Jessica Westover

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Garden Guides uses a knowledgeable team of editors, writers, and experts to create all our content. We dive deep into the ever-evolving conversations surrounding gardening and landscaping, striving to deliver the most current and helpful tips, strengthened by expert insight and tutorials from our talented team.

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Stories By Jessica Westover

  • Trees
    Trees By Jessica Westover November 3rd, 2022

    How To Transplant Kalanchoe

    How to Transplant Kalanchoe. A native of Madagascar, the kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) produces thick, succulent, waxy leaves as a backdrop to clusters of bright, star-shaped flowers. This herbaceous perennial makes an attractive garden plant in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, or a potted houseplant in any climate. Drought tolerant by nature, the kalanchoe thrives in full to partial sun and sandy, fast-draining, loose soil. Whether grown in a pot or in the ground, this succulent needs transplanting when it becomes pot bound, overgrown or crowded. For best results, transplant kalanchoe in spring, once new growth begins.

    By Jessica Westover November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Jessica Westover November 3rd, 2022

    How To Deadhead Foxgloves

    How to Deadhead Foxgloves. Easily identifiable by their spikes of bell-shaped flowers, foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) bloom in late -spring through summer. Individual blooms reach 2 to 3 inches tall and droop along 2- to-5-foot-long stems. Foxgloves thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8 in full to partial sunlight and fast-draining, acidic soils. Once foxglove blooms fade and begin to drop, the flower spike becomes unsightly. Regular deadheading promotes a second flush of blooms while keeping the plants looking neat.

    By Jessica Westover November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022

    How To Wrap A Mum With Foil

    How to Wrap a Mum With Foil. Mums are a fall blooming flower that come in white, yellow, orange, pink and burgundy. Their pin cushion-like blooms appear on tightly mounded plants. Mums are often sold in pots and can be grown in containers for long periods of time. Mums can be given as gifts of sympathy, congratulations or friendship. Before giving a potted mum as a gift, wrap its pot in colored poly foil to add a decorative touch. Coordinate the color of the foil with the bloom color and occasion.

    By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022

    How Far Apart Can You Plant Wax Myrtle?

    How Far Apart Can You Plant Wax Myrtle?. A low-maintenance large shrub or small tree, the wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) works well in the landscape as a single specimen or in mass as a screen or hedge. Its aromatic foliage repels insects while its late-summer berries attract birds. A properly spaced wax myrtle will achieve its mature height without causing any problems in your landscape.

    By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022

    How To Propagate Creeping Fig Ground Cover

    How to Propagate Creeping Fig Ground Cover. Useful as a groundcover or climbing vine, creeping fig (Ficus pumila) produces vining stems covered with heart-shaped, evergreen leaves. Its mat-like growth vigorously spreads over any surface, whether vertical or horizontal. Creeping fig thrives in full sunlight and a wide range of soil types, allowing it to spread into unwanted places if not kept in check by regular pruning. Although this vine grows outdoors only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11, it makes an excellent potted specimen in any zone. Creeping fig propagates readily by cutting with proper technique.

    By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022

    How To Care For Texas Ranger Shrubs

    How to Care for Texas Ranger Shrubs. A smart choice for arid climates, water-wise landscapes or rock gardens, the Texas ranger shrub (Leucophyllum frutescens) prefers these harsh settings where other plants wither and die. This woody evergreen produces gray-green foliage and trumpet-shaped purple, pink or white flowers. The flowers appear after rain showers in summer and attract hummingbirds. Texas ranger grows well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10, where it thrives in full sun and low-nutrient, fast-draining soils of any pH. Texas ranger requires little care to remain healthy.

    By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022

    What Is Tip Pruning?

    What Is Tip Pruning?. There are many methods of pruning plants, and each produces different results. Whether you want to decrease the size of your tree or want more blooms on your shrub, tip pruning is an easy method to get fast results.

    By Jessica Westover September 6th, 2022 Read More