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One technique uses yogurt as a catalyst for encouraging the spread of moss. But does moss grow on yogurt and is this just another falsehood? Let’s learn more. Does Moss Grow on Yogurt? While many growers have tried to grow moss using yogurt, the results are often inconsistent. The question of ‘Is yogurt good for moss?’ is one with many answers. While most believe the yogurt helps establish the growth of moss, there has been no definitive evidence that growing moss with yogurt will achieve the desired results....

Creating a Reading Garden for Kids Reading in the garden with kids can be a great way to take lessons outside, even if the lesson is simply to enjoy nature. But first you need to create the garden that suits quiet, reflective time for reading as well as reading activities. Get your kids involved in the process of designing and building, if not an entire garden, at least one corner of the garden that they’ll use for these activities....

Zone 4 Shade Gardening Choosing cold hardy plants for a shade garden need not be a daunting task. There are actually plenty of zone 4 shade-loving plants out there: Hellebore – Suited for dappled light to heavy shade. Hosta – Available in hundreds of varieties with varying shade requirements. Bleeding Heart – Beautiful, signature flowers, partial to full shade. Japanese Painted Fern – Full shade or some sun if the soil is kept moist....

Fall Planting in Zone 5 It is early November in Wisconsin, where I live on the verge of zone 4b and 5a, and I am all set today to plant my spring bulbs. Having just moved into this home, I can’t imagine spring without my beloved daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and crocus. I look forward to them all winter and those first crocus flowers popping out of the snow in March cure the depression that can come from a long, cold, Wisconsin winter....

About Sanchezia Plants Sanchezia (Sanchezia speciosa) is an evergreen perennial in the higher zones, though it may die back in zone 9 and return in spring. It is a semi-woody shrub with large, foot-long glossy leaves divided by thick colored veins. Flowers are bright red with orange bases and are carried on stems in long spikes. Technically, the flowers are modified leaves or bracts and have no reproductive organs. Sanchezia is native to Peru and Ecuador....

Creating a Treehouse for Grownups Treehouses are great for children but have become a landscape element popular with adults. Since our fascination with these small houses never really goes away, adult treehouse ideas abound. What is an adult treehouse? It can be as simple as a tiny replica of a real house or as complex as an artistic, natural edifice perched high above the daily cares of life. If you missed out on having a treehouse as a kid, it’s still not too late....

The ageratum flower most commonly found in the garden is a hybrid, growing in a petite and compact form. When you learn how to plant ageratum and grow it successfully, you will always have a blue flower option for the bed or border. What is Ageratum? For those new to flower gardening, you may be wondering, “What is ageratum and how is it cultivated?” Ageratum houstonianum, a native of Mexico, is among the most commonly planted ageratum varieties....

How to Make an Allergy Friendly Garden Every year, as spring brings forth new life in the garden, people begin to sneeze in response to pollen in the air. For pollen sensitive people and those allergic to garden plants, spring is an uncomfortable and agonizing time of year. The key to making gardens allergy friendly lies in selecting plants with low pollen. Contrary to popular belief, low pollen plants are not bland or unattractive....

About Zone 6 Apple Trees There are over 2,500 apple varieties grown in the United States, so there’s bound to be one for you. Choose apple varieties that you like to eat fresh or are better suited to certain uses such as those for canning, juicing, or baking. Apples that are best eaten fresh are often referred to as “dessert” apples. Assess the amount of space you have for an apple tree....

How to Protect Indoor Plants from Cats Protecting houseplants from cats is largely a matter of trial and error, and the following tips may or may not work for you and your kitty. However, they’re worth a try, and they may just be successful! Chunks of citrus peels on the surface of the soil are often effective houseplant cat deterrents. Most cats aren’t crazy about the aroma of citrus. Arrange a few large rocks in pots, with the rough edges facing up....

Most of the nation’s artichokes are grown in the coastal California region because conditions are most favorable. Artichokes like frost-free winters and cool, foggy summers the best. When and how to harvest artichokes in the home garden depends on the type you are growing. Types of Artichokes There are two main types of artichokes — those that are round are known as “Globe” and those that are long and tapered are known as “Violetta....

