Pruning oleander shrubs is not necessary for health but will keep the shrub tidy and control growth. The time to prune oleanders and how to prune an oleander for best results are important considerations whenever oleander trimming does become necessary. When to Prune Oleanders To ensure the vitality of your oleander, prune at the appropriate time. Since they have a very short bloom time, the best time to trim oleanders is right after they bloom....

Early Perfection Pea Information For a pea, Early Perfection is a tough plant that is easy to grow. It resists drought and several diseases, including fusarium wilt. It’s also a prolific producer, even if you have poor soil. Fall is a great time to get started with Early Perfection, as these peas prefer temperatures below 70 degrees F. (21 C.). Early Perfection vines grow to about 30 inches (76 cm.) in length....

Mr. Big peas are easy to pick, and they remain firm and fresh on the plant even if you’re a little late to the harvest. As an added bonus, Mr. Big peas tend to be resistant to powdery mildew and other diseases that often afflict pea plants. If your next question is how to grow Mr. Big peas, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about growing Mr....

Definition of Perennial Plants Simply put, unlike annuals or biennials, perennials are plants that live year after year. Some perennials, such as trees and shrubs, have significant life spans. Others, like many flowering perennials, may need to be replaced every three or more years. Some trees and shrubs retain their foliage throughout the year, but most herbaceous perennials, including many flowering perennials, die back to the ground during the first fall freezes....

How to Plant a Peruvian Lily Starting Peruvian lily bulbs, which are widely available online or in home and garden centers, is the easiest way of growing Peruvian lilies, although they can also be started from seed. Peruvian lily plants need lots of space as they can become invasive. Mature plants grow to 4 feet (1 m.) high and 2 feet (0.5 m.) wide. Plant the rhizomes in slightly acidic, well draining soil, at a depth that is three times their height and 12 inches (30 cm....

When to Harvest Blueberry Bushes Blueberry bushes are suited to USDA hardiness zones 3-7. The blueberries we eat today are a more or less recent invention. Prior to the 1900’s, only North American natives utilized the berry, which, of course, was only found in the wild. There are three types of blueberry: highbush, lowbush and hybrid half-high. Regardless of the type of blueberry, combine their nutrition aspects with ease of growing and minimal diseases or pests (except the birds!...

Moths appear in a huge variety of shapes and colors, often visiting nighttime barbeques or flitting through the garden after dark. Unlike so many other insects, moths are helpful pollinators that never cause garden damage, right? Unfortunately, some moths are the parents of unruly offspring like the pickleworm. These obnoxious pests are serious trouble when it comes to cucurbit plants. What are Pickleworms? Pickleworms are the larval stage of the pickleworm moth (Diaphania nitidalis) and much like the caterpillars of beautiful butterflies, this stage of development can be extremely damaging to gardens....

Thanks to the World Wide Web, getting your hands on the latest trending variety of bleeding heart is easier than ever. However, gardeners who are used to purchasing growing plants at nurseries or garden centers might get quite a shock when the bleeding heart plant they ordered online arrives as a bare root plant. Continue reading to learn how to plant a bare root bleeding heart. Dormant Bleeding Heart Plants Online nurseries and mail order catalogs usually sell bare root bleeding heart plants....

Kousa dogwood trees begin life with an upright design, but their branches grow out horizontally as the trees mature. The result is an attractive canopy that will fill a large portion of the yard. Many people use them as a focal point by attaching small twinkle lights to the underside of the canopy, creating a magical look for evening relaxation. Kousa Dogwood Varieties There are a number of Kousa dogwood varieties, and the only basic difference is how each tree looks....

Japanese Snowbell Information Japanese snowbell trees (Styrax japonicus) are native to China, Japan, and Korea. They are hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8a. They grow slowly to a height of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m.), with a spread of 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.5 m.). In late spring or early summer, usually in May and June, they produce mildly fragrant, white flowers. The flowers appear in clusters of small, five-petaled bells that show up very clearly as they hang down below the upward-growing foliage....

