http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/index.html http://media.miamiherald.com/images/logos/rss_sitelogo.gif http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/index.html 140 25 News, sports and entertainment from MiamiHerald.com en-us Copyright 2009 MiamiHerald.com Gardening 60 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:18:45 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's PubSys miamifeedback@miamiherald.com http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/834440.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/834440.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Bright red spikes of salvia flowers swayed in the winter breeze next to blue-flowering porterweed. Yellowtops, with flattish clusters of flowers, were forming a little colony, while the black-eyed Susans and the red-yellow Indian blankets formed sweeps of color in the wildflower beds at Broward College's north campus in Coconut Creek. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826648.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826648.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST A botanical refuge in the Miami Design District will offer a green oasis in an urban core, next to the Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH). http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/834440.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/834440.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Bright red spikes of salvia flowers swayed in the winter breeze next to blue-flowering porterweed. Yellowtops, with flattish clusters of flowers, were forming a little colony, while the black-eyed Susans and the red-yellow Indian blankets formed sweeps of color in the wildflower beds at Broward College's north campus in Coconut Creek. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/818534.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/818534.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Botanical name: Coccothrinax miraguama Description: A wonderful palm from Cuba that has trunk fibers so elegant they could have been woven on a loom. How do plants do things like that, anyway? The palmate leaves are round, with a hint of silver on the undersides. Slow-growing, this one is nonetheless said to be faster than other species in the genus. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/808502.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/808502.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Name: Sealing wax palm Botanical name: Cyrtostachys renda Description: What a Christmas present this would make for someone, in beautiful red and green. The scarlet crown shaft and leaf stems (petioles) make this one of the most beautiful of palms, and in South Florida it is often one of the most sought after. But be warned: it is easy to lose in cold and dry weather. I'm on my third set. Native to Southeast Asia, Sumatra and Borneo, this is a palm for warm and moist places. I have grown them sitting... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/798443.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/798443.html Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Name: Chinese hat plant Botanical name: Holmskioldia sanguinea Description: If the common name were to be made up from scratch today, it might well be satellite receiver plant. Holmskioldia is a climbing and sprawling shrub that has clusters of curious flowers in orange, red or yellow/green that occur in the leaf axils. The round receiver part of the plant is really a calyx, or fused sepals, that surround a tube made of fused petals. Four little stamens protrude from the tubular corolla. The flowers... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/789941.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/789941.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Name: Tropical snowball, dombeya Botanical name: Dombeya burgessiae `Seminole' Description: An African shrub that produces clusters of showy, dark pink flowers from fall through spring. The Seminole hybrid was created at the USDA Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami. Leaves are somewhat heart-shaped, and old flowers turn brown and stay on the flower stalks. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/779700.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/779700.html Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Name: Crinum lily; tree crinum Botanical name: Crinum asiaticum Description: A large flowering bulb, the crinum lily has tubular flowers with a nice, light fragrance. The flowers are held in a cluster atop sturdy but hollow stems. The leaves are sword-shaped, quite long and rather leathery with a strong central vein. The plants can be quite handsome when not marred by fungus or nibbled by grasshoppers. But when well grown, the crinum makes a beautiful shrub-like plant. Several together can serve... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/768628.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/768628.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Name: Red jade-vine; mucuna vine Botanical name: Mucuna bennetti (syn: Mucuna novoguineensis ) Description: There aren't many vines that can compare with this scarlet beauty for sheer voluptuous shape and searing color. A vine in the bean family, this New Guinea native can be just as aggressive as the jade vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys, whose flower shapes these resemble. The hanging bunches of flowers, called racemes, are not as long as those on the jade, but that hardly matters. They will hang... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/758913.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/758913.html Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Name: Pentas Botanical name: Pentas lanceolata Description: A perennial herb/shrub that bears umbels of tubular flowers in a range of colors from deep red to pink to white. A single plant from your favorite nursery balloons into a small woody shrub when full grown. The flowers are ideal to attract butterflies, such as this giant swallowtail, one of our largest and showiest butterflies. The plants are drought-tolerant. Bees love them, although I've never seen the promised hummingbirds near them. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/737851.