African Violets
African violets,
known botanically as Saintpaulia, are
one of America’s most popular
houseplants. |
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Bonsai
Literally
translated, bonsai means container
planted, but bonsai has evolved into a
form
of living art representing heaven and
earth in one container. |
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Bromeliads
Bromeliads are
excellent indoor plants. They require
very little care and thrive on neglect. |
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Cactus
These plants do
NOT require a green thumb. All cacti are
succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. |
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Crabgrass vs. Quackgrass
Have you been
struggling to control grassy weeds in
your lawn with little or no effect?
Chances are you've been battling
quackgrass with crabgrass controls. |
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Daylilies
Daylilies are able
to survive in many climates with very
little care; drought, disease and pest
resistant; adaptable to various soil and
light conditions . . . its the perfect
perennial! |
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Easter Lilies & Hydrangea
Nothing announces
that spring is here as well as the
bright white trumpet flowers of the
Easter lily or the rounded blue, pink
and purple heads of hydrangea. |
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Fall Color Chart
If you're like me,
the early fall colors are almost a
distraction while driving. There's
something about the prelude of fall that
is magical. |
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Fall In The Yard
September always
reminds me of not wearing a coat and
regretting it later as I ran out the
front door in the morning. |
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Fireblight
An inordinate
amount of fireblight is appearing in our
area. Two main contributing factors have
been our wet spring and hail damage
during the time susceptible trees and
shrubs were blossoming. |
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Flower Care
Certain varieties
of cut flowers last longer than
others. Carnations, for example, can
remain vibrant for long periods. Roses
have a shorter vase life, but are
prized for their special and delicate
beauty. |
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Heat and Watering
Are you caught up
in that perpetual battle between high
temperatures and watering? Lets discuss
your battlefield, weapons you have at
your disposal and take a look at a few
strategies that will help you have a
winning yard. |
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Heat & Hanging Baskets
This is about the
time of year when we
wonder why we planted so many
flowers! |
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Holiday Blooming Plants
While the
poinsettia is the plant most people
associate with the holiday season, the
Norfolk
Island pine, Christmas cactus, amaryllis
and
paperwhites also make a perfect gift or
festive
accent for your own home. |
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Holiday Blooming Plants Azaleas,
Begonia, Cyclamen
Whether shopping
for a gift or something for yourself,
blooming plants offer the bright colors
of
flowers with the longevity of a plant.
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Insects Pests and Diseases of
Evergreens
Infectious
conditions or insect pests cause much of
the damage or stress to evergreens in
Montana. |
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Kids in the Garden
Do you remember
playing outside in the summer, digging
in the dirt, making mud pies, trying to
catch bugs? Children and the outdoors
just go together, its a natural
affinity. |
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Ladybugs
Ladybug,
Ladybeetle or Ladybird? According to
folklore, insects were destroying
farmers crops in Europe during the
Middle Ages. |
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Legend of the Poinsettia
Why are
poinsettias given as gifts at Christmas?
This tradition has its roots set in a
story that takes place in Mexico. |
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Lights on Your House
There are no
specific rules about when its
appropriate to decorate the exterior of
your house for the holidays. |
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Orchids
Orchids
have a reputation for being mysterious
and exotic, therefore being high
maintenance and hard to grow. Exotic?
Yes. Hard to grow? No. |
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Poinsettias
Breathtaking,
Unique, and Innovative will be some of
the comments sure to be shared as
Billings plant lovers get their chance
to vote for new poinsettia
varieties. |
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Potatoes
Tradition
maintains that potatoes are to be
planted on Good Friday to bring good
fortune
in the coming year. |
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Readers' Questions Answered
Every week several
readers email us with specific questions
about plants and product. Each question
is researched and an answer is promptly
sent. |
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Shamrocks
St. Patrick's Day
is when we celebrate everything Irish.
However, you don't need to be Irish to
grow your own shamrock. |
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Strawberries, Raspberries and Grapes
What could be more
rewarding than walking out into your own
yard, picking a nice big juicy
strawberry or a handful of bright red
raspberries and savoring the fresh
flavors? |
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Terrariums
Is your green
thumb itching to get back to work on
your gardens? Turn its attention indoors
with a terrarium. |
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The Versatility of Herbs
Don't you just love
to step outside into your yard and take
a deep relaxing breath? What do you
smell? |
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Trees are Cool!
