Growing juicy crisp cucumbers is a goal for many home gardeners. But should you start cucumber seeds directly in the garden or get a head start by growing transplants indoors? This common question has good arguments on both sides. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each method to help you decide the best … Read more
In the middle of summer, your lawn is looking pretty bad, and you’re wondering about leatherjackets, those ugly bugs you may see pushing up through dead spots and dry grass. Read on to learn more about destructive leatherjacket pests and leatherjacket grub control. Gardeners dread those irregular dead patches appearing in the lawn each spring. … Read more
I bought a Columbine plant at a home improvement store. It bloomed and now has brown seed pods that shake when I shake them. Other pods are green. Should I cut the stems that have the pods now? I don’t want to wait too long and let the seeds blow away. There is no room … Read more
Sola wood flowers are not your typical flowers. You can probably guess from the name that they are made of wood, which makes them last longer. But how exactly is it possible to make flowers from wood?. Tapioca (also known as cassava) plant is where the journey begins. The root of this multipurpose plant is … Read more
Salvia is a gorgeous ornamental plant that adds vibrant color and visual interest to any garden with its long flowering spikes and lush foliage. However salvias are unfortunately prone to flopping over and becoming unruly. This falling foliage can ruin the attractive upright shape of the plant. Luckily there are several techniques you can use … Read more
Someone at my in-laws’ house over the holidays asked what kind of straw was used to make brooms (yeah, a pretty cool party!) What is broom corn? Someone said its made from broom corn. Are brooms really made from corn? I just cant see how. What kind of plant grows straw for straw brooms? It … Read more
Calla lilies have long been a sign of rebirth and resurrection, and they are often linked to Easter. Traditional species have flowers that are pure white, but modern hybrids have flowers that are a lot of different colors. These flowers, which are also called spathes, bloom for weeks and add color to pots, borders, mass … Read more
Calla lily, also known as arum lily, is not a true lily. It belongs to the genus Zantedeschia which originates from South Africa. The huge, flower-like spathes of the calla lily are now coming in a lot of different colors, making it a more popular house plant as well as a garden and patio plant. … Read more
Gardeners are often surprised when an unknown bush in their landscape suddenly produces fruit resembling small hard apples. This phenomenon is typically caused by flowering quince (Chaenomeles species) – an old-fashioned deciduous flowering shrub. But other plants can also produce apple-like fruit. This article explores how to identify a mystery bush with apple-shaped fruit and … Read more
The ultimate question for any new indoor grower is “how long should I veg before flipping to flower?” Because the flowering stage has a fixed length of time. It is more or less around 60 days. But the duration of the vegetative stage is not fixed; at least not when you are growing indoors. The … Read more