These trees grow rather slowly in the early years, achieving a height of about 15 feet over the first five years. But if you expect to grow it to maturity, be aware that stone pine is a large tree best suited for an expansive property, where it can serve as a specimen tree or can be planted in groups to produce a shaded glade or screen. You can use fallen pine needles as a natural mulch to help with water retention and keep weeds at bay....
The Aluminum plant was first introduced to the western world by famed French botanists Andres Guillaumin and François Gagnepain in 1928 while researching the flora of Vietnam, while it was still a colony of France. Named after countryman and fellow botanist, Father Léopold Michel Cadière, who was a famed missionary in what was called Indochina at the time. The plant was finally introduced in the United States but did not become popular till the houseplant boom of the 1970s, where it has stayed a favorite ever since....
The fast-growing autograph tree has stiff, leathery dark green or olive-colored leaves that grow to about eight inches long. The leaves are tough enough that they can be carved, hence the common name “autograph tree.” It has long flower heads with pink or white flowers that bloom in the summer, followed by small green fruits that ripen to black and eventually split open to reveal bright red seeds. The seeds are attractive to birds and other fauna....
Vandas are monopodial orchids, meaning they grow from a single stem with roots emerging from the bottom. The leaves are alternating, climbing the stem in a ladder-like progression. Older vandas frequently branch, and if left undivided the plants can grow into very large specimens. Vandas flower from spikes that emerge from the central stem and poke out between the leaves. Vanda orchids are known for large, robust roots that are difficult to contain in any sort of pot....
How cool is it that people are planning plant swaps so that plant lovers have a chance to meet up and exchange plants and cuttings? It’s sustainable and it makes expanding your plant collection that much easier and cheaper than buying more. A plant swap is a great way to avoid paying a premium price on common houseplants that just so happened to become trendy. It’s also a great way to get a plant that you might be nervous about spending money on because it’s tricky to care for....
Males Male red-winged blackbirds are some of the easiest blackbirds to identify because they are aptly named for their more outstanding field mark, but there are additional clues that distinguish them from other species. Check for these clues to be sure you’re seeing a male red-winged blackbird: Bill: The bill is a long triangle shape with a sharp point and is a uniform black color. If the bird is singing, the raspy trilling is also distinctive....
With concrete anchors, you can attach even heavy materials like deck ledger boards and framing members to concrete in just a few minutes. Concrete Anchors vs. Concrete Screws Concrete anchors and concrete screws both can be used to fasten items to concrete. Concrete anchors, generally speaking, expand in a pre-drilled hole, while concrete screws tap or cut threads in a pre-drilled hole. Concrete Anchors Concrete anchors fit into a pre-drilled hole and expand within the hole either by hitting the anchor with a hammer or by turning it with a wrench....
Open-pollinated (OP) (Symphytum officinale) varieties are readily available. One that is rapidly gaining in popularity is Bocking 14, a cultivar of Russian comfrey, (S.x uplandicum), developed in the town of Bocking, U.K. Bocking 14 does not produce viable seeds, so you don’t have to worry about your plant becoming a nuisance. It also shows good resistance to rust, a fungus disease common to comfreys. However, Symphytum officinale, with its dangling, bell-shaped purple flowers, is great for attracting bees and other pollinating insects....
There are three main types (two Asian and one American). They often look so similar that it’s difficult to distinguish between them, but one identifying feature is the pods. Those of Asian type are covered in fuzz; those of the American type are smooth. While the Asian wisterias are similar in appearance to the American, there are important differences to consider before deciding which type to grow. Light Wisteria performs best in full sun when grown in the North....
Why You Want to Know About Cleaning Ingredients Mixing certain chemicals together can be dangerous. Family members may have an intolerance to certain chemicals, dyes, or fragrances. Most consumers want to know exactly what they are wiping, spraying, or spreading around their homes. The directions will also often give hints on how to make the product most effective. How long do you leave it on the surface? What do you use to clean it off?...
To remove the screw, few gadgets work better than an inexpensive screw extractor bit. But what if you don’t happen to have an extractor bit on hand? Fortunately, there are a number of options for removing that stripped screw. All of these methods use basic tools or materials that you may already have on hand around the house or shop—drill bits, pliers, steel wool, and even abrasive powder or rubber bands....
