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Red Fall Leaves Fall is one of the most beautiful and colorful seasons. It is a time for leaf maturity, but the death of the foliage is presaged by a gloriously painted landscape for several months. Many of the most colorful leaves are on the trees that turn red in autumn. Red-colored tree leaves provide a startling contrast to many of the more common colors in nature. The drab browns, humdrum grays and blacks, and non-descript greens of the average landscape are suddenly transformed by a wild slash of intense fiery color....

Upper Midwest Planting Guide May is a transitional period in the garden. There is a lot to do, and much of that involves planting. This is when you’ll get most of your plants or seeds in beds for the coming growing season. Now is the time to sow seeds for summer vegetables, to plant summer bulbs, to put in annuals and any new perennials, to start certain seeds indoors, and to get transplants outdoors from seeds you began inside in early spring....

Do Fuchsias Need to Be Deadheaded? Fuchsias will drop their spent flowers naturally, so if you’re only interested in keeping things neat, deadheading fuchsia plants isn’t really necessary. However, when the flowers drop, they leave behind seed pods, which take energy to form and discourage the growth of new flowers. This means that if you want your fuchsia to continue blooming throughout the summer, it’s a good idea to remove not just the faded flowers but also the swollen seed pods underneath them....

The common knowledge when preparing vegetables is to wash them and remove certain bits. The carrot tops, the leafy part of leeks, and broccoli stems are just a few of the edible waste we discard. Utilizing all parts is feasible in most produce, although a few are toxic and should be avoided. Eating everything is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas and enhance the environment and your wallet. Types of Root to Stalk Vegetables Many of our root vegetables have parts that are commonly discarded....

Sago Palm Leaf Problems Sagos are slow growing trees, so don’t expect them to grow fronds quickly. However, if the months come and go and your sago palm isn’t growing leaves, the plant may have a problem. When it comes to sago palm leaf problems, the first thing to do is review your cultural practices. It’s entirely possible that the reason your sago palm has no new leaves is that it isn’t planted in the right location or isn’t getting the cultural care it needs....

Euonymus Scale Treatment The first step in euonymus scale treatment is figuring out if you have an infestation. So what does euonymus scale look like? Euonymus scale bugs go through a few stages of life, during most of which they’re too small to spot easily. You’re more likely to know you have an infestation when you see white to yellow blotches on the tops of the plant’s leaves. If the infestation is really bad, the plant may appear water-stressed with leaves yellowing, drooping, and even falling off....

Many times, people will hesitate to ask a question like: “what is a seed head,” because they are afraid it will make them look stupid. Truth is, there are no stupid questions and gardening experts actually want to help you better understand your plant’s needs, not ridicule you. In this article, we will cover how to recognize a seed head on plants. How to Recognize a Seed Head The term “seed head” is defined as a flower head in seed by the Oxford dictionary....

Shade Plants in Zone 9 Growing evergreen shade plants is easy enough, but choosing which ones are most suitable for your landscape is the difficult part. It helps to consider the various types of shade and then going from there. Light Shade Light shade defines an area in which plants receive two to three hours of morning sunlight, or even filtered sunlight such as a spot under an open canopy tree....

Perennial vines return each year, scrambling upward to liven a blank wall, fence, or trellis. Plant perennial vines for shade in ground or in containers. Some multiply and can provide plants for other areas of your landscape after a few years. Climbing Perennials for Shady Areas Consider these blooming beauties for those blank areas. Add more than one type of shady perennial vine with blooms for a continuous burst of various shapes and colors....

If your yard has heavy soil, your best bet is to amend it to increase drainage, then select clay-tolerant shrubs. We’ll give you some tips on amending clay soil as well as a list of shrubs for clay backyards. About Clay Tolerant Shrubs Clay is not a “bad” type of soil, despite its reputation. It is simply soil that is composed of extremely fine particles sitting close together. That means that substances like nutrients, oxygen, and water don’t pass easily through them, leading to poor drainage....