What are Snowdrops in the Green? Galanthus is the botanical name for snowdrops. These easy to grow charmers are in bloom from January often until March. Planting snowdrops in the green is the traditional method to enjoy these little darlings. Novice gardeners may want to know “what are snowdrops in the green,” and “when is the best time to plant them?” These questions and more will be answered. Flowers on snowdrops may last a month or two in late winter to early spring....

Colorful Container Grown Portulaca Flowering in a wide range of colors, portulaca comes in white and warm colors. Flower colors include pink, peach, yellow, orange, red, fuchsia, magenta, lavender, and purple. Standard plant blooms open in full sunlight, closing at night and on clouded days. Some new cultivars; however, now have blooms that will open slightly during cloudy conditions. Newer cultivars have spotted or striped blooms in various contrasting shades. There is a color to match or complement any outdoor design on the patio or deck....

Ipheion Spring Starflower Information Spring starflower bulbs need to be installed in fall so they can experience dormancy and chilling periods that force the embryonic plant to emerge when temperatures warm. As the bulbs mature, they will produce bulblets and new growth in successive years. As a South American native, Ipheion thrives in warm temperatures and full sun. While the bulbs are hardy to United States Department of Agriculture zone 5, many people enjoy growing starflowers in containers, especially those in colder climates....

Starfruit Tree Care Starfruit trees bear yellow fruit, about ¾-inch (2 cm.) long with very waxy skin and five severe ridges. When the fruit is cut crosswise, a resulting perfect five-point star is in evidence. As mentioned above, starfruit trees are native to the subtropics, specifically Sri Lanka and the Moluccas with cultivation evident in southeast Asia and Malaysia for hundreds of years. This fruiting tree in the family Oxalis has minimal hardiness but will survive very light frost and temps into the upper 20’s for brief periods of time....

How Can I Keep Antelope Out of My Garden? The term antelope can be confusing because it usually refers to grazing ruminants indigenous to Africa and parts of Eurasia. These hoofed animals are also often confused with deer and may be seen invading gardens and munching on our prized plants. Gardening Know How’s Q&A page is often asked, “How can I keep antelope out of my garden?” Antelope eating plants is a recurrent theme in the Great Plains, as well as the central and southern United States....

Let’s take a look at how to cut back pothos. Pruning Pothos Houseplant First, you will have to choose exactly how far you’d like to prune your pothos back. You can prune it back dramatically up to about 2 inches or so (5 cm.) from the soil line if needed. Or you can leave much longer vines and prune much less. It all depends on how much you’d like to take off....

If you live in an area with cool spring and summer weather, you can plant celery outdoors in early spring. Warmer regions can enjoy a fall crop of celery if planted in late summer. Sometimes you may find that your garden grown crop has some very bitter tasting celery stalks. If you wonder, “Why does my celery taste bitter?” continue reading to learn more about the reasons for pungent celery....

Pygmy Date Palm Information More significant than its name implies, the pygmy date palm tree (Phoenix roebelenii) is a member of the family Arecaceae, a huge group with over 2,600 species found in tropical and subtropical climates of the world. Pygmy palm growing is used in a variety of interiorscapes and commercial plantings due to its graceful form and height of 6 to 10 feet (1.8-3 m.). Pygmy date palm information allows that this particular genus is known as a date palm due to its often sweet, sugary fruit pulp found in some species of Arecaceae....

Garden sprays line the shelves of nurseries and big box stores. Many of these are broad spectrum, can get into our ground water and pollute it and have a tendency to drift, causing harm in areas that are not targets. If you must use insecticide, it should at least be safe enough to use around your family and not poison the water table. Pyola may be the product for you....

Recognizing Cercospora Leaf Spot of Radish If you had a nickel for every potential disease or pest issue that could affect your vegetable patch, you would be rich. Radishes are fairly hardy plants but even they are prone to disease. One of the common diseases is cercospora leaf spots on radish, also known as early blight. It resembles many other leaf spot diseases, unfortunately, so it can be difficult to diagnose....