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This article from Southern Living covers a range of gardening topics. It begins with a discussion on termite control, highlighting the use of cinnamon as a natural solution, although its effectiveness is uncertain. The article then introduces a new hydrangea variety called 'Pop Star' that is suitable for smaller gardens and requires minimal pruning. It also addresses a reader's question about changes in plant hardiness zones due to climate change. The article suggests that milder winters have caused zones to shift northward, allowing for the cultivation of previously tender plants. Other topics covered include recycling coffee grounds in flower beds, dealing with wild violets in lawns, the benefits of spiders in gardens, and tips for growing fig trees. [Extracted from the article]

A long-term, landscape grass hardiness study was initiated in Summer 1987 at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen, MN, USA [United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone (USDA PHZ) 4b, -20 to -25 °F]. This location averages a 158-day growing season (frost free), summer temperatures of 79.9 °F, and winter temperatures of 10.4 °F. Over 35 years, 392 different kinds of plants from the grass (Poaceae) and sedge (Cyperaceae) families were planted to evaluate winter survival, landscape value, flowering, and pest resistance. Most plants (n 5 271, 69%) survived at least 4 years, 186 (47%) survived 10 years, 81 (21%) survived 20 years, and 29 (7%) survived 35 years. Sixty-eight plants (17%) were deemed not winter hardy in this location (USDA PHZ 4b), and 53 are listed with insufficient data for a hardiness rating. Changes in maintenance as well as challenges encountered with long-term trials of herbaceous plants are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the diverse range of robust and low-maintenance rhododendrons produced by the Inkarho community. Topics include the varieties of rhododendrons available, such as the unique "Happy-dendron" and "Bloombux" alternatives to boxwood, the adaptability of these plants to different soil conditions, and the overall benefits of Inkarho's rhododendron varieties in terms of hardiness and blooming characteristics.

The article focuses on climate change affecting the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., where shifts in plant hardiness zones have been observed due to warmer temperatures, allowing previously challenging plants to thrive and altering agricultural practices. It mentions these changes are driven by global warming, extending growing seasons, but also posing challenges such as increased pest presence and potential disruptions to native ecosystems and wildlife.

The article offers information on the zone number assigned to each tree delineates a geographical area on a plant hardiness map with the coldest winter temperatures in which the tree can reliably perform. It discusses that Wyman's zone map was the prototype for the Arnold Arboretum plant hardiness zone map which came into use by 1948.

Integrated plant health management (IPHM) is a holistic approach to pest management that includes plant nutrition and other methods to promote plant tolerance of environmental and pest stresses. Unhealthy or stressed plants are more susceptible to pests and diseases, so maintaining plant health is crucial. Nutrient supplements and biostimulants can be used to improve plant performance and enhance the effectiveness of biological control products. Anticipating crop stress and pest risks and taking proactive measures can lead to higher profits. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents the discussion on exhibiting remarkable hardiness, enduring winter temperatures as low as -20 °C when mature and established.

The article discusses how plant strengthen through cold mist and discusses the successful application of the method by the Krauss nursery in Weiden, Germany. Topics include nursery achieved positive results by using a cold mist device to apply biostimulants, leading to healthier plants and cost and time savings; and the benefits of the application method in terms of plant quality and reduced reliance on chemical pesticides with various plant species, including chrysanthemums, and poinsettias.

Red maple leaves (Acer rubrum) can turn a deeper red in fall, while sugar maples (A. saccharum) change to yellow, orange or red. PHOTO (COLOR): A sugar maple (Acer saccharum) shines beside an historic building in Granby, Vt., awaiting the "leaf peepers" who venture to New England for its vibrant foliage each fall. PHOTO (COLOR): Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), native from the Mid-Atlantic through the South, blazes with yellow and purple-red leaves in Asheville, N.C. [Extracted from the article]

In this article, the author presents his experience of visiting Garden Center iglak in Warsaw, Poland. Topics discussed include use of organic fertilization for the preparation of the soil on sandy soils; work on the potting machine; and demand of good winter hardiness, health and quality of the trees.

The article focuses on Canadian plant hardiness zones marked by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through plant survival data according to different climatic zones.

