Lemongrass is an herb used in the kitchen for its citrus flavor and scent. It’s native to the tropics, so it does require some protection from the cold. Besides that, it is fairly easy to grow. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What Is Lemongrass? Lemongrass is a tender perennial grass in the Cymbopogon genus....
This enchanting herbaceous perennial requires cultivation by a devoted gardener. Patience is mandatory when sowing mandrake seeds and providing the ideal climate for them to grow in. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Learning more about these mysterious plants will encourage and inspire you to grow them in your garden! Knowledge is not only empowering, but in the case of growing poisonous plants like this particular nightshade, it’s necessary for safety....
That’s weird, the soil seemed moist enough when you checked early this morning… Turning into a sleuth, you inspect the leaves. They’re free of pests, but you notice they’ve got a yellow tinge. You pull a plant out of the ground and – aha! There are small holes tunneling into the roots. As you hold the root up to get a closer look, a tiny white larva pops out, wondering who turned on the light....
This time-honored resource has its roots in antiquity. The British Agricultural Historical Society (BHS) archives describe a burgeoning seed trade in the late 1200s. By the 1590s, market gardeners were a growing contingent of seed suppliers. One of them was Richard Gardiner, a linen draper who raised vegetables for sale as produce and seed. This was a devastating period of plague, crop failure, and famine, and he responded by planting his fields with 700 closed cabbages (headed) to sustain the starving....
A member of the Apiaceae family, this plant is usually the source of that anise flavor that we know and love in liqueurs, gum, candy, and baked goods. Insects love this frilly herb, too. It’s a food source for several species of moths and butterflies, including black swallowtails and the wormwood pug. While it’s most commonly grown for those tasty seeds, the leaves are delicious as well. They have a more subtle flavor than the seeds and remind me a bit of the fronds of fennel....
Here’s another good one for you: bat-faced cuphea. As you might guess, this plant’s sweet little flowers resemble bat faces, with two perfectly colored upper petals that pop up like a bat’s ears, and other little petals that are arranged just so and look like a little bat face. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
An old-fashioned charmer, garden lobelia fits the bill perfectly. It flowers in nonstop waves of brilliant blues, pinks, purples, and white all summer long, and has pretty, dainty foliage. This plant is notable for having two different growth habits available, and gives wonderful versatility in the garden or containers. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
They’re just as easy to propagate. And where one snake plant is good, more are better! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. You don’t need much more than a pair of scissors and a glass of water. But there are a few tricks you should know to ensure success. In this guide, we’ll go over the different ways you can propagate snake plants with excellent results....
But did you know this herb, known to us botany geeks as Borago officinalis, can also be used as a cover crop to improve the soil? It can even be used as a green manure when you mix it into your soil or compost, as a source of organic matter and nutrients. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
I remember my reaction when I dug in to harvest my very first batch of finished compost. I was thrilled that all of my food waste and garden trimmings had magically transformed into a beautiful, brown, humus-like substance! All except the eggshells. Lots and lots of them, all still very recognizable. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
And while you may recall the rather old-fashioned four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa) from visits to Grandma’s house, the name of the plant isn’t a reflection of when Grandma eats dinner. Instead, the name indicates the time of day when the plant’s trumpet-shaped flowers open. The flowers open in late afternoon, in response to a temperature drop. Nocturnal moths and other nighttime pollinators are attracted to their nectar. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
To further complicate the matter, this area was out by the road so the plants needed to also be salt tolerant in addition to being able to grow in the shade. I had to research what salt tolerant shade perennials I could work with. Salt Tolerant Shade Perennials that Grow Well by the Roadside 1. Daylily Daylilies like to grow in full sun, but can take full shade very well, provided it is not a deep shade....
The real puzzle, however, may be in selecting the best and most useful herbs to start with. Some good questions to ask yourself at this point in the game: Which herbal spices would be easiest to grow?Which plants will I use often enough as seasonings to make my gardening efforts worthwhile? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
And once summer is at full tilt, I love seeing their happy yellow, orange, and red flowers brightening up my garden. If you’re a fan of marigolds too, you probably purchase a flat or two every year to add to your own vegetable garden, or arrange in your flower beds or planters. But once you cross the line from fan to fanatic like I have, you may want to start growing these annuals from seed....
If you wait too long to plant them you may not have enough time in the season to harvest a full crop. But on the other hand, if you start them too early you might risk stunting or even killing the plants. 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 to learn how to calculate the best time for planting tomatoes in your climate....
What causes this to happen? And what can home gardeners do to avoid damage to their crop? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Causes for Splitting Splitting or cracking is an issue that typically occurs later in the season, once cabbage heads have started firming up. It often happens after a period of dry weather followed by a heavy rain....
But while you may be imagining lush patches filled with bright orange fruits in the prime of health, it takes some work to get them there. And pumpkins can have their fair share of problems. Are your pumpkin plants wilting? Many things can cause this common complaint, including watering issues, and various types of pests and diseases as well. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
As the evening falls, the four-legged rats – ahem, cough, cough – majestic creatures leave their shelters and search for food, and many times your garden or landscape looks like a drive-through fast food joint to them. There are many repellents out there, or home remedies, but many times they don’t work or don’t work well. While there aren’t many truly deer-resistant plants out there, there are a few varieties that they would rather not eat....
There are over 160 cultivars of butterfly bush, in nearly every color of the rainbow. So where in the world should you begin when you’re trying to choose which ones to pick? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Good question. We’ve got you. Plus, we’ve got you covered with how to grow and care for your Buddleia once you’ve picked a few out....
Different species provide varying architectural forms, making these shrubs wonderfully adaptable throughout the garden and landscape. Creeping and prostrate types are low-growing and are typically used as ground covers. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. The upright species typically have graceful, arching branches and create handsome displays when either tightly trimmed into formal hedges or left freeform as informal hedges....
