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Using Blue Foliage in Gardens There are a couple of reasons for blue foliage plants. One explanation is cutin in leaves, which gives them the bluish-silvery appearance. Another is delayed greening, which can happen in many types of plants. Plants don’t have a truly blue pigment but can generate it through reflection and light wave absorption, so blue foliage is possible but it isn’t common. Plants that have blue leaves don’t exhibit the color of a cloudless sky but more of a toned-down, stormy sea, but the unique hue is a great compliment to numerous other colors in your garden....

Groundcover for Sun and Shade This type of plant is used in a variety of other situations. Groundcover plants may trail or cascade over walls or rocks located in a garden or be used to draw attention to a hanging basket or other outside display container. These plants are also grown to alleviate erosion in sloping areas and to stop the spread of other plants that may be invasive. Take a good look at the area where you wish to add a groundcover and determine if it is primarily in the sun, the shade, or some combination of both....

Mississippi Growing Zones for Plants, Trees, and Shrubs Mississippi enjoys a rather temperate climate and according to the Mississippi USDA planting map, the state includes zones 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, and 9a. Many plants, trees, and shrubs thrive in these zones and gardeners tend to enjoy a longer growing season. The 2012 USDA plant hardiness map takes into consideration average annual extreme winter low temperatures for the past 30 years. Some changes have been made to the map that also takes into account the general winter warming trend....

More Information About The USDA Arizona Hardiness Zone Map Above is the USDA Arizona map for planting and growing zones. The USDA zones were created to help gardeners understand what will grow best in their garden. Using the zone system will help gardeners in Arizona climate zones to be more successful in their landscaping efforts. To learn what the USDA Arizona hardiness zones for plants are in your area, find where you live on the map then note the color over that area....

Borage Cover Crops and Fertilizer Borage is an old-fashioned herb with a history of culinary and medicinal use. Also known as starflower because of its arresting blue flowers, borage is also a great companion plant that’s said to improve the flavor of tomatoes. Commercially, borage is grown for its oil content, but in the garden, you can use its leaves soaked in water as a fertilizer, or plant masses of the herb as a living soil enricher....

Using Gardening Trowels In masonry, a trowel is a flat tool that is used to apply and spread mortar or plaster. This type of trowel is different than a garden trowel, though. A garden trowel is a small, handheld shovel or spade. Garden trowels usually have wooden, plastic, or rubber-coated metal handles. The actual shovel part of a garden trowel can be made of various types of metal or even plastic, sometimes the metal blades are coated or painted....

Is it Safe to Compost Human Waste? In the home garden, composted human waste is considered to be unsafe for use around vegetables, berries, fruit trees or other edible plants. Although human waste is rich in plant-healthy nutrients, it also contains viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that are not effectively removed by standard home composting processes. Although managing human waste at home is generally not sensible or responsible, large-scale composting facilities have the technology to process the waste at extremely high temperatures for extended lengths of time....

Using Wheelbarrows in Gardens With so many varieties available, choosing a wheelbarrow that properly suits your gardening needs is important. Generally, there are two types of wheelbarrow buckets to choose from: steel or plastic. Steel wheelbarrow buckets can bear more weight, but they can rust and are heavier to deal with. Steel wheelbarrows are used for heavy-duty jobs such as moving rocks, bricks, or large plants. Plastic wheelbarrow buckets are lighter and they are usually less expensive than steel, but they can crack from too much weight, extreme temperature fluctuations, or improper handling....

Starting Seeds Indoors vs. Direct Sowing Outside Depending on the particular crop planted, gardeners can go about sowing seeds directly in the ground or starting them inside. Typically, plants that transplant well are the best candidates for vegetable seed starting indoors. These normally include the more tender varieties and heat-loving plants too. Sowing seeds indoors allows you to get a jump on the growing season. If you start your vegetable seed planting at the right time for your area, you’ll have strong, vigorous seedlings ready to go into the ground once the regular growing season begins....

