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These varieties first became popular with florists and wedding planners. The idea was less about preventing allergic reactions and more about keeping cut sunflowers from leaving a bright yellow stain on white tablecloths, work shirts, wedding dresses, and such. Plant hybridizers started to breed male-sterile sunflowers that don’t produce pollen as part of the process of developing new cultivars. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Is this plant edible, like the root vegetable we know and love, or is it merely for show? 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 Ornamental Sweet Potatoes? Best known for their colorful green or purple leaves, this vining plant works well indoors and out. And the cultivars of this plant that have been deemed ornamental are related to the sweet potatoes we love to put on our dinner plates....

While you’ll find more selections of the modern hybrid varieties than ever before, all petunias still share this “warm weather preferred” trait. They will not tolerate frost – at least not more than a touch of it. And they’re not cold hardy. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Gardeners in other areas must satisfy themselves with growing petunias outdoors as annuals....

Frost-tender perennials, there are two main types commonly cultivated by home gardeners – and there’s a bit of confusion about whether they can overwinter in place. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. The second type includes the many colorful Zantedeschia hybrids, in hot shades of apricot, burgundy, mauve, orange, pink, purple, red, and yellow....

But you might be wondering where exactly in your yard to put your fruit trees for optimal growth. How far apart should you plant them? 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 everything we’ll dive into: Why Does Spacing Matter? You’ve probably seen images of fruit trees packed together in commercial orchards. Maybe you’re thinking that you can get away with something similar....

But these members of the amaryllis family may also need to deal with chilly wintertime temperatures – their growing zone suitability ranges from Zone 6 to Zone 11. Deciduous varieties can weather conditions in Zone 6, with temperatures ranging all the way down to -10°F in the winter. Evergreen varieties are less cold hardy, and are therefore more suited to cultivation Zones 8 and up. But even in Zone 8, winters can get cold, and freezing temperatures can strike even in locales in Zone 9....

Why Compost? Composting is an economical and environmentally-sound way to fertilize your soil. It makes for the richest growing soil available, as it is high in potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen. You are basically duplicating Mother Nature’s plan for the lushest forests and natural gardens. A gardener who composts is greatly helping the environment by reusing what is otherwise treated as “garbage” and merely rotting away in dumps and landfills. It’s estimated that such waste material takes up about a third of the space in our community landfills....

Sizeable in both vine and fruit, this indeterminate heirloom can yield tomatoes weighing up to 12 ounces each! The bulbous fruit is blushed with purple-red skin, tinged with light green shoulders, and typically grows three to five inches in diameter. With a sweet yet smoky flavor, this little slice of tomato heaven is delicious in sandwiches or lightly grilled, and enjoyed as a pizza or pasta topping. 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. Our guide to growing oak trees provides general cultivation instructions. In this article, we’ll discuss all you need to know to grow Q. muehlenbergii in your landscape. Here’s what we’ll cover: Let’s get to know this tree. Cultivation and History Quercus muehlenbergii is not to be confused with three chestnut relatives: the Allegheny, Castanea pumila, Chinese, C....

A few summers ago, I decided to bring the berries to me and planted several V. angustifolium shrubs in my garden. Lowbush blueberries are sweeter and hardier than their highbush counterparts, and 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. They have shallow fibrous roots spreading from long taproots, quarter-inch bell shaped white to pink flowers, and of course, small, delectably sweet berries that you can eat straight off the plant....

The ol’ pancreas may not appreciate my carbolicious meal, but with each bite I become more and more appreciative of maple syrup – the savior of bland breakfasts everywhere. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. With twice the sugar content of other Acer species in its sap, this tree has truly helped to make breakfast the most important – and tasty!...

This fun fruit can easily be turned into an educational project for children as well, especially during the summer months when school is out, or as part of a homeschool curriculum. Using just a few items that you most likely have in your home already, you can sprout a sapling that will flourish either potted in a sunny spot indoors, or planted in your yard if you live in a warm climate....

Any time the word “butter” appears in the name of a vegetable, you know you’re in for a treat. Buttercrunch belongs to a category of lettuces known as “butterheads,” including other varieties such as ‘Boston’ and ‘Bibb,’ which all feature similar characteristics. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Whereas ‘Iceberg’ has a sharp crunch and thick leaf texture, ‘Buttercrunch’ has thinner leaves and a softer, more velvety texture that is perfect to top sandwiches, roll up in wraps, and even substitute for tortillas....

How essential and wonderful, then, to always have a pot of this easy-to-grow allium at the ready, when a fresh salad or a simmering entree calls out for its distinctive character. Chives are perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9, so most gardeners in the United States can safely leave them outdoors year round. If you must bring them in (I’m looking at you, North Dakota!), then your supply of fresh chives will be even closer at hand!...

A quick rundown: it’s not from Jerusalem, and it’s most definitely not an artichoke! On the other hand, there are two things that you absolutely should remember: it’s not only a beautiful flower, but its roots (called “tubers”) make for a delicious food crop, too. Together, food and gardening pleasures have made this botanical a floral delight and culinary favorite for many thousands of years – among Native American peoples and Europeans alike – with a deep history behind its rise to global recognition....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. In this article, you’ll discover how professional pitaya growers cultivate these fruits, so you can apply their well-honed techniques to your at-home efforts. We’ll dig into the details of everything you need to know for both indoor and outdoor dragon fruit growing – as well as everything else you’ll need in terms of watering, soil type, harvesting, and much more....

You may be aware that you can harvest and eat the leaves, but did you know the root is also usable? 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 Nettle Root? Most gardeners are familiar with stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), an herbaceous perennial known for the infamous stinging hairs that can be found all along its stems and the undersides of its leaves....

And in addition to the damage pests can do to developing heads, foliage, and roots, they may also be vectors, or carriers, of plant diseases that may be detrimental to an even greater degree. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. In this article, we introduce nine common cauliflower pests that you will learn to recognize and manage....

If this is the year you’re going to finally find time to get that southern fall vegetable garden in the ground, enjoy this article with tips and tricks for ensuring you have a bountiful crop! Preparing the area First, you’ll want to get your garden area ready. Assuming you are using the same garden space you used for your spring garden, pull out all dead plant material, as well as any weeds that may have sprung up....

Flowering bulbs add gorgeous blooms and fantastic foliage in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes throughout the garden, lending their charm, fragrance, and beautiful blossoms to the landscape throughout three glorious seasons, depending on the variety – and even a fourth season of indoor growth if you like! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....