Plants, Flowers & Herbs

There are hundreds of varieties of both evergreen and deciduous shrubs used as ornamental specimens, hedges, foundation plantings, windbreaks, snow breaks and in soil erosion control. Shrubs come...

Gardening can be very therapeutic for those with a green thumb. It is also a lovely way to accent any front lawn or backyard for a home. With so many varieties or flowers and bulbs available, it...

Flowers make a lovely addition to any garden. The trick to flowers is keeping them healthy without allowing them to be choked by weeds, which prohibit flower growth and look terrible. Weeds are...

Where did the phrase "stop and smell the flowers" come from? Chances are that it came from the flowers themselves. The reason flowers smell so sweetly is due to the flower's necessity to pollinate...

Pollination is an essential survival tool for plants because it ensures the continuation of the species. When flowers are pollinated, it stimulates the process that creates new seeds and...

Having flowers delivered to a friend or loved one is a warm gesture. Few gifts can lift the spirit, inspire a smile and brighten a room like a bouquet of beautiful blooms. But there is a way to...

There's nothing quite like a floating flower centerpiece for a special occasion. A flower floats when the sunken portion of the flower weighs as much as the water it displaces. Although some wide,...

Each state in the Union has a designated state flower or state floral emblem, typically voted on and ultimately approved by their state legislature. In most cases, the flower or emblem has a...

Hybridizing your flowering plants is a great way to create custom landscape designs filled with flowers that meet your exact specifications. For centuries, gardeners have used hybridization to...

The color, shape and fragrance of a flower is important and even vital to its survival. This is because in order for the plant to make seeds and reproduce, male pollen has to be transferred in...

Planning ahead is always a good thing. This applies to gardening as well. Find out how simple planning of your next garden will reward you with a more beautiful and bountiful crop.

PayPal enables you to shop online at while keeping your payment information hidden. As opposed to paying through the retailer's website, you can instead pay through PayPal's. This increases the...

If you're creating flower arrangements as decorations for your home or for a special event such as a wedding, you may not be a professional florist but you can act like one. By learning florist...

While it's easy to buy perfume at any drugstore, you typically have no idea what blend of ingredients comprise the scent, whether they are natural or synthetic and, until you apply and wear them...

You can preserve the harvest of your garden by drying items like fruits and flowers. Fruits are an ideal food to preserve because you can choose edibles that are not always in season and dehydrate...

Sweet Annie is a flowering herb that, like most herbs, thrives in most conditions and soils. It sprouts in bundles of light green branches that blossom with tiny yellow flowers in midsummer. Also...

Maples (Acer spp.) trees have uniquely shaped leaves that are especially colorful in autumn; some species also have beautiful bark, interesting form or colorful winged seeds called samaras. The...

There are more than 150 varieties of asparagus, also known as emerald fern or lace fern. Asparagus is a hardy perennial in the lily family, and many varieties are grown as ornamental landscape...

Just like snails, slugs are soft-bodied creatures that have shells. There are 40- plus types of slugs in the United States, according to GH Organics (see references). Slugs are a gardener's enemy...

Annual flowers often flower just a couple of months after sowing. Annuals are generally started indoors or in greenhouse conditions in late winter or early spring so that they are big enough to...

For many people, gardening is one of the most relaxing and beautiful experiences in their lives. Every garden is an individual statement about who its owner is as a person and what her tastes are....

Saint Joseph flowers, also known as nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus), Scottish Flame flower, Empress of India, Canary Creeper or Indian Cress, are drought- and disease-resistant summer flowers that...

Superbell is an easy-growing, drought-and-disease-resistant hybrid of the tiny flower Calibrachoa. Native to South America, Calibrachoa, also known as Million Bells, can be found in sub-tropic and...

For hundreds of years, poets have written about flowers, using them to symbolize love and many other human emotions. Commonalities between humans and flowers may explain why the plants have such...

Buying plants by the flat can be a convenient and affordable way to purchase annuals for your garden.

