They’re so handy for chopping to scatter over a frozen dinner entree or even canned soup, or to toss in with taco toppings or a green salad. Or you can use them as the base for homemade scallion pancakes, yummy pestos and stir-fries, or elaborate, sophisticated soups. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

“Wow!” said my friend. “That’s beautiful. It looks like a watermelon!” She was right. My ‘Howden’ was enormous, but green through and through. And this got me wondering: how would I know when it was ripe? I knew it had something to do with the green color changing to the classic rich orange that this cultivar typically exhibits. But did it have to turn orange in order to be ripe?...

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. A Fascinating Foe While I’ve battled plenty of colonies of aphids on my rosebushes with applications of soapsuds and endless streams of water, I knew very little about them until I did some research. An infestation begins innocently enough. A winged female scout flies around looking for a “host” plant to provide food and a place to reproduce....

Once implemented solely for its usefulness, with edible plants as the primary ingredient, today’s version has remained much the same with exception to the fact that most gardeners nowadays seem to use their growing spaces more for their cheerful, relaxing qualities than their usefulness in the kitchen. The cottage garden today provides a quiet sanctuary from the chaos associated with modern times. The only chaos here comes from the assortment of informal plantings....

Surely, given the amount of time most of us spend in our garden, this is a fair reward? It may not be so simple, but don’t give up! If your passionflower is lackluster in presentation or production, maybe it is time to consider what you can do to improve it. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Yes, they are beloved for their foliage, but they also send up spikes of flowers that are sometimes heavily scented and can be quite showy. The tall flower spikes rise above the foliage in shades of purple, pink, red, yellow, lavender, and white. The flowers are actually quite pretty, even though they don’t get as much recognition as the leaves. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

My hand is up. My introduction to the infamous cruciferous veggie was in the form of the heads dumped out of a can and broiled within an inch of their lives. Now, how many of you grew to love them? Maybe you like them drizzled in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted in a hot oven. Or maybe sauteed with bacon and fennel? My mouth is watering just thinking about it....

Unlike other aster varieties, this particular species is not a perennial, but an annual. Bloom time is from late summer into fall, when it fills gardens and containers with cheerful flowers in vibrant tones. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Cultivation and History As an annual, C. chinensis is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11....

The timing of these flowers is perfect! From July until the arrival of frosty temperatures, these bold blossoms give a fresh look to tired beds, containers, and window boxes. Dahlias are fast growing, and easy to cultivate and multiply as well. Tender perennial tubers, they’re most often grown as annuals – the tubers may be lifted and stored in fall, then divided and replanted the next spring. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Also known as florist’s kalanchoe, Christmas kalanchoe, and widow’s-thrill, this cheery plant with its evergreen leaves also produces bright red, white, yellow, pink, or orange flowers – even indoors. It’s long been a favorite in the season leading up to Christmas and it will bloom in the house for a full four to eight weeks during those drab winter days. But you can also grow this variety outdoors year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12....

Also known as Balkan anemones or winter windflowers, the delightful, daisy-like flowers bloom in shades of blue, mauve, pink, and white. Low-growing, ferny foliage makes a soft ground cover and plants spread readily, creating pretty blankets of color in late winter or early spring. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Reliable and easily cultivated, these little charmers are among the first to break dormancy and provide a refreshing pop of color when winter’s at its drabbest!...

In addition to being “water-wise,” enthusiasts like me appreciate succulents for their funky shapes. I often say they remind me of sea life, with forms resembling anemones, coral, jellyfish, sea urchins, sea lettuce, and seaweed. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Join us as we explore succulents, their cultural requirements and care, species for various zones, and designs for low-maintenance outdoor displays....

While there can be other causes for the collapse, crown rot is a common culprit. As I’m sure you know, fungi and water molds run rampant in the soil, and disease-causing pathogens can get the upper hand (or leaf). This is particularly true if your soil is moist for a long period of time. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

My dad did a little digging of his own and unearthed a few fat, grayish-white grubs. We never did find out exactly what beetle these larvae were from, but the birds spent a couple days rototilling that spot with their claws. And though it took a few weeks for the grass to recover, they didn’t leave one larva behind. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Most species are woody shrubs, though some have a spreading growth habit, and others can be pruned into a tree-like form. These versatile, low-maintenance plants are easy to grow and – depending on the species and growing zone – will thrive in shady locations or full sun. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

The flowering shrub Gardenia jasminoides, also known as Cape jasmine, is subtropical. And you can only grow it outdoors as a perennial if you garden in a warmer climate. These flowering evergreen shrubs are hardy in areas that have hard freezes, but not where winter temperatures sink below 10°F, or for some types, below 5 or even -5°F. If you have your heart set on gardenias but you live in an area with winter weather they can’t survive, you can still grow them....

But there are some cases where I just don’t care what’s right for my climate – passionflowers are one of those must-have plants. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Overwintering is a common gardening practice and we do it with all kinds of plants that couldn’t normally survive in our local climates. It requires a little extra effort than growing species that are suited to your neck of the woods, but sometimes it’s worth the extra effort for something you truly love....

Autumn is a wonderful time to plant a productive veggie garden – if you plan it right. The changing seasons mean new conditions in the garden. From sun exposure to soil prep, air and soil temperature requirements, and differences in the amount of rain that your garden receives during the cooler months, there are a few factors to consider. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

It’s not hard. All you need are some basic garden tools and a little know-how. We can’t supply you with the shovels, but we can definitely help with the knowledge. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Coming up, here’s what we’ll cover so that you can be fully prepared to turn your bare root rose into a large, beautiful bush....

Are you with me? Basil is one of the most popular culinary herbs, and for good reason. Extremely versatile and widely used, it’s bursting with color and flavor. And its unique taste has been treasured and enjoyed by many cultures for centuries, as an aromatic addition to both food and drink, as well as herbal medicine. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....