Fan Palms 101: How to Grow and Care for Fan Palms

Silver birch (Betula pendula) is a deciduous tree with a slender shape and graceful appearance, which has given rise to its lovely name of the ‘lady of the woods’. Silver birch trees look attractive year-round with white bark, spring catkins and yellow autumn leaf colour. The catkins and seeds are popular with wildlife such as bees and birds, while several species of moth lay eggs on birch leaves.

The holiday season is right around the corner, with Thanksgiving marking the beginning of the festivities through to New Year’s celebrations. For some folks, this period also means prepping for one eventful week after Christmas: the week of Kwanzaa. 

Mahonias are woody evergreen shrubs and the best of them flower in winter. In the past, they were regarded as something to shove in the shady corner or, even more insultingly, as car park plants. But now – thanks to the demand for architectural foliage – they are having their moment in the sun... or, rather, their moment in light shade, which is where they prefer to be.

As inextricable from mass festive wares as tinsel and paper hats, the poinsettia blazes red in most shops and homes during December. Being such an omnipresent sight makes it unappealing for many of us, but, thankfully – if the standard scarlet species makes you wince – there are less common forms available that are well worth buying to brighten the house this Christmas.

Should you be stopped in your tracks by the blazing colour of a tree this autumn, it is likely to be a maple (Acer). Their distinctive palmate leaves burn breathtaking, vivid shades of scarlet, ruby, or gold before they fall, outshining most trees in the vicinity. Some acers also offer colourful spring foliage; others have a sculptural spreading shape with multiple trunks; and a few provide attractive bark during the winter months.

When you pull a pie crust out of the freezer aisle at the grocery store or a sleeve of cookies off the shelf, it’s likely that one of the ingredients they contain is dietary fat, such as soybean or palm oil. These oils are agricultural products, but do they have to be?

Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) is also known as everlasting flower, immortelle and paper daisy. Strawflower plants have an upright habit and branching flower stems topped with many-petalled blooms to 8cm across. Hardy annuals, strawflowers bloom abundantly from summer into autumn, in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, purple and white. The naturally dry texture of the blooms makes them an excellent choice as cut flowers to use fresh, or in dried arrangements that will last for years. Strawflower grows quickly and easily from seed and lasts for one growing season only.

Experiencing a moth landing on you can be filled with wonder and curiosity, especially for garden enthusiasts. This seemingly small event often blends folklore, symbolism, and fascinating biological insights! Let’s have a look at it in detail!

Learning How to Grow a Big Venus Fly Trap Plant is an art – from selecting the right soil mix to understanding its unique feeding requirements, we’ll tell you everything to make this carnivorous plant a living giant!

How to Grow and Care for Ferns Indoors Polypodiopsida

Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) is also known as everlasting flower, immortelle and paper daisy. Strawflower plants have an upright habit and branching flower stems topped with many-petalled blooms to 8cm across. Hardy annuals, strawflowers bloom abundantly from summer into autumn, in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, purple and white. The naturally dry texture of the blooms makes them an excellent choice for using as cut flowers to use fresh, or in dried arrangements that will last for years. Strawflower grows quickly and easily from seed and lasts for one growing season only.

Aspen (Populus tremula) is a deciduous, broadleaf tree known for its habit of ‘quaking’ or ‘trembling’ in the slightest breeze. Indeed, its botanical name ‘tremula’ was given due to its trembling habit, and it’s also known as ‘quaking aspen’. Aspen tree leaves have flattened, flexible leaf stalks, which is how they are able to flutter so easily.