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With its winter rains and generally mild weather, the West Coast has its own garden calendar. Here is a regional to do list for the last month of the year to help you prepare for the year to come. December in the West The Pacific Ocean plays a large role in West Coast weather, from Washington down to the southern tip of California. December brings rain, not snow, to most areas, and the weather is usually good enough for continued planting....

So what is the difference between introduced, invasive, noxious, and nuisance plants? Keep reading to learn more. What Does Invasive Species Mean? So what does “invasive species” mean, and why are invasive plants bad? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines invasive species as “a species that is non-native or alien to the ecosystem – the introduction of the species causes or is likely to cause harm to human health, or to the economy or environment....

Facts About Cedar Trees There are many types of cedar trees. All cedars are large, coniferous, evergreen trees. Because of their size, these trees are not often found in gardens and are usually seen lining streets or in parks. However, they make an excellent windbreak and are suitable on large pieces of property to add a living hedge or winter interest. They grow fast and can be found in a wide range of climate zones....

Fall Garden Planting Guide Knowing when, where and what to plant in the fall garden is important. The best time to plant a fall garden is late September through early October, depending on where you live. In order to be successful in planting, check the hardiness zone for your particular area beforehand. This will also come in handy for choosing appropriate plants for fall gardens. Fall Garden Plants There are a number of plants for fall gardens....

Baby Toes Succulent Plants Baby toes plants (Fenestraria rhopalophylla) are native to subtropical desert zones. They require bright sun and moderate water in well-drained soil with plenty of gritty matter. Mother Nature engineered them to be very tolerant of low nutrient soils with extreme weather conditions. The perennial succulents form columns of leaves that are thick and rise up like small toes with flattened tops. The tops possess a translucent membrane over the top of the leaf....

What is Ferocactus chrysacanthus Cactus? F. chrysacanthus is a type of barrel cactus. It is a slow growing species that may eventually grow up to about a foot (31 cm.) across and up to 3 feet (91 cm.) tall. The descriptive term “barrel” is in reference to the shape of the plant, which is barrel shaped. It has a single rounded to cylindrical form. It has a dark green stem that isn’t possible to see in mature plants....

When to Fertilize Figs The first thing you need to know is what to feed fig trees. A general-purpose fertilizer with an analysis of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 is fine. It’s easy to overdo it with stronger fertilizers. It’s best to provide fertilizer for fig trees only when the tree shows symptoms of slow growth or pale leaves, but there are a couple of exceptions where fig trees need regular feedings. Nutrients leach out of sandy soils quickly, so you’ll probably need to fertilize annually if the tree grows in a sandy location....

How Many Types of Fig Trees are There? There are over 700 named varieties of fig trees, but many of them are of no use to home gardeners. All of the varieties fall into four fig types: Caprifigs – Caprifigs only produce male flowers and never bear fruit. Their only purpose is to pollinate female fig trees. Smyrna – Smyrna figs bear all female flowers. They have to be pollinated by a caprifig....

Several garden edging ideas are offered here, with emphasis on cost, appearance, and ease of installation. Choose a flower garden border that is not only easy on the budget but blends in well with your landscape features. Flower Bed Edging for Home Gardens There are several types of garden bed edging, from plastic to wood to stone. You can even leave out the edging material and just create a trench around the bed....

Glads with Fusarium Wilt Fusarium of gladiolus is a fungus that can damage the corms you’ve stored for the winter. Spots and yellowing are the first signs of problems, turning to larger discolored areas and lesions. These eventually turn to brownish or blackish dry rot. Roots are damaged or have disappeared. Discard these. Others stored with them should be treated. Planting glads with fusarium wilt can result in yellowing foliage, sick plants, and no blooms, if they sprout at all....

Flood Damage in the Garden When plants are exposed to standing water for long periods of time, the roots can suffocate and die. Toxic compounds can also build up in saturated soils. Photosynthesis is inhibited, slowing or stopping plant growth. Excessively wet soils also favor fungal growth. Flood damage to ornamental plants from rising water generally is not as extensive as with vegetable crops. In addition, dormant plants are more tolerant than actively growing plants to flooding....