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/737851.html Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:01 EDT Botanical name: Philodendron gloriosum Description: There are beautiful leaves and there is Philodendron gloriosum. This stunning philodendron is a superb tropical for South Florida gardens. The silver-white veins stand out dramatically against the deep green, velvet leaf blade. It's a terrestrial plant and creeps along the ground on a rhizome, which produces leaves on top and roots on the bottom. Gloriosum is well-behaved for a philodendron; it tends not to wander into the next planting bed and... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/728008.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/728008.html Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:01 EDT Name: Bird of paradise. Botanical name: Strelitzia regina. Description: This South African flower was named in the late 18th century by Sir Joseph Banks, horticultural advisor to King George III, to honor the Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Joe was no fool; the princess became Queen Charlotte. The orange parts are the sepals and the blue contraption in the middle is composed of fused petals, which conceal the stigma and stamens, all inside a boat-like bract. The leaves are leathery; the color is... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/709913.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/709913.html Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:01 EDT Name: Bird's-nest anthurium Marie. Botanical name: Anthurium X `Marie'. Description: Hybridized by Miamian Steve Nock and named for his wife, Marie, this lovely anthurium has leaves that unfold green and gradually change to a deep maroon as they lengthen and widen. Marie Nock said she believes the hybrid has Anthurium schlechtendalii, a bird's-nest type found from Mexico to Costa Rica, as a parent. This is a superlative plant for lovers of dark leaves. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/700939.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/700939.html Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:01 EDT Name: Carambola or star fruit. Botanical name: Averrhoa carambola. Description: Believed to have originated in Malaysia, the carambola is a small tree with a dense canopy, tiny flowers and golden, five-sided fruit. It grows well in South Florida, and often produces more crisp, sweet-tart fruit than you can use. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/818529.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/818529.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: I recently started collecting hibiscus plants for my backyard. I get many buds but before they open, they fall off. A: Hibiscus plants don't like change and will drop their flowers for a number of reasons, including stress: too much or too little water, excess fertilizer and heat. The double flower varieties tend to drop more readily. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/808501.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/808501.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: Where can I find one of the Bt products that you often mention to control caterpillars? A: Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) can be found in the pesticide sections at most garden centers, hardware stores and plant nurseries, as well as online. Brand names are Thuricide and Dipel. This is a strain of toxin produced by a bacterial disease that only affects caterpillars that eat it. It needs to be sprayed on the foliage. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/798437.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/798437.html Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: A day after I cleared brush from my backyard my skin broke out. It looks like poison ivy rash but we don't have that weed on our property. The brush I removed I think is called Florida holly. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/789933.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/789933.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: I planted my mango four years ago. It was about five feet tall when I bought it. The first year it had fruit but no fruit since then. It looks healthy and it's growing. What is wrong with it? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/779701.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/779701.html Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: We are being inundated with large millipedes in our house. We have a number of landscape beds filled with composed mulch. Any connection? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/768634.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/768634.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: We have a 25-foot avocado tree in our backyard. It has fallen over twice during the hurricanes of the last four years (both directions). We have had it supported with wood ever since. We had a great crop of avocados this year and the tree is very healthy. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/758922.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/758922.html Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: One of my royal palms has developed a weird pattern around the middle of the trunk and also is weird at the bottom. What is this band? Is there a cure? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/737850.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/737850.html Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:01 EDT Q: When should I prune my fruit trees? A: Generally, prune fruit trees after you finish harvesting the fruit. You can remove dead branches at anytime. To avoid spreading plant diseases, sterilize your pruners with rubbing alcohol. Sterilize after cutting diseased branches and whenever you are pruning a different plant. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/728028.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/728028.html Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:01 EDT Q: What is the least-toxic way to control weeds in my lawn? A: The old-fashioned way -- weeding by hand and mowing before the weeds produce seeds. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/709921.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/709921.html Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:01 EDT Q: I've heard that shredded newspaper can be used to combat nematodes. Is this true? A: I'm not familiar with any evidence showing the benefits of using newspapers against nematodes. However, you can safely add newspapers to your compost pile as a good way to recycle them, although they add almost no plant nutrients. Avoid composting color inserts printed on shiny paper. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/700933.