Camellias are colorful shrubs that add depth and richness to just about any landscape. They are indigenous to eastern and southern Asia, but are commonly regarded as coming from Japan. In fact, the Japanese camellia is the state flower of Alabama. Certain camellias can be used to make tea, and most

Raccoons are wild animals that are attracted to fruits and vegetables in gardens. They can destroy your crops if the crops are left untreated, due to the fact that raccoons travel in packs. There are several ways to humanely repel raccoons, including lights, a natural repellant and coyote urine. (Co

Pole beans have true "bean" flavor and can be harvested without bending and stooping. Compared to bush beans, which produce just one crop, they are also quite productive. If regularly picked, pole beans will continuously produce bean pods from first bloom until frost. Pole beans can be trained onto

Dendranthema grandiflorum also called "Mums" or "Chrysanthemums," are perennial flowers that originated in China. The first recorded mention of mums came from Confucius in 500 BC, and they gained popularity throughout China and Japan in subsequent centuries. A member of the Asteraceae plant family,

Once used as a type of biological warfare to destroy an enemy's fields, salt is highly toxic to most plants. Rock salt, or halite, is commonly used as a winter road de-icer in cold climates. Spray from passing vehicles or buildup of salt along roadways damages or kills roadside vegetation.

Sowing vegetable seeds can be as simple as just randomly scattering some seeds and hoping for the best. This passive approach might even get fairly good results. But as with anything, more planning and preparation will probably lead to more success. Learning the basic requirements of plant growth, f

Aquatic plants are important for the health of freshwater ecosystems. Many species provide food for wildlife, like freshwater crustaceans. Aquatic plants also affect dissolved oxygen levels in three different ways: they release oxygen through photosynthesis, consume oxygen through aerobic metabolism

There are many types of garden edging, including plastic edging, pavers and stones. The main thing all edging has in common is that they get set into a trench you create around your garden. The size and depth of your trench depends on the type of edging you use. The trench not only helps hold the ed

Curcuma, commonly known as tumeric or Indian saffron, is a decorative plant with thick green foliage and colorful bracts that look like flowers. There are over 1,000 varieties of curcuma, all of which require specific growing conditions in order to thrive.

Peonies enjoy full sunlight during the day, with evening shade in the hotter climates. They produce abundant, large and fragrant blooms in the spring that often linger into mid-summer. When planted properly in a sunny location, peonies require little routine maintenance. Double bloom varieties hold

Butter lettuce, also called Bibb or Boston lettuce, is a soft-headed lettuce frequently seen in grocery stores packed live in individual containers with the roots immersed in water or soil. To have butter lettuce at your disposal at home at a fraction of the cost of the supermarket plants, you can g

Attentive gardeners pick off the faded flowers on their hibiscus bushes to improve the appearance of the plant and encourage new blooms. This practice prevents seed capsules from forming. Leave the faded flowers on the shrub to allow seed capsules to replace the faded flowers.

Zoysia is a popular grass for warm season lawns in subtropical regions such as the south because the turf adapts to both clay and sandy soil and stands up to heavy foot traffic. It also has superior cold tolerance to grasses such as Bermuda or St. Augustine varieties. In addition to lawns, zoysia ma

Shade trees are characterized by large canopies.a tree image by timur1970 from Fotolia.comShade trees are not all created equal. Shade trees among the top ten can survive in most of the western hemisphere and are adaptable to most growing conditions. Some of the varieties are also...

Perennial valerian grows 6 to 30 inches in height, blooming white or pink flowers during the summer. Primarily known for its healing properties, valerian is considered a type of herb though it has no culinary uses. Valerian grows native in western Europe, but it may be cultivated around the world. K

The best way for home gardeners to ensure that their tomatoes are completely organic is to make pesticides and fungicides at home. Not only is it healthier to use household materials, but making homemade fungicides will also save you a good deal of money over time. Many anti-fungal ingredients are f

The queen palm is widely grown in the tropical and semitropical areas of the United States. They soar along streets in Florida, Arizona and California and require little special care. Topping out at 50 feet, the queen palm is really a royal plant and has an elegant growth habit with graceful droopin

Potted plants are a terrific way to dress up a deck or patio. Containers come in an endless variety of sizes, shapes and materials, allowing the gardener maximum design flexibility. One disadvantage is that potted plants can dry out pretty quickly. Hand-watering is time-consuming and easy to forget.

The banana tree is a tropical plant that features broad, long, graceful leaves and crops of delectable, yellow-skinned fruit. Many warm-climate gardeners like to plant banana trees not only for their fruit but for the lush tropical accent they impart to landscaping. Although the banana tree's large

Wisteria, Japanese honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and several other names answer the question about what strangles the life out of a healthy tree. Vines, for all their beauty, are climbers by definition. Vines can scale great heights using several methods: sticky pads that eventually serve as ro