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We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. One plant that you might not be as familiar with – but one that’s definitely worth adding to your December decor as well as your landscape – is the Christmas fern. It’s gorgeous, easy to care for, and has very few disease or pest issues. Plus, its evergreen foliage ensures that it will continue to dazzle even in wintertime!...

There are nearly 200 species in the Gardenia genus, but us ornamental gardeners are concerned only with G. jasminoides, and the variety it is often grafted onto, G. thunbergia. G. jasminoides is also known as Cape jasmine, a name that comes from the mistaken idea that this flower originated in the Cape of Good Hope, when it was merely transported to England from Asia on a boat that made a stop there....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. I’ll share some lore and tips about this popular houseplant here, and I hope you’ll grow to love it the way I do. Here’s what I’ll cover: Cultivation and History Sometimes called friendship or money plant, C. ovata is native to South Africa. It shouldn’t be confused with the numerous other plants with the word “jade” in their name....

Properly known as Ipomoea lobata, firecracker vine is also known by two former scientific names, Mina lobata and Quamoclit lobata and by a colorful array of other nicknames including Spanish flag and exotic love vine. Its most recent Latin name, Ipomoea lobata, is particularly distasteful to many gardeners because while indeed being botanically related to Mexican morning glory (I. tricolor), common morning glory (I. purpurea) and others in the Ipomoea genus, firecracker vine’s flowers look nothing like morning glory flowers....

Fortunately, while perhaps not quite as impressive or fruitful as a tropical citrus orchard would be, it is possible to successfully grow citrus plants in pots indoors. Even here, in my USDA Hardiness Zone 4 climate, where snow coats the ground for practically half the year. While growing citrus indoors can be a bit tricky, with just a few pointers, you can easily fill your windowsill with enough lemons to make lemonade!...

Not only does this herb make an attractive addition to the garden, its medicinal value, soil building properties, and enticing flavor and aroma make this easy-to-grow annual one you don’t want to miss out on! 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 dig in! What Is Fenugreek? Fenugreek is a tender annual that is a member of the legume family....

Native to China, carefully cultivated in Japan for a thousand years or more, and beloved in the American South, Eriobotrya japonica is an evergreen tree that can grow to 25 feet tall and spread 15 to 20 wide. Also known as Japanese plum or Japanese medlar, loquat produces large, dark green leaves that are often used in floral arrangements. Younger leaves are downy, whereas older leaves become more leathery. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Heck, I even tried growing the next-to-impossible-to-cultivate wasabi last year because I love fresh wasabi so darn much (let’s just say I have some work to do figuring that one out). But there’s a special place in my heart for a plant that you can plop in the ground and essentially forget for a few months. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

You may have assumed that only those with big garden plots, or perhaps a field out back, would be able to plant their own Helianthus annuus. But this is simply not true! Many varieties of this super-bright and alluring flower will grow just fine in pots or planters. Dwarf varieties, the ones that attain 12 inches to three feet or so in height, are the natural selection for pots, but it’s even possible to grow mid-size sunflowers with this method....

It doesn’t mind being a little rootbound, and it isn’t too fussy. On top of that, if you like having edibles that are ripe for the picking all over your yard, but you don’t want to offend any neighbors or the HOA, Swiss chard is your plant. The vibrant stalks and big leafy foliage are as pretty to look at as they are tasty. Plant them as a leafy centerpiece with some low-growing edible flowers or a few trailing herbs, and you have a stunning container with ornamental appeal that no one will suspect doubles as part of your kitchen garden....

Blooms may be seen peeking through the snow as early as January in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9. 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 in store: Life Cycle of a Hellebore The anatomy of a hellebore bloom consists of an inner flower called a “nectary” surrounded by colorful sepals. As the days grow longer, beneficial insects find their way to the sweet nectar contained within the nodding flower heads, nourish themselves, and pollinate the flowers....

‘Twas the summer of 2021, and I was working as an intern at a botanical garden. I was doing my weeding rounds in a new section of the garden, when I literally stumbled upon a Tropaeolum majus. Crouching down, I gave this strange new plant a once-over. Stunning orange flowers, petals reminiscent of a lily pad, a weird-looking yellow spur behind the petals… I was entranced. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Many feature attractive aromatic foliage and long blooming flowers that pollinators love. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Continue on to learn all about growing catmint plants. What Is Catmint? The Nepeta genus includes 250 species of herbaceous perennials as well as a few annuals, with about 20 of these species and cultivars currently in cultivation....

You can extend this good fortune by saving seeds, too, so all of you can plant them in the garden next year. Seed libraries, community members, and other nearby gardeners might appreciate the extras. And of course, you’ll benefit as well, with more funds left over in the gardening budget, and the security of growing a variety that’s already a proven success. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Or maybe your rose used to bloom so abundantly you could hardly see the leaves, but now it’s struggling just to stay alive. The solution might just be a new home. I’ve talked to so many gardeners who express concern, believing that once a rose is in the ground, it’s a bad idea to move it. But that’s not true! If your plant isn’t in the right place, it’s much better to put it somewhere else that’s more suitable than to leave it where it is, and most roses will be much better off in the long run....

It’s extremely common to see their cheery heads nodding in the summer sunshine next to tomatoes, squash, and broccoli. But as with many garden practices, is there any science behind those things that we’ve been doing for years – or sometimes centuries? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Marigolds can help you to control certain pests that may wreak havoc on your veggies....

In the same way that Goldfish crackers look more appealing than broccoli to most kids (and many adults!), some garden favorites are more attractive to insects than others. If we know what crop a pest insect prefers over, say, your garden broccoli, we can exploit their preferences and use these alluring plants as traps. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

While US gardeners who live in climates similar to that of the Mediterranean – one that’s warm and dry – are able to grow rosemary year-round, those in more northern climes may fear they are less fortunate. But no! 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 there are no varieties that are rated to consistently withstand the brutal chills of -10°F to -20°F temperatures that can occur in Zone 5 and below, with planning and preparation, gardeners in Zones 5, 6, and 7 have fairly solid odds of overwintering their plants....

Being in the presence of tall trees has positive psychological benefits, and there are few better gifts to future generations than a mature shade provider. But trees with good shade and strong growth patterns can provide situational uses too. I recently went camping and was dismayed when I saw the precise location of my campsite offered nothing in the way of tall shade. Besides the obvious protection from the sun that it provides, the complete lack of canopy cover meant there was no protection from the rain and wind....

Go ahead, count the Mentha species you know. Including apple mint, spearmint, and watermint, there are about 24 species and numerous natural and cultivated hybrids to choose from! And all of these have a vast array of uses – calling them versatile is an understatement. 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 need a refresher on how to grow mint in your garden, check out our guide....