Mary Osborne

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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.

As we cover many fields of expertise, we make it a priority to ensure every beat remains fresh and comprehensive. Additional information on our editorial process available here.

Stories By Mary Osborne

  • Flowers
    Flowers By Mary Osborne November 3rd, 2022

    Stages Of Decaying Flowers

    Stages of Decaying Flowers. Like all life on this planet, flowers--no matter how lovely or vigorous--will eventually begin to decay. How fast a flower decays depends on a number of factors. The type of flower, the amount of water the flower receives, how the flower has been pollinated, temperature and other dynamics, can all impact rate of decay. The process of flower decay, or aging in general, is called senescence. Vital cells and tissues begin to deteriorate, all because genetic encoding passed on to the embryonic plant has predetermined the duration of its life. Certain actions can prolong the life of a flower, but the decay process is inevitable. A surprising amount of research has been conducted on flower senescence, since a plant's flowers die at a relatively fast pace.

    By Mary Osborne November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Mary Osborne November 3rd, 2022

    Plants That Benefit From Pine Needle Mulch

    Plants That Benefit From Pine Needle Mulch. Pine needles are preferred by many gardeners because they are a natural, readily available and inexpensive way to mulch garden plants. Mulching plants contains soil erosion, retains moisture in the soil and provides a steady supply of nutrients to plants as the needles decompose. Pine-needle mulch, or pine straw, has a rich, earthy color that many gardeners employ as contrast against the bright blooms of annuals, perennials and green-leafed plants. Acidic-loving plants respond particularly well to pine-needle mulch. When saving pine needles to use for mulch, it's a good idea to water the mound of needles periodically. Piles of dry pine needles can create a fire hazard, especially if kept too near the house.

    By Mary Osborne November 3rd, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Mary Osborne September 6th, 2022

    Life Cycle Of The Rice Plant

    Life Cycle of the Rice Plant. The versatile rice plant grows both in dry land and in flooded paddies. Like other grain crops, most rice is an annual, planted each year. Under ideal soil and climate conditions, a few rice varieties will grow for several years. The International Year of Rice 2004 website reported that some 140,000 cultivated varieties of rice exist today. Any statistics involving rice are staggeringly high, proving rice to be a crucial food crop for much of the world's hungry.

    By Mary Osborne September 6th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Mary Osborne September 6th, 2022

    The History Of The Green Rose

    The History of the Green Rose. What excites most rose lovers about the pepper-scented green rose is the flower's lack of true petals. The small, two-inch rose bloom is comprised of turquoise-green sepals, or leaves, that form an extremely rose-like bud before opening. As the flower opens, sharp, serrated "petals" emerge, and the green rose begins to look less and less like a rose. Its blue-green, spear-like sepals unfurl and begin to take on a bronze hue as the bloom matures. A few pale green varieties of roses do exist, but none match the distinctiveness of the incomparable "China" green rose, a rose with an exotic history.

    By Mary Osborne September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Mary Osborne September 6th, 2022

    What Is The Life Span Of Cut Flowers?

    What Is the Life Span of Cut Flowers?. A vase or bowl of cut flowers enlivens any room, whether the flowers come from a backyard flower garden or a florist's cooler. Like all living things, flowers come into existence, live for a time and die. Once a flower is snipped from the original plant, its life slowly begins to ebb away. Certain methods, however, can prolong the short, but nevertheless beautiful, life of a cut flower.

    By Mary Osborne September 6th, 2022 Read More