But it’s not the latest thriller. Your camellia has black mold, also known as sooty mold, which is a dark fungus that looks like a layer of ash and covers the leaves and stems of plants. Pretty well named, right? You head outside to enjoy your garden when you spot it: something has turned your beautiful camellias into a terrible scene straight out of a horror movie. 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....

However, these beauties, sometimes known as “fancy” types, can be grown in containers in areas where you spend part of the year walking in a winter wonderland. Hibiscus spp. You might think tropical hibiscus can only be grown in places like Hawaii, Florida, southern Texas, and California, where the sun shines and the snow steers clear pretty much year-round. These symbols of the tropics are native to regions that retain warmth and humidity through most or all of the year, so if you live in a warm climate such as USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, you can plant them right in the ground....

If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place, because today we’re going to talk about when and how to harvest this delicious melon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus). Is there anything tastier than a juicy, soft-yet-firm piece of cantaloupe unfurling its delightful flavor on your tongue? Of course not! And there’s no better reward for the work involved in planting and growing this tasty melon. Maybe your melons are looking more and more mature every day, and you’re not sure when to harvest them....

Catmint is a loosely mounded herbaceous perennial with attractive