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/700933.html Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:01 EDT Q: Each year I have a lot of disease problems in my vegetable garden. What am I doing wrong? Is there anything I can do other than use sprays? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826648.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826648.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST A botanical refuge in the Miami Design District will offer a green oasis in an urban core, next to the Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH). http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826639.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826639.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Name: White angel's trumpet Botanical name: Brugmansia suaveolens Description: An evergreen and fast-growing small tree or large shrub from Brazil that produces large, lovely white trumpet-shaped flowers periodically throughout the year. In light shade, it tends to sprawl. But the show is incomparable and the flowers are nicely fragrant (and said to be hallucinogenic). Don't eat any part, as the plant is toxic. Brugmansia can be propagated from a branch cutting. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826652.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826652.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: My coconut palm tree is about 30 feet tall. It lost all its coconuts while they were small and the fronds have started turning brown and falling off. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826638.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/826638.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Coral bean, locustberry, kapok, Spanish bayonet, yesterday-today-tomorrow and roses. Cold weather: Protect orchids sensitive to cold when temperatures drop below 50 degrees. An extra spray of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) and potassium nitrate (1 tablespoon each in a gallon of water) will help protect against stress. Watch for spider mites; use hard spray from hose or Avid, Kelthane. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/821951.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/821951.html Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:01 EST As the newly named director of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Carl Lewis wants to lead expeditions to the tropics, increase the visibility of science and conservation, attract more graduate students to work in science -- and have a good time. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/818123.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/818123.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Not once in 32 years have Terry and Barbara Glancy stopped caring for their 15 acres of endangered pine rockland. They saved it from Brazilian pepper, replanted it after Hurricane Andrew and watched it smolder for three months after a wildfire swept through. And still it gives them delight. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/818529.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/818529.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: I recently started collecting hibiscus plants for my backyard. I get many buds but before they open, they fall off. A: Hibiscus plants don't like change and will drop their flowers for a number of reasons, including stress: too much or too little water, excess fertilizer and heat. The double flower varieties tend to drop more readily. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/818534.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/818534.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Botanical name: Coccothrinax miraguama Description: A wonderful palm from Cuba that has trunk fibers so elegant they could have been woven on a loom. How do plants do things like that, anyway? The palmate leaves are round, with a hint of silver on the undersides. Slow-growing, this one is nonetheless said to be faster than other species in the genus. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/808469.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/808469.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Barton the schnauzer would get stuck in the thick tangle of vines. The yard was so overgrown his owners couldn't see the property line. But Kevin and Blake Goldstein, both 31, said they bought the house because they saw its potential. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/808477.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/808477.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:01 EST If you give or receive holiday plants, you'll make their season last longer with a small amount of care. Among the seasonal favorites are bulbs that bring the promise of flowering within a few weeks -- which is really a nice way of extending a remembrance of holiday giving into the post-holiday ho-hums. Long after the tree has gone to the recycle heap, you'll have flowers and fragrance. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/808501.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/808501.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: Where can I find one of the Bt products that you often mention to control caterpillars? A: Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) can be found in the pesticide sections at most garden centers, hardware stores and plant nurseries, as well as online. Brand names are Thuricide and Dipel. This is a strain of toxin produced by a bacterial disease that only affects caterpillars that eat it. It needs to be sprayed on the foliage. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/826652.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/adrian-hunsberger/story/826652.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: My coconut palm tree is about 30 feet tall. It lost all its coconuts while they were small and the fronds have started turning brown and falling off. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/826639.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/georgia-tasker/story/826639.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Name: White angel's trumpet Botanical name: Brugmansia suaveolens Description: An evergreen and fast-growing small tree or large shrub from Brazil that produces large, lovely white trumpet-shaped flowers periodically throughout the year. In light shade, it tends to sprawl. But the show is incomparable and the flowers are nicely fragrant (and said to be hallucinogenic). Don't eat any part, as the plant is toxic. Brugmansia can be propagated from a branch cutting.