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March 28, 2011 · 20 comments

Propagate Christmas cactus

Root from stem cuttings Christmas cactus can be easily rooted from stem cuttings. Here’s how: Take a stem cutting of two to three joined segments. Let the stem cutting dry out for a few…

January 4, 2011 · 35 comments

Jade plant care

Jade plant ( Crassula argenta ) also referred to Jade tree is grown an indoor houseplant that is easy to care for and can last for many years. It can also be grown outdoors in frost-free…

December 10, 2010 · 26 comments

Cyclamen

The florist variety of cyclamen ( C. persicum ) was ‘the plant’ during the Christmas holiday in the Victorian era; today it is making a comeback in popularity. The name cyclamen comes from…

December 1, 2010 · 0 comments

Mistletoe

Under the Mistletoe A festive Christmas holiday decoration is the Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) which represents fertility, life, romance and peace. The Druids believed it was a…

September 19, 2010 · 47 comments

Freesia

Grow Freesia Freesia is a native of South Africa and can be somewhat difficult to grow. They can be grown year-round outdoors in zone 9-11 where summers are dry and winters are sunny, cool…

September 17, 2010 · 2 comments

Tale of Jack o’ Lantern

Here is an interesting Irish folklore that you can share when carving your Jack-O-Lantern. It’s about a man named Stingy Jack . As the story goes, Stingy Jack invited the Devil for drinks…

September 15, 2010 · 10 comments

Saving seeds

Saving seeds In growing a garden year after year, I find that I have accumulated many packages of garden seeds. Going through the inventory. Knowing that seeds don’t last forever, (well at…

August 10, 2010 · 3 comments

Lucky Bamboo

Dracaena sanderiana , better known as Lucky Bamboo is not a bamboo but belongs to the lily family. It grows under low light conditions in the rain forest canopy in Southeast Asia. This…

August 4, 2010 · 28 comments

Propagate mandevilla

How to Propagate mandevilla From cuttings Mandevilla plant can be easily propagated from cuttings to make new plants. The best time to take cuttings is in the spring but they can also be…

June 19, 2010 · 66 comments

Hydrangia care

I have large healthy Hydrangea with lots of foliage but no flowers. Why? Here are some reason why hydrangea fail to bloom : 1. Too much shade-all grow in partial shade but too much will…

June 10, 2010 · 40 comments

Growing cucumbers

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. There are a number of varieties ranging from green slicers, small picklers, light green, yellow and white, not to mention…

June 2, 2010 · 94 comments

Tropical Hibiscus

Growing Tropical Hibiscus A popular plant sold at box stores and nurseries is the Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa- sinensis ). This well-known species is hardy along the Gulf Coast…