Many water lilies and lotuses are easy to grow and reward the gardener with fragrant and sumptuous blossoms from June until October. Both plants are best planted in spring. Water lilies start faster and typically have a faster growth rate than lotus, which are notoriously slow to start and need warmth and plenty of suns to flower. While most water lilies are grown outdoors, you can grow small varieties of these plants in containers indoors....
C. indivisa typically grows as a small, single-trunk understory tree with large, glossy, lance-shaped leaves. The stem typically has few, if any, branches. It is distinctive from other related Cordyline species due to its broad, blue-green leaves and its small, tightly compacted inflorescence, produced underneath the foliage. Its small yet fragrant flowers range in color from green-white to purple-brown, and they can be expected to bloom in dense clusters in the late spring to early summer if there is ample sun and warmth....
In certain climates, mizuna is a biennial, although plants may go to seed after their first year, if left in the ground. You can overwinter this green in a cold frame, hoop house, or greenhouse, but plan on eating it before it starts to flower. Most gardeners prefer to plant mizuna by seed as an annual, alongside other salad greens. Baby greens can be harvested in about 20 days; full heads should form around day 40....
The fruit the tree produces is edible, and the timber is highly sought after. It’s the cultivated forms of the tree, however, that commercially available cherries are harvested from. The wild tree fruit tends to be smaller and more bitter tasting. Sweet cherry cultivars, with their pretty white spring blooms, are also the ones found in nurseries to plant for ornamental purposes in a garden, container, or orchard. For bare-root sweet cherry trees, it is best to plant them in spring or late fall....
Pruning away dead fronds will keep the tree tidy and clean. It is also recommended to periodically spray the tree down to remove dust and insects. This palm is rarely bothered by disease or pests but spider mites, scale insects, diamond scale, or giant palm borer beetles can occasionally become a problem. Light The ideal location for a California fan palm is a spot with full sun; at least 6 to 8 hours each day is preferred....
From the exterior, the fruits look no different from the red types: They are light green with dark green stripes, and the plants have the same lobed leaves. Some yellow watermelon plants produce large fruits, between 20 and 40 pounds, ideal for sharing at a picnic or party, while others produce small, 6-pound fruits. The plants are vigorous and grow best in areas with long, hot summers. Grow a mix of yellow and red watermelon vines in the same garden, and dazzle your friends with a yellow and red medley of fruit at your next Labor Day celebration....
Plants Affected by Aster Yellows Members of the aster family (Asteraceae) are most commonly affected by aster yellows. These include aster, calendula, chrysanthemum, coreopsis, cosmos, daisy, gaillardia, marigold, purple coneflower, zinnia, and more than 40 other plant families. Flowers susceptible to the disease are anemone, delphinium, periwinkle, petunia, snapdragon, and veronica. Many garden crops that can be infected include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, lettuce, onion, potato, pumpkin, spinach, strawberry, and tomato....
Characteristics of Nocturnal Birds Nocturnal birds are quite different than their diurnal (daytime) cousins. Physically, these birds have a number of traits different from more familiar daytime birds. For example: Dull Plumage Colors: Because bright colors are difficult to see at night, most nocturnal bird species lack red, blue, orange or other bold colors. Instead, these birds have more muted plumage with shades of brown, gray, black and white. Males and females typically look very similar....
Bittersweet it toxic to humans, and toxic to pets. What Does Oriental Bittersweet Look Like? Oriental bittersweet is a deciduous, woody vine that can easily reach up to 100 feet. The glossy alternate leaves are round, finely toothed, and round or oval in shape with pointed tips. In May or June, small, greenish yellow, five-petaled flowers appear in the leaf axils. The green berries ripen to a bright yellowish-orange in the fall, and the leaves turn yellow....
Use the Proper Bird Bath A small, shallow bird bath will dry out quickly, and switching to a larger, deeper bath can help keep water more readily available to backyard birds. A deeper basin can be more difficult for birds to reach, but positioning twigs that angle into the water can provide perches even as the water level fluctuates, and stacking rocks in one section of the bath can create a shallower section for small birds to use....
Few things are as frustrating as having way too much sand delivered or running out of concrete for a project because you mismeasured. A cubic foot can come in many shapes. This tutorial explains how you can easily figure out the cubic feet or cubic yards needed for a project. Measuring a Cubic Foot The surface area of a concrete slab or sand base is directly affected by its thickness....
Unfortunately, sheds can deteriorate into an oversized junk drawer if you’re not intentional about storing items properly and with care. If your shed has become a crowded collection of garden hoses and baseball bats, or if you don’t even know what’s in your shed anymore, it’s time to take a deep dive into this once-loved storage space and restore it to its former glory. Use the five steps listed below to transform your shed into a functional “bonus” storage solution....
