Now we’re all lucky enough to be able to use it as a part of our landscaping. The petite, tough shrub positively shines with its distinctive steel blue color. Seriously, it seems to glow. ‘Blue Star’ stays compact, never growing more than three feet tall or so. With densely-packed needles and a spreading habit, it grows slowly, doesn’t need much water or maintenance, and pretty much does its thing without a lot of input from you....

Those cheerful drops of sunshine are not only pretty to me, but as a beekeeper, I know they are a good food source for pollinators during the gaps between blooms of other essential spring plants. And when the white fluff emerges, my yard fills with ecstatic little birds gobbling up the seeds. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

A mounding ornamental, Pennisetum is a garden favorite that offers all the beauty of a fountain without the water. It has cascading leaves and bottle brush flower spikes that look much like water bursting out of a fountain, if I do say so myself. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Perennial in many places, fountain grass is an attractive option that produces dense, clumping growth....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Four Species, Three Homelands Part of the moraceae family which also includes figs, four types of mulberry trees are dominant in the United States. The red mulberry (Morus rubra) is native to North America, and its deep red, almost black fruit was a favorite of indigenous populations, who ate the fruit dried, in sauces, and in dumplings....

It’s also surprisingly easy to grow, since the only thing it doesn’t like is soggy soil. In fact, lamb’s ear is drought resistant and only needs to be watered once a week in most zones, though it may require water more often in particularly hot and dry conditions. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Easy to grow, lettuce and mixed greens ask little of the gardener, but deliver delicious flavors and nutrients for our enjoyment and good health. Known as cool-weather crops, they thrive in the warm days and cool evenings of spring, and in the late summer/early autumn season as well. A few tips will help you to extend the growing time of these emerald treasures. There are even ways to overwinter some of these leafy annuals for a super-early feast next year!...

With just a few tools, mushroom spawn plugs, and the proper growing medium, you will be on your way to witnessing something magical, right in your backyard. Maybe you love taking hikes and walks in the woods, but don’t want to spend your time searching and foraging for that perfect fungus to add to this evening’s dinner. Perhaps you love a particular type of mushroom, but can never find it at the co-op or your local farmer’s market....

And If I’m being honest, I become so excited for fresh berries each summer that I have a hard time waiting for them to fully ripen. While it may be tempting to pick them as soon as they appear, exercising restraint until the time is right will result in bigger, more flavorful berries. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

But these plant may be attacked by a whole range of diseases, from bacteria that can kill off your plants in a matter of days, to fungi that can make the fruits rot right on the vine. Luckily, many of these diseases are treatable, and you can head off a range of issues with some preparation and good gardening practices, all of which we’ll discuss here. 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. You can cook with them or eat them raw right off the plant. Either way, you’re in for a treat. Growing serranos yourself gives a measure of control over the heat level and you can decide whether to harvest them young and green, or wait until they’re mature and red when the spiciness has mellowed a bit....

I’ve walked past its aromatic doors many times but did not have the chance to partake of the “garlic, seasoned with food” as the restaurant’s motto proclaims. At this particular restaurant, you can enjoy anything from a garlic martini to garlic ice cream. If you care to try these adventurous dishes at home – or something a little tamer – rejoice! It’s astonishingly easy to propagate cloves and bulbils at home....

Those spots can lend themselves to erosion, and spoil the overall appearance of your lawn. Fortunately, there are some fairly easy steps you can take to thicken or replace the grass in such areas. First off, you will want to completely clear the area of anything but established sod. This means any leaves, twigs, dead grass, or weeds must be raked out before you begin the process or repairing bare patches....

Well… maybe not. Most cultivars are edible, and you can make pie out of your giant ‘Jack-O-Lantern’ or ‘Howden’ Halloween gourds, but the flesh tends to be watery, stringy, and not-so-sweet. So what are the best pumpkins for pies, purees, and other sweet treats? The short answer is this: those that have been cultivated specifically for use in cooking and baking. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

With the following 15 cool-weather perennials perfect for temperate zones, you’ll have vibrant color that returns with vigor each autumn. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Note that some plants do not produce true from seed, especially hybrids, so if you’re a seed saver, keep this in mind. You may notice that the scientific names of these plants do not include “Aster....

An herbaceous perennial and member of the aster family, it is distinguished by its feathery leaves and flowers that bloom in densely arranged clusters. The plant grows to a few feet tall at maturity, spreading by rhizomes to create lovely flowering patches in gardens or fields. And it also smells fabulous! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

There are several reasons to divide your perennials. The first is if you want to reproduce your plant to put starts in new places or expand your existing bed. The second is to reduce the size of a plant if it’s growing larger than you prefer. And the third reason is to refresh the plant if the center starts to turn yellow or become sparse, or if it isn’t sending up flowers....

These petite bloomers stay small, so you can plant them in containers, use them as a small border, fill in a cramped corner, or add them anywhere else you need a bold display but don’t have a ton of room. 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’ve ever been gifted a living mini rose in a pot from a florist or grocery store, you probably know what I’m talking about....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. There’s no need to sacrifice aesthetics with so many choices available – I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised! Many of the different species included on our list can adapt to a range of climates, so you’re sure to find many new favorites for your landscape or garden....

Species plants achieve a mature stature of five to eight feet tall and wide. There are also compact cultivated varieties from which to choose. Native to the eastern shores of North America, I. glabra thrives in full sun with fertile soil. Deer and rabbits leave the bush alone, but bees are attracted to the nectar and pollen. Foraging birds feed on the late-season berry-like drupes, but please note that these fruits are toxic to both people and pets....

But not everyone knows that there are two species that share the common name chamomile, and they each have different growth habits and uses. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. The German variety, Matricaria chamomilla (or M. recutita), has an upright growth habit and produces masses of small, white flowers during the summer....