These frost-tender tropical plants are hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11, but they respond well to forcing indoors, producing one to three thick stems with up to six trumpet-shaped flowers per stem. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. And despite each bulb’s large size, they don’t require a big container to grow in and do best in smaller pots....

Some are looking to provide more convenient passageway from Point A to Point B. Others may want easier access to plantings. Some gardeners may be looking for interesting and attractive ways to delineate different parts of their gardens. In my case, my husband and I had several reasons to gradually develop the labyrinth of walkways that crisscross our front yard and encircle our back yard. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

It’s an impressive cover and forage crop, but it’s important to remember that the fall-planted alfalfa that nurtures your soil or provides mulch for the veggie garden is nothing you’d want to eat. Once stalks start to form, it’s far too bitter for the human palate. M. sativa sprouts, which are newly germinated seeds, and microgreens, which are the tiny stems and cotyledon leaves (without the roots or seed coats), are an entirely different story....

Part of that love and appeal comes from being raised on an old apple orchard. Back then I mostly climbed the trees, ate the fruit, and sadly, watched as the last survivors slowly succumbed to old age. Nowadays I get to plant new trees often and tend to those that are producing fruit regularly. Regular research and learning gives me an even better grasp on what it takes to grow an apple tree, and that’s just what we’re going to take a look at today....

It’s a member of the Boraginaceae family of plants, which includes forget-me-not and heliotrope. Naturalized in the United States, it grows in a wild and weedy fashion, sporting its signature blue star blossoms as well as fuzzy leaves, stems, and drooping buds. In addition to the botanical species, there are cultivated varieties available in both blue and white. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

You can easily grow them in containers to add a touch of color to a shady patio or deck. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. And with beautiful yet subtle displays of showy flowers, these plants can transform a dreary corner or lonely back porch into a lively gathering spot. Potted astilbe can also be placed directly in a garden bed to add some depth....

And it’s easy to see why – what with green being the color of chlorophyll, it’s no wonder our language is peppered with common phrases like “going green” and “green thumb.” If a scavenger hunt included a green plant, it would be the easiest item on the list to find. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

A fragrant favorite in flower beds and herb gardens, this striking perennial is versatile in many settings, from formal borders to naturalized wildflower gardens. The pretty flower heads are mostly available in shades of mauve to purple, but there are blue, pink, and white varieties as well. Lavender’s scent is beloved worldwide, with its aromatic essential oils widely used in aromatherapy as well as in the fragrance and toiletry industries....

Hardy and quick to mature, successive plantings in early spring and again in early fall will ensure a steady supply of crisp, piquant roots. A good source of vitamin C, they also make a good companion plant in the garden. And every part of the radish is edible! The peppery roots are familiar as a component of appetizers, salads, and tea sandwiches, but they can also be roasted, steamed, or sautéed....

They’re quick to grow, and you can have a harvest in six weeks, not to mention the tops as well as the roots are edible. Plus, come on… they’re delicious, with that earthy, rich goodness. As if that wasn’t enough to recommend them, they’re generally free from problems. I say “generally” because there isn’t a single plant that I know that doesn’t have at least a few pests or diseases that they’re susceptible to....

Once established, plants form large, attractive clumps as the fleshy rhizomes creep and spread. However, when the roots become overcrowded, the center of the clump can die out and flower production dwindles. To keep your iris stands strong and vibrant, you should dig and divide before they become overcrowded, typically every three to four years. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

These native wildflowers in the Asteraceae family provide season-long sprays of red, orange, and yellow bicolored flowers, reseed themselves generously, and don’t ask for much of anything in between. But what about winter care? They’ve got to be picky about that, right? Nope. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Without further ado, let’s get into it....

Naturally, they grow as multi-stemmed shrubs, and need occasional pruning to keep them in shape. But have you ever seen tree form hydrangeas at a nursery? Looking a little like a lollipop, these standard trees are a tall, sleek, modern twist on the beloved blooming bush. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Not to worry: if you have some patience and keep reading, you can learn how to train your own hydrangeas into a tree form....

Powdery mildew is a worldwide menace, with hundreds of species of fungi that may cause it, and the ability to infect more than 10,000 species of plants. According to Master Gardener Jim Cooper of the Washington State University Extension, it has been estimated that, when you factor in the total loss of crop yields and plant growth, powdery mildew produces the greatest losses of any single plant disease throughout farmers’ fields as well as home gardens....

But these frost-tender herbaceous perennials are hardy only in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 11. In Zones 7 and below, they need to be lifted for storage over the cold months. Similar to other cold-sensitive bulbing plants like caladiums and dahlias, calla lily rhizomes are lifted in fall after the first frost kills back the foliage, stored for winter, and then replanted in spring after soil temperatures warm up. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

You can look at gummosis as your tree’s cry for help in the face of any one of a number of problems. The most common cause of gummosis is a fungus originally called Cytospora that is now called Leucostoma. This fungus is opportunistic. That means that it infects easy targets like weakened trees. It requires both a wound and a tree that is stressed. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

They grow from storage roots known as rhizomes, and most varieties have excellent cold hardiness down to Zone 3 – which means they can readily overwinter in situ without damage. However, sometimes we may find ourselves with late-season divisions or small potted plants that require winter protection until they can go into the ground. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. If you love cacti as much as I do, you’ll probably want to join me in making more. Let’s talk about propagating these spiky plants! This is what we’ll cover: When and How to Handle In general, most types of cacti like warm weather, and will propagate best during the warm summer months....

Delicious and nutritious, with a satisfying texture, this is a standby in a variety of cuisines. And it’s easy to grow in the home garden. These Old World cabbage relatives come from Mediterranean and Turkish regions, and have been a cooking staple in Italy since early Roman times. By the eighteenth century, US farmers were cultivating spring and fall crops in temperate zones. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. ‘German White’ is one of the best hardnecks for growing in mild, wet winters as well. Mature bulbs of up to three inches in diameter are beautifully uniform, with cream to milky-white, parchment-like tunics. Each bulb has four to six large, plump cloves encased in thick, cream or tan wrappers that are sometimes streaked with purple....