How to Grow Siberian Iris Learn how to grow Siberian iris for its lush, long-lasting blooms and low-maintenance, narrow foliage, which remains attractive after the blooms are spent. Easy Siberian iris care involves regular watering during the first year, limited fertilization and division of the clumps every three to five years. Through division and learning when to plant Siberian iris, you can ensure continuing blooms each year. Smaller and less common than the spring blooming bearded iris, Siberian iris offers a reliable perennial bloom for many years....

Compacted Soil Information Soil that is compacted does not have the porous spaces for water, oxygen, and other nutrients that plants need to survive. Compacted soil is usually caused by urban development, but can sometimes be caused by hard, heavy rains. Areas that have been travelled on by heavy equipment such as tractors, combines, trucks, back hoes, or other farming and construction equipment will usually have compacted soil. Even areas that receive a lot of foot traffic from people or animals may have compacted soil....

Stone Wall Ideas Really, stone wall garden ideas are only limited by your imagination. There are plenty of pictures on the internet to help get you started, and once you begin looking it may be difficult to settle on just one design. Garden stone walls may be made entirely out of stones or they can be a combination of stone and wood or even stone and metal. Stones may be purchased or, if you’re lucky, your property may yield enough stones for a wall....

Symptoms of a Strawberry Plant with Black Root Rot Black root rot of strawberries results in decreased productivity and longevity of the crop. Crop losses may be from 30% up to 50%. One or more fungi, such as Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and/or Fusarium, will be present in the soil at the time of planting. When root nematodes are added to the mix, the disease is usually more severe. The first signs of black root rot become apparent in the first year of fruiting....

The string of nickels plant is native to tropical regions of India, Asia, and Australia. Also called the button orchid, they are a type of epiphyte or air plant. In their natural setting, string of nickels grow on branches or tree trunks and rocky terrain. Growing String of Nickels in the Home or Office As a vining succulent, string of nickels makes an attractive and easy-to-care-for hanging basket. The cascading vines can grow quite long as they trail down over the edge of the pot....

Before you start unpotting your plants and dunking them in water, read on to learn about growing soilless succulent plants and why you might attempt such a chore. Can Succulents Grow in Water? Research indicates they can and that some do well. Some home growers use the option for revitalizing plants that aren’t doing well planted in soil. Growing a Succulent in Water Far-fetched as it might sound, some people have been successful with succulent water propagation....

Keeping kids busy and entertained is important to their health and well being. Creating art for the solstice is just one way to teach them about the seasonal change while also keeping them occupied. Drawing is a simple craft, or you can get more creative and develop more intricate summer solstice projects. Solstice with kids is an opportunity to celebrate the best part of the year and make art that will last for years....

Growing a Sunroom Garden in Winter Architecturally speaking, a sunroom is a catch-all phrase for any type of room designed to allow in an abundance of natural sunlight. If you’re lucky enough to have such a room, it’s important to distinguish whether you have a three-season or four-season room before you begin planting winter sunroom vegetables. A three-season sunroom is not climate controlled. It has no air conditioning in the summer and no heat in the winter....

About Sweet Bay Leaf Trees Sweet bay leaf tree is frost tender and is only hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 7. It prefers a full sun exposure and blooms in spring to summer. The leaves are leathery and stiff with a strong mid-rib. Crushing the leaf releases aromatic oil that is the source of the flavoring for foods. Bay tree care is very simple and straightforward but protection must be given to these trees in cold climates....

About Alternatives to Lettuce Lettuce comes in many forms: iceberg or crisphead, bibb or butterhead, Romaine or Cos, leaf lettuce and stem lettuce. Even so, many folks find the varieties downright uninspiring. Plus, these lettuce varieties are generally one hit wonders, used solely in salads or on sandwiches. Substitutes for lettuce can often be used in salads or on sandwiches but alternative salad greens can often do so much more. Many of them can be sautéed, added to soups and entrees, or even used as wraps....