Flowers add visual appeal to any indoor or outdoor environment. They come in a wide assortment of shapes, sizes and colors. Combining different colors of flowers can enhance their natural beauty....

Cut flowers add color, fragrance and life to any environment. They lift spirits, commemorate important events and make an appropriate gift for a variety of occasions. The process of buying...

As temperatures begin to warm at an earlier date in the South than in most other areas--usually when spring hits on the calendar--flowers can be planted so that they will bloom shortly thereafter...

Cone flowers (also spelled coneflowers) are perennial plants with summertime blooms of drooping petals surrounding a cone-shaped center. Looking much like a daisy, cone flowers grow on long...

Four-o'clock flowers are flowers that bloom in the late afternoon and remain open all night. The most common variety of four-o'clock flowers is the Mirabilis jalapa. Mirabilis translates to...

Different species of shrubs grow in the wild in the state of Ohio. In many cases, these plants are wider than they are tall, possessing a spreading crown. One Ohio shrub species, the buttonbush,...

WIth the proper care, natrurtiums can provide lovely color and variety in the garden. These popular flowers are not hard to grow, and they are an excellent choice for the beginning gardener. Even...

Irises come in several varieties and are hardy flowers grown from a root system known as the rhizome, which resembles a potato. The taller classes of iris, which range from 16 to 27 ½ inches...

Sedum (also known as stonecrop) is a perennial plant used often in gardens. They are sturdy plants that are easy to grow in well-drained soil. They are capable of living through just about any...

Science has not been able to prove definitively why flowers close at night. There are, however, two main theories, both of which have to do with the preservation of reproductive organs and...

Flowers have been popular as a gift, decoration, or adornment for centuries. Different flowers have different meanings depending on their history. Knowing the symbolic meanings of flowers can help...

Plants grow faster with excellent floral production in hydroponic gardens. Roses, orchids and popular bouquet flowers all thrive. Protected from pests and diseases and nurtured with controlled...

By freezing flowers, you can preserve their natural beauty and shape. A regular freezer, though, will not preserve your flowers. The key is to remove all the moisture, which a freezer will not do....

Tagetes is the scientific name for the much-loved annual, the marigold. Marigolds come in shades of yellow, gold, orange, white and mahogany red, including stripes and bi-colors. Ranging in height...

Flowers have always been a source of pleasure and enchantment for humans, and since ancient times have served as symbols. During the Victorian period, the language of flowers, or floriography,...

Learning to make artificial flowers is fun. It's a an enjoyable rainy-day craft for kids and adults alike. Once you've learned how to make artificial flowers, you can also learn to arrange them...

Gardens produce beautiful flowers and foliage during the warm spring and summer months. However, once fall and winter arrive these same gardens are often dead and unattractive. But it doesn't have...

Delivering flowers is a gregarious gesture, but it can get complicated when your intended recipient is rarely home. However, flower delivery companies suggest alternatives to leaving roses in the...

Petunias are small flowers whose blooms come in all different shades of color. They require some care and attention, especially when it comes to cutting them back. If you let them go too long,...

Flowers or flower arrangements that are received as a gift or for a special occasion can be kept for long periods if they are properly stored. The key to storing flowers is to slow down the...

Flowers are colorful, natural and beautiful. They have traditionally been given as gifts for centuries. Different flowers have different meanings, though, and they developed these meanings because...

Tickseed flowers are perennial flowers that bloom from June to August, producing a bright yellow bloom. They typically grow 12 to 18 inches tall and are hardy in zones four to nine. This means...

Flowers are given as expressions of love and affection, and offered as comfort in times of sorrow. Over the centuries various flowers have become associated with special meanings. The gift of a...

Daylilies, Hemerocallis, provide good blooms and are hardy perennial bulbs, capable of withstanding winter. For best results, cut back the foliage in late summer to early fall. This is also a...

Gardenias are tropical evergreen shrubs, well known for their sweetly fragrant white flowers, so preserving them is well worth the effort. You can enjoy your gardenia floral arrangement by...