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About Small Conifer Trees Conifers come in all sizes, from forest giants to small conifer trees. Coniferous trees that are small come in an amazing array of dwarf conifer varieties. Gardeners love the opportunity to mix and match dwarf conifers for the landscape, creating unique arrangements and eclectic displays in pots, beds, or backyards. Growing dwarf conifer trees is rewarding and easy, but putting together a plan requires time and effort....

Indoor Edible Gardening The key to attractive indoor edible gardening is to blend those pots and planters in with your current décor and use those edible plants as accent points. For instance, instead of hanging a potted philodendron, plant a “globe” of lettuce using a wire basket. Here are a few more innovative ways to grow indoor fruit, vegetables, and herbs: Hydroponic jars – Recycle spaghetti sauce jars into hydroponic growing containers for herbs and lettuce....

How to Create an Edible Bog Garden While the term “bog” generally refers to wet, muddy areas that tend to be poorly oxygenated and low in nutrients, a bog filter garden is a water feature designed as a natural method for cleaning and filtering backyard ponds. Bog filter gardens are built adjacent to a backyard pond and use pea gravel, which acts as a biological and physical filter. Water is pumped from the pond into the gravel bed where bacteria “digest” organic waste....

Lily of the Valley Tree Information Elaeocarpus lily of the valley trees are evergreens native to Australia. Growing Elaeocarpus outside is only possible in warmer regions like USDA plant hardiness zones 10 to 12. The tree thrives indoors as a tough houseplant almost anywhere though. These trees grow up to 30 feet (9 m.) in the wild. If you grow them indoors; however, they probably won’t get taller than you are....

About Essential Oil Bug Repellents Insect repellents prevent pests from driving us crazy on long hikes or lazy summer evenings, but they serve a more important function; a good bug repellant may also ward off serious insect-borne diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile virus. The problem is that toxic chemicals in commercial insect repellants may present certain health risks, especially when they build up in the tissues over time. The answer may be essential oil bug repellents, most of which work by releasing vapors that confuse a pest’s ability to detect their host....

Other species grow on new wood only, which means they form their flower buds on the current season’s growth. These types are quite suitable for colder climates, where there is no chance of the flowers buds being harmed over the winter. Some newer introductions combine both traits which bloom on both old wood and new wood. Here are the four most common types of hydrangea:

Fast Composting Tips Simply leaving a pile of yard debris and kitchen scraps will result in compost after a while. However, the process can be sped up to just a few months if a few simple guidelines are followed. Fast ways to compost occur when the compost bin or pile is correctly managed. Getting compost to break down quickly starts with size and ends with management. The main items a compost pile needs are the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio, small surface area, aeration, moisture, and temperature....

In the case of at least one plant, the staghorn fern, adding whole banana peels is just as effective as composting them first. You can “feed” a whole peel or even a whole banana to the plant by placing it on top of the plant, among its fronds. About Banana Peel and Staghorn Ferns Feeding staghorn ferns with bananas is possible because of this plant’s unique lifestyle. Staghorn ferns are epiphytes, plants that grow on elevated surfaces away from contact with the soil....

About Firethorn Plants Firethorn is a tall shrub or small tree at 6 to 16 feet (2 to 5 m.) tall and almost as wide. There is a variety of conditions suitable for planting firethorn. This versatile and colorful shrub may be used as an espaliered specimen, in containers, as a hedge, or just as a bright season-long addition to a border or bed. Enjoy the shiny leaves year around with small, white flowers appearing in early summer....

Fish Tank Terrarium Ideas Here are some ideas for converting a fish tank into an aquarium: Bog terrarium with carnivorous plantsDesert terrarium with cacti and succulentsRainforest terrarium with plants such as moss and fernsHerb garden terrarium, leave the top open and snip as often as you likeWoodland terrarium with moss, ferns, and plants such as ginger or violets Creating Aquarium Terrariums Here are simple steps for making a miniature, self-contained ecosystem....

Nepenthes Pitcher Plants Nepenthes pitcher plants use their pitchers to attract insects, not for pollination but for nutrition. Insects are attracted to the pitchers by their nectar secretions and coloration. The rim and inner walls of the leaf swelling are slippery, causing visiting insects to slide into the pitcher. They get trapped in the digestive fluid, and absorbed by the nepenthes pitcher plants for their nutrients. Pitcher Plant with Red Leaves The standard color for mature pitcher plant leaves is green....

Reasons for Flower Drop on Lemon Trees Lemon trees are sensitive to changes in their environment. Sudden fluctuations in temperature or climate can lead to lemon blossoms falling off. Lemon trees grow best in a sunny, permanent site where they can actively grow year round. They require full sun for healthy bloom and fruit production and may drop blooms if they are placed in too much shade. Lemon trees are even less tolerant of frost than orange trees....

What is Color Blocking? A few years ago, I did a backyard garden design for a retired art teacher. Her request was that the spectrum of the rainbow is displayed along the lot line of her backyard. Starting with red flowers, I used roses, quince, lilies, and other plants with shades of red for this part of her color-block garden design. Next to them, I placed plants like gaillardia, poppies, and other roses with red and orange shades....

The Best Fragrant Container Plants

Another of the wildflower Fritillaria lilies is the snakeshead lily, Fritillaria meleagris. This flower has a checkered or mottled pattern on the drooping blooms. Information on the Fritillaria plant indicates that most are Asian or European natives; however, Fritillaria pudica is native to western North America. Information on the Fritillaria plant also describes the Chocolate lily, Fritillaria affinis, which grows wild in southeastern Canada south to the San Francisco bay area....

How Do I Harvest Fuchsia Seeds? The reason fuchsia is usually grown from cuttings is that it hybridizes so easily. There are over 3,000 varieties of fuchsia, and the chances a seedling will look just like its parent is pretty low. That being said, if you aren’t counting on a specific color scheme, growing fuchsias from seed can be fascinating and exciting. If you have multiple varieties, you can even cross-pollinate them yourself and see what you get....

Complementing Garden Surroundings The hardscape is just as important, serving as the framework for the garden. Think of the hardscape as a design map for planting flowers, trees, and shrubs. The hardscape is made up of the non-growing structures within a landscape, such as patios, walkways, edging, and even the home itself. General hardscape features such as a deck, wall, or flagstone walk, are added to the garden design at a later time....

Outdoor Pond Cleaning It’s important to consider what is living in your pond before planning a regular cleaning. Ponds with only plants as constant inhabitants are usually cleaned in the spring, but those with fish or other permanent aquatic life should be cleaned in the fall, before temperatures fall dramatically. Fish are typically weaker in the spring and can’t handle as much stress at this time, which is why koi and fish pond cleaning is recommended at the end of the growing season, when fish are at their healthiest....

Importance of Garden Pot Cleaning So why is it so important to clean containers for the garden? Soil builds up salts that can damage plants, and these salts get deposited on the inside of planters. In addition, any diseases your plants may have carried last season can get transferred to your new plants. The solution is cleaning used flowerpots before using them again. Garden pot cleaning only takes a few minutes, but it can keep your plants healthy and productive....

How to Get Rid of Raccoons Getting rid of raccoons can be as easy as cleaning up the area or as drastic as the use of traps. Other methods include the use of deterrents and exclusion, like fencing. While you may normally come across their mischievous activities in the garden, raccoons will also get into garbage cans or your pet’s food. Therefore, it’s a good idea to secure garbage lids or trashcans so these animals cannot open them....