The ideal tomato plant goes in the ground in early spring, survives cool spring nights, scorching summer days, and produces a basketful of delicious, juicy tomatoes. That's a lot to expect from one plant, but with a gardener's help, tomato plants can thrive during temperature extremes. Pine straw mu

A blooming flowerbed is beautiful, but not if weeds are out of control. Weeds take room, water, nutrients and light from the flowers. Controlling weeds ensures the flowers develop fully. Weed control is possible through creating physical barriers or other means.

Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)--also known as Holy Basil--is a plant with purple flowers that is native to India. Often, the dried leaves of the Tulsi plant are brewed as a tea. People have consumed Tulsi tea for thousands of years for a variety of medicinal purposes, from improving endurance to boosting th

Sea holly (Eryngium spp.) is a drought-tolerant perennial appropriate for growing in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 8. It is known for its spiny leaves and unusual cone-like flowers. While some varieties are green, the most popular varieties have blue-green l

The sweet and creamy taste of delicata squash blends well in many side dishes. You can bake the squash whole, steam or sauté it, deep-fry or grill it to seal in the flavor and give the squash a crisp texture. Toss delicata squash into a casserole dish with other vegetables and chicken or pork a

Apples are one of the world's most common fruits. The trees require a chilling period to flower and fruit in spring and summer. There are many varieties, and some trees are grafted with a mixture of several different types. Apple trees require pruning in spring when they are dormant, but they can al

The green onion (Allium fistulosum) is also known as the Welsh onion, although it is native to Siberia. The green onion forms 2-foot-tall clumps of hollow foliage. The plant self-multiplies, so it needs to be planted just once. When growing green onions to harvest bulbs and not just foliage, the gro

Penta make a splash of color in your garden when planted in groups.Rosa Pentas image by Kilioa from Fotolia.comPenta is a flowering plant that is of the same family as coffee and quinine. The name "penta" mean five in Greek and refers to the five lobes found on the flower tube. The plant...

The bell-shaped butternut squash has a sweet, nutty flavor reminiscent of sweet potatoes. Ripening in fall, this squash thrives and grows throughout the warm summer months. It's classified as a winter squash and is closely related to pumpkins. This squash stores well, allowing you to harvest in fall

The moderate northern California climate provides ideal conditions for growing lawns, a wide range of flowers and plants, both native and imported, and agricultural crops. However, the climate is also ideal for the thousands of weed varieties that grow in northern California, making for an ongoing b

Perennials are a type of plant that bloom year after year, growing and developing slowly until reaching maturity. Each blooming period usually lasts between a week and a month, but there are dozens of perennial plants and flowers that bloom for several months at a time if well cared for.

Raised garden beds are a productive way to grow vegetables and flowers and have several advantages over ground-level garden beds. More plants can be grown in a raised bed because it is not necessary to add extra space between rows. Soil compaction that reduces aeration and hinders root growth is eli

If your refrigerator is in a location where the ambient temperature gets very low in cold weather, then it's normal to see some problems occur with its operation. A refrigerator is designed to work in an area where the room temperature is within a normal living range, such as a 70-degree air-conditi

Crab grass is a thick, stubborn, well-rooted grass common in many North American lawns. Left unchecked, it quickly takes over lawns as well as other native species of plants. Preventing it from emerging on your lawn is the key to keeping it at bay, however, once it does emerge there are several meth

Rabbit's foot fern (Davallia fejeensis) takes its nickname from the long, fuzzy growths that trail over the sides of the pot, resembling paws. These are the plant's rhizomes and should remain above the soil’s surface at all times. Although they do well growing outdoors in U.S. Department of Ag

The desert rose is a cactus plant of African origin that develops bright pink or red flowers. The desert rose has a large pear-shaped trunk with small clusters of leaves that develop these vivid flowers. These cacti are best suited for container growing and indoor environments, although those in tro

Winter temperatures in many areas of Oregon drop below freezing for extended periods of time. Cold temperatures and frosts can freeze flax plants, which is more fragile than other small grains.

Aztec nicotiana, Nicotiana alata, is so named because the ancient Aztecs considered the plant sacred and medicinal. Native to South and North America, Aztec nicotiana plants grow in the wild and in home gardens. A fast-growing annual, Aztec nicotiana plants produce an abundance of five-petal, tubula

There are a variety of foods that grow on the vine, with the majority of them falling in the fruit category. This includes watermelon, kiwi, tomatoes, grapes, honeydew melon and passion fruit, just to name a few. The vines can grow along the ground, often sprawling out over other vegetation, as with

Lima beans, like all plants, have an ideal soil pH range. In lima beans and other legumes, the pH must be within an acceptable range for the bacteria in the root nodules to efficiently fix nitrogen. The effects of acidic soil on lima beans are much more common and relevant than problems associated w