Hummingbirds Enjoy Home Gardens Also
UNITED STATES—Floral color communicates to pollinators. Pollination is, after all, the priority of all flowers. Those that rely on pollinators more than breezes for...
Aphid Savor Fresh Spring Growth
UNITED STATES—Dormant pruning last winter did more than concentrate resources for flowers and fruits. It did more than eliminate superfluous growth, which many pathogens...
Understory Is Made For Shade
UNITED STATES—Shade influences every ecosystem. Where it is scarce, some vegetation adapts to harsh exposure to sunlight. Some develops glaucous foliar color to reflect...
Hybrids Of The Botanical Nature
UNITED STATES —Botanical nomenclature has gotten sloppy. So has breeding. Hybrids of different species are now common. Their botanical names often lack proper species...
Aromatic Foliage Has Ulterior Motives
UNITED STATES—Floral fragrance attracts insect pollinators. Foliar aroma repels insect pathogens. It might repel other herbivores also. For organisms that lack olfactory perception, plants...
Hedging Produces Foliar Green Fences
Motorized hedge shears are the most overused home garden power tools. They are very useful for hedging evergreen shrubbery into hedges and privacy screens....
Native Species Are Natural Choices
UNITES STATES—Wildflowers are only part of the story. They are happy enough with the chaparral climate here to bloom for spring or summer. A...
Perennials Perform Longer Than Annuals
UNITED STATES—Annuals live for only one year. Biennials live for only two. Technically, all other plants are perennials. Horticulturally, this classification is much more...
Watering Increases As Rain Decreases
UNITED STATES—Rain is less abundant and less frequent now that winter has become spring. Humidity is decreasing. Temperatures are increasing. Moisture within both the...
Grooming Deteriorating Bloom Conserves Resources
UNITED STATES—Spring bulbs are now blooming, and some are already done. Summer bulbs will bloom a bit later, and some will continue until autumn....