The article focuses on Hydrangea involucrata plant species which grows in woodlands and endemic in Japan. It discusses various features of the plant including hardiness of stem, ovate shape of leaves, and presence of pedicels. Also mentioned the several species of the genus including Handemar, Hortensis, and Chichibu.

The article focuses on research on plant hardiness in context of cold injuries. Topics discussed include experiments conducted by British horticulturists by experimenting with news selections, the Royal Horticultural Society's Hardiness Ratings Scale which is defined by a direct relationship with temperature and the process of acclimatization in which plants gothrough for dormancy as temperature decline. Also mentioned is the importance of genes related to carbohydrate biosynthesis.

The article presents information on several hardiest species of Agave, a genus of monocots, in light of a survey that was conducted to test the hardenbility of the species in winter in Great Britain. It reveals that Agave americana are yellow or cream-variegated cultivars of varying hardiness with stripes and bands at the leaf margin. It also mentions that Agave montana is best plant for outdoor cultivation and forms solitary rosettes with spined leaves.

The article lists and offers information on plants that can survive the summer heat in Texas. It presents data on hardiness, zone and perennial or annual information. Plants covered include the Allium x hybrid Millennium from Walters Gardens, Caryopteris clandonensis Blue Fountain from grower Proven Winners, and Scaevola Surdiva series from grower Suntory Flowers. Also covered are Catharanthus roseus, Portulaca oleracea and Ricinus communis plants.

The article focuses on the origin and conditions for growing of blue-flowered poppies of the Meconopsis genus. Topics discussed include the close resemblance between Papaver or true poppies and the Meconopsis as well as the weather conditions that best suit the cultivation of these plants, the origin of which can be traced to the Himalayas and the mountain region of western and southwestern China. The plant's hardiness, watering, and propagation are also mentioned.

The article focuses on the peony cultivars developed by Lincolnshire, England-based flower nursery Bennison Peonies. Topics discussed include the two main types of peony, namely the herbacious and woody species, and the complexity of the plant's taxonomy. The breeding program implemented by owner Jo Bennison and the characteristic hardiness of peonies are also mentioned.

The article features the ornamental plant hostas that are ideal for the perennial shade garden. It offers information on hostas that thrive on shade and part shade and can also tolerate full sun, including Francee and Halcyon. Information is also provided on the plant's hardiness and some hybrid hostas that produce fragrant blossoms.

Winter sprouting broccoli [WSB (Brassica oleracea var. italica)] is a biennial crop that is typically planted in the fall and harvested in the spring in the United ICdngdom. To evaluate their suitability as an early spring crop in the northeastern United States, 10 cultivars of WSB were grown in replicated experiments inside an unheated high tunnel over 2 years in Durham, NH. Results showed that the use of a secondary low tunnel covered with heavy rowcover (1.25 oz/yard²) significantly increased winter survival, yields, and earliness of all WSB cultivars. Cultivars differed in terms of days to maturity, yields, and shoot quality. For September planting dates, broccoli shoots were harvested from March to early May. Across cultivars, days to harvest range from 190 to 216 days in 2008-09, and from 209 to 238 days in 2009-10. Season-long yields ranged from 150 to 238 g/plant. The cultivars, Santee, Red Spear, White Sprouting Early, and Late White Star, were among the highest yielding cultivars that produced attractive and tender shoots, spanning the entire harvest season. Our experiments established that fall plantings of WSB may be overwintered in an unheated high tunnel for a spring harvest in USDA Hardiness Zone 5 sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on horticulture courses which could give students techniques in growing ornamental plants and in maintaining healthy garden. It mentions the March 3, 2012 class of garden writer Nina Kozoil, which discusses the basic soil preparation, and on the growing of organic salad greens on March 10. Moreover, program about hydrangeas, which will be discussing pruning techniques and hardiness issues.

The article focuses on a survey about plant survival launched by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in Great Britain. The historical data presents two areas such as the potential to examine whether plants in cultivation are adapting to the country's climate and more plants are surviving outside of favoured maritime locations. Information concerning plant hardiness ratings is discussed.