Why to Flytraps Turn Black? Each trap on a Venus flytrap plant has a limited lifespan. On average, a trap lives for about three months. The end may look dramatic, but there is usually nothing wrong with the plant. When you find that the traps on a Venus flytrap turn black much sooner than they should or when several traps die at once, check your feeding practices and growing conditions. Correcting the problem can save the plant....

Symptoms of Volutella Blight on Boxwood The first sign of volutella blight on boxwood is delayed and stunted growth in spring, typically followed by the dieback of branches. Leaves turn yellow, darkening to tan as the disease progresses, often with black streaks on the petioles (small stems that join the leaves to the branch). Unlike healthy leaves that spread out, leaves affected by volutella blight remain close to the stem. If conditions are wet, you may notice masses of pinkish spores on the lower surface of foliage....

What are Weeping Silver Brich Trees? Weeping silver birch (Betula pendula) is a European species that is well suited to North American locations with mild summers and cold winters. It isn’t a low-maintenance tree, but it is well worth the time you put into it. Weeping silver birch growing conditions include full sun and well-drained, moist soil. The soil should never dry out. A thick layer of mulch around the base of the tree will help hold moisture in....

What Are Green Collar Jobs? Frequently, jobs are referred to by the type of work which is done. Green collar jobs refer to any job that is related to managing, maintaining, preserving, and/or improving the environment. Alas, a green thumb is not the only requirement to find work within this field. As our focus on sustaining a healthy planet continues to grow, so too, do the opportunities within the green collar job industry....

What are Microgreens? Microgreens are the sprouted seeds of various lettuces and greens. The seeds are grown in small, shallow containers like seed flats that make it easier to harvest. In addition to lettuce microgreens, you can sprout cruciforms, beets, radishes, celery, basil, and dill. Microgreen production is expensive and time consuming in large scale operations but at home, growing microgreens is very simple. Sprouting Microgreens Many gardeners prefer to sprout the seeds before they plant them....

However, as honeybee populations increased in North America and they became recognized as an important agricultural tool, they were forced to compete for resources with 4,000 native bee species, such as mining bees. As human populations increased and advanced, all bee species began to struggle for habitat and food sources, not just in North America but worldwide. Keep reading for some additional mining bee info and learn more about these important ground dwelling bees....

Nematicide Information Using nematicides in gardens, gardeners have access to two common nematicide products. There are numerous formulations within each type. Fumigant nematicides are dispersed rapidly as a gas through the spaces in the soil, thus killing the nematodes living within those spaces. Fumigant nematicides are most effective in moist but well-drained soil with relatively low levels of organic material. Non-fumigant (non-volatile) nematicides are sold as liquids or granules that are applied to the soil surface or mixed into the top of the soil....

Northern Spy Apple Tree Facts So what are Northern Spy apples? Northern Spy is an older variety of apple, developed by a farmer in the early 1800s in Rochester, New York. What varieties it developed from is unknown, but this is considered an heirloom apple. The apples this tree produces are very large and round. The color of the skin is red and green streaked. The flesh is creamy white, crisp, and sweet....

Root Aphid Info – What are Root Aphids? The physical appearance of root aphids is very similar to that of other aphids. Most often, they can be identified by their tiny and almost translucent bodies. These pests use their mouths to feed on the roots of the plants, causing the plants to begin turning yellow. While plants begin to yellow for many reasons, growers are able to further investigate by examining the base of the plant....

Planning a Balcony Flower Garden Before planting any outdoor balcony flower boxes or containers, you should first refer to rules and regulations provided by your building management or homeowners association. These guidelines will provide an easy reference as to what may or may not be allowed. Rules related to gardening often include the number or types of containers allowed, the maximum size/height of plants and any associated structures, and even which species of plants may be grown....

In the home garden, cyclamen is often grown in woodland settings, although many types of cyclamen plants thrive in Alpine meadows. The typical florist cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) is only one of many cyclamen plant types. In fact, there are more than 20 species within the genus. Read on for a small sampling of cyclamen plant types and cyclamen varieties. Cyclamen Plant Types and Cyclamen Varieties Cyclamen heredifolium, also known as ivy-leaved cyclamen, is a robust species that tolerates relatively cold winters....