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Trees & Houseplants : Home & Garden
How to Grow Petunias in Containers
Considered annuals, petunias grow well in the ground and in containers. Hundreds of petunia varieties are available for the home gardener, with varying colors of pink, red purple and white that complement their light green foliage. Propagated from seeds, petunia plants thrive when grown in container
Indoor Planting Instructions
Indoor planting helps keep a lush array of houseplants, and gives you an early start on gardening. Starting seeds may be more labor-intensive, but it will save you money over purchasing nursery plants. Flowers and vegetables can be started indoors and raised until the conditions outdoors favor their
Peat Moss Vs. Potting Soil
Peat moss is a lightweight, light-brown, organic material that, when added to soil, helps it retain air and water. Most commercial potting soils contain some amount of peat moss.
How to Prune a Hanging Hydrenga Tree
Hydrangeas, with their large, wide leaves, and their large flower heads, make a beautiful focal point in the garden. H. paniculata (PeeGee type) hydrangeas may be grown either in a tree shape or as a natural bush and usually produce large clusters of stunning white flowers. This type of hydrangea is
Stages of Wilting Carnations
Carnations are a favorite for many gardeners. Not only do these flowers add a bright spot in your yard, but they also are drought-tolerant and require little water. However, drought-tolerant does not mean these plants can survive hot weather without some water. Once a carnation wilts, it goes throug
How to Plant Shelterbelts
Shelterbelts are linear plantings combining trees, shrubs and plants designed to alter the flow of wind or snow, thereby altering the microclimate in an immediate area to make it more habitable for crops, wildlife, livestock and dwellings. Shelterbelts are also called windbreaks, hedgerows, timberbe
Home Remedy to Deter Squirrels
Although squirrels appear soft, cuddly and cute, they are actually rodents. Squirrels can cause a mess in your garden, destroying both flowers and vegetables. In addition to that, squirrels are usually responsible for stealing all of the birdseed out of your feeder. Fortunately, you can create a squ
How to Grow Shrub Roses
There are a variety of roses known as shrub roses or landscape roses. Some are heirloom roses and some are newer cultivars. They are known for being disease- and insect-resistant. They, like other roses, love sunshine and need 6 to 8 hours of it daily to perform well, and soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.
Comparison of Ground Cover Landscaping
Ground covers are perennial plants that add beauty to your landscape while covering up problem areas in your yard. They are low growing and cover large areas of the landscape. For shady locations, ground covers can replace turf grass. They provide erosion control on dry slopes, under...
Types of Water Turbines
Water turbines convert flowing water to electricity.flowing water image by John Fatuzzo from Fotolia.comA water turbine is needed to capture flowing water and convert it into electricity. There are two main styles of water turbines: impulse and reaction. An impulse turbine operates in the...
A Home Remedy for Removing Gophers
Removing garden pests may be a big undertaking, but there are home remedies that can help. Moles may actually help some gardens by eating insects and their larvae, not to mention digging tunnels that aerate the soil. Gophers are not moles, but a different pest altogether. Gopher mounds are flattish
Perennials With Purple Flowers
Lavender fields can paint hillsides in purple when they are in bloom.Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty ImagesPerennial plants are those that return year after year, often surviving winter in the ground. Many gardeners enjoy perennial flowers, since the flowers don't have to be...
How to Support a Tree on a Bank
Trees sometimes need a little help when branches become too large for their trunks to support or when soil conditions cause the tree to uproot. Trees can even weaken or get uprooted when they become crowded and bend to reach more light.The soil that supports trees along river
How to Plant Crape Myrtle Trees
Crape myrtle trees (Lagerstroemia indica) have one of the longest blooming periods of all trees, up to 120 days. The flowers bloom in the summer in various shades of pink, purple and red. Classic crape myrtles are deciduous trees that grow 15 to 20 feet in height but there are hybrids that remain sm
How to Transplant Blueberry Bushes
High in phytochemicals and micronutrients, blueberries reach their peak production in July, the official “Blueberry Month” in the United States and Canada. A member of the Vaccinium family of fruit-bearing bushes, blueberries produce a “false berry,” prized in desserts an
Light Requirements for Geraniums
Place potted geraniums near the brightest window in your home.Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty ImagesGeraniums can flower year-round when provided with enough light, water and nutrition. They are sometimes treated as annual flowers because they die off during the short days of winter...
The Meaning of Lily Flowers
Lilies have been known and grown since antiquity. White lilies were cultivated in ancient Crete and Greece. According to the florists at Teleflora.com., the lily was revered by the Greeks as sprouting from the milk of Hera, queen of the gods. In Christian traditions, the white Easter lily symbolized
Indoor Long Living Flowering Plants
Flowers enliven any outdoor setting, but certain flowers grow equally well indoors and help create a brighter, fresher indoor living space. Certain types of flowers, when grown indoors, even continue to flower and thrive for longer periods of time than they would outdoors. In order to achieve flower
How Often Should You Water Vinca Flowers?
Vinca is actually three different types of plants, according to David J. Robson, Specialist for the University of Illinois Extension Service. Vinca minor is a perennial groundcover. Vinca major is an annual vine used in mixed-flower containers. The bedding plant vinca, also known as Madagascar periw