First off, there are hundreds of species, with Dutch, Japanese, Louisiana, Siberian, and bearded being some of the most popular. Then, there are literally hundreds of cultivars and hybrids within these species. It’s enough to send you running out of the nursery in a panic. How can you possibly choose? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

They grew into robust vines with huge leaves, but right around the time when you expected flowers, none came. What in the world? If you’re wondering why your pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) isn’t producing flowers, you’ve come to the right place. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Let’s start problem-solving! 1. Timing From the time you sowed seeds in the ground, you should expect them to germinate within seven to 10 days....

Perennials, on the other hand, live for several to many years. As they grow, they produce larger and larger root systems, supporting larger and larger top growth. As a result, propagation is often by root division, rather than by seed, although you can certainly grow perennials from seed too. Are you confused yet? What Are They Good For? Perennials are great for estabishing some stability in a garden. You put in a few perennials, and the rest just falls into place around them....

You can even eat them or play with the flowers like you did when you were a kid. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Are they semi-annuals? Tender perennials? Can they live for a decade or more? This guide aims to clear things up so you can plan your garden accordingly. Here’s what we’ll discuss: Have you been growing your snapdragons as annuals?...

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Read on for our in-depth review of this exciting new book! At First Glance Color photos and drawings adorn the book’s cover, including those of vibrant plum bee balm and columnar apples, which beckon the reader to discover the array within. My initial flip through the glossy pages revealed an organized arrangement of text and abundant illustrative material....

In addition to marantas, the houseplants most commonly known as “prayer plants,” I’m including the other members of the Marantaceae family that also go by this common name: ctenanthes, stromanthes, and calatheas. The Calathea species we enjoy as houseplants were recently reclassified into the Goeppertia genus, but are still widely known as “calatheas.” We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

You might wonder if it’s also necessary to cut back grassy irises such as bicolor (Dietes bicolor) or African (D. vegeta) — plants that also sport the long, slender leaves common to grasses. We’ll look at the taxonomy of these plants, and then get down to brass tacks about whether you should be cutting them back. What’s in a Name? Just so we’re on the same page about what plants we’re talking about, let’s get some confusing nomenclature business sorted out....

By using simple, proven techniques and taking advantage of recycled and upcycled materials, you can create a beautiful garden that will provide hours of entertainment and education for your kids – and just might get them eating more vegetables, too! Picking the Site When most of us think of vegetable gardens, we think of long rows of plants in a large brown square at the back of a huge backyard....

This happened to be at an auricula show, though it was more of an informal garden visit with the horticultural college where I was attending evening classes. An elderly lady, who owned a humble garden, nevertheless had an unbelievable collection of alpine plants in her small greenhouse. These eye-grabbing green flowers, complete with a perfect circle of farina on each blossom, were potted and arranged just wonderfully. (Farina is a term for a powdery white substance healthy primulas produce on their leaves and flowers, which can sometimes be mistaken for a fungal disease....

I’d lie down in the shaggy grass and watch them hunt, admiring their acrobatics. If I listened carefully and the night was still, I could hear a few fluttery flaps of their wings, and maybe a squeak here and there. Now, as an adult, I still watch for bats during the summer. When I see them, I feel that same sense of wonder I experienced as a young’n. I was lucky enough to have a few roosting behind the shutters of an old apartment building, right outside my window....

They’re usually in bloom when you go to the nursery. And their siren’s song of color, form, and fragrance has a mighty appeal for the garden junkie. But for enduring performance and outstanding value, perennials are where it’s at. Somewhat more reserved in character, they don’t always have the same immediate visual impact that the strutting annuals do. And even after you’ve planted them, it may still take a year or two before they put on a full display....

This ubiquitous tomato disease does not usually kill the plants, but it can greatly reduce your yield. And even if you grow resistant cultivars, your plants still may not be completely safe. You will have to manage them carefully to keep early blight at bay. However, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize the amount of damage that this disease can cause. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

But it wasn’t just any sand. It was sand my dad had brought back from a trip to Honduras for me, to sate my obsession with turquoise-watered and white-sanded beaches. I wanted nothing more than to take a dip in the clear, warm waters of the Caribbean. When I was thirteen years old, my wish came true. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Many gardeners look to the appearance of crocuses as the first sign that spring is but a nanosecond away. And what is more joyful to a horticulturist than springtime after a long, chilly season of leafless shrubs and bare trees? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What Are Crocus Flowers? Crocus is a genus of 90 closely related species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the iris family that grow from corms....

Nerium oleander is like that. It has many wonderful traits, the kind you would seek in a friend. It’s an evergreen – always there for you – and needs almost no maintenance (never clingy!). It’s upbeat and peppy, with vibrant flowers that bloom for months. They may be white, pink, red, salmon, light orange, or even a shade of light purple. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Name a plant that boasts the ability to do wonders in the kitchen while bringing beauty to the garden and attracting bees, birds, and butterflies, and that is simultaneously hardy, adaptable, and easy to grow. Take your time. While you’re thinking… have you heard of hyssop? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Here’s what’s ahead:...

I dig this kind of rough and tumble adventure, partly because so much of it is spent outdoors, leaving me exposed to the elements. Folks who travel this way have their tricks for staying sane and keeping a good spirit. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. The closest companion I had in these journeys was that lovely lady, Black-Eyed Susan....

They also make a good support for vining cucumbers! Using fences to grow Cucumis sativus saves space, and may provide you with one of the few privacy screens that can deliver a bumper crop. If you don’t have a suitable structure already in place, there are also advantages to installing a panel or repurposing a gate for some cucurbit aerial gardening. Not sure you’re ready for the full-scale wall of vines dangling various slicers and picklers midsummer?...

Well, two moose, actually. Young, fuzzy, and huge. Having only recently moved into my small Alaskan home, I’d seen moose tracks in my yard plenty of times, but never the giant animals themselves. After grabbing my young son, I dashed over to the back porch to show him the two adolescent Cervids. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

How does your garden grow? Good question – how does your garden grow? If you’re stumped on where to begin planning your vegetable plot, there are a few steps you’ll need to take to figure it out. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Let’s talk about what planning looks like, where to begin, and some methods you can use to have a happy harvest!...