How many trees
does it take to produce enough oxygen
for a family of four? One. How many
trees does it take to absorb the CO2
produced from four cars in a year? One. |
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Venus Fly Trap
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea
muscipula) is a plant for those who like
the unusual. The hinged bear-claw type
traps have evolved to catch and digest
insects. |
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When and How to
Fertilize Trees,
Evergreens and Shrubs
Soil type is
important in determining the need for
fertilizer. A fine textured, clay-loam
soil will hold more nutrients than a
coarse textured sandy loam. |
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Xeriscape
Xeriscape, from
the Greek xeros meaning dry, is a form
of landscape design that promotes
creative approaches to water
conservation by helping people improve
their landscape. |
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Fall Decor
Fall decorating is all
about capturing the warmth of the season
with rich colors, spicy fragrances and
cozy settings - both outdoors and
indoors.
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Grasshoppers
I couldn't
believe it. My garden has survived the
heavy spring rains, is surviving the
searing summer heat and now I find
grasshoppers!
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Holiday Blooming Plants
I’ve received
several emails this last week from
readers seeking care instructions for
holiday blooming plants and bulbs.
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Letter from Reader
Wait, there's more
to add to my list of favorites for fall
foliage color. We'll call her Rose. Her
letter began, "I just have the urge to
write to ask, "Have you tried these?"
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Plan for Fall Frost
This is the time
of year that I am literally counting the
days until the first frost hits, hoping
it will be later so I have time to get
my yard ready for fall.
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Remember to Plant Bulbs in Sept and Oct
Have you ever looked at the beautiful
spring display of tulips and daffodils
in your neighbor's yard and wished that
you had thought about planting some of
your own?
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The Legend of the Poinsettia
Why are
poinsettias given as gifts at Christmas?
This tradition has its roots set in a
story that takes place in Mexico.
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Tropical Goldfish
I have a confession
to make. Until last year, I kept no live
plants in my house. A combination of
fear and laziness kept me away from my
indoor "green thumb".
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Vote For Your Favorite Poinsettia
A
Pink Cadillac at a Garden Center? Yes
but, it's not a car show, it's the 7th
Annual Poinsettia Trial Show.
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Christmas Tablescapes
By now, you've
decked the halls. Hung the stockings and
may be finished with
your Christmas shopping.
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Conserve Water
Xeriscape, from
the Greek xeros meaning dry, is a form
of landscape design that promotes
creative approaches
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Grassy Weeds
Have you been
struggling to control grassy weeds in
your lawn with little or no effect?
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High Temps
Are you caught up
in that perpetual battle between high
temperatures and watering?
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Wet Spring, Hail Damage Cause Fireblight
An inordinate amount of fireblight is
appearing in our area.
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Wide Variety of Perennials Create
Vibrant Garden
After reading the
above article, I thought that you might
like to know exactly what plants make up
Ruth's Garden.
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Add color to your landscape
all season long with annuals
Annuals are the best way to add color to your landscape all season long. |
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Bigger, Better and Greener
Some products for keeping your trees healthy throughout the season. |
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Enjoy one of these blooming plants
These plants will not only brighten your home, but can be planted outdoors for further
enjoyment. |
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Express your sentiments through the language of flowers
"What does a yellow rose mean?" "Do red
roses mean love?" |
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Grow the perfect tomato plants and hardy annual
How to grow a better tomato has been the topic of many neighborly discussions. |
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Herbs of the Future: Grow you own herbs at home
You've seen them around town. They were a hot item this Christmas...the Aero Garden. |
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How to choose the right fertilizing product for you
Spring is here! The urge to be out in the yard doing something is strong! |
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Indoor blooming Plants
Gray. That’s how I describe this time of year. |
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Lilacs - the herald of spring
I wanted to learn more about lilacs and share the information with you. |
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Orchids are one of the easiest blooming plants to care for
Exotic? Yes. Hard to grow? No. |
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Plant pansies for a variety of early spring colors
The pansy is perfect for all of us gardeners who are itching to get outside. |
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Geranium 'Rozanne,' 2008 Perennial of the year
Geranium ’Rozanne’ has the honor of being the Perennial Plant of the Year for 2008. |
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Remember to plant bulbs in September or October
Fall
is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs, so start planning now. |
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Plants of good fortune add life, greenery indoors
Here are a couple of fun, easy and green ideas
for you - just in case you have a couple bare spots. |
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Jim Gainan: Vote for Your
Favorite New Variety of
Poinsettia
Billings plant lovers get their chance to vote for
new poinsettia varieties. |
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Roses come in a myriad of styles and a rainbow of colors
The guarantee that only the best roses make it into your garden. |
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Theme gardens are a great
way to spend time with your
kids
Now is the perfect time to
get your kids involved in the garden. |
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Maintain your landscape with a good
watering program
The combination of high temperatures, dry soils and winds rob the moisture from
the plants and soil causing drought-stress. |
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Winter is a great time to trim fruit trees
The best time to prune fruit trees in Montana is late winter or early spring before
the blossoms open. |
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