Gray Dogwood Information Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is rangy and even a little scraggly, with suckers springing up all around it. The fall leaves are dark reddish purple, and while the color is interesting, you wouldn’t call it attractive. The white winter berries only last a short time and don’t add much to the appearance of the shrub. Although you may not want to plant it in a formal garden, it is right at home in a wildlife area or a location with poor, wet soil....

Can a tree grow from a stump? It’s entirely possible to regrow certain species of trees from a trunk. Read on to learn the best way to grow back tree stumps into trees. Regrow Tree from Stump If you walk through a forest, you’ll see many a tree sprouting from stump tops. Nature often works hard at regrowing felled trees, whether the gardener is in agreement or not. That’s because stump sprouting is a natural way that fallen trees regenerate, allowing a stand of trees to make a comeback after a forest fire or even deer browsing kills young trees....

What are Artichokes? What are artichokes? They’re the vegetable made famous by Marilyn Monroe when she was crowned Artichoke Queen in 1948. What ARE artichokes though? They are some of the best eating… Okay, okay. We didn’t want to tell you this since you’re probably not fond of their weedy cousins. Artichokes are giant thistles. You eat the inner, fleshy part of the bracts that surround the base or heart of the bud and the heart itself is tender and delicious....

Cacti and Succulent Info Cacti are associated with the desert, and many thrive in regions of Central and South America. Other cacti, though, come from as far north as Canada, and many are even native to the rainforests. Like bromeliads, a lot of cacti are epiphytes, and the cacti that are forest-dwelling species grow over forest trees. The desert-dwelling variety of cacti can survive for really long periods of time without rainfall....

Clarkia plants grow to between 1 and 3 feet (0.5-1 m.) tall and spread 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm.). Clarkia flowers bloom in summer or fall, and sometimes in winter in mild climates. Most flowers are doubles or semi-doubles and have frilly, crepe-like petals. They come in a wide range of colors. Clarkia flower care is a snap, and once you plant them in the garden there is very little to do but enjoy them....

Flowering Crabapple Trees Often called “the jewels of the landscape” flowering crabapple trees create four seasons of outstanding visual impact. In spring, the tree leafs out while the flower buds swell until they burst open to reveal fragrant blossoms in shades that range from white or pale pink to red. As the flowers fade, they are replaced by small fruit that are relished by birds and squirrels. Most crabapple trees have vibrant fall colors, and once the leaves fall, the fruit stands out against the bare or snow-covered branches....

How to Grow Elderberry Plants Growing elderberries is not all that difficult. They can tolerate different conditions like poor soil or overly wet areas. One thing growing elderberries cannot tolerate, however, is drought. When planting elderberry bushes, you should note that the berries will grow on the bushes the first year you plant them. Just remember that the berries will do better the second year. Elderberry planting is done best in well-draining, loamy soil....

How to Grow a Flapjack Paddle Plant Growing paddle plants outdoors is possible in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and above, but gardeners in cooler climates can grow kalanchoe as an indoor plant. Water kalanchoe only when the soil is dry. When watering indoor plants, allow the pot to drain completely before replacing the plant on its drainage saucer. Never overwater, as kalanchoe, like all succulents, is prone to rot in soggy soil....

Container Grown Queen Palm Plants Tips Caring for queen palm in a container is relatively straightforward as long as you meet its basic needs. When growing queen palms, make sure your potted queen palm gets plenty of bright light, but avoid intense sunlight that may scorch the leaves. Water queen palm when the top of the potting mix feels dry to the touch. Water slowly until moisture drips through the drainage hole, then allow the pot to drain thoroughly....

What is a Summer Pear? There are many different varieties of pear, but they can be broadly categorized as two types: summer and winter. The difference between them is when harvest time begins. Summer pears are ready to be harvested beginning in late mid to late summer (July or August) in most places, while the harvest for winter pears doesn’t begin until the very end of summer or early autumn (August or September)....

