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Types of Japanese Gardens - Japanese gardens may be "stroll" gardens or "viewing" gardens. Through the former, one walks along a path and enjoys a series of carefully planned landscape pictures from various points of vantage. The viewing garden is designed to be seen from one place... more

Plant Virus Diseases - With virus diseases, the exact identification of the parasite is difficult. Viruses are so small that they cannot be seen through the ordinary microscopes used to detect and study fungous and bacterial parasites. They can be photographed by means of moder... more

Watering Cactus - It is true that in their native state they only receive scant amounts of rain, but they also acquire water through their spines from the frequent heavy dews at night. In cultivation, cacti do enjoy a fair amount of water during the growing season. Begin w... more

Repotting Bonsai - Since a bonsai remains in a container for life, soil becomes a very important matter; the potted tree cannot extend its roots and find moisture or food like a tree grown in the ground. The roots do continue to grow, but they eventually become potbound and... more

Sowing Seeds in Patches - Seeds can be sown directly on the permanent site by broadcasting or scattering them over a prepared patch of soil, where informal groups of flowering plants such as annuals are grown in a border, or where seeds of biennials or perennials are sown in frame... more

Propagating Cactus by Cuttings - The best time to take cuttings is early spring. Once the cutting has rooted pot up in the usual way. Another way to obtain offsets is to temporarily deform a plant by beheading it. This forces the plant to produce offsets around the edge of the cutting.... more

Soil Substitutes for Sowing Seed - Substitutes for soil are often used for indoor seed sowing. Most popular of these are vermiculite, perlite and milled (pulverized and sifted) sphagnum moss. The latter is especially advantageous when sowing seeds of plants such as snapdragons, which are s... more

Grass Seed Mixtures - Cheap mixtures are largely composed of the less permanent grasses, the kinds least costly for the seedsmen or packager to buy. It has to be that way. Good seeds of desirable varieties are comparatively expensive. They cannot be sold to compete with cheape... more

Choosing House Plants - When choosing house plants, consider first their shape, habit, texture and colouring for the place they will occupy and in relation to each other. For a group of plants, choose a tall specimen to give height (dracaena or schefflera), a climbing variety (p... more