Have you seen poinsettias for sale yet? I have. Were they red? Probably. That’s because we all know that poinsettias are red, right? Well, not so fast. There are pink, purple, white, spotted, striped, and even yellow and orange poinsettias. Every year, the commercial plant breeders of poinsettias come out with 5 to 20 new…
10 Pet-Friendly Houseplants for Your Home
While houseplants have the ability to bring life to a room and purify the air while doing it, a drawback is that many houseplants are toxic to animals. Here are 10 plants that add beauty to your home without worry. First, keep in mind that while many plants are technically safe for cats and dogs,…
Diagnosing Plant Problems
Q: Your answer on a lawn that suddenly appeared dead sounds like what many lawns in our area suffered through. We had army worms. One day the grass was green and the next day it was dead-looking. A: I tell people all the time that there are only three things that affect plants: insects, diseases,…
How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats and Other Flowerpot Pests
Q: Last week you answered a question about removing fungus from houseplant pots before bringing them in for the winter. My plants always seem to have whole armies of crickets, pill bugs, ants, earwigs, or worms. How do I get rid of them? A: I am glad you asked, because I have an update to…
7 Pleasantly Surprising Reasons to Decorate With Houseplants
There’s something warm and inviting about a well-placed, thriving houseplant. Experts call this “interior landscaping,” and it’s becoming increasingly popular, not only in homes but in offices and other commercial settings. I would have assumed that’s because houseplants can be quite inexpensive. But now, we’re learning that houseplants offer surprising physical and mental benefits as…
How to Get Rid of Sooty Mold
Q: I hope you can help. The leaves on my orange and lemon trees are turning black. The black material does not wash off easily, but it wipes off if I scrub the leaf with water and a paper towel, even though it comes back in a few weeks. The leaves seem to be producing…
Don’t Use Gravel in Flowerpots
Q: I bought a half-barrel to use as a planter, but it doesn’t have drainage holes. Do I need holes in the pot, or can I just add some gravel to the bottom for drainage? A: If you think you might use the pot for some other purpose in the future that will need to…
Make learning fun with garden kits
Summer is a big deal for everyone, especially for kids. It is a time where they are out of school, where there are no worries of school work, assignments, and they can go out to do what they want. For you, summer is a time where you can get more into gardening. Expand and research…
Watering methods for your indoor or outdoor gardens
While being an active gardener is fun, life can get in the way of active gardening life. Understandably, you can get busy, and sometimes something as simple as watering your garden can be forgotten. Even if you have drought-tolerant plants or a garden that needs little tending too, watering is still vital to plant…
Hearty plants that endure during a drought
Summer is finally among us and this means that heatwaves and drought are coming to many parts of the country. Because of this many plants and gardens will be affected due to this sudden change of weather. With summer heat and sun, the need to keep our plants, gardens and flowers watered increases dramatically. Planting…
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