Moving a Tree Fern Though most varieties of tree fern grow only about 6 to 8 feet (around 2 m.) tall, the Australian tree fern can reach heights of 20 feet (6 m.) tall, and relatively quickly. As they mature, their root ball can also become quite large and heavy. It is because of this a tree fern transplant is usually recommended for smaller plants. That said, sometimes transplanting tree ferns that are larger can’t be avoided....

Root-Knot Nematode Symptoms in Beets Healthy beets are the goal of every grower, but sometimes your plantings hold secrets you don’t realize until it’s too late. Root-knot nematodes are one of those unpleasant surprises. Although they’re tenacious and tricky, these tiny roundworms can be defeated. Beets with root-knot nematodes can actually exhibit a variety of symptoms, from simply not looking right to stunting or long, languishing deaths. Yellowing foliage and withering despite adequate water are together telling signs, but there’s no 100 percent way to identify beets with root-knot nematode without exhuming a few volunteers....

When to Repot Plants If your container plant’s alive, it will eventually outgrow its pot. This may take months or years, depending on how fast the houseplant is growing, but the time will come. The first step to repotting is to figure out when it is time. What to look for? Notice if the soil gets dry quicker than it used to. As the plant’s roots expand beneath the soil surface, they fill up the pot, limiting the amount of dirt the container can hold....

City Vegetable Gardening Designs The urban gardener can enjoy a city vegetable garden in various ways. You can grow vegetables in containers, which can be transformed into thriving city gardens. These can be easily incorporated into existing patios or balconies or grown in rooftop gardens. Growing vegetables is more versatile than one might think. Container-grown vegetables will produce an adequate supply of produce for the urban gardener while eliminating the hassle of large garden plots....

Planting Berries for Birds Although birds may easily be attracted with the use of feeders and bird baths in the warmer months, encouraging residents in your yard throughout cooler seasons can be a little more challenging. Diversity in bird feeding is essential to the health of birds, as well as the backyard ecosystem. By designing a space that incorporates diverse planting and feeding options, backyard bird watchers are able to meet the needs of the bird species they wish to attract....

About Black Foliage Plants Of course, most plants are green because of the chlorophyll that allows them to photosynthesize. Plants with black leaves aren’t truly black and still have chlorophyll. Why some plants develop this coloration isn’t well understood, but it might confer some kind of protection in certain environments. For plant enthusiasts, what matters is the unique look of these black-leaved varieties. Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Dowon’ This variety of Z. zamiifolia is a striking black beauty that is also known as the black ‘Raven’ ZZ plant....

What is Black Mondo Grass? Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens,’ or black mondo grass, is a clumping plant with thick tufts of arching black leaves. The strappy leaves are about 12 inches long (30.5 cm.) when mature. Plants send out racemes to form little baby plants over time. In late spring to early summer, racemes of pink bell-like flowers appear. From these, bluish-black berries form. Mondo grass is evergreen, deer and rabbit resistant, and even salt and drought tolerant once established....

Small Types of Blue Succulents Chlorophyll brings out the green tones in plants and is an important part of their photosynthesis. All plants need to perform photosynthesis to create carbohydrates which fuel growth, cell production, and other drives. So what makes a blue plant? Blue varieties of succulent have a different type of chlorophyll which refracts sunlight with a blue-green tone. Adding to certain pigment differences in the skin, the overall effect is a blue plant....

Types of Blueberry Plants There are five major varieties of blueberry grown in the United States: lowbush, northern highbush, southern highbush, rabbiteye, and half-high. Of these, northern highbush blueberry varieties are the most common types of blueberries cultivated throughout the world. Highbush blueberry varieties are more disease resistant than other blueberry varieties. The highbush cultivars are self-fertile; however, cross-pollination by another cultivar ensures the production of larger berries. Choose another blueberry of the same type to ensure the highest yield and size....