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Xeriscape Plants for Zone 5 Gardens There are a few ways to conserve water in the garden besides just using drought tolerant plants. Hydro zoning is the grouping of plants based on their water needs. By grouping water-loving plants with other water-loving plants in one area and all drought tolerant plants in another area, water isn’t wasted on plants that do not need much. In zone 5, because we do have times of heavier precipitation and other times when conditions are dry, irrigation systems should be set according to seasonal needs....

Cold Tolerant Indoor Plants Here is a list of great cold hardy houseplants for your home. One thing to keep in mind is that the cooler your room, the longer you can go in between watering. Keeping plants too wet (and cold) will invite root rot, so be careful of this balance. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia): ZZ plant is a very tough houseplant that not only survives low light and very dry conditions, but is also a great choice for cooler rooms....

Pine Needle Uses Gardeners with pine trees in the yard may consider the debris from dropped needles a nuisance, however, these conifer leaves are actually useful in many different ways. Why should you harvest pine needles? The needles make excellent fire starters, flavoring for teas and vinegars, grill smoke to season meats, air fresheners, and, of course, mulch. They have many medicinal properties as well. Collecting pine needles and processing them correctly can help you harness any of these natural properties....

Common Diseases of Almond Trees Most of the diseases that afflict almonds are fungal diseases, such as Botryosphaeria canker and Ceratocystis canker. Botryosphaeria canker – Botryosphaeria canker, or band canker, is a fungal disease that used to be fairly uncommon. Today, it hits commercial growers especially hard, showing its almond disease symptoms in natural openings on the tree and in pruning wounds on scaffold branches. These are most frequently seen after a rainfall when spores are spread not only on the wind, but through rain splash....

Meyer lilac trees are also known as dwarf lilac trees or compact Meyer lilacs because they are smaller than most lilacs, reaching a mature size of 4 to 8 feet (1 to 2.5 m.) tall and 6 to12 feet (2 to 2.5 m.) wide. These dwarf lilac trees work beautifully as specimens, or in mass plantings, borders, or hedges. Growing Meyer lilacs is suitable in USDA zones 3 through 8....

What to Plant Next to Yams Golden yams are native to South America and have been grown as a crop for over 5,000 years. These easy-to-grow tubers prefer United States Department of Agriculture zones 9 through 12. Yams may be white, purple, brown, reddish, or the classic, sweet, orange-fleshed variety grown in southern regions of the United States. Plants that grow well with yams might be those that are also in the morning glory family, pest deterrents, or simply those that complement the attractive foliage and starry purple flowers of sweet potatoes....

What is Verticillium Wilt? Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease that lives in the soil. It invades susceptible plants through their roots and spreads through the plant’s vascular system. The list of plants affected by verticillium wilt is extensive and includes trees, shrubs, garden annuals, and perennials. It can also affect fruit and vegetable crops. Verticillium wilt symptoms mimic those of other plant diseases and environmental problems, making it harder to diagnose....

Lawn Care and Ant Hills The mounds and hills formed by ant colonies are not the only issue with these fascinating insects. Many species also have an interest in ranching, and will “farm” aphids and mealybugs, protecting them and assisting their daily needs in order to keep a local source of honeydew. Honeydew is the substance secreted by aphids and mealybugs and is something of a delicacy to ants. Having a colony of farming ants can mean real trouble for your veggies and ornamental plants, the food of choice for mealybugs and aphids....

What is a Salsa Garden? Salsa gardens should include the basic components of homemade garden salsa: tomatoes or tomatillos hot peppers garlic cilantro onions or chives Hot peppers need a long growing season and usually produce best if started indoors and transplanted out after the chance of frost has passed. There are many varieties of tomato to choose from, but a firmly fleshed fruit is best for garden fresh salsa. Tangy tomatillos are excellent in salsa verde, a green milder version of the red salsa....

Seed Storage Containers Chances are you already have plenty of containers in your kitchen, bathroom, or garage; most are easily turned into containers for seed saving. The following are some tips to help: Paper containers for seeds Paper is great for storing seeds, especially if you aren’t sure your seeds are completely dry. Paper is beneficial because it provides ample air circulation and is easy to label. You can store paper seed containers in larger containers such as plastic storage bins, wicker baskets, large glass jars, filing boxes, or recipe boxes....