The article presents a research exploring the cold tolerance of geophytes on the winter cold weather in South Africa. It indicates that some less cold hardy species possess higher levels of hardiness, and cites that winter-growing species in South Africa are potential cold hardy in Great Britain. Several charts are also presented, one depicting the survival of geophytes and forbs on the roof and ground level, and another showing the relative habitat coldness of various regions in South Africa.

The article focuses on plants that have survived the harsh winter experienced by Great Britain in 2009-2010. It relates that some plants were not able to survive the prolonged freezing temperatures despite being regarded as hardy. Some of the perennials that have proven their hardiness in the recent winter include Aspidistra elatior, Begonia grandis evansiana and Impatiens tinctoria. Examples of the toughest trees, shrubs and climbers are Schefflera taiwaniana and Gardenia jasminoides. It outlines the hardy Bromeliads, succulents and palms.

The article offers the author's insights on the factors that influence plant hardiness in Great Britain. He states that extreme cold is the traditional measure of hardiness and a good predictor of plant survival. He notes that plants struggle to ripen wood against the drop in heat and intensity of sunlight. He mentions that extreme drought and heat can be just as damaging to certain plants as extreme cold. The author also discusses the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) hardiness ratings.

The article presents information on varieties of the plant purple coneflower or Echinacea (E.) purpurea. The plant is said to be popular because it is easy to grow, cheap to obtain and looks good over a long season with little maintenance. It says that many new varieties disappoint because they do not have the hardiness and long-suffering nature of the older seed-grown strains. For gardeners who desire anemone-flowered echinaceas, Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery recommends Pink Double Delight and Cotton Candy.

The article offers a guide to choosing the right sage for a garden. The perennial sages are a wildly ornamental group which are drought-tolerant once established. It is noted that all of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones are suitable for growing sage. They are also attractive to wildlife such as bees and butterflies, as well as hummingbirds. Also presented are some sages and the best ways to use them, including lyre leaf sage, pitcher sage and Mexican bush sage.

SUMMARY. Thirty-eight species, cultivars, and hybrid selections of ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.) were evaluated for growth, flowering, and cold hardiness in a landscape trial in Silverton, OR, from 2001 to 2005. Plants were only irrigated for establishment in Summer 2001 and were not pruned or fertilized throughout the trial. Several cultivars showed dieback and leaf damage after 22 °F cold events in late October and early Nov. 2002 and 2003, the most severely affected of which were Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus, C. thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Yankee Point', Ceanothus hearstiorum, and C. thyrsiflorus 'Snowflurry'. Among the cultivars evaluated, those recommended for early bloom are 'Ray Hartman' and 'Blue Jeans'. Several cultivars are effective drought-tolerant groundcovers, including 'Wheeler Canyon', 'Joyce Coulter', and 'Joan Mirov'. Among the smaller-growing plants, Ceanothus cuneatus var. rigidus 'Snowball' and Ceanothusgloriosus 'Heart's Desire' made effective groundcovers only 0.6 and 0.2 m tall, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a guide to choosing what variety of clematis to grow. Unlike large-flowered types, small-flowered varieties are not bothered by clematis wilt, a fungal disease. Anemona clematis is an easy-tor-grow and very fragrant variety that needs some winter chill, so they will not bloom in very warm climates. The texensis species is native to Texas and has small, delicate scarlet flowers.

The article presents information on how various fruit tree varieties performed in a U.S. Department of Agriculture Zone 4 location in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Among the apples, Arlet is winter-hardy but has only few apples on it. Alderman is the best American hybrid plum that can grow in the region and has produced 90 pounds of plums each year. The Meteor cherries showed signs of having contacted Western X-disease at harvest.

The author focuses on bromeliads, an evergreen herbaceous family of plants. The author discusses details of the epiphytic and terrestrial species of the plant. The author also discusses different varieties of bromeliads that can be successfully grown in gardens, providing information on the size, color, and hardiness of the plants.

