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Houseplants Victorian Style Nostalgic fads of the Victorian era have a classic stylishness even today. Some of the more interesting home decor practices involved the use of plants inside. Plants were inexpensive, brought the outdoors in and could change a room in a heartbeat from a fussy parlor to a tropical haven. Most of us have heard of the use of palms as parlor plants. In fact, there is a variety that is called the parlor palm....

Interested in growing this broccoli variety? The following article contains information on how to grow Waltham 29 broccoli. About Waltham 29 Broccoli Plants Waltham 29 broccoli seeds were specifically developed to withstand the colder temperatures of the Pacific Northwest and East Coast. These broccoli plants grow to a height of about 20 inches (51 cm.) and form blue-green, medium to large heads on long stalks, a rarity amongst modern hybrids....

Types Of Zinnias Zinnias are annual flowers that grow in full sun and well-drained soil. They thrive in heat and tolerate drought well. Zinnias range in height from 6 inches to over 4 feet tall. Their flowers can be striped, speckled, or solid in a variety of colors from pastel to vibrant hues. Zinnias also come in an array of flower forms. These include single bloom, beehive, button, and cactus. They make wonderful cut flowers that can last in a vase for a week or more....

What are Arum Weeds? Arum is a broad family of mostly foliage plants. Italian arum is also known as Lords and Ladies or Orange Candle flower. It is an attractive foliage plant from Europe that quickly colonizes introduced ranges. It spreads by both bulb and seed and reproduces rapidly. In many areas, it is classified as a toxic weed. Managing arum plants is challenging but possible. Most arums are pleasant and well-mannered plants, but Italian arum are pests....

What should you do if your African violate won’t flower? Read on for info on African violet flowering needs including tips on how to make African violets bloom. No Flowers on African Violet It happens all too often. You buy beautiful African violets and bring them home. As the blooms die, you wait eagerly for more buds, but none appear. You look each morning but see no flowers on African violet plants....

How to Propagate Office Plants There are several different methods of propagating plants in the office, and the best technique depends on the growth characteristics of the plant. Here are a few tips on propagating common office plants: Division Division is the simplest propagation technique, and works beautifully for plants that produce offsets. In general, the plant is removed from the pot and a small section, which must have several healthy roots, is gently separated from the main plant....

Best time for Repotting Anthurium Plants So when is the best time for repotting an anthurium plant? A rootbound anthurium should be repotted as soon as possible. If you aren’t sure if the plant is rootbound, look for the following clues: Roots circling around the surface of the potting mix Roots growing through the drainage hole Wilting foliage, even after watering Water runs straight through drainage hole Bent or cracked container...

How to Treat Blueberry Mummy Berry Caused by the fungal pathogen Monilinia vaccinilicorymbosi, blueberry mummy berry is a relatively common but serious affliction of blueberry shrubs. In small plantings of blueberries, the disease may be manageable. However, in large commercial fields, blueberry mummy berry can be devastating to the whole crop. The symptoms generally appear early in the season as an overall browning around major leaf veins. As the disease progresses foliage, new shoots, buds, and blossoms may wilt, turn brown, and drop....

Getting Comfortable with Grafting Grafting is the process of joining two pieces of material from two different plants together so that they grow to form a single composite plant. Like rooting cuttings, grafting is a form of asexual plant propagation. Many gardeners who are comfortable with cuttings may hesitate to try their hand at the ancient propagation practice of grafting. In grafting, each piece of plant is given a name. The bottom portion that contains a root system is called the “rootstock....

Hybridizing Snapdragons Plants For centuries, plant breeders have created new hybrids from cross pollination. Through this technique they are able to change a plant’s characteristics, such as bloom color, bloom size, bloom shape, plant size, and plant foliage. Due to these efforts, we now have many flowering plants that produce much wider varieties of bloom color. With a little knowledge of flower anatomy, a pair of tweezers, a camel hairbrush, and clear plastic bags, any home gardener can try their hand at hybridizing snapdragon plants or other flowers....

What are Hygrophila Aquarium Plants? Hygrophila in an aquarium makes a nice decorative element, adding depth, color, texture, and places for your fish to hide and explore. The genus contains several species of aquatic flowering plants that grow mostly submerged in fresh water. They are native to tropical regions. Some of the species you’ll easily find include: H. Difformis: This is native to Asia and is great for beginners. It grows up to 12 inches (30....

How to Care for Sago Palms Sago palms are easy to care for but do require special needs, such as bright light, although they will tolerate low-light conditions. What they will not tolerate, however, is too much moisture. Sago palms prefer to be situated in well-drained soil, and like other cycad plants, they do not respond well to overwatering. In fact, too much water can quickly lead to root rot and eventual death....

How Do Onions Grow? Many people wonder, how do onions grow? Onions (Allium cepa) are part of the Allium family and are related to garlic and chives. Onions grow in layers, which are essentially an extension of the leaves of the onion. The more leaves that are out of the top of the onion, the more inside the onion layers there are, meaning that if you see lots of leaves, you know you are growing big onions....

Ornamental Japanese Silver Grass Uses Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is useful as a living hedge or border when planted 3 to 4 feet (1 m.) apart. It also makes an interesting specimen plant alone as the center of a bed or in a large pot as an accent. The ornamental Japanese silver grass group contains numerous cultivars. Autumn Light and November Sunset are two varieties that may be grown in USDA zone 4....

Is Baby’s Breath Toxic to Cats? Baby’s breath, native to Eurasia, was introduced into North America for use as an ornamental, specifically in the cut flower industry. The plant readily self-sows and, as such, can now be found naturalized across Canada and into the northern United States. It is often classified as a weed due to the ease of self-propagation and hardiness. To some, it might be a nasty weed, but is baby’s breath bad for cats?...

If you’re pondering the question, “Is my foxtail palm sick,” then you’ve come to the right place. Foxtail palm tends to be relatively problem free, but it is susceptible to certain diseases, often related to issues with care and maintenance or climactic conditions. Read on and learn more about diseases of foxtail palms. What to Do About Diseased Foxtail Palm Trees Below are common symptoms of foxtail palm diseases and how to manage them....

Korean Boxwood Information Korean boxwood plants (Buxus sinica insularis, formerly Buxus microphylla var. koreana) are broadleaf evergreen shrubs. They grow upright to about 2 feet (0.5 m.) tall. They are slightly wider than they are tall when they are mature and develop a partially open branch structure. These shrubs are dense plants. Their many branches are covered with finely-textured evergreen leaves that give the shrubs visual interest all year long. In summer, the leaves are green....

What are Lapins Cherries? The Lapins variety of cherry was developed in British Columbia, Canada at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre. Researchers crossed Van and Stella cherry trees to come up with the Lapins cultivar. The aim was to produce a better sweet cherry, something similar to Bing but with important improvements in certain properties. A Lapins cherry tree produces dark, sweet fruit that is very similar to the popular Bing cherry....

If you don’t want your neighbors to cringe in embarrassment, take time to learn some basic design elements for using lawn ornaments and garden art with style and grace. Read on for helpful lawn décor tips. How to Use Lawn Ornaments Everybody has a different idea about how to use lawn ornaments in the landscape, but the most important factor is that lawn ornaments and garden art should enhance your life and bring you joy....

Do Fig Trees Lose Leaves? Leaf drop on figs is a common problem, but it’s not usually fatal if you can figure out why your plant’s leaves are suddenly falling. The most common causes of fig tree leaf drop include: Winter – The chill of late fall signals to figs that it’s time to go dormant and spend the winter in deep sleep. Dormancy is vital to many fig species and a perfectly normal part of their life cycles....