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Thuja is a small genus belonging to the group of conifers and to the family of Cupressaceae. It is native to North America and Asia. It has a columnar habit and flattened branches. Some of its varieties can reach up to 200 feet tall in favorable climate. USDA Zones: 3 – 11 Propagation Method: Seeds, vegetative propagation Difficulty: Easy Soil pH: 6 – 8 Varieties and How to Plant Thuja There are three species most widespread: Thuja green giant, which is a hybrid of thuja plicata and Thuja standishii– the most popular cultivar that reaches height of 18 to 25 m and has very rapid growth and ornamental use....

If your garden shears have gotten a little dull and rusty, you don’t have to buy a whole new pair. Sharpening pruning shears yourself is easier than you think! There’s no need to spend a bunch of money either. With a little bit of time and elbow grease, you can have those old rusty garden tools looking and working like new again. Plus, taking the time to sharpen your shears on a regular basis will not only make them last longer, pruning plants will be sooooo much easier for you (and healthier for your garden too)!...

Instead of waiting for the ground to warm up enough to plunk established plants into the soil, use the winter months to browse seed catalogs for your climate zone, order an interesting assortment, and start plants indoors, from scratch. Starting flowers, herbs, and vegetables indoors from seed is a great way to try some unique varieties. For many of us, growing season opens with a long-awaited visit to a local garden center, to elbow our way through the crowd to a seasonal array of peppers and tomatoes, basil and parsley, impatiens and marigolds....

by Matt Gibson Looking for orange flowers to add to your garden this growing season? We don’t blame you. The color orange is vibrant and energetic, falling between yellow and red in the color spectrum. The color orange is reflective of joy, heat, warmth, creativity, success, change, health, happiness and fun. Orange promotes a feeling of overall wellness and positive energy and orange flowers in your garden will bring that feeling to everyone who enters it....

The Mexican hat flower gets its name from the gigantic cone in the middle of the flower, which is said to resemble a sombrero or hat. It comes in a wide range of colors from dark red, reddish brown, and red and yellow. The Mexican hat plant has a very active growing season and blooms from late spring into early fall. Table of Contents Like so many coneflowers, the prairie coneflower, aka Mexican hat flower, is a great pollinator plant....

Overwintering hibiscus plants indoors is easier than you might think. In this guide, I’ll show you how to keep a hibiscus over the winter, and share the three most effective ways to do it so that you can enjoy them all year long. Tropical hibiscus is one of my favorite plants to overwinter inside. It’s really simple to do, and well worth the effort. It’s a huge money saver too, since they are expensive to buy every year....

Growing Umbrella Plant Indoors is a great idea, thanks to its lush glossy foliage and low maintenance nature. It’s commonly called the ‘Umbrella Tree’ because of the elongated leaves that resemble an umbrella! It’s an ideal plant to place in an empty and bright spot of your home or office. The plant also acts as an air purifier, removing toxins from the indoor air. These qualities make it worthy enough to grow if you know what’s required when it comes to Schefflera Plant Care Indoors!...

by Matt Gibson Soil temperature gardening techniques, or soil solarization, is the process of utilizing heat energy from the sun, to heat up the soil to levels that will reduce the effects of soilborne diseases and naturally eliminate pests, weeds and other soil problems. Soil solarization can be an effective option for treating your garden’s soil for a multitude of issues. Soil solarization works well in any type of garden, be it vegetable, flower, or herb intensive, and can help treat in-ground garden soil and raised beds alike....

Fall colors, though brief, add a rich and vibrant feel to any garden, especially one that has been planned with all four seasons in mind. The right combination of plants, trees and shrubs can be used to landscape naturally and turn an otherwise boring yard into a flourishing autumn garden that features color, texture and dimension. Every garden should include a wide variety of plants to ensure that there is something blooming and providing visual inspiration year round....

What do all good trees for privacy have in common? Before looking at which specific varieties of trees are best for screening, it’s important to discuss the traits all good privacy trees have in common. 1. Privacy trees are easy to grow. Fussy trees are not a good fit for creating privacy. If a tree is difficult to grow, or it won’t survive in a broad diversity of soil and sunlight conditions, I don’t bother using it for this purpose....

