Home & Garden: The Disadvantages of an Acacia Plant

The Disadvantages of an Acacia Plant

More than 800 species belong to the Acacia plant genera. Comprised of trees and shrubs, acacias belong to the legume family (Fabaceae). Legume plants can produce nitrogen, which gives them the ability to grow in nutrient-rich areas. Despite the acacia's adaptations, it has several features are consi

Home & Garden: How to Grow Oak Trees From Seed

How to Grow Oak Trees From Seed

Oaks trees are a favorite tree throughout most of the world and are grown in nearly all forested areas across the United States. Although it takes many years for an oak to grow from an acorn to a mighty tree, once it does, it provides not only shade, but excellent erosion control, food and shelter f

Home & Garden: Different Ways to Arrange Books on a Shelf

Different Ways to Arrange Books on a Shelf

If you have a lot of books, arrange them decoratively on a shelf rather than stacking them in a box or hiding them under a bed. You can organize books on a wall shelf or bookcase in a way that adds to the overall appearance of a living room or bedroom.

Home & Garden: How to Use a Trencher in Standing Water

How to Use a Trencher in Standing Water

A trencher is construction equipment that digs trenches with a large rotating blade, similar to a chainsaw. The trenches are often used as pathways for underground pipes and wires. If you have a project that must be completed before a deadline and you are working during the rainy season, you may hav

Home & Garden: How to Take Care of the Lily Starfighter

How to Take Care of the Lily Starfighter

If you grow a cutting garden, Starfighter is one lily to consider. A relative of the striking Stargazer lily, Starfighter is a type of oriental lily. It grows to 38 inches tall, does not require staking and bears fragrant dark pink to red flowers with white edges. Like its cousin, Starfighter blooms

Home & Garden: How to Make a Camomile Lawn

How to Make a Camomile Lawn

Chamomile lawns are beautiful alternatives to the traditional grass lawn and will provide your landscape with a sweet, almost apple-like scent. Planting the lawn isn't particularly difficult, but upkeep can be frustrating as chamomile doesn't stand up well against weeds. During the late spring and e

Home & Garden: How to Use Bleach As a Grass & Weed Killer

How to Use Bleach As a Grass & Weed Killer

Weeds are the gardener's bane, cropping up in your soil and strangling the life from your garden. There are a number of methods you can employ to get rid of weeds and grass in your garden, including using ordinary household bleach.

Home & Garden: How Do Pesticides & Weedkillers Affect Organsims

How Do Pesticides & Weedkillers Affect Organsims

While pesticides are sometimes necessary to control weeds, insects and other pests in lawns or gardens, they can also pose risks to the environment as well as humans. Many of the problems are due to improper application, overuse and not taking necessary precautions around plants, wildlife, even huma

Home & Garden: How to Cure a Sick Weeping Willow

How to Cure a Sick Weeping Willow

If you have a weeping willow tree on your property, you know that this tree requires a lot of care. The weeping willow tree grows quickly, but has a relatively short life compared to other trees. The lifespan of the weeping willow is only about 30 years. During the tree's life there are many pests a

Home & Garden: How to Cut Scented Geranium

How to Cut Scented Geranium

Scented geraniums are tropical plants that originated in South Africa but are grown in the southern United States as well as indoors as houseplants. The cultivars are often named after the scent they emit, such as peppermint, nutmeg, apple and lemon. The plants are heat-resistant and drought-toleran

Home & Garden: Diseases of the Boxelder Tree

Diseases of the Boxelder Tree

The boxelder tree, known scientifically as Acer negundo, is a member of the maple family that can reach a height of 60 feet. These trees are known for a fast growth habit and an ability to grow across a broad range. This popular landscaping specimen is susceptible to a number of diseases; the most t

Home & Garden: Webworms on Knock Out Roses

Webworms on Knock Out Roses

Knockout roses are an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance rose variety developed in 1988 by William Radler. The single or double flowers come in a range of different colors and are well adapted to zone 5. The plants generally grow to a mature height of up to 3 feet with a 4-foot spread and require minimal

Home & Garden: The Best Fertilizers for Apple and Pear Trees

The Best Fertilizers for Apple and Pear Trees

The best fertilizers for apple and pear trees provide a range of important nutrients without putting an excessive number of minerals around the trees. Note that trees that grow in well-fertilized lawns actually do not require additional tree fertilizer. Before choosing a fertilizer for your apple or

Home & Garden: How Long Are Palm Tree Seeds Viable?

How Long Are Palm Tree Seeds Viable?

The world's tropical regions support hundreds of species of palm trees. From the iconic coconut palm of Hawaii to the date palms that are commercially grown in African countries, all palms produce seeds of some kind. They vary widely, from the enormous coconut to the bullet-shaped date seed. Their v

Home & Garden: Vegetable Growing Advice

Vegetable Growing Advice

Proper preparation of the growing area, correct timing for sowing the seeds and adequate care of the resulting plants are essential to successful vegetable gardening. Start right, and the work required later in the season will be minimal.

Home & Garden: How to Prune Donut Peach Trees

How to Prune Donut Peach Trees

A white peach, the "Saturn" or donut peach has a squat shape and a sweet flavor. These self-fruitful trees require no pollination from other peach trees to bear fruit, making them ideal backyard trees for small orchards. Proper pruning promotes a strong peach tree, where the branches have proper air

Home & Garden: Kindness Tree Craft

Kindness Tree Craft

Kindness-tree crafts are perennially popular and can take many forms. Essentially they are a display of bare branches ornamented with paper leaves recording acts of kindness that children perform. The activities foster positive behavior and build a sense of community. They offer an opportunity to be

Home & Garden: Different Tropical Flowers

Different Tropical Flowers

Tropical flowers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and forms.Bird of paradise image by Jan Ebling from Fotolia.comNative to South Africa, Brazil, Hawaii, southern China and India, tropical flowers are prized throughout the world for their attractive forms and bright colors. Many...

Home & Garden: Homemade Rat & Mice Killer

Homemade Rat & Mice Killer

Rats and mice are not welcome visitors. The rodents damage items in the home, eat your food and leave behind urine and excrement that might make you ill. Rats and mice carry fleas, mites and worms, and spread disease. The survival skills of rats and mice are very good, and you might need to attempt

Home & Garden: Hardy Aquatic Plants

Hardy Aquatic Plants

Cattail is a distinctive-looking aquatic plant.cattail image by Derek Abbott from Fotolia.comAquatic plants help to filter and oxygenate the water. They also provide shelter and food sources for small animals that live near the water's edge. Planting hardy varieties in your water garden...