If you're like many home vegetable gardeners, cold winter days can leave you longing for the taste of fresh, homegrown vegetables grown the previous summer.

What most people don't know is that a number of vegetables can be grown successfully indoors during the winter months.

While you may not be able to grow larger vegetables such as beans, corn, cucumbers, squash, or pumpkins, smaller vegetables such as cherry or patio tomatoes, green peppers, miniature eggplant and especially salad greens will perform quite well and provide a sizable harvest if taken care of correctly.

The key to any indoor winter vegetables garden is location and lighting. Place your vegetables in a southern facing window that gets at least 8-12 hours of sunlight per day.

If that is not possible, you will need to hang a grow light 6-9 inches above each plant and monitor the space between the plant and the light, moving the light up as your plants grow taller.

If relying on natural window light, make sure to also rotate your containers at least once per week in order to help your plants grow evenly.

Start your plants in seed trays and then transplant them to window boxes or other larger containers once the plants become rooted. Use a good quality potting soil, such as Miracle Gro Potting Mix, and make sure the containers you use have drainage holes. If you use water trays under your pots, make sure to check them after watering and drain any standing water in them.

Maintain a room temperature between 55 and 70 degrees. Feed with a water soluble plant food every 2 weeks, so that your plants will get the nutrients they need to produce. Wait to water until the soil surface becomes dry. Overwatering kills more plants than underwatering.

Most vegetables are pollinated by wind, so the use of a small fan will help move the pollen around from branch to branch and also help your plants survive the stuffy air conditions that can occur indoors in winter. If no pollination takes place, use a tiny paint brush (a watercolor brush works well) and dust the individual flowers weekly until they set fruit.

Autumn is a good time to prepare your lawn for the year ahead, and the best time to tackle any long-term improvements. Tasks such as raking out lawn debris, eradicating moss, feeding, and aerating will improve the quality of your lawn greatly if carried out on a yearly basis.

Under some conditions, grass clippings and debris can form a thick "thatch" on the surface of your lawn. This affects growth of the grass and should be removed with a lawn rake. Raking also removes moss.

If grass growth is poor, aerate the lawn. You can do this by pushing the prongs of a fork about 15 cm (6 in) into the ground. Brush a soil improver into the holes made by the fork. Use sand or a mixture of fine soil and sand if the ground is poorly drained. Alternatively, use peat, a peat-substitute or very fine, well-rotted compost if the ground is sandy. Reseed as necessary; fall is an excellent time for reseeding.

If your lawn is in poor condition and needs reviving, apply an autumn lawn feed. It is essential that you use one formulated for autumn use, as spring and summer feeds will contain too much nitrogen. If the grass contains a lot of moss, apply a moss killer. Use one recommended for autumn use; the mixture known as lawn sand, sometimes used to kill moss, contains too much nitrogen.

You can (and should) tidy an uneven edge whenever it's necessary, but doing a full job of it in autumn will relieve the pressure at busier times of the year. Hold a half-moon edger against a board held in position with your feet.

Perhaps one of nature's greatest miracles is the flower bulb. It goes into the ground as a crusty brown bulb, and over the course of four to five months bursts through the soil and becomes a beautiful blooming flower. And who doesn't love to see daffodils or tulips and other flower bulbs in their full-blooming glory? For many of us, it's the first sign that spring has truly arrived.

Tulips, crocus and daffodils are the traditional standby bulbs. But for those who like the unusual, there are many spectacular varieties to choose from. They can be layered in containers or in your flower bed so that the colors just keep popping up. It's best to consider how many layers (or rows) you want to plant and work, from low bulbs in the front of your planting bed (or outside edge of container) and then gradually increase the height towards the back of the bed (or inside of the container).

Three bulbs need to be chilled for 4-6 weeks prior to planting in order to replicate their natural native growing environment: crocus, hyacinth and tulips. Simply place them in a paper bag in the back of your refrigerator and do not remove until your holes are dug and you are ready to plant. Drop them into their holes and cover them immediately.

Two spring-blooming bulbs that perform better on their own are bearded iris and amaryllis bulbs. Bearded iris re-produce themselves and spread out over time, so give them lots of room. The giant Dutch amaryllis perform better forced indoors in containers where their beauty can be enjoyed without venturing outside.

Lilies, narcissus and hyacinths need to be planted in the fall as well. Don't forget that hyacinths and Oriental lilies are fragrant. Plant them where your nose as well as your eyes can appreciate their beauty.

And last, fall is the prime time to plant garlic bulbs, onion sets and seed potatoes. Plan ahead so you can enjoy a delicious summer harvest by planting these bulbs in the ground by the end of November.

So don't be disappointed when your neighbors have beautiful flower bulbs popping up in their gardens next spring and you have bare ground. Plan and plant ahead! Choose your bulbs now and plant in the fall to see the beauty of their blooms in spring.

Paperwhite narcissus are one of the most fragrant and easiest bulbs to grow. The heavily scented, spring blooming, white trumpeted flowers can be grown both outdoors in the garden or forced in containers where their wonderful sweet scent can fill a room.

Paperwhites can be planted outdoors in the fall. They prefer a sunny location but will tolerate some partial shade if that is all you have. Simply dig up the area you wish to plant in, scatter some bone meal or bulb food down and set your bulbs in place. (Make sure there's at least an inch of soil separating the bulb food from the base of the bulb.) Then cover them up, water them in and wait for them to come up in early spring. Don't forget that they look their best when planted in bunches.

The most popular way to grow paperwhites is to force them to bloom indoors during the winter. Simply fill a shallow bowl or container halfway with decorative stones or gravel. Place the paperwhite bulbs onto the stones, pushing them down just far enough so the bulbs are supported in an upright position. You can place the bulbs fairly close together; they don't mind being crowded.

Add water just to the bottom of the bulbs. If the water covers too much of the bulb, they can rot. Now put them in a cool, dark place for one to two weeks. When the bulbs begin to root and the plant has started to grow from the bulb, move your container out into a brightly lit room. Four to six weeks later, your paperwhites should be ready to bloom!

No doubt you're seeing these riotous shrubs and small trees in bloom right now! Sunny and hot will continue to be the forecast over the next couple months.

Some plants (and people!) grow weary and stressed when high temperatures persist day after day. Crape myrtles, on the other hand, thrive under these conditions, making them valuable flowering shrubs or small trees in the landscape. Whether trained as standard or multi-trunk trees, Crape myrtles make beautiful specimen or accent plants. Showy crinkled flowers are abundant throughout summer, with colors ranging from the reds to pinks, purples, and white. These gorgeous shrubs are wonderful in any sunny spot where summer color is needed.

For desired size and shape, prune in early spring. Don't worry too much about your pruning skills, as crape myrtles bloom on new wood. However, it is important to deadhead as blossoms fade in order to encourage continuous bloom. Crape myrtles are long-lived, drought tolerant and relatively pest free, although sometimes aphids and powdery mildew can be a problem. The handsome bark and fall leaf color just add to an already stunning plant!

Enjoy the show!

They prefer to be out in the open, not close to house walls where the nighttime temperatures can cool off more.

Gardenias need acid soil, good drainage, adequate moisture, full sun in cooler areas and part shade in warmer areas. They also need regular fertilizing for growth and flowers, with an acid-type product that contains trace elements to prevent chlorosis, such as Whitney Farms Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer.

Gardenias come in all types of shapes and sizes, making them versatile for many garden locations. If you are tight on space, consider the miniature 'Radicans' (6"-12" H, 2'-3' W) or 'White Gem' (1'-2' H, 2'-3' W). If you have more space, 'Veitchii' makes a great selection, growing 3'-4' high and wide. For screening, you can use 'August Beauty,' 'First Love' and 'Mystery,' which grow 4'-5' high and 3'-4' wide.

There are also two great cold-hardy selections for more difficult climates. Both 'Klein's Hardy' (2'-3' high and wide) and 'Chuck Hayes' (3'-4' high and wide) can tolerate occasional winter temperatures of 0-10 degrees.

We stock a great selection of gardenias that will make a perfect addition to your garden, and our staff of nursery professionals will be happy to help you. So what are you waiting for? Come in and add some fragrance to your garden today!

Most home gardeners lament the coming of winter since it usually spells the end of the outdoor growing season. But it doesn't have to be that way. Many herbs can be grown indoors quite successfully in the winter months and then be transplanted into the garden the following spring. There's something about the taste of fresh, home-grown herbs in cooking that is hard to beat. The flavors are so much more flavorful and aromatic than using something dry out of a shaker bottle.

With the right location and care, many herbs can be fooled into thinking that summer is still here. If you're a little nervous or skeptical about growing herbs indoors, use some tried and tested varieties such as chives, coriander, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme. Most of these can be started by seed, while mint and rosemary can be started by seed or cutting.

Most herbs are sun lovers and will require a southern facing window that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day. For less sunny locations, mint, parsley and rosemary will get by with less sunlight. You might also consider hanging a grow light 6-9 inches above your plants to provide light on cloudy days. Make sure to also rotate your containers at least once per week in order to help your plants grow evenly.

Start your plants in seed trays and then transplant them to window boxes or larger containers once the plants become rooted. Use a good quality potting soil, such as Miracle Gro Potting Mix, and make sure the containers you use have drainage holes. If you use water trays under your pots, make sure that you check them after watering and drain any standing water in them.

The herbs mentioned above will do fine provided temperatures are maintained between 55 and 70 degrees. Feed with a water soluble plant food, such as Gro-Power Liquid All Purpose Fertilizer, every 2-4 weeks just as you would any other indoor plant, and don't water until the soil surface becomes dry. The use of a small fan will also help herbs survive the stuffy air conditions that can occur indoors in winter.

Plant pests are usually less prevalent during the winter months. Nevertheless, visually check your plants at least once per week, and treat your plants with an insecticidal soap before pests actually become a problem.

So don't let the winter doldrums get you down. Spice up your life and your winter meals with the addition of fresh, homegrown indoor herbs!

How can I get my flowers to bloom more?

Answer:
Most flowers and flowering plants need three essential ingredients to bloom: sunlight, nutrients, and warm soil. Even shade plants like azaleas and camellias need some sunlight in order to bloom. If your flowers are sun lovers, make sure they get at least five hours of sunlight per day--the more sunlight the better.

Key nutrients for blooming plants are phosphorus and potash. While most plants need some nitrogen to help them grow and stay green, too much can focus the plant on growing instead of blooming. Nitrogen is also more readily available in the soil and more easily taken up by the plant.

Feed flowering plants with a high phosphorus and potash but low nitrogen flower food like Gro Power Flower n Bloom 3-12-12. If that still doesn't work, starve them of nitrogen by feeding it with a 0-10-10 fertilizer like Alaska Mor-Bloom.

Finally, make sure you don't water your plants too often. Allow the soil to dry out some between waterings, thus allowing the soil to warm up. If you water too much, the plants will often produce excessive fleshy growth and no blooms.

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Green Arrow Nursery Consultants are experts in landscape design. We know which plants grow well in our area, and our design team is knowledgeable in all of the latest plant introductions and landscape techniques.

We work with you to design and create a look that is unique for you and truly reflects your needs and desires. But many people make the mistake of contacting us in late spring when we are already booked up for most of the year. It takes time to design a landscape plan for your home, so we invite you to plan ahead and let us design your landscape plan now so we can add you to our work schedule.

Give us a call today at (818)894-8306. We're here to make sure all of your garden dreams come true!

The Chinese lantern (Abutilon hybridum), aka flowering maple, is a beautiful evergreen plant that is found naturally in most of the world's tropical regions. It gets its various names from its maple-shaped leaves and bright colored flowers that resemble little Chinese lanterns.

The foliage is usually a lime green but there are variegated forms with white or yellow mottling. The flowers are produced almost year-round and come in a range of colors including orange, pink, red, white and yellow. Left alone the plant can reach 10 ft. high and wide, but can easily be kept smaller with pruning.

Chinese lanterns can be grown both outdoors and indoors. Outside they prefer a morning sun-afternoon shade location, but indoors they require as much light as possible. Keep the soil around the root ball moist but not wet and feed every couple of months, spring through fall, to keep your plants growing strong and healthy.