Many familiar vegetables such as asparagus, squash, carrots, garlic and spinach also have wild relatives. In fact, most domestic plants have at least one wild relative. Crop wild relatives often don’t taste as good as domestic crops, and they may not appear as appetizing. However, they have traits that make them important. Let’s learn more about the usefulness of crop wild relatives. Importance of Crop Wild Relatives Why are crop wild relatives important?...

Pruning Philodendron Plants One rule of thumb: If you aren’t sure your plant needs pruning, wait. Pruning a philodendron shouldn’t be done if it isn’t really necessary, and a good pruning job should never detract from the overall appearance of the plant. In other words, your work really shouldn’t be noticeable. Cutting back philodendron plants is beneficial if the plant is taking up too much space in the room, or if the plant looks long and leggy....

What is Deep Mulch Gardening? Gardener and author Ruth Stout first laid out the concept of deep mulch gardening in her 1950’s book “Gardening without the Work: for the Aging, the Busy, and the Indolent.” In short, Ruth’s method used layers of mulch to choke out weeds, retain soil moisture, and add organic matter and nutrients to the garden bed. She described a method of growing garden plants right in deep layers of straw, hay, wood chips, compost, manure, leaves, or other organic materials rather than growing plants in the conventional finely tilled soil garden beds....

What Is Deep Watering? While it is certainly no secret that plants often need additional water to survive the warmest portions of the growing season, many gardeners are left to question exactly how much water is actually needed. General guidance can often be found, but ideal conditions may vary dramatically from one plant type to another. Many growers choose to maintain rain gauges to monitor plants and make better informed decisions regarding supplemental watering....

About Onions for Different Climates The three basic types of onions grown in gardens are short-day, long-day, and day-neutral. Each of these onion plant varieties is more suited to a particular region than another. For instance, in the north, from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. (zone 6 or colder), summer days are long, so you would grow long-day onions. In the south (zone 7 and warmer), summer days don’t swing much in length in comparison to winter days, so grow short-day onions....

When is It Time for Dividing Tulip Bulbs? Once in awhile a person may find that they just so happened to plant their tulips in ideal conditions and that their tulips flourish year after year. If you are one of these rare and lucky people, you may find yourself in the unusual circumstances of needing to divide the tulip bulbs in your tulip bed. Tulip bulbs are much like any other kind of bulb....

What are Garden Ice Luminaries? Think of these as ice lanterns. A luminary is traditionally a paper lantern, often simply a candle set in a paper bag. The most common use of luminaries is to celebrate Christmas. Many people, and often entire towns or neighborhoods, set out lines of luminaries on one night, such as Christmas Eve. The tradition is thought to have begun in New Mexico, but it has spread throughout the U....

Do Hosta Plants Have Flowers? Every hosta plant grows flowers. Not every hosta plant flowering is a welcome sight to the gardener though. Many gardeners select hostas for the shade garden because of their lush foliage, not hosta plant flowers. The mounding leaves of cultivars can be spectacular, ranging in color from standard green to blues, white, and gold. They also come in many shapes, sizes, and textures. For example, if you want a very small hosta, you can plant “Baby Bunting” that even at maturity is only a few inches (8 cm....

Does My Lawn Need Plug Aeration? Essentially, all lawns need aeration at some point. It’s a good management practice that helps maintain health and strength in grassy areas. Even if your lawn is currently healthy and lush, a regular process of aerating will help keep it that way. The best way to aerate a lawn is to use a core aerating machine. This device uses a hollow tube to actually pull plugs of soil out of the lawn....

About Painted Lady Echeveria Also known as Painted Lady, due to its reddish leaf tips, this native Mexican plant dazzles with showy yellow-orange blooms each spring. Since these echeveria plants remain relatively small, usually growing to no more than 4 inches (10 cm.) in height, the Painted Lady succulent is perfect for container culture. Echeveria Plant Care Echeveria plants require warm climates to thrive. Grown outdoors in USDA zone 9 through 11, cultivation in pots or planters is often the best and most common planting option for gardeners living within zones that experience colder temperatures....