Extreme heat waves are stressful for almost every type of plant in your garden, from flowers and vegetables to shrubs and trees—but especially for container-grown plants.
22.07.2024 - 13:23 / hgic.clemson.edu
An increase in development and urban sprawl has created a need to develop more wildlife-friendly landscapes. All wildlife need food, shelter (cover), water, and space to survive. A rain garden can fulfill some of those needs by providing habitat typically lacking in an urban or backyard environment. A rain garden is a landscaped depression designed to capture stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs and roads and runoff from compacted turfgrass. See HGIC Factsheet 1864:Rain Garden Plants: Introduction for additional information on rain gardens.
Native plants play an essential role in the local food web by providing food for wildlife. Soft mast species such as American beautyberry or winterberry make excellent plant options for rain gardens. Soft mast refers to fleshy fruit that some plants produce and is a desirable food source for many wildlife species. Many of the native plants that are well adapted to rain gardens are flowering species that provide nectar for pollinators, and they also act as host species for numerous Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths). In addition, when these flowers go to seed, they act as a food source for songbirds like the American goldfinch.
Rain gardens provide additional height to a landscape that helps smaller species of wildlife like anoles or frogs avoid predators. Cover or shelter can often be lacking in an urban environment; a rain garden can provide this. Foliage, dead leaves, stems, and branches can act as a form of cover or shelter for wildlife. Stems of native plants also provide crucial wintering and nesting habitats for many of our native solitary pollinator species, like mason bees. Some grasses that can thrive in a rain garden can provide nesting materials
Extreme heat waves are stressful for almost every type of plant in your garden, from flowers and vegetables to shrubs and trees—but especially for container-grown plants.
This small woody shrub belonging to the mint family is grown for its fragrant, edible, and medicinal leaves and flowers. Growing hyssop has a host of health benefits and is also useful in maintaining a thriving, pest-free garden. Let’s dig in!
Hi GPODers!
Panayoti Kelaidis is the senior curator and director of outreach at Denver Botanic Gardens , a founding member and collaborator with the Plant Select plant introduction program, and an active member and past president of the North American Rock Garden Society .
Most gardeners are familiar with the USDA plant hardiness zone map, which represents cold hardiness. But cold hardiness only indicates one aspect of a plant’s preferred conditions. Its ability to tolerate heat is equally important. You might have seen heat zones listed along with hardiness zones on your plant labels, but what do they mean? The following info will help you better understand and use this valuable gardening tool.
How do you begin the process of designing or refining your own gardens, especially when there are so many things that you need to take into consideration? In this class, award-winning UK garden designer Annie Guilfoyle will guide you through the elements that make for a successful design and show you how to develop a garden that really suits your taste and lifestyle. This webinar will focus on how to use sketching and observation as tools to develop your technique. The process of designing your space should be fun, according to Annie, so she’ll share insights for how to develop your style using the influences of things you really like, such as textiles, art, and architecture. There will be plenty of suggestions on how to start your design process and gather inspiration—and, of course, we will touch on those oh-so-important plants.
WHEN MOST OF US think of growing herbs each spring, what we probably put into our shopping cart, whether from online seed catalogs or at the garden center, are the culinary must-haves: the basil, the parsley, the dill and such.
Hey GPODers! Today we’re back in the flower-filled garden of Heidi Weirether. We first saw her garden a little earlier on in the summer (you check check out that post here: Heidi’s Colorful Garden in Fairfield County) and it’s incredible to see how much has changed in a month’s time! As with much of the northeast this year, Heidi is experiencing incredible hydrangea blooms—but that is just the tip of the floral iceberg in her sensational garden:
Hi GPODers!
Vicks vaporub is a popular household name manufactured by The Procter & Gamble Company. It is quite effective in clearing out the nasal passages thanks to its camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus oil content. However, its uses are not limited to this, and there are a few Vicks VapoRub Uses in the Garden, too! Let’s have a look!
Gardens are abuzz and harvest baskets are full. Here’s how to soak up the last of the season while prepping for the next.