have a gorgeous flowerbed every season without the cost of buying them. Anglelonia is a native plant in Mexico and the West Indies. The leaves smell...

Victorian flower arrangements can still be seen today in many flower shops and at events and gatherings. The elegant and elaborate designs used color and shape to it's fullest capacity.

Aristolochia littoralis is also known as calico flower. It is an ornamental vine native to Brazil and is cultivated in warm to tropical regions of the United States, in zones 8 to 10. It has...

While many plants are lumped into the bulb category, most true bulb plants are cold-hardy and flower in the spring. These include daffodil and hyacinth amongst others. After two to three years,...

Flower beds potentially face a wide range of problems, such as an off-balanced soil pH range, poor drainage, inadequate sunlight and lack of soil nutrients. Money, time and effort go wasted when...

With its large clusters of blooms and watercolor-like flowers, it's no surprise that the hydrangea is a popular shrub with the home gardener. This plant is easy to grow and quite hardy if a few...

The passion flower plant is a perennial vine that is native to areas of South America. The fast growing vine is hardy in USDA growing zones 7 to 11 and requires winter protection in areas that are...

The cardinal flower, or Lobelia cardinalis, is a perennial wildflower that grows in wet woodlands of the eastern half of the United States. One of the most colorful wildflowers, this plant grows...

Planting a lush garden with many blooms and colors is a dream for many gardeners. Precise planning and layout are usually the key components in an orderly and naturally gorgeous flower bed....

Georgia adopted the Cherokee Rose as its state flower in 1916. The Cherokee Rose, also called a snow white rose or a Rosier Blanc de Neige, is found growing in the wild and in gardens across the...

The calendula flower, also known as the pot marigold and marigold, is a member of the daisy family. It is regularly appears in flower gardens and also has medicinal qualities.

Many flower gardens will survive with little or no added fertilizers. An added supplement of nutrients will help the garden thrive, increasing the quality and quantity of the flowers and plants....

The rounded leaves of a healthy geranium present a lovely plant even without the blooms. Add vibrant red, light pink and white blooms to the mix, and you have a mainstay for the home landscape....

The best way to store a flower bulb for the winter is to leave it in its natural environment in the soil, but flower bulbs cannot survive outdoors if the weather is too cold. It doesn't mean your...

You do not have to run out and purchase seeds in order to plant your favorite flowers year after year. In fact, you can harvest your own annual flower seeds after the plants are through blooming...

Open, or free range, chickens roam freely without the confines of a cage or fencing. They forage for food and will seek out places that are easy for them to scratch and dig. Flower beds present an...

Tender flower bulbs can not withstand the freezing temperatures of winter and need to be dug up and tucked away in a safe place until the spring thaw. Tender bulbs usually consist of any type of...

According to the Texas Almanac, West Texas is a combination of high, rolling plains and arid desert, with temperatures ranging from below zero in winter to well over 100 degrees in the summer....

Waterlogged soil can drown and kill your plants. When water fills the air spaces in the soil, this keeps oxygen from getting to the plant roots, produces stagnant soil and stunts root growth. If...

Orchids are a beautiful and popular house flower. There are 28,000 species of orchids, and the plant is still evolving. These plants can be highly adaptable, which makes them ideal as houseplants....

The bird-of-paradise, also known as Strelitzia reginae or "crane flower," is a perennial evergreen plant that is native to southern Africa. Bird-of-paradise flowers are colorful blooms that...

Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata), also known as maypop, is an aggressive, fast-growing vine found naturalized along fence lines, in ditches and near stream beds from California to Florida....

The anthurium is grown both for its foliage and its flower, which is popular among those in the cut flower trade. The word anthurium means "tall flower" in Greek, and it usually lives up to this...

As far as harvests go, sunflower seeds are one of the easiest seeds to collect from your garden. However, if you've ever tried to save the seed of sunflowers--whether for eating, bird food or...

Many gardeners must contend with various animals digging in their flower beds. Creatures such as rabbits and squirrels love to eat the bulbs or simply dig up soil and they are often hard to stop....

Planting beets in your garden provides you with a vegetable plant that can be eaten from top to bottom. The beet leaves make a great salad when young and tender, and can be cooked when older. The...

A gardener can utilize a variety of easy ways to increase and promote the blooming of flower gardens throughout the growing season, especially in the late summer, when many gardens are at the...

Astragalus plants are considered to be perennials, and their scientific name is Astragalus membranaceus. They are part of the Fabaceae family, and because of the wide and diverse nature of the...

The butterfly bush, also called summer lilac, is a perennial bush. Its fragrant blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The bush has long, slender branches producing flowery spikes. This...

Cattleya orchids, or corsage orchids, are most frequently seen as showy lapel Mother's Day corsages. Their blossoms are generally large and colorful with one of the petals, called a lip, being...

The creeping phlox flower is a perennial found in the eastern part of North America that spreads by producing low, root-growing stems called stolons.

Begonias are popular flowers with their multitude of colors. They are planted in outdoor flowerbeds, used in hanging baskets and serve as houseplants. The seeds of begonias are very tiny and fine,...

We love to share our yards with family and friends. This includes the furry members of our family. However, you may want to keep your pets out of the flower beds. Cats like to use flower beds as...

Caladium, more commonly known as elephant ears, is a versatile plant that may be used in a variety of outdoor settings. The caladium prefers to be outdoors in a humid climate. Caladiums should be...

Magnolias are large shrubs to medium-sized trees native to cold-winter regions across Asia and North America. They readily produce showy white, pink, violet or yellow flowers in spring and summer...

Hostas come in several colors including blue, green, yellow and white, and are content in either sun or shade. The lily-like plant blooms from June to October but may not flower for several reasons.

Cannas have lush, large tropical foliage and beautifully colored flowers. Depending on the cultivar, canna foliage can be also be colorful, ranging from green to purple to striped. Cannas are...

Pansies are an ideal flower choice for the fall and winter season. They provide beautiful flowers throughout the winter, and continue to add color to gardens through the spring. There are hundreds...

The flowers of Hawaii are exceptionally beautiful; they're rich, rare and diverse. Hawaii is in the sub tropics, so it has has an ideal climate for growing plants, soil enriched with volcanic ash,...

The Portulaca plant is also known as the Moss Rose. The plant originated in South America near Brazil. Many parts of the United States cannot grow the moss rose because of its need for hot, dry...