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Here are a few of our favorite sun-loving evergreen plants to consider for backyard landscaping. Evergreens for Full Sun Sun-loving evergreen plants serve many functions in the backyard. They can stand as impressive specimen trees or shrubs, create a privacy screen, and/or provide shelter for beneficial wildlife. Evergreens for full sun can be either conifers with needle-like foliage or broadleaf evergreens like azalea or holly. While some can tolerate partial shade, many prefer getting those rays for most of the day....

About Farao Hybrid Cabbage Farao is a hybrid green cabbage of the ballhead form, meaning it forms a tight head of dense leaves. The leaves are a pretty, deep green and the heads grow to about 3 or 4 pounds (1-2 kg.). In addition to the compact head, Farao grows a generous layer of looser, protective outer leaves. The flavor of Farao cabbage plants is mild and peppery. The leaves are thin and tender....

What are Fingerling Potatoes? Fingerlings, like most potatoes, originated in South America and were brought to Europe. European immigrants brought them to North America. They are heirloom potatoes with long, knobby, finger-like shapes. Some say they look like adorable, chubby baby fingers, but some of them more resemble the gnarled fingers of a Disney witch. To each their own. Regardless of how you view them, the fact is that these spuds are delicious and are featured more often with restaurant cuisine, but they may be found at the local grocers too....

Vriesea flaming sword info says there are 250 varieties, providing a range of color in both foliage and colorful bracts. The flaming sword houseplant is commonly named for its red bracts that appear when the plant is three to five years old. It is an epiphyte in its native habitat. How to Grow Flaming Sword Plants The flaming sword houseplant grows best in a one to one mix of regular potting soil and orchid mix....

Florida Arrowroot Info This plant goes by several names: coontie, Zamia coontie, Seminole bread, comfort root, and Florida arrowroot but all fall under the same scientific name of Zamia floridana. Native to Florida, this plant is related to those that existed well before the dinosaurs, although it is commonly mistaken for a type of palm or fern. The Seminole Indians as well as early European settlers extracted starch from the stem of the plant and it provided a dietary staple....

About Floss Silk Trees Known almost interchangeably as silk floss tree or floss silk tree, this beauty may also be referred to as Kapok tree and is in the family of Bombacaceae (Ceiba speciosa – formerly Chorisia speciosa). The floss silk tree crown is uniform with green limbs branching upon which round palmate leaves form. Growing silk floss trees have a thick green trunk, slightly bulging at maturity and peppered with thorns....

When Does Schefflera Bloom? Schefflera plants, which are commonly known as umbrella trees, are tropical. In the wild, they grow in tropical rainforests or in various parts of Australia and China, depending on the species. They certainly produce flowers in their native habitats, but you may be wondering: does schefflera bloom in cooler regions? Schefflera plants are less likely to flower in temperate regions, but they do produce flowers occasionally, especially in warmer locations like Florida and southern California....

Hardy perennial vines can be grown in the ground with a trellis, fence or arbor for support. Annual vines are best enjoyed for the season in containers on the patio. Top 10 Flowering Vines

What is a Wreath of Flowerpots? If you are always looking for ways to express your creativity, try DIY flowerpot wreaths. This cute project results in a wreath you can change for the seasons and use year after year. Used indoors, flowerpot wall décor may reflect any holiday or burst with colorful blooms to escort in the growing season. Learn how to make a flower pot wreath and enjoy it for years....

What is a Food Desert? The United States Government defines a food desert as “a low income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store.” How do you qualify as low income? You must meet the Treasury Departments New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) to be eligible. To qualify as a food desert, 33% of the population (or a minimum of 500 people) in the tract must have low access to a supermarket or grocery store, such as Safeway or Whole Foods....

Symptoms of Sweet Potato Foot Rot Foot rot in sweet potatoes is caused by Plenodomus destruens. It is first observed from mid-season to harvest wherein the stem base blackens at the soil line and the leaves closest to the crown yellow and drop. Fewer sweet potatoes are produced and those that are develop a brown rot at the stem end. P. destruens may also infect seedlings. Infected seedlings yellow starting on their lower leaves and as the disease progresses, wilt and die....

Forcing Shrubs to Bloom in Winter The first step to force branches during winter is collecting the stems. Choose branches with fat buds that indicate the shrub has broken dormancy. The branches will bloom no matter where you make the cuts, but you can help the shrub along by using good pruning practices when you cut them. This means selecting branches from crowded parts of the shrub and making the cuts about one-quarter inch (6 mm....

Fraser Fir Information Fraser firs (Abies fraseri) are native to the higher elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains. They are grown commercially for sale as Christmas trees, and they are unrivaled for holiday use because of their fresh fragrance and symmetrical shape. They also have the advantage of retaining the soft texture of their needles after they are cut so that they don’t prick your fingers as you hang ornaments. The tree lasts a long time before the needles begin to desiccate and drop off....

How to Bury a Fruit Tree Notice in the above paragraph I added the caveat “young” fruit tree. There is a logistical reason for this. Without a bobcat or another heavy lifting device, the realities of burying a mature fruit tree are pretty much nil. Also, the branches are more malleable than those on mature trees. However, for young fruit trees, the process of burying fruit trees in winter is fairly simple....

What is a Garden Peach Tomato? These little beauties really do look much like a peach right down to the downy fuzz. They produce small fruit with the aforementioned yellow peach-like fuzz often tinged oh so lightly with the barest blush of pink. They have a fresh, slightly fruity flavor that’s sure to please the adventurous tomato grower. Garden Peach Tomato Facts Garden Peach tomatoes are indeterminate; this means that they produce fruit over an extended period of time which is good for tomato lovers....

On a piece of paper, neatly write or print (from your printer) a garden scavenger hunt list. Below we have posted a sample list for a nature scavenger hunt in the garden. You do not need to use all of the items on our nature scavenger hunt list. Choose as many items as you feel are appropriate for the kids’ age levels. You may also want to give the kids a basket, box, or bag to hold the items in while they hunt and a pen or pencil to mark items off their list....

There are many gerbera daisy cultivars available, bred for their color and flower shape (single, double or multiple petals). For better results in how to care for a gerbera daisy plant, choose a variety that’s compact, as flower stems will be sturdier on compact plants, and one that suits the pot size or planting bed you will be growing in. How to Grow Gerbera Daisies Growing gerbera daisy plants is possible from seed, seedlings or division....

When to Start Hot Pepper Seeds It’s good to get started about six to 10 weeks before the last average frost date in your area. In most climates, January is a great time for germinating hot pepper seeds, but you may want to start as early as November or as late as February. Keep in mind that super-hot peppers, like habanero or Scotch bonnet, take longer to germinate than milder peppers, and they also require more warmth....

Uses for Italian Giant parsley are many and chefs frequently prefer this flat-leaf parsley over standard curled parsley in salads, soups, stews, and sauces. In the garden, this lovely plant attracts a variety of beneficial insects, including black swallowtail butterfly larvae. Giant of Italy parsley care and growing isn’t complicated. Read on to learn how. How to Grow Italian Giant Parsley Plant Giant of Italy parsley seeds indoors or start them directly in the garden in spring, when danger of frost has passed....

What are Gogi Berries? Gogi berries are in the nightshade family of plants, which include tomatoes and peppers. The berries grow on shrubs of 3 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m.) in height, with long arching stems. These berries spring from bright purple, funnel-shaped flowers. Orange globular berries then form in late season. The bush is native to Asia, but it is also found wild in Russia, China, Turkey, and Japan. Berries are a brilliant orange-red and oval shaped....