Revive

When it comes to drought-tolerant plants, the first ones you normally think about are aloe, agave, various cactus species and other desert-dwelling flora. The fact is, however, that there are many other types of plants that can resist drought and hot weather, and they don’t even look like desert plants. The blanket flower (Gaillardia) is one of the best examples of this. The plant is one of the most cheerful and fascinating plants you can add to your garden, and it will definitely brighten your mood. The plant loves well-drained soil, so it’s easy to see why it would thrive in a drought environment. Lamium is another species that fares well in drought conditions, although it doesn’t resist much in direct sunlight. This plant is best placed in the cool shade under a tree, and once its flowers bloom during late spring, it will spread out to create a beautiful flower bed all on its own. Finally, you can also think of adding a few “pinks” – which is the common nickname for the flowers o...

Although clay soil can be a real pain when it comes to growing anything from annuals and perennials to a wide variety of veggies, many types of trees can actually thrive in this type of soil. However, it’s best to know exactly which ones are ideal, if you’re planning on making sure that all your trees will grow and stay healthy. Before thinking of planting anything, consider the positive aspects of clay soil. This is a type of soil that has high density and can retain moisture very easily. Also, since the particles making up clay soil are negatively charged, this soil is more rich in all the necessary nutrients that plants would need to survive – including magnesium, potassium and calcium. The reason why most plants and veggies don’t grow well in this type of soil is because it’s slow draining and warms more slowly in the spring. Also, it can be more alkaline and it can heave more heavily during the winter months. Magnolia, hawthorn, crab apple trees and hazel trees are some of the ...

Depending on the type of soil and grass you have in your yard, taking proper care of it when autumn comes can be a real challenge. Making sure your grass is prepared for the winter and that the cold won’t affect it adversely is one of the greatest challenges associated with this period.  In order to make sure your grass is ready for the winter cold, the best course of action is to use fertilizers that are high in potassium. These so-called winterizing fertilizers are important for strengthening plants at a cellular level and ensuring that they can be tolerant to extreme cold and stress.  Two other important nutrients added to the best fertilizes also include phosphorus and nitrogen. They are able to promote root growth and enhance your grass’ overall stability. Commercial winter fertilizers are also much more balanced than regular turf builders, so they are a much better choice if you plan on using fertilizers only once per year. While warm weather grasses will still work w...

The practice of trimming trees and bushes, also known as pruning, can be done just about any time, depending on why you need it. As long as your main motive for pruning is just to remove dead branches and leaves, you can consider it just about any time of the year. Other than that, there are a few important recommendations you should keep track of:  • The most common pruning practice is during dormancy. This is when the potential for a sudden burst of growth is greatest, but only after the coldest period of winter has already passed. At this point, species like maple, birches and walnuts may start to excrete sap, a process that stops one the first leaves begin to appear. • Cutting old leaves and branches is also a good practice when the tree begins to flower. As flowers start appearing, either in the spring or in the late summer, gentle pruning can greatly improve the process of flowering. • Because fungi tend to spread their spores everywhere, it’s best to avoid pruning of any ...