LED stands for light emitting diode, a semiconductor device that emits light when an electrical current passes through it. The bulbs in lamps, ceiling fixtures, and workshop lights are LEDs, and they do emit wavelengths that plants can use. The practical question is whether a regular LED fixture can replace a dedicated grow light. For […]
Whether you start tomatoes from seed or buy seedlings from a garden center, the transplant step decides how much of that early work pays off. Tomatoes are ready for the garden as soon as the last frost has passed, but they are warm-season plants that stall in cold soil. Hold off until daytime temperatures sit
Faux painting uses paint to imitate natural materials, from marble and stone to wood grain and linen, on walls, counters, and furniture. The term covers a wide range of decorative finishes, and many of the most popular techniques are easy enough for a first-time painter. The result costs a fraction of the real material it
Dogs explore the world with their mouths, and a curious pup will test almost anything within reach, including the leaves and flowers on your plant shelves. The ASPCA lists plants among the top toxins reported for pets, which is why pet owners think twice before adding anything new to the collection. Orchids come up in
Spider crickets go by many names: camel crickets, cave crickets, criders, and crazy hoppers. Whatever the label, finding them in a basement or garage is unsettling, and they are more destructive than their harmless appearance suggests. They cannot bite or chirp, but they damage paper, cardboard, fabrics, and houseplants, and they multiply fast in damp
Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is a winter squash grown as a warm-season annual. The vines grow quickly from spring plantings and produce pear-shaped, tan fruits with dense, deep orange flesh. Because the plants are annuals that grow in almost any climate, gardeners from USDA zone 2 to zone 11 can raise a crop, from short
Rhododendron English Roseum (Rhododendron x ‘English Roseum’) is a hybrid evergreen shrub grown for its large clusters of rosy, pink-purple flowers in late spring. The dense, rounded plant reaches 6 to 8 feet tall and wide, which makes it a natural foundation or accent shrub in cooler regions where it thrives in semi-shade. Every part
Elatior begonia (Begonia x hiemalis) is a fast-growing flowering plant with fleshy, heart-shaped green foliage and blossoms in yellow, orange, red, pink, coral, and white. This hybrid group was created by crossing a tuberous begonia with a wax begonia, and it is a close relative of the rex begonia grown for its painted leaves. Begonias
Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It earns its common name from narrow, willow-like leaves, but the real show is the flowers: trumpet-shaped blooms in dark pink, lavender, white, or bicolor, opening in loose clusters from late spring through summer. Extreme
Drought-tolerant landscaping, also called water-wise landscaping, uses plants that survive with little or no supplemental water once they are established. The approach has moved from a dry-climate specialty to a near-standard practice in regions that receive little or sporadic rainfall. Some municipalities impose fines on water-wasteful lawns, while others offer rebates and incentives to homeowners