Although growing hydroponically is soil-free, this doesn’t mean that there is nothing to support our plants. Table of Contents In most hydroponic systems, growers use different types of hydroponic media to help support their roots and maintain a good water/oxygen ratio. In this guide, I’ll give you a breakdown of the most popular types of hydroponic growing media. Every hydroponic gardener has their own preferences, so I’ll give you the advantages and disadvantages of each medium so you can choose the one that works right for your situation....

LED grow lights are becoming an increasingly popular choice for people growing plants indoors. The Viparspectra 300W LED grow light is an impressive package, providing excellent value and great performance for indoor gardeners. I’ve used this light personally over the last 6 months and have been very impressed by the light’s performance and the growth of the plants. It’s a grow light that will be best suited to beginners and intermediate growers, but is a great option to get started with LED grow lights....

The Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) is an elegant houseplant that is popular for its beautiful foliage and generally simple care requirements. Weeping Fig propagation is a great way to multiply your collection or take cuttings from a sickly plant and is thankfully very simple to do. Weeping Fig propagation is best done by growing stem cuttings in soil or water, but they can also be propagated by air layering. Water and soil propagation have a higher success rate than air layering....

The Agave americana century plant is a majestic succulent that turns any garden into a showstopper. Its blue-green or gray-green rosette leaves can grow up to 6 feet long and 10 inches wide – with the central stem reaching 20 feet tall at maturity. The leaves have serrated sharp edges and needle-like spines on the tip. Although people once believed that century plants had a lifespan of 100 years, hence the name ‘century’, they only live for an average of 30 years....

Every plant parent dreads the sight of yellow leaves on their plants. If you have a Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) with leaves that are starting to turn yellow, it could be a sign that something isn’t quite right. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the common causes of rubber plant leaves turning yellow and offer solutions to fix the problem. Causes of Rubber Plant leaves turning yellow include overwatering, underwatering, sudden changes in lighting or temperature, becoming root bound, pest problems, or simply related to aging foliage....

Citrus trees are, without a doubt, container gardeners’ most favorite fruit trees. Oranges, lemons, tangerines: there are so many to choose from. Not just for the fruits, they usually make excellent container plants due to their lush foliage and scented flowers—enough reasons to grow them on your balcony or patio. Let’s have a look at the Best Citrus Trees for Containers. Discover the names of the best fruit trees you can grow in pots here Best Citrus Trees for Containers Like all trees, you plan to grow in a pot, always select either a natural dwarf or a tree growing on dwarf rootstock....

Plants Are you looking for some perennial plants to grow in your North Carolina Garden this season? With North Carolina's moderate climate, you have plenty of options to choose from! In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen walks through her favorite perennial plants for every North Carolina garden! By Liessa Bowen Last updated: January 10, 2023 | 11 min read North Carolina is a great place for gardening. With 4 distinct seasons, a moderate climate, and regular rainfall, there are a great many plants that will thrive here....

Whether you’re in the mood for seed-spitting contests, juicy giants, sweet yellow babies, or something else entirely, I can practically guarantee that you’ll find exactly the watermelon variety you’re looking for in this roundup. Watermelons are such a delightful and refreshing summer staple – it seems almost too good to be true that we can grow these fruits in our own backyards. Of course, there are so many incredible varieties to choose from, it can be very difficult to know which ones to pick....

1. Silver & Purple Container Garden Perfect container garden arrangement for full or part sun. These plants can tolerate warm weather easily. In this arrangement, dusty miller is used as a thriller, petunia as filler, and dichondra as spiller! Also Read: Thriller-Filler-Spiller Technique Ingredients: Dusty Miller, Purple Petunia, and Silver Falls Dichondra 2. Lush Cottage Charm A great container arrangement for the spring and summer (year-round in warm climates). Keep the containers in full sun to part shade....

1. Credit: Ivana D. 2. Credit: Superna Roy 3. Credit: Vania S Duarte Garcia Also Read: DIY Balcony Bar Top Ideas 4. Credit: Anna Karjal 6. Credit: Walter Sanders 7. Credit: The Chlorophyll Life 8. Credit: Natasja Mackwood 9. Credit: Atikaa Ahluwalia 10. Credit: Teja K 11. Credit: natureflip 12. Credit: berlinbalcony 13. Credit: Ida Hé 14. Credit: LameziaTermeit 15. Credit: Anissa Bégin 16. Credit: Tiny balcony garden and pond...