Gardening & Landscapes

The best way to kill grass without chemicals or machinery is to cover the area with layers of newspapers, according to About.com. The newspapers break down after several months, mixing in with the ground.

Hummingbird gardens need to be designed to meet three basic needs of hummingbirds: nectar-producing flowers, places to perch and water. Meet these needs, and you can have colorful hummingbirds as visitors year after year.

Urban agriculture is a broad term that refers to agricultural practice taking place in a densely populated area, such as cities or large suburbs. Although urban agriculture typically does not occur on the same large scale as rural farming, it does encompass the same variety of activities.

Daffodil flower stalks should be cut after flowering, while all foliage should be left until it dies. Leaving the foliage on the plant nourishes the bulbs for the next growing season.

The fastest growing grass seed in colder climates is rye seed. In warmer climates, Bermuda grass seed offers the fastest growth and coverage. Depending on the size, a lawn seeded with Bermuda grass achieves full coverage in 60 to 90 days.

Most plants grow better in neither hot nor cold water, but flourish in lukewarm water. However, plants differ depending on the species of the plant and the climate in which it grows. For instance, if water is too cold, African violets acquire water spots.

According to SFGate, pond water turns brown for a number of reasons, but the most common causes are eroding soil, microscopic plants and wildlife. High amounts of microscopic plants such as algae and phytoplankton give pond water an almost tea-like look. Soil erosion causes the banks of the pond to break away and fall into the water, giving it a brown look.

According to Martha Stewart, planting and maintaining a vegetable garden is a rewarding experience. Start your own with a sunny, well-drained spot, an edger, a pitchfork, a hoe, vegetable seed packets, garden stakes and string.

Inside northern England's Alnwick Garden lies a curious, highly-guarded area where the last thing you'll want to do is tiptoe through the tulips. Surrounded by a heavy iron fence, the Poison Garden showcases over 100 of the world's most deadly plants.

Pine needles are good for use as a mulch. Pine needles are especially recommended as an organic mulch for use around freshly planted annual flowers, such as marigolds, zinnias and snapdragons.

The Mexican bean beetle tends to only feed on bean plants, but on those plants, it does not eat the beans alone. These beetles, which have a shape and spotted markings that resemble ladybugs, will feed on the leaves, flowers and bean pods of soybeans, cowpeas, lima beans and snap beans.

During World War II, the U.S. government encouraged citizens to grow their own fruits and vegetables in "victory gardens" to help prevent a national food shortage, as much of the nation's food supply was diverted to the military. The United States was home to approximately 20 million victory gardens in the early 1940s, and it is estimated that these gardens accounted for 30 to 40 percent of all vegetables in the U.S.

In addition to tomatoes, tomato hornworms can cause damage to a variety of different plants that are in the same family as the tomato, including potatoes, eggplants, peppers. Tomato hornworms are sometimes mistaken for tobacco hornworms, which is a related species. The two hornworms can be found in the same place at the same time, and though their names indicate different plants, both are known to attack members of the nightshade family.

Every two years, Brussels, Belgium hosts a massive flower carpet in front of the Grand Place, the city's central square. This biennial tradition began in the 1970s, and though the design changes each time, the floral carpet always heavily features begonias.

The Mimosa pudica, also known by the common names of sensitive plant, sleeping grass, touch-me-not and tickle-me-plant, is a touch-sensitive plant that folds up its leaves when it is touched. This plant has delicate compound leaves with oblong green leaf blades, and it also produces a pink-purple flower.

The trailing verbena is a perennial flowering plant that can grow as wide as 5 feet across and blooms between spring and the first early frost. Verbena plants produce white, pink, blue or purple flowers and deep green foliage.

The best method for harvesting thyme is to cut off the top 4 to 5 inches of the stems at the growth nodes just before the plant blooms. This produces the best flavor and allows the remaining stems to grow and produce more leaves. All harvesting should be completed three to four weeks before the first frost to allow the stems time to harden before winter.

Rhubarb plants can be grown in a container as long as the plant has a deep root system, enough to hold 40 liters of compost, according to Thompson & Morgan. Rhubarb needs a soil-based compost.

The largest seed in the world comes from a tropical pine tree called the Coco de Mer. This seed grows to 1 foot in length and 3 feet in circumference and weighs up to 66 pounds.

There are several different steps that home gardeners can take to prepare their flower beds for spring planting. These steps involve preparing the area, assessing the gardening equipment and turning the soil.