 No winter wind shall chill my gardening heart.
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Revisiting the African Violet
Native to an area of rainforest on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, the African violet is not really a violet but a member of the Gesneriad family. These plants grow well under normal house temperatures (no lower than 55F at night nor above 75F during the day) and bloom almost continuously, in flower colors ranging from violet to various shades of blue, red-purple, pink, and white, plus bicolors. |  |
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How to Grow and Care for Clematis
Clematis are known as "the queen of the climbers" for good reason — these popular plants produce some of the most spectacular blooms in the home garden, with flowers reaching up to 10" across! Most clematis are woody, deciduous vines with blooms in a stunning array of jewel tones, including purple, pink, magenta, and yellow, as well as white and bicolor, many with a contrasting center of showy anthers. |  |
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Look to the Swedes for Rutabagas
Turnips are possibly one of the oldest known vegetables, but rutabagas are a relative newcomer, having been first written about in the seventeenth century. Considered a cross between turnips and cabbage, rutabagas thrive in cool climates with glacial soil, which has made them a staple in northern countries. |  |
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Gift Baskets from the Garden
Gardeners are fortunate; we tend to surround ourselves with natural beauty. Instead of diving headlong into the gift-buying frenzy, we can take a look around the yard and garden and find materials for creating lovely gifts. People enjoy homemade gifts - especially those that come with a story. |  |
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Mealybugs
Mealybugs are pests on citrus, apples, peaches, grapes, potatoes, and a number of tropical plants -- including houseplants. These tiny insects appear in clusters and, as they feed, some species inject toxins that damage plant tissues. |  |
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Feeder Frenzy
Bird watching is most joyful in winter, when my northern garden is in decline. I watch the chickadees and finches flit about the snow-capped feeders, their playful antics, crisp colors, and wistful songs reminding me of my garden's rebirth still months away. It's like giving someone unlimited front-row tickets to nature's matinee. |  |
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Indoor Plants Bring Gardening Inside
Plants bring life and beauty into an indoor room. They add a comfortable feeling to an otherwise sterile or lifeless setting. Studies have repeatedly shown that both mental and physical health is enhanced in settings where plants are present or even just visible through a window. Placing plants in various locations makes our homes a more inviting setting for guests, and does a lot to soothe the winter blues of us housebound gardeners too! |  |
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Rose (Rosa 'Castilian')
Bloom size: Large: 4-5"
Bloom shape: Cupped
Petal count: full: 26-40 petals
Rose bloom color: Red blend
Rebloom: Good
Class: Hybrid tea
Extra Color Info: Orange-Red, with cream reverse
Growth Habit: Medium-tall, 4-5 feet, upright
Fragrance: Mild
Hybridizer & year: J. Benjamin Williams, 1999
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Plant Height: 4-5 feet
Plant Spread: 2-3 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Bi-Color
Flower Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Uses: Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
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Dallimore's Broom (Cytisus 'Lena')
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 6a -23.3 °C (-10 °F) to -20.6 °C (-5 °F)
Plant Height: 4 feet
Plant Spread: 4 feet
Leaves: Semi-evergreen
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Bi-Color
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge, Cut Flower, Provides winter interest
Wildlife Attractant: Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Salt tolerant, Drought tolerant
Parentage: Cytisus scoparius x (Cytisus x dallimorei)
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Eve's Needle Cactus (Austrocylindropuntia subulata)
Plant Habit: Shrub, Tree, Cactus/Succulent
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Dry
Plant Height: up to 12-15 feet tall
Plant Spread: 10 feet.
Leaves: Other
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Other, Green
Bloom Size: 2"-3"
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Edible Parts: Leaves
Resistances: Drought tolerant
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Ahuehuete (Taxodium mucronatum)
Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic, Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 8b -9.4 °C (15 °F) to -6.7 °C (20 °F)
Plant Height: 40 to 80 feet or more
Plant Spread: 20 to 40 feet
Leaves: Evergreen, Semi-evergreen, Needled
Fruit: Showy
Fruiting Time: Fall
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge, Shade Tree
Wildlife Attractant: Birds
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Humidity tolerant
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
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 Photo by Baja_Costero
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 Photo by Baja_Costero
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 Photo by floota
"CRYSTALLINE ENTITY"
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 Photo by IraOr
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by dirtdorphins
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 Photo by Melissamaeday
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 Photo by GigiPlumeria
"My grafted desert rose, this is double petal, the color is not stable."
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by csandt
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
127 members joined.
2,812 posts written in our forums.
884 photos posted to the plant database.
1,031 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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 Nothing burns like the cold.
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