About Guava Leaf Tea As mentioned, indigenous people have been harvesting guava leaves for medicinal tea for many years. Today, guava has found its way into modern medicines, including weight loss products and anti-diarrhea formulas. Researchers are even studying its medicinal properties with regards to treating diabetes. Guava leaves are also a rich source of antioxidants, you know those things making the news that protect your cells by scavenging damaging free radicals....

There are lots of homemade garden gifts to try your hand at. Use these as a basis for developing our own ideas. Handmade Gifts Using Homegrown Herbs Many suggestions here include offering one of your favorite recipes along with the herbs you’ve grown that are used in the dish. This is particularly good for recipes that include basil, as we always seem to have more than we need. Lavender and rosemary are included in a number of food recipes and other items like homemade bath bombs, fragrant lavender wands, and tea bags for the bath....

Do All Holly Bushes Have Berries? No, all holly bushes do not have berries. Hollies are dioecious, meaning that they need male and female plants in order to produce seeds, which are what berries are. So only female holly bushes will have the red berries. This means that if some of your holly bushes do not have berries, they may be male and simply cannot produce berries. It also means that if all of your holly bushes do not have berries, that they may all be male or they all may be female....

What are Hollyhock Weevils? Hollyhock weevils (Apion longirostre) are gray snout beetles with orange legs, measuring 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3-6 mm.) long, including their pronounced proboscis, which is significantly longer in females than males. Hollyhock weevil adults overwinter in the soil of infested hollyhock beds, emerging from hiding in spring to feed and lay their eggs. The female chews a small hole in a flower bud before inserting a single egg, repeating this process many times....

Common Plants Poisonous to Horses There are many plants that have been identified as being toxic to horses. This is a list of some of the most common poisonous plants and is not, in any means, exhaustive: Alsike Clover Azalea Bracken Fern Buckwheat Buttercup Castor Bean Chokecherry Ground Ivy Horse Chestnut Locoweed Lupine Milkweed Mountain Laurel Oleander Poison Hemlock Ragweed Common Trees Poisonous to Horses There are many trees that have been identified as being toxic to horses....

Should I Mulch Around Trees? If you have a naturalized landscape with established trees, there is no reason to mulch around them. Fall leaf or needle drop is natural mulch. If you have a more manicured landscape, it is a good idea to mulch around trees, but care must be taken to keep the mulch away from the trunk of the trees. So called “mulch volcanoes,” wherein mulch is piled around the trunk of the tree, can have long term detrimental effects as it can become waterlogged, compact, harbor rodents and introduce pathogens....

How to Know When a Cucumber is Ripe Cucumber harvesting isn’t an exact science. However, cucumbers are generally ripe and ready for harvest anywhere from 50 to 70 days after planting. A cucumber is normally considered ripe when it is bright medium to dark green and firm. You should avoid cucumber harvesting when cucumbers are yellow, puffy, have sunken areas, or wrinkled tips. These are well beyond being ripe and should be discarded promptly....

Should you Cut Back Horse Chestnut Trees? Horse chestnut (Aescuclus hippocastanum) is a non-native deciduous tree whose name is derived from the mark left on twigs after the foliage has fallen, which looks much akin to an inverted horseshoe. Aesthetically, the tree is known for its large white flowers. These give way to conkers, large brown spine-covered nuts. Horse chestnuts do not send out shoots that require maintenance in the form of aggressive pruning....

All plants require pollination in order to make seeds and fruit, but sometimes Mother Nature, or even we gardeners, can prevent plants that need pollinators from getting the pollination that they need. What is Insect Pollination? Many types of animals are part of the pollination process. Some of these include bats, birds and even land mammals, but the most common pollinators are insects. Insect pollination is crucial to most gardens and is as simple as insects like bees, butterflies and wasps flying from flower to flower in order to collect nectar....

Zone 7 Invasive Plants The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a zone system dividing the nation into zones 1 through 13 based on the lowest annual temperatures. Nurseries mark the plants they sell with their appropriate zone range. This enables gardeners to readily identify plants hardy for their regions. Most areas of the country have some invasive plants that grow well there. This includes zone 7, those areas of the country where the low annual temperatures range from 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit....