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Here’s the funny thing: Cuban oregano is not true oregano. Neither is it mint (Mentha), borage (Borago), or thyme (Thymus). Instead, it’s Coleus amboinicus, a species of coleus plant. There is some crossover, in terms of taxonomy. Coleus plants are semi-succulent perennials or annuals in the mint family, Lamiaceae, of which basil and thyme are also a part. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. And as with many ornamental species, it’s toxic to people and pets, so don’t eat it and wear gloves to protect sensitive skin from contact dermatitis. If you are as intrigued by S. rowleyanus as I am, read on for all you need to know to grow it indoors....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. The first time I heard about chocolate mint (the plant) was in the grocery store. I’m not going to lie, I was eavesdropping on a conversation between two ladies in the checkout line. Who could blame me? One started talking about her garden, so I tuned in....

But that all changed the day I tried home-pickled beets in a sandwich for the first time, and was shocked by how much more flavorful they were than the ones that come in a can. Home-pickled beets taste fantastic in all sorts of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, and the recipe I use is this one, from our sister site Foodal. Nothing makes me feel cozier than the idea of a root cellar filled with homegrown beets and other root vegetables with a long storage life....

These plants are steeped in history and symbolism, and are easy beauties 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. Just read this article first to learn everything you need to know before you get started. Cultivation and History The genus name Myosotis means “mouse ear,” named after the rounded shape of these plants’ fuzzy leaves....

If the sun shines for a good part of the day on a balcony, driveway, front step, patio, porch, or sidewalk, you’ve got prime gardening real estate for a container, or a collection of pots filled with vegetables. 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 the basics of cultivating vegetables in containers, and suggest additional growing guides and supporting information to help you become a proficient container gardener....

The name is derived from Greek and tells you what you need to know about them: plant destroyers. Once thought to be fungi, these water molds are now considered a separate type of organism. However, they are as aggressive and destructive as any fungus. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Difficult to diagnose, these organisms can kill the fine roots (root rot), damage the roots right below the soil surface (crown rot), and rot the tree above the union (collar rot)....

This vegetable thrives in cool – even snowy – weather, producing well ahead of other garden favorites like squash, tomatoes, and green beans. This crop is best planted at the tail end of winter, about a month ahead of the last frost. Snow peas will withstand a few light freezes and the occasional snow flurry during their two seasons, spring and autumn. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

If you aren’t into heavy garden maintenance, they’re also pretty easy to keep. They don’t demand a lot but they’ll keep offering up flowers until the deep freezes arrive. 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 grow your Pelargonium as an annual, your pruning job will be a lot simpler. Overwintering your plants or growing them as perennials, indoors or out?...

The leaves of your shrub are totally black, as if a massive fire or some sort of demon from Hades made its way through the garden and coated your plant in soot. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Before you run out of your yard screaming for a botanical exorcist, take a deep breath....

I know I always start to worry when my cat walks through the garden with me. That’s why it’s important to know which common plants can be poisonous. A small problem like a rash, or a big one like a heart health issue, can arise in sensitive people or pets from interactions with some of these common plants and flowers: Amaryllis Easter Lily Stargazer Lily Daffodil Tulip Lily of the Valley Aloe Vera Azalea Anemone Chrysanthemum...

Why does this happen and what can you do to prevent it? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Continue reading to learn what may stunt head formation on cabbages and steps you can take to prevent this from occurring. A cool weather crop, it is available in a number of different varieties, from small, compact, early-maturing types, to large late-season cultivars suitable for a winter harvest....

Salty, sweet, or smothered in butter, popcorn is the ultimate comfort food, and one of the most popular snacks around. Even better, this beloved snack can actually be good for us. As a whole grain, it’s high in fiber. It’s also high in simple carbohydrates, which can quickly (and briefly) raise serotonin levels, helping you to relax and improving your mood. Just remember to lay off the extra salt and fat and to air pop your corn if you’re planning to consume it for health reasons!...

‘Supersweet 100’ tomatoes go in the opposite direction. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. And that’s just the start. Grown properly and given ample support, they can yield upwards of 500 tomatoes each, over a long season. If that sounds appealing, why not get to know a little more about this cultivar? I’ll share some of its history, and then share some growing tips....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. These enchanting little white or yellow clusters of flowers emit a summery sweet fragrance. The flower essence is said to instill a sense of youthfulness, vigor, and restore inner strength. These delightful blossoms have a long history of medicinal use and are often used to flavor food and drinks....

One of my favorites is a tubular unit that I fill with thistle seed to attract goldfinches. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. We also have plenty of useful information to share with you on related topics for making the most of your new feeders, including: No bird feeder is perfect. Choosing the model that’s right for your outdoor space will largely come down to the region where you live and the types of birds you want to attract....

While annuals must be planted each year, only to die at season’s end, I plant a perennial once, and enjoy its return year after year. That’s good gardening value! Some would argue that changing things up each year makes for varied and interesting displays, but I adore flora that returns bigger and better each year, merging into mature, multi-layered tapestries of color and texture. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

These include straightnecks, zucchini, pattypans, round cultivars, and even some with bold stripes and other intriguing patterns. I’ve created a helpful list of 21 of the best summer squash varieties you can grow in your garden. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. These members of the cucurbit family are all tender annuals and they are fairly quick to mature....

I remember this flower well, from my childhood home, a bougainvillea-clad house on the coast of East Africa, with fragrant frangipani and the bright red of the hibiscus. My mother was a keen gardener, tending tropical native flowers with an artist’s flair, getting just the right balance between “wild and free,” and “tame and homely.” In the rocky soil of the ancient coral cliffs on which our house was built, desert roses bloomed beneath a large, imposing baobab tree....

I started with huge clumps of tubers dug out of my aunt’s garden. She was sick of growing the same color year after year, a prolific, hardy, vibrant pink dahlia with a creamy-yellow center, whose name she couldn’t remember. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. They were my first dahlias and I loved them from the moment they first began to bloom....