Category: Tropical Style

Ipomoea arborescens, commonly referred to as the tree morning glory, belongs to the same genus as the frequent morning glory vine (Ipomoea violacea) and also has flowers which are alike in form and habit to those of the vine. Specially adapted for dry environments, the tree is just a Mexican Read More

Venting your greenhouse with shutters allows cool air to enter the structure’s interior, but strategically located fans have to be installed to transfer the air through the whole structure evenly. The main purpose of greenhouse fans is to make a uniform temperature; no hot or cold air bubbles must exist Read More

Saving the seeds in the fruits of the yellow summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) lets you plant them and enjoy the taste of their fruits year after year. In addition, it eliminates one reason to invest in a garden supply shop. Not every vegetable lends itself to simple seed-saving, but storing Read More

Since plants cannot move around in search of food, they’ve adapted a way of producing their own food. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants convert water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to a sugar they could either shop for the future, or use to satisfy immediate energy needs. Sunlight and Plant Read More

The ideal time to feed roses (Rosa spp.) Is in spring, when they start to wake. What to feed them depends upon who you ask, but be prepared as there are rosarians to receive as fertilizer recommendations. Whoever owner James Mills, a Master Rosarian, a consulting rosarian and a Master Read More

Boxwood (Buxus spp.) Hedges fit formal gardens and historical gardens well, but variegated box is fine for casual landscapes, too. Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens “Variegata”), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 8, and Japanese boxwood (Buxus macrophylla var. Japonica “Variegata”), hardy in USDA zones 3 Read More

To survive long periods of dryness and heat, succulent plants store water in their stems and leaves. Succulents in cold winter climates require some way of avoiding the water in their cells in freezing. They do so by becoming dormant and allowing their cell sap to lose water. To grow Read More

Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla) — also known as Siberian bugloss,”Jack frost,” brunnera heartleaf or variegated bugloss — is a ground cover plant that grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 to 8. Common in shade gardens is a perennial that can grow up to 24 inches wide and Read More

The speckled butter bean is one of 100 named varieties of this lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), native to South and Central America. “Steak bean” is a Southern term for what are called lima beans in different areas, and they are a familiar part of Southern cuisine. Butter beans that are Read More

Commonly called purpletop verbena, Verbena bonariensis is a herbaceous perennial plant grown for its showy clusters of fragrant blossoms. It grows nicely inside USDA zones 7 to 11, where it’s sometimes added to perennial beds and borders to attract beneficial pollinating insects like bees and butterflies. Like many members of Read More