Fw: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Sunday March 2, 2008

March 2, 2008

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Gardening Daily Tips

For JoyceSunday March 2, 2008 • Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) • Q & A: Landscaping Slopes • Q & A: Growing Flowers Indoors • Tip: Plant Tuberous Begonias • Share Your Best Baby Photos • Reader Photos

Content provided byThe National Gardening Association.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)Today's Featured Plant

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Read the full profile of this plant at ArcaMax.com. Interested in reading about other plants? Search through hundreds of plant profiles and helpful articles by keyword. Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Q & A: Landscaping Slopes

Question: Our front yard has a very steep slope in the front which is hard to maintain. We plan to cover the bare soil in the area with 3 inches of mulch and plant a groundcover. Should we lay down landscape fabric first? Answer: Since you want groundcovers to spread, don't use landscape fabric, since this will keep them from spreading. If the slope is truly steep and in danger of eroding, consult with a landscape architect for assistance in designing a suitable retaining wall or series of terraces. Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Q & A: Growing Flowers Indoors

Question: I live in an apartment in northern Utah and I would like to be able to grow flowers indoors. What types of flowering plants will thrive indoors? Answer: African violets have long been a favorite houseplant. Also, several relatives of the African violet make excellent flowering houseplants. For example, Episcia are fibrous-rooted trailers grown for metallic-toned and delicately veined foliage. "Cyznet" has unique fringed white flowers with purple spots, and "Acajou" has bright red flowers. They do not require as much light as African violets and make attractive hanging baskets. The miniature Sinningia are charming in terrariums or in 2- to 3-inch pots. Flower colors include red, lavendar, and white. Streptocarpus or Cape primrose provides an outstanding show of flowers. Hybrids are available in white, purple, and pink. They do well in a semi-shaded window or under lights, growing to about 10 inches tall. A wide selection of other plants provides exotic flowers in the home. Bromeliads have increased in popularity in recent years. The most widely known Bromeliad is the pineapple. The Aechmea and Billbergia are two Bromeliads that reward their owners with such color combinations as pink bracts and blue flowers which last for weeks. Abutilon (flowering maple) has hollyhock-like blooms of orange, pink, white, red, or salmon. A shrub-like plant, it is not a true maple, but gets its name from its maple-like leaves. It needs a sunny window to do well. Aphelandra (zebra plant) has shiny, deep-green leaves prominently veined white and a spectacular yellow inflorescence. It requires filtered or diffused sunlight. Many common patio plants will continue to grow and bloom indoors if given sufficient light and nutrients. Fuchsia, impatiens, begonia, geranium, lantana, and browalia are among these that do well. Good luck with your new houseplants! Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Tip: Plant Tuberous Begonias

Check over wintering tuberous begonias for pink buds. Once they appear, plant the tuber in a container filled with potting soil, barely covering the buds. Water well and grow indoors in a bright room out of direct sun at 70F. Comment on this Story | Printer Friendly | Send Story to a Friend | Top

Share Your Best Baby Photos

Send in your kids' and grandkids' baby photos to share with friends, family and fellow readers in the ArcaMax Baby Photo Gallery. It's easy to upload your photos instantly, and just as easy for others to find them using our safe search functions. Fellow readers can also vote on your picture to make it the most popular for the month! The free ArcaMax Parents ezine features reader photos in each issue, as well as news, advice, and columns from trusted parenting experts. You can submit more of your favorite photos to our Travel, Cats & Dogs, and Gardening galleries. Subscribe to ArcaMax Parents instantly. Find out more before subscribing. -- From the ArcaMax editors

Today's Reader Submitted Photos

Click an image above to see full size and read caption.

To see more of our subscriber photos visit our full Photo Gallery. Enter your Gardening Daily Tips pictures so you can show them off to other readers right here in this ezine and on the ArcaMax.com Web site. Click here to submit your photo. Sincerely, ArcaMax Editors

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