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Native to many parts of the United States, they have offered shade, protection, beautiful flowers, and tasty berries to their keepers and the local wildlife for generations. In short, they require very little care and give back so much! Whether you choose to grow them as a hedge, a place for butterflies to visit, or for food and medicinal recipes, you won’t be disappointed by the benefits they offer. And this plant is hearty enough for even first-time growers to master....

While only a select group of the more than 800 species are commonly cultivated indoors, their appearance can vary widely. A. andraeanum and A. scherzerianum, for example, produce colorful spathes that can last a month or more, while A. clarinervium and A. crystallinum are prized for their oversize leaves which feature distinct markings. This genus originated in tropical regions of North and South America, and all species may be grown outdoors in Zones 10 to 13....

Tillandsia are currently making bold and exotic statements as chic home décor and fashion accessories. It’s time to make them part of your unique style! Members of the bromeliad family related to the pineapple, air plants are native to Mexico, and South and Central America. They have naturalized in some locations in the southern regions of North America. These plants are epiphytic, which means they may attach to another plant for support, positioning for maximum sunlight, moisture, and nutrients, without hurting their host....

Rose hips are the edible accessory fruit, aka pseudocarp, or “false fruit” of the rose plant. This means that although they do contain seeds, the flesh contains both the mature ovary and other tissue from the floral structure. False fruits include apples, strawberries, and pineapples. Botanically speaking, only the seeds found inside the rose hip are “true fruits.” Accessory fruits develop without fertilization of the ovary, where “true fruit,” such as mangoes and grapes develop after a mature ovary is fertilized....

Now the question is, how and when is best to harvest your almonds to make the most of them? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Don’t be Duped by Your Drupes You might know that peanuts aren’t nuts, but it might come as a surprise to you (as it did to me when I found this out!...

They’re some of the most frequently photographed trees in the world and the really striking ones draw people to gardens across the globe. Their elegant, organic forms are instantly recognizable, whether weeping or upright. But most Japanese maples don’t just produce those stunning shapes on their own. Left to their own devices, they can become overcrowded and a bit misshapen. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

But every Boston fern owner – or plant parent, for that matter – faces the same annual trial if they live in a region with cold, frost-filled winters. It’s that time when growth slows down considerably, some fronds start to brown, and the plant as a whole can get kinda sad-looking… especially compared to its heyday back in the growing season. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Having even a sliver of a spot to get out of the house and breathe the air can help you de-stress and unwind from your busy life. But compact outdoor furniture pieces aren’t limited to just small spaces. You may have a larger outdoor area that you want to group into different gathering spots for different sized groups, so your intimate dinner for two isn’t overwhelmed by a table made for eight....

The beetle targets tasty plants in the families Solanaceae (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers) and Brassicaceae ( including cole crops: broccoli, kale, cabbage, collards). Its capacity to overwinter in soil and plant debris makes it challenging to manage, and very sneaky. The flea beetle inflicts both above and below-ground injuries to its target. Above-ground injury is characterized by “shot-holing” in the leaves of the host. Sound unsightly? Well, it is. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

And every spider plant parent can relate with the irritation of having to bat fungus gnat adults away from their face and the stress of stewing over how to rid their plant babies of the root-chewing maggots. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. 1. Avoid Overwatering This is the most important, and one of the first steps you can take in controlling fungus gnat numbers on your spider plants....

Perfect for slopes and other hard to reach spots, a chamomile lawn requires no regular mowing, fertilizing, or watering. Furthermore, it can improve the soil, attract pollinators, and the flowers can be used to make delicious tea! 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 to come: Benefits of a Chamomile Lawn The benefits of a chamomile lawn are numerous....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. With small, dainty flowers on wiry, branched stems and narrow, linear leaves, plants appear delicate but are in fact hardy and robust, with good resistance to cold, drought, heat, and salt. A standout selection for alpine or gravel gardens, rockeries, and screes, alpine pinks are also well suited to growing in beds, borders, and containers, adding color and perfume over an extended season....

Native to the Mediterranean region, it’s considered to be one of the oldest of cultivated trees. Other common names include sweet, true, and Grecian laurel. Planted in the garden, it can reach a mature height of 25-55 feet, although most are kept at 2-8 feet with persistent trimming. Small clumps of yellow flowers form in spring, followed by small purple drupes that contain a single seed. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

It rejuvenates fall gardens with masses of tiny white blossoms, with striking reddish-purple to rosy pink centers. Suitable for gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8, this plant readily naturalizes, especially in moist woodland locales, where it is virtually maintenance free. 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 Also known as white woodland, starved, or side-flowering aster, the calico aster is a North American herbaceous native plant with a bushy, clumping growth habit....

Another mark in the “wow” column for this lovely annual comes from its velvety bicolored or tricolored trumpet-shaped flowers with their delicate throats of contrasting color. The flowers are reminiscent of their cousins, snapdragon and foxglove. All three are members of the figwort (Scrophulariaceae) family. 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 learn more about this little cutie....

Maybe you’ve already spent a few years growing annual crops for food: starting them from seed, tending young plants, and harvesting them – only to see them die and return to the soil again. If you’ve seen many rounds of veggies come and go, it could be time for a little something different – such as planting asparagus, the king of perennial crops! Especially if you have a nice, permanent corner of your garden that you’d never want to change (for at least 30 years), this could make an excellent home for this fern-like vegetable....

You don’t get the chance to know and understand them as intimately as you would a plant that you care for year after year, such as a rose. They are here and then gone in just a few months. That is, unless you grow hardy fuchsias. Sure, those tender fuchsias that you can buy at the home supply store are gorgeous, but most of us end up tossing these perennials out at the end of the growing season....

Its long, narrow leaves make it such a breeze to cook with. And in my opinion, it is one of the most ornamental edible plants there is. Dinosaur kale is easy to grow, and like other kale varieties, it is considered a nutritional powerhouse. I think we should treat it like a garden staple – dino kale for every garden! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Frequently, I would be out peacefully weeding my beds and daydreaming – until I was jolted back to earth by an unexpected sting, the effects of which could last for hours. I just could not understand why anyone wanted this plant around. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. The more I researched, the more I began to change my tune on nettle....

Now introducing the shrub- and tree-loving woolly aphid, an insect that takes the waxy coating game to a whole new level. Aphids are notorious plant pests, and the fuzzy types can be just as hard to identify by species – and sometimes even harder to control – than their smooth, shiny relatives. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....