The Chinese Fringe Flower or Loropetalum chinense lor-oh-PET-al-um, chi-NEN-see is one of the most visually pleasing plants for the landscape.Native to China, Japan, and other parts of Southeast Asia, this flowering evergreen shrub belongs to the family Hamamelidaceae, better known as the witch-hazel family.

The Colocasia Black Magic is one of the “new breed” of black elephant ears.The culture of Black Magic, as well as most newer introductions, is very similar to the well known and popular, elephant ear – Colocasia esculenta.Colocasia “Black Magic” FactsOrigin: AsiaFamily: AraceaeBotanical Name: Colocasia esculenta Black Magic – KOLL-oh-kay-zhuh es-kew-LEN-tuh Common Name: Black Elephant EarsPlant Type: evergreen perennial bulbSize: 3′ – 6′ foot in height and widthLeaves: heart shaped elephant leaves, black-purple leaves with a “smokey” castFlowers: yellow-green spathe and spadixBloom: Not showyHardiness: USDA hardiness zones 8 – 12Exposure: Plant Sun or Shade?

Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, lemon trees and citrus trees are an excellent source of Vitamin C, magnesium, iron and other valuable nutrients.If treated well, lemon trees will produce fruit all year round and have a United States hardiness zone 9 – 12.They require slightly acidic soil to thrive so you may need to add fertilizer to balance the soil’s pH.

Question: Is maintaining Zoysia difficult? It is such a nice looking grass, we have been thinking about replacing our St Augustine turf with Zoysia? Does it need a special fertilizer? Martin, Jacksonville, FloridaAnswer: Martin, Zoysia has been in the United States for decades.Many people now have zoysia lawns or the start of one and many more homeowners are seriously thinking of replacing their current grass with this “different” type lawn grass.

As more and more people look at gardening as a way to grow some of their own food, to relax and get outdoors, raised garden beds have become more popular.Just as people have all kinds of opinions on what is the best vegetables to grow, the best soil for raised beds and when to plant, there are many styles of raised beds found in the back yard.

Diagnosing houseplant problems can be a tricky process. Many of the most common plant problems result in the same symptoms. This post lists a helpful tips you can use to help you determine what you are doing wrong with your plant. The most common ailment is lack of sunlight which causes a plant to have small leaves and stems that are weak.