The article discusses the plant Colchicums which blooms in late summer or fall and whose blossoms can grow to four-inches wide. The genus Colchicum is named after the ancient kingdom of Colchis, part of the Republic of Georgia. Hybrids of the plant include Lilac Wonder, The Giant and Violet Queen. Information is provided for hardiness zones, the species C. autumnale and the best time to plant colchicum corms. INSET: COLCHICOM BOTANY.

The author reports on the first of two parts pertaining to exotic trees growing at the limits of their cold hardiness levels. He considers species whose origins imply that they should grow best in warm or sunny climates. The results of a survey of hundreds of gardens, mainly in southern England, where half-hardy trees have been grown, as well as his reasons for conducting the survey are explored. Tree species, including Palm trees, from Asia, Australia, South Africa and the U.S. are discussed.

The author reports on the cold hardiness potential of several different species of the plant Agave looking for one to withstand the cold, dry climate of England. The A. Americana, A. Salmiana var. ferox and A. mitis are all moisture tolerant and are suited to growing in the wetter, milder regions. The author explores the hardiness of the Agave species in Mexico, particularly the A. gentryi and A. montana. Other species of the Agave including A. mitis, A. salmiana, A. bracteosa are discussed.

The author reports that plants can grow in many different types of environments, focusing specifically on colder environments. Various plants which grow in colder environments such as rhododendrons, lilacs and fireweed are discussed. Information on what plants grow best in various parts of the United States is provided. INSET: EXPERTS' PICK OF COLD-HARDY PLANTS BY REGION.

The article discusses low-maintenance rose bushes. The first one, designed by German breeders, is called the Flower Carpet for its characteristics of being more of a ground covering than a traditional rose bush. Another breed is called the Mayflower, which David Austin has made disease resistant without sacrificing the fragrance. Some of the other roses include Baby Love and Colette. INSET: Low care lingo: Words to know.

The article discusses the dry gardening of garden designer Stacie Crooks. Crooks is ahead of the curve in facing up to climate change. In a quest to find out for herself which plants are most drought tolerant, she entered the realm of dry gardening. In a quest to find out for herself which plants are most drought tolerant, she entered the realm of dry gardening. She ripped out 2,800 square feet of front lawn in her garden high above Puget Sound, just north of Seattle, and replaced it with less-thirsty plants.

Carolina buckthorn [Rhamnus caroliniana Walt. or Frangula caroliniana (Walt.) Gray] is an attractive and water-stress-resistant shrub or small tree distributed extensively in the southeastern United States that merits use in managed landscapes. Due to substantial climatic differences within its distribution (30-year normal midwinter minima range from 13 to -8 °C), selection among provenances based on differences in cold hardiness is warranted. Before selections are marketed, the potential of carolina buckthorn to be invasive also merits investigation. Ecological problems resulting from the introduction of Rhainnus L. species in the United States, most notably the dominance of R. cathartica L. (common buckthorn) over neighboring taxa, are due in part to early budbreak. Consequently, we investigated depth of cold hardiness and vernal budbreak of carolina buckthorn and common buckthorn. Stem samples of carolina buckthorn and common buckthorn collected in midwinter survived temperatures as low as -.21 and -24 °C, respectively. Although the cold hardiness of carolina buckthorns from Missouri was greater than that of carolina buckthorns from Ohio and Texas on 2 Apr. 2003, there were no differences in cold hardiness of stems from Missouri and Texas on all three assessment dates in the second experiment. All plants survived at both field locations except for the carolina buckthorns from southern Texas planted in Iowa, which showed 0% and 17% survival in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Budbreak of both species with and without mulch in Ames, Iowa, was recorded from 9 Apr. to 10 May 2002. Mean budbreak of common buckthorn was 5.7 days earlier than budbreak of carolina buckthorn, and buds of mulched carolina buckthorns broke 4.2 days earlier than did buds of unmulched carolina buckthorns. We conclude that the cold hardiness of carolina buckthorn is sufficient to permit the species to be planted outside of its natural distribution. Populations of carolina buckthorn in Ohio and Missouri should be the focus of efforts to select genotypes for use in regions with harsh winters. Phenology of its budbreak suggests carolina buckthorn will not be as invasive as common buckthorn, but evaluation of additional determinants of invasiveness is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]