What are Some Alkaline Tolerant Plants? Gardening with alkaline soil isn’t a challenge when you use alkaline-tolerant plants. Below is a list of many suitable plants for alkaline soil. Trees Silver Maple Buckeye Hackberry Green Ash Honey Locust Ironwood Austrian Pine Burr Oak Tamarisk Shrubs Barberry Smoke Bush Spirea Cotoneaster Panicle Hydrangea Hydrangea Juniper Potentilla Lilac Viburnum Forsythia Boxwood Euonymus Mock Orange Weigela Oleander Annuals/Perennials Dusty Miller Geranium Yarrow Cinquefoil Astilbe Clematis Coneflower Daylily Coral Bells Honeysuckle Vine Hosta Creeping Phlox Garden Phlox Salvia Brunnera Dianthus Sweet Pea...

When kept healthy and disease free, gladiolus plants will return year after year to create a stunning flower garden display. Issues like gladiolus leaf spot, however, may cause decline in the vigor of your plants. Becoming familiar with the signs of gladiolus leaf diseases is important in preventing its spread. Gladiolus Leaf Spot Diseases As with many ornamental flowering plants, leaf spots on gladiolus can be quite troublesome. Leaf spot diseases are generally caused by the spread of certain types of bacteria or fungus in the garden – such as botrytis blight, bacterial leaf blight, curvularia leaf spot, or stemphylium leaf spot....

What is Golden Club? Golden club (Orontium aquaticum) is a native herbaceous perennial in the family Arum (Araceae). This common emergent plant can be found growing in streams, swamps, and ponds. Golden club water plants grow from a vertical rhizome that has thick roots which expand and contract. These contracting roots draw the rhizome deeper into the soil. The dark green, erect, strap-like leaves of this water plant float atop the surface of the water....

Enjoying Apples That are Green Apples that are green have a more pronounced tart and less sweet flavor than red varieties. If you love apples of all types, green varieties have their place. They taste great when eaten raw and fresh, just as a snack. They also add a delicious crunch and fresh flavor to salads and are the perfect counterbalance in flavor to salty, rich cheeses like cheddar and blue cheese....

Green Needlegrass Information What is green needlegrass? Green needlegrass (known as both Stipa viridula and Nassella viridula) is a cool-season perennial bunchgrass. Native to the prairies of North America, it ranges as far south as Arizona. Its blades reach a mature height of 1 to 2 feet (30.5-61 cm.). In early summer, it puts up flower shoots that extend the height of the grass to 16 to 36 inches (40.5-61 cm....

What is a Green Roof? Green roofs, also called vegetative roofs or rooftop gardens, have existed for centuries as an effective way to keep a home warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Sod roofs have been popular since ancient times in places like Iceland and Scandinavia. These days, green roofs are still valued for effectively reducing heat and cooling costs, but also because they can reduce water runoff in areas with high amounts of precipitation, improve air quality in polluted urban settings, create habits for wildlife, increase usable space in the landscape, and help reduce the urban heat island effect....

Beneficial Ground Beetles Ground beetles are members of the Carabid family. While there are about 2,000 different species of ground beetles in North America, most of the ones we encounter in the garden are nocturnal. These beneficial ground beetles help reduce the need for chemical pest control by eating common garden pests like: Caterpillars (and other insect larvae) Ants Aphids Maggots Wireworms Slugs A few species of ground beetles will also eat the seeds of invasive weeds such as lambsquarter, foxtail, ragweed, and thistle....

Gardens with limited sunshine often lack flowering plants for shade. Such plants brighten low light areas and provide the flowers necessary for pollinators and pleasure. There are specimens of red, orange, blue, white, yellow, and purple shade plants. So, no matter the color scheme, there are plenty of plants for the shade flower garden. Planning the Shade Flower Garden There are many things to consider when starting a shade garden....

Oregon Sugar Pod snow peas are very popular garden plants. They produce large double pods with a delicious flavor. If you want to grow Oregon Sugar Pod peas, you’ll be delighted to learn that they are not demanding plants. Read on for information on the pea Oregon Sugar Pod. What are Oregon Sugar Pod Peas? Sugar peas are in the legume family. They not only give a wide range of vitamins and minerals to recipes, but they also fix nitrogen in soil, enhancing its nutrient capacity....