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BOTANICALS: Heavenly bamboo
What makes this plant special is the color it provides in the garden during all four seasons of the year.
General: Associated with the genus Nandina, it's not a true bamboo but a member of the Berberidaceae, or barberry family. Its origins are China and Japan. The plants are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. Both are needed for cross-pollination for the development of berries. They tolerate drought, cold and heat, but they prefer protection from the wind.
Size: The plant grows to about 6 feet tall.
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BOTANICALS: Sago palm
Sago palms are a valuable addition to Japanese-style landscapes, tropical gardens, courtyards and containers for porch and patio.
General: Sago palms ( Cycas revoluta ) are a geologically ancient genus, dating to the times of dinosaurs -- the Jurassic Period. Young sago palms are single-trunked, but with age, they can branch out into multiple trunks. Their feathery pinnate fronds are blush-green when immature; they eventually crown the fibrous brown trunk with four-foot fronds that become a rich dark-green color. Under ideal conditions, a single plant can have more than 100 stiff, decorative leaves. Remove dead or damaged fronds as needed. Propagate from seed or detached offsets. Few diseases or insects seriously affect the sago palm.
Size: The clumping plant can grow 4 to 6 feet tall.
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BOTANICALS: White alder
These trees are useful in problem areas such as spots that are nutrient-deficient or have poor drainage.
General: White alders (Alnus rhombifolia) are appealing for their distinctive white bark, upright shape and contrasting, deep green foliage that covers slightly weeping branches. These fast-growing trees are used as shade trees, windbreaks and background trees as well as trees to control for erosion along waterways. Alders are found where the soil is deep and constantly moist. They tolerate temperatures as low as minus-10 degrees, but they also thrive in temperate zones.
Size: 25 to 40 feet high, 40 feet wide
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BOTANICALS: Chinese evergreen
Variegated Chinese evergreen
This houseplant's pleasing dome-shaped growth habit, low-light requirements and minimal-care needs make it a mainstay for commercial interior plant design.
General: This plant (Aglaonema commutatum) grows in clumps of broad, 12-inch, spear-shaped leaves that camouflage a 20-inch stalk from top to bottom. Depending on the variety, the foliage is deep green with boldly marked spots, dots or stripes in pale green, white or silvery gray.
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White House garden tests positive for lead
The White House says its high-profile garden on the South Lawn has tested positive for lead although it is not at dangerous levels.
White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick-Lelyveld said Thursday that tests on the soil in the White House garden detected lead levels of 93 parts per million. Soil is considered unsafe for growing vegetables when it reaches more than 500 parts per million.
First lady Michelle Obama planted the garden on the South Lawn this spring with local schoolchildren. Produce from it is used in the White House kitchens and donated to area groups.
Although relatively short-lived, Bailey's acacia can be a positive change to your landscape.
General: A. baileyana, commonly known as Bailey's acacia or fern leaf acacia, is a round-headed tree with a wide canopy composed of pendulous branches. It does not tolerate blustery winds or sustained below-freezing temperatures. In its habitat, the plants grow under the canopies in eucalyptus forests, where they are protected from damaging overhead and lateral winds. Because they grow in temperate climates, they need adequate soil moisture to withstand extended periods of drought or heat. Most acacias are short-lived, about 15 to 20 years.
Size: The tree grows about 30 feet tall and spreads to 40 feet wide.
Flowers: Fragrant clusters of small canary-yellow flowers burst forth in early spring.
Cultivation: The best times to plant acacias are in fall or early spring, from 5- to 15-gallon containers. If you are planting in groups, space them 15 to 20 feet on center. They prefer a wind-protected, full-sun location in soils with a neutral pH of 7.0. Since the root systems of Bailey's acacias tend to be shallow and lateral, they benefit from the good percolation of loam soils, which encourage the development of deeper root systems.
-- Source: "California Gardener's Guide" by Bruce and Sharon Asakawa (Cool Springs Press, $24.99)
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