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Most likely, those lovely springtime flowers didn’t just pop up there – someone planted them. Only, they were planted intentionally with a combination of careful planning and a laissez-faire approach, to make them look like nature’s hand was in control. Also known as narcissus, when planted in this way, daffodils (Narcissus spp.) will form colorful colonies, as they do in their native environments. And drifts will become more dense with flowers, creating even brighter swaths of color over time....

Can you believe it?! Here in Florida, they make stunning additions to gardens and landscapes year-round. But that’s not always possible in places where temperatures take a dive in fall and winter. In regions where seasonal lows make it impossible to add these tropical plants directly to the landscape, indoor growing can bring a touch of the tropics inside your home all year long. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Many are herbaceous perennials, but there are some hardy annuals and biennials available, and even a few that are classified as dwarf shrubs. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Flowers are typically made up of five petals, often with a frilled or zigzag edge, in hues of white or red tones that range from pale pink through to deep maroon....

It produces the most beautiful clusters of fragrant, cream-colored flowers each spring, and it’s a dream to catch a whiff of them when you walk by. If you love lilacs and you want to add a lilac tree to your garden instead of – or in addition to – a shrub, this is the guide for you. This species will make a stunning, relatively trouble-free addition to your yard. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Is it because of its distinctive form, with an intricate pattern of stripes, and pretty, colorful blooms to effortlessly turn heads? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Whatever your reason, this little succulent, also known as “partridge breast,” packs the ability to make a big impression into a little package. Caretaking for this species is very similar to what’s required for other succulents, but with a few exceptions – and we’ll go over all the key details up ahead....

With many Phaseolus lunatus cultivars, growing your own is by far the best way to get a taste of the varieties you just can’t find fresh, or even frozen or dried. When was the last time you saw shelled buff and maroon ‘Florida Speckled’ limas in your grocer’s produce aisle, for example? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

It is thought to have origins in ancient Egypt and Ethiopia, and grows as an annual in all USDA Hardiness Zones. Also called lady finger or gumbo, the immature edible pods of okra have long been used as a thickener in stews and soups like Creole- and Southern-style gumbo, and Indian dishes. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

A common one is limited space, but potted plants can also be useful if you are looking to grow species that are not well suited to your climate, or simply want the flexibility to move your plants around. They can also create a nice aesthetic on a patio or deck. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

It’s fast growing, and with a little planning, you can have a crop all spring, and again in fall. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Ready to learn how to grow your own? Let’s get started! Keep It Cold It’s funny that big strapping pumpkins and acorn squash are fragile little babies and something as delicate as lettuce is considered hardy....

This easy-to-grow leafy green thrives in cool temperatures, and a generous selection of cultivars make it a beautiful and delicious addition to the garden. A member of the Brassica genus, these plants are biennials. They produce leafy growth in the first year, then overwinter in the garden. In their second growing season, they resume growth, flower, then set seed. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

The name is a catch-all term that includes a number of Schlumbergera species and hybrids, including S. russelliana, S. bridgesii, and Schlumbergera x buckleyi, as well as S. truncata, the Thanksgiving cactus, which blooms approximately one month before the Christmas variety. These plants are South American epiphytes that cling to rainforest trees or rocks, drawing sustenance from rainfall and the nutrients in their immediate environment. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

But it’s particularly essential to get it right when growing bonsai. Because there is so little of it in the pot, there is hardly any room for error. It’s incredibly easy to overwater or underwater your plant, and soil is what makes the difference in providing the right amount. It also contains the nutrients your plant needs to survive. In other words, the wrong combination in your substrate can kill your beloved plant through malnourishment and over- or underwatering....

This healthy green brassica is a member of the Brassicaceae, or cabbage family, a close relative of brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy, head cabbage, and greens like collards and mustard. It grows as an annual in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11. 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 discuss everything you need to know to cultivate broccoli in your garden....

As one of the most flavorful culinary thymes, this lemony-earthy herb accentuates the natural flavors in fish and poultry, and makes for a beautiful addition to your herb garden. Not only does this plant offer gastronomical intrigue, it also appeals to beneficial insects and pollinators. Whorls of lavender-pink flowers throughout the summer encourage an influx of ladybugs, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps, making this herb an excellent companion plant for your veggie garden....

This unassuming bulb is used in a variety of cuisines around the world. It’s a staple in Sri Lanka, Iran, India, France, and Ethiopia, while in the US it’s something of a fine-dining delicacy. But it’s not so fancy you can’t grow it in your own garden. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

The vegetable with botanical name Abelmoschus esculentus is just as generous when it produces seeds home gardeners can save for next year’s planting. Just a few pods will yield dozens, and they can be viable for two or three years in proper storage. 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 to expect:...

While this disease can be a severe problem in subtropical areas of the world, it is less common in the US, and typically is a more minor concern for farmers and home gardeners here. However, if your plants are infected, it can be a serious problem. 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 I’ll cover:...

Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, Remember me to one who lives there, She once was a true love of mine. So begins the old Simon and Garfunkel song “Scarborough Fair,” borrowed from the Elizabethans, and a fine lot they were. What seems on the surface to be a perfectly innocent folk song turns out to be riddle of devilish complexity. Nevertheless, we as herbalists are in a prime position to figure it out....

More than a century later, Pierce’s disease is still a major threat to vineyards throughout the southern US and California and a pathogen of great international concern. Xylella fastidiosa has a number of different subspecies that all cause serious diseases in plants, and the one that infects grapes (and almonds and alfalfa) is Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa (Xff). We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

It has two winning characteristics that make it the perfect plant for indoor gardening fun: it’s both easy to propagate and a fast grower. This is why it’s also called “inch plant,” since it seems to grow an inch a day. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. There are three methods you can use to grow new plants from the stems of a parent spiderwort, and I’m going to cover all three....