And those gorgeous, bright clusters of densely bunched blooms, practically covering the entire specimen – incredible! Bougainvillea spp. It’s easy to see why you’d want to include an enchanting bougainvillea in your landscape. How many other plants produce showstopping color while simultaneously offering the gardener so many options, in a variety of forms? You can shape and train it to grow as a vine, shrub, or small tree; frame a doorway or line a fence; let it drape across a trellis or pergola – it’s amazing what this tropical plant can do!...

Sometimes called zygocactus or holiday cactus, this houseplant typically blooms just in time for the end of year holidays. Schlumbergera spp. Ah, the Christmas cactus. Perhaps you received one of these as a holiday gift, wrapped with a red ribbon or nestled in a festive planter. Maybe you forgot about it, sitting on your mantle, after the holiday frenzy. And yet, to your surprise, your neglect failed to do it in....

Children will not only get to have the experience of observing the plant life cycle taking place right before their eyes, but also the enjoyment of watching their little seed become a big, beautiful tree. What more perfect food could you ask for than the avocado? The odd little “alligator pear” has become a fruit beloved by many, with its buttery texture, earthy flavor, high nutritive value, and versatility in the kitchen....

Like its Marantaceae relatives, red-veined prayer plant may not be the very lowest maintenance houseplant out there, but once you know her care requirements, you won’t roll your eyes and call her a diva anymore. Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura With its multicolored foliage, bold patterns, and leaves that are raised and lowered every day, red-veined prayer plant isn’t one of those houseplants that will fade into the background of your home decor....

While some gardeners advise against starting rhubarb from seed because it takes too long, I’m here to tell you that you can absolutely do it successfully. Alaska made me fall in love with rhubarb, and this is well documented. Just read our guide to growing rhubarb in containers and you’ll see what I mean. When my garden-savvy grandma was visiting me two summers ago, she advised me to buy a division of rhubarb from a local nursery after I raved to her about my newfound, Alaska-fueled passion for pie plant – but I procrastinated....

Healthy, mature bulbs produce secondary “offset” bulbs which can be removed and repotted, providing you with new plants, and you can also propagate amaryllis by bulb sectioning, aka cuttage. The stunningly unique blooms of amaryllis can add dramatic color to your home and garden. Native to South America, tropical Hippeastrum can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, and indoors in colder areas. These striking flowers are often forced to bloom in the winter, adding some sparkle to holiday decor....

Yes? You’re in luck! Fall is the perfect time to plant trees. So finish your tidying up, head inside, warm up some cider, and decide which tree might be best for you and your yard. Autumn is the magical time of brisk mornings, hot apple cider, and approximately one to three million leaves in the yard that must be raked and bagged. But before the leaves fall, while you’re out in the garden doing your autumn perennial cutbacks, consider whether your landscape could use another tree or two....

Now let’s take a look at 11 things to do in the garden before winter sets in. Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean tending your garden is finished for the year. There’s still some work to be done, and the garden needs a bit more of your attention and TLC before it can rest quietly for the winter. By taking care of these late season tasks, you’ll ensure that your plants and soil stay healthy during the cold, dark months....

Or maybe you’re interested in upping your game when it comes to creating beneficial conditions for this leafy green – keeping garden pests away or providing beneficial nutrients to your soil. Chard, also known as Swiss chard or silver beet, is a pretty well-behaved and easygoing member of the vegetable garden. It tends to mind its own business, content to grow colorful, tender, upright stalks of leafy, healthy goodness without much extra effort on your part....

Native to central and eastern North America, it is suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 7, and grows best as a specimen with room to spread its branches and cast pleasant shade for multiple generations to enjoy. Quercus muehlenbergii Chinkapin oak, Quercus muehlenbergii, is a type of chestnut oak. It belongs to the white oak group of the Fagaceae family of trees that contains beeches, chestnuts, and oaks....

Colorful pitayas are borne on the succulent stems of jungle cacti, which can produce a bountiful harvest in under two years, making an exciting addition to the edible landscape. Selenicereus spp. Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a tasty tropical treat – and with the right techniques and know-how, you can grow your own crop at home. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Growing carrots can be such a delightful experience but it could be challenging to identify their leaves. So, how do you find out if you are on the right track? Don’t worry! We have all the details to help you understand What Do Carrot Sprouts Look Like? Here’s everything you need to know about growing carrots What Do Carrot Sprouts Look Like? Usually, a carrot seed takes about 2-3 weeks to germinate....

That’s right, those beautiful sunny blooms that are all the rage also offer multiple benefits when grown to build or replenish the soil, after a crop for edible use has been harvested but before another is planted. Growing cover crops is a sustainable way to add organic matter to your soil and prevent erosion. When you choose to plant sunflowers as a cover crop, you may get the added benefit of having beautiful flowers available for arrangements, and possibly seeds to harvest for the birds as well....

But in the past few years, I’ve also grown these popular flowers in a way that lets me harvest plenty of the blooms and leaves to eat. I love a two-for-one deal! That’s what I got when I realized the cheery nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) I’d been growing for decades were also edible, and that’s what you’ll get too! I’ve always enjoyed the brilliant color of nasturtiums in a flower border, particularly the bright red types....

From purple to white, you won’t commonly find these rainbow varieties in supermarkets, so they are certainly worth including in your veggie garden. Enjoyed in everything from salads to stir fries, carrots are easily one of the most popular and versatile veggies around. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth, carrots also provide an easy way to brighten up your plate. When you think of this common root vegetable, what comes to mind first is probably the bog-standard orange variety....

Don’t get me wrong, I love my spireas too, for example. But after they stayed bloom-less thanks to a pruning mishap one year, I didn’t feel the same sense of loss that I did when my ‘You and Me Together’ hydrangea sat bare for a season. There’s no denying it, hydrangeas are seemingly miraculous. Their eye-catching blossoms (technically an inflorescence) come in a range of colors, from deep purple to bright pink, and icy blue to pale lavender....

In this article, we’ll discuss the best ways to control an aphid infestation on your precious plants. Even better, we’ll help you learn how to prevent large-scale attacks before they happen. You’re walking alongside your sweet-scented rose bushes when you stop short. Something’s not quite right with your lovely blooms. You lean in closer, and see that some of the flower stems and buds are covered in small, pear-shaped insects, typically green or pink but they may appear in other colors as well....

Tender green tops add zing to any salad, and immature seed pods have a marvelous sharp taste that makes them a natural in soups and stir fries. Raphanus sativus Radishes are among the easiest vegetables to grow. Hardy and quick to mature, successive plantings in early spring and again in early fall will ensure a steady supply of crisp, piquant roots. A good source of vitamin C, they also make a good companion plant in the garden....

My supervisor, noting my interest, filled me in on the vegetation I was gawking at. A great trap crop for pests, comes in trailing or mounding form, very spicy. Plucking off one of its flower heads, she offered me a taste. I fondly remember my first encounter with a nasturtium. ‘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....

While preparing for this article, I learned quite a few interesting things about these flowers. Tagetes Before we get too far into this, I have a confession: I love marigolds, everything about them. So, if you were expecting an article about these annual flowers that’s written with journalistic detachment, you’re out of luck. This is my tribute to the peerless marigold, recognizing its great virtues and its hangups as well, with unabashed affection....