Janet Belding - Garden Guides

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Stories By Janet Belding

Produce

Produce By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

Shasta Daisy Diseases

Shasta Daisy Diseases. Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum) and their chrysanthemum cousins have a long list of diseases, as the University of Massachusetts Extension Service admits before listing them all on a fact sheet; yet, when given full sun, good soil that is well-drained and the proper amount of water, they're basically trouble-free. Humidity, too much rain, poor air circulation, heavy soil or a combination of these conditions can increase the odds of certain diseases having an impact on Shasta daisies.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Produce

Produce By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

Is There Any Way To Revive A Dying Shamrock Plant?

Is There Any Way to Revive a Dying Shamrock Plant?. The shamrock plant, or Oxalis regnellii, appears in stores around St. Patrick's Day, even though the plant isn't from Ireland at all, but hails from South America. Along with the traditional oxalis, with its green, triangular leaves and white flowers, you can usually find the purple-leaved shamrock (Oxalis triangulata) and four-leaved Iron Cross shamrock, with a dark cross at the center of each leaf (Oxalis tetraphylla). The shamrock is easy to grow as a houseplant as long as it receives bright light, as well as water when the soil surface becomes dry. It is normal for the leaves to fold up at night or on cloudy days. If cared for properly, the shamrock plant can live for several years.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

Sedum Identification

Sedum Identification. There are 400 species of sedum in the Northern Hemisphere, according to Barbara Blossom Ashmun of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Most are perennial. Many sedums are native to parts of North America, such as Allegheny stonecrop, and some, such as Sedum acre, were originally from Asia. Because of the sheer numbers of species, the sedum family has been divided. The live-forever tall types such as Autumn Joy have been reclassified into hylotelephium; most in this genus are not native to North America.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

Plants To Help With Erosion Control On Slopes In Zone 5

Plants to Help With Erosion Control on Slopes in Zone 5. Erosion control can be a tough problem. Rain water flowing down a slope can, over time, cause the soil to slide and gullies to form. At the extreme, according to Watersheds.org., the soil is washed away down to bedrock. Aside from building terraces and retaining walls, the homeowner can use a more natural measure by planting the slope to hold the soil. Many suitable plants are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zone 5, where temperatures don't go below minus 20 degrees F.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Lawn Care

Lawn Care By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

How To Rejuvenate Ornamental Grass

How to Rejuvenate Ornamental Grass. Ornamental grasses require little maintenance, but they eventually need rejuvenation. If your ornamental grass has a large dead space in the center or the grass has been flopping for the last few years, it is probably time to divide it. You may also want to reevaluate the site your plant is growing in. If the flower plumes (called inflorescences) are sporadic or nonexistent, the plant probably does not receive enough light and, in addition to being divided, could benefit from being moved altogether.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Produce

Produce By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

How Do You Plant Sedum Roots?

How Do You Plant Sedum Roots?. There are advantages to planting bare-root sedum over sedums in containers, according to the National Gardening Association. The roots are healthier and establish themselves much sooner than the container plants.The cost is usually less as well. Plant your bare-roots within two days of receiving them. They are ready to go in the ground as soon as the soil can be turned over and isn't too wet. If you're not able to plant directly into the ground, plant your bare-root sedum in a plastic pot for later transplanting. Sedums can be ground-covers or tall types (under the botanical name Hylotelephium), and are hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

How To Identify Hydrangeas

How to Identify Hydrangeas. Hydrangea identification involves an eye to detail. Look at the leaves: how large are they, and what is their shape and color? Hydrangea varieties differ in leaf hue and texture. The flower color and appearance can be quite different as well. Is it a vine? The climbing hydrangea foliage looks very different from its cousins. You might not recognize the oak-shaped leaf of the oakleaf hydrangea until you glimpse the conical flower shape (panicle) that is similar to the pee gee hydrangea in a neighbor's yard. Once you get the differences in your mind, you'll be able to associate names with plants.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

Types Of Primroses

Types of Primroses. Over 500 species of primrose (Primula) exist in the world, mostly in Europe and Asia. England has traditionally been known for its primroses, and common varieties, such as the hybrid polyanthus primrose (Primula x polyantha), have originated there. North American breeders have gotten into the primrose act as well, and there are several easy-to-grow varieties for the gardener to try.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022

Winter Care Of Daylilies

Winter Care of Daylilies. Daylilies are hardy perennials that do best in full sun and well-drained but moist soil. They grow in a wide range of climates and are hardy to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. Deciduous and semievergreen varieties protect themselves by dying back to the ground. The evergreen varieties stay green until the leaves are killed by a freeze, exposing the crowns of the plants to possible cold damage. While these types are definite candidates for a winterizing regimen, all varieties of daylilies will fare better by extra care before winter arrives.
By Janet Belding November 4th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Plants For Victorian Gardens

