While you might not want to make perfume from the plant’s stems, the good news is that the stink repels would-be pests such as deer and rabbits. Ericameria laricifolia A gift from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, sun-loving turpentine bush is native to the southwestern United States, including southeastern California, west Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona, as well as north-central Mexico. And in addition to tolerating blistering desert heat, this tough evergreen shrub can also withstand temperatures as low as 10°F....

Read on to learn about these diseases and how to control them. Turnips and rutabagas are vulnerable to a number of diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, and viruses. Many of these pathogens affect the leaves of the plants and ruin the ability to eat or sell the greens. Others damage the turnip or rutabaga roots. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Plant containers come in a wide variety of prices, sizes, colors, shapes and materials. Each specific container has advantages and disadvantages of its own. Here is a breakdown of the different materials planters can be made from in order to make it easier for you to make the best choice for your needs. Where you want to keep the potted plant, your climate, aesthetic value, and ease of maintenance and cost are all factors you need to consider before you make a decision....

If you’re growing your own pumpkins and you aren’t sure how to tell when they’re ready, this article is for you. The other day, I brought my friend out to the garden and parted the vines of my ‘Howden’ pumpkin plant, revealing an enormous green fruit. “Wow!” said my friend. “That’s beautiful. It looks like a watermelon!” She was right. My ‘Howden’ was enormous, but green through and through. And this got me wondering: how would I know when it was ripe?...

Rustic (or romantic) structures such as arbors are traditional mainstays, as well as the occasional found object weaved in here and there. There’s nothing more appealing than the building and landscape designs of yesteryear, especially when this applies to an old-fashioned cottage garden. Once implemented solely for its usefulness, with edible plants as the primary ingredient, today’s version has remained much the same with exception to the fact that most gardeners nowadays seem to use their growing spaces more for their cheerful, relaxing qualities than their usefulness in the kitchen....

And yes, there is – or at least there was, for a long time – one of these plants in the Oval Office. Plectranthus coleoides, P. purpuratus, and P. verticillatus Do you want to grow one of the most famous houseplants in the world, often photographed sitting on the marble mantel across the room from a certain important desk in a certain office of national significance? Then Plectranthus verticillatus, otherwise known as Swedish ivy or Swedish begonia, is the plant for you....

In my child’s mind, that houseplant seemed like some mysterious and otherworldly creature – and it always stands out in my memories as the ideal representation of all that a houseplant could be. Chlorophytum comosum If you’re interested in adding a lot of greenery to your home quickly, and want a houseplant that is both easy to care for and nontoxic, the spider plant should be at the top of your list – I know it’s always at the top of mine....

Read on to learn how to monitor and control this garden menace. Delia radicum Cabbage maggots are small insects that can have a huge impact on cole crops, such as cabbage, broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. The larvae live in the soil, feed on the fibrous roots, and then tunnel into the roots and stems. These insects can totally destroy a crop. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Also – and this is a big relief in my book – hollow heart is not caused by insects or disease pathogens. Most cucumbers you grow in the garden make it obvious if they’re ailing. The leaves of Cucumis sativus plants get spots, perhaps, the fruits have holes, or both turn yellow or start shriveling. But “hollow heart” cucumbers don’t really give advance notice. You may be slicing a fruit to make a salad, or even biting into it as you stroll the garden, before you’re made aware that the unblemished skin is concealing an empty space where the seeds and core flesh would usually be....

If you don’t like pink flowers, you can choose from red, white, and purple varieties, depending on your preference. Bergenia spp. If you’re anything like I am, it’s easy for you to fall in love with a new plant, sometimes based on its picture alone. For me, bergenia is such a plant. I find it difficult to resist a glossy photo of those gorgeous flowers and tantalizing leaves. Unfortunately for those of us in warmer climates, most types grow best in cooler Zones 4 to 6, although many can be grown in warmer locations through Zone 9....

Geranium Cranesbills, or hardy geraniums, are perennial members of the Geraniaceae family, one of many flowering genera within the family tree, which includes geraniums as well as close family members pelargonium and erodium. Native to temperate regions around the world, these cheery plants can be found nodding in mixed woodlands, meadows, prairies, alpine meadows, and rocky slopes. With a particularly heavy population in the regions of the eastern Mediterranean, it’s no surprise that its name comes from the Greek geranos for crane....

These radishes require little upkeep and store well. During the dark of winter, I love munching on them to add some zing to an otherwise dreary day. Raphanus sativus var. Longipinnatus It has always seemed to me that daikon radish is one of the easiest fall crops to grow. Sometimes I’ve sown seeds and forgotten about them, only to return to large white roots. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Whether chopped up and tossed into your favorite tomato sauce and cooked to perfection, or muddled in a refreshing summertime beverage, basil is sure to serve as a flavorful enhancement to many meals. Ocimum basilicum Imagine giant bushes of fragrant green leaves, just begging to be layered with tomato and mozzarella, or blended with garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese to make a fresh pesto… Are you with me? Basil is one of the most popular culinary herbs, and for good reason....

So, to convince my still unconvinced husband, I did my homework and came up with 11 fun DIY gazebo kits, the best of what’s available to install a cozy structure of your very own in the backyard. One especially hot summer afternoon I sought refuge in the A/C, where I caught a crazy old movie called “The Gazebo.” And while Glenn Ford sweated out the discovery of a corpse in its foundation, all I could think of was how nice it would be to have one in my backyard – a gazebo, that is!...

It’s worth noting that since avocados are tropical trees, we are still talking about fairly warm parts of the country. The lowest area of hardiness where you can grow avocados is Zone 8. Avocado trees (Persea americana) are notorious for being susceptible to cold. So what’s an avocado lover who gardens in a cooler area to do? Don’t give up hope! The good news is that there are some cold-hardy cultivars available....

We will give you the background on these pests and how to control them. Tetramorium caespitum At some point you’ve probably noticed tiny little piles of sand and soil next to pavements, sidewalks, or near the edge of buildings. This displaced dirt is likely to be the handiwork of pavement ants. Although originally from Europe, these pavement pests have made themselves at home in much of the US and have become one of the most common types of ant here....

They require almost no maintenance and can be grown in soil of nearly any pH level. They are deer and rabbit resistant and can fill in shady areas where many ground covers cannot grow. Galanthus spp. Are you pining for spring? Try growing Galanthus flowers. More commonly called snowdrops, they are some the first to bloom in the late winter and early spring. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

What’s causing this and how do you fix it? Read on to learn more! Kale’s nutritional benefits are well-known, and the leafy green has become a favorite with restaurant chefs and home cooks alike. Perhaps you love this veggie so much you’ve added it to your garden. But, oh no! You’re seeing that some of the leaves of your kale plants (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) are wilting! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Here’s the bottom line: plants like bergenia that are resistant to most diseases can still be infected by specialized pathogens. To begin, you will be happy to learn that few diseases affect Bergenia spp. In fact, members of this genus are widely studied for their natural ability to resist fungi, because they produce antifungal chemicals. This would make it seem like you never have to worry about disease in bergenia…...

There are hundreds of known species, and most are native to Asia. Because of their beauty, they’ve been cultivated throughout the Northern Hemisphere for hundreds of years. Pop quiz: which perennial, flowering vine is super hardy; offers large, spectacular blooms in a rainbow of colors that open from last frost to first frost; and is right at home in a container? That’s right – it’s clematis! No doubt you’ve probably seen one beckoning to the pollinators around a neighbor’s mailbox or dazzling in the summer sun along a trellis or fence....