Archive for the ‘Aphids’ Category

Fruit Gardening In Containers

Great packaging along with exciting breeding has ignited interest in growing small fruits in containers. In recent years the BrazelBerries™ fruits have become popular at garden centers. Brazelberries is the creation of the Brazelton family of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc. in Oregon, who have been propagating and growing berry plants since the 1970’s. Their […]

Swamp Milkweed Is Monarch Butterfly’s Favorite

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is an erect, clump-forming, U.S. native plant indigenous to swamps, bottomlands and wet meadows (USDA hardiness zones 3 to 6). Obviously, it prefers moist soils but grows equally well in average, well-drained garden soils. Full sun is best, but copes with some light shade. As its common name indicates, it makes […]

English Oak Demands A Moist Well-drained Soil

Thinking about English oak (Quercus robur) brings to mind Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. This majestic oak forms a broad spreading crown supported by a short sturdy trunk with a medium-brown, deeply-fissured bark (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). A young tree exhibits a pyramidal form. In a city park or golf course, it typically grows 50-70 […]

Avoiding Crape Myrtle Hardiness Problems

Late summer (September 1st) is your deadline to plant crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) in USDA hardiness zone 6. Your primary objective should be to grow deep plant roots. Crape myrtles are classified as perennials in northerly areas of zone 6. In many years their woody branches die back after a cruel cold winter. The hardy […]

Caveats Before Planting Planetrees (Sycamores)

American sycamore, aka planetree, (Platanus occidentalis) is a native tree planted over a large area of the United States (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Its enormous size, often 70-90 feet in height, limits it to planting mostly on large landscapes such as parks, golf courses, and industrial parks. Northern U.S. cities have planted it extensively along […]