Plants for Victorian Gardens. During the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, gardening became an English passion. The Victorian garden was a formal, ornate work of art that included statuary, manicured hedges and colorful bedding plants in geometric designs. Gravel paths and lawns provided context between the planted garden areas. Vegetables and fruits had a practical presence, usually in separate walled-in areas. Late in the 19th century, formality gave way to the "natural style" of such landscape designers as Gertrude Jekyll, who espoused the use of perennials in informal borders, according to Texas A & M University.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Vinca Minor Varieties

Vinca Minor Varieties. Also known as periwinkle or myrtle, vinca minor is an evergreen ground cover with glossy foliage and lavender flowers in spring. Since its arrival from Europe in the 1700s, vinca minor has made itself at home in North America, earning an invasive label in some areas. Fortunately, it can be controlled in cultivation by pruning and its hybrids are more sedate in growth habit. Vinca minor hybrids prefer moist soil and partial sun as does their parent, most grow 6 to 8 inches tall and are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 9.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

How To Winter Over Sedum Plants

How to Winter Over Sedum Plants. Over 300 species of sedum exist, most of which are native to Asia. Ed Snodgrass, writing for Fine Gardening, notes that at least one variety of sedum is hardy in each USDA plant hardiness zone. Sedums are evergreen or deciduous ground covers, or tall types like Sedum Autumn Joy, with its large pink flower heads. All sedums do best in full sun and poor but well-drained soil. They are survivors, as evidenced by the 2000 and 2001 garden trials at the University of Alberta. The sedum varieties tested had a survival rate of nearly 100 per cent. You can follow some steps to winter over sedum plants.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Lawn Care

Lawn Care By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Care Of Feather Reed Grass

Care of Feather Reed Grass. Feather reed grass is the common name for several types of Calamagrostis, an upright ornamental grass species with wheat-like flowers. A cool-season grass, Calamagrostis breaks dormancy in April with a flush of vivid green. Foliage reaches 3 feet tall and flowers appear in June, rising over the foliage to 6 feet. The flowers gradually turn tan and remain into winter. Feather reed grass grows in clay and light shade, but it prefers enriched soil and sun. "Karl Foerster" feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora x 'Karl Foerster') is the variety grown most often. Feather reed grasses are clump-formers and are hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5 to 9. To care for feather reed grass, cut the plant back in spring and provide regular, thorough watering.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Plants For A East Facing Garden

Plants for a East Facing Garden. Depending on such factors as trees or buildings, an east-facing garden may bask in 6 hours of morning sun or it may receive barely an hour. Observe light levels to see where the sun falls in the garden and for how long. According to the University of Illinois Extension, direct morning sun and afternoon shade is a partial shade exposure. Any less light than that, and the area requires shade-loving plants.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

How To Transplant Hostas At The Best Time

How to Transplant Hostas at the Best Time. Originating in Asia, hostas arrived in America in the 1800s. Since that time, hostas have been extensively bred, creating a wide range of foliage color, from ice blue and variegated (green and white) to gold. Size varies from miniature to the large elephant-ear plants. Flowers can be white, shades of lavender or a rich purple, and a few are fragrant. Hostas prefer a well-drained, moist soil in a shady location. The best time to transplant hostas is in the spring or fall.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Information About Irish Moss

Information About Irish Moss. Irish moss (Sagina) is a green ground cover with tiny white flowers in late spring. Easily reminiscent of an Irish landscape in miniature, it lends a healthy hue to the garden as it spreads between rocks and steppingstones. It is not actually a moss, says an article by Cheryll Greenwood Kinsley of Washington State University, and, indeed, it's not always referred to as one. The USDA lists other common names, such as pearlwort and Corsican pearlwort.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Common Flowers In Maryland

Common Flowers in Maryland. The USDA hardiness zone map for Maryland shows three hardiness zones within the state's border. Zone 5 is a tiny wedge in Maryland's mountains. Parts of the coast along the Chesapeake Bay are zone 7b (the warm range of zone 7). Zone 6 and the rest of zone 7 are sandwiched in between. Common flowers of Maryland may be different from one region to the next, due to climate and temperature range, yet all regions share certain plants that are hardy and grow well.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More
Flowers

Flowers By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022

Which Plants Go Well With Daylilies?

Which Plants Go Well With Daylilies?. Daylilies are so colorful and hardy that you could devote an entire garden to them, but why miss out on the variety and texture that companion plants can offer? Whether you have daylilies already in the ground or you're starting a new venture and want to include them, take time to explore possibilities. Work with bloom times, color and overall effect; for good measure, throw in an ever-blooming variety of daylily to tie your plan together.
By Janet Belding September 6th, 2022 Read More