About Those USDA Climate Zones The familiar United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map is based on the average annual minimum temperature for each zone. Needless to say, some years a zone will get a minimum temperature lower or higher than the average. Nevertheless, the average minimum temperature is a fairly good indicator […]
IT’S SPRING! Among our favorite early spring blooming trees are: Japanese magnolia (like the Ann or Jane), eastern redbud, flowering dogwood(white and pink), Taiwan cherry, and wild plum. The Japanese magnolias are among the first bloomers of spring. Three important types of early blooming Japanese magnolias are: The star magnolias (Magnolia stellata) […]
We prune our trees and shrubs to control their size, shape and scale within our landscape. Proper pruning also stimulates flowering and fruiting and helps to keep shrubs and trees healthy and vigorous, thus reducing the likelihood of future problems. There are two main kinds of pruning: Thinning and Heading. Thinning Thinning cuts […]
In our previous post “Flowers: Sex, Pollinators and Pollinizers“, we focused our topic on asexual reproduction in plants — primarily those that need a pollinator or pollinizer to boost the reproduction cycle. Asexual reproduction, as we discussed, works best in environments that do not change. But as you may know, our surrounding environment rarely ever […]
Photoperiodism is the process by which plants use the length of daylight and/or darkness to regulate flowering & certain other processes, regardless of the ambient temperature or weather. Photoperiodism is dependent on a plant’s ability to sense light. Plants do not have eyes but they do have photoreceptors — these are cells that contain a […]
Spring brings those beautiful flowers we all love so much. However, ever wonder just how it all happens? What happens behind the scenes of certain plants or trees for them to flower or fruit? Sexual reproduction is an essential part of nature – even for trees and plants Many plants are capable of reproducing from stolons, rhizomes, offsets, […]
In case you missed Vegetable gardening for beginners – Part 1, be sure to check it out to get answers to other frequently asked vegetable gardening questions! Vegetable gardening is a pastime that brings with it many perks and benefits. Not only can it save you money by providing a fresh, free and home-grown selection of […]
Having your own vegetable garden can be beneficial in a variety of ways. For starters, a vegetable plant you buy at the store for $3 can provide you with pounds of fresh produce over the course of the season. On top of that, gardening is fun! It’s a great way to get out of the […]
Container, or flower bed, gardening is a great way to liven up your landscape while still keeping it trim and tidy. Even if you have limited landscape space, containers allow you to enjoy planting and growing in places where it might otherwise be thought impossible. Container gardening has become increasingly popular—and for good reason! You […]
The month of March brings with it a fresh breath of spring air and a new season for gardeners to put their green thumbs to work. Typically by March, temperatures have risen to a crisp 70 degrees (at least), and plants and blooms have defrosted and shaken their stiff limbs loose from the harsh winter […]
Sure, growing and maintaining a beautiful garden during the spring, summer and autumn is a piece of cake – you have the warm temperatures and sunny skies on your side. Once the winter season rolls around, it can feel impossible or useless to keep up with all your hard gardening work – it doesn’t have to be […]
With global warming and the ever-increasing temperatures in Florida, spring brings the perfect weather to liven up your flower beds. The warm days and cool nights provide the ideal environment for planting and growing a variety of perennials and annuals that will last all summer long. A few factors to consider when deciding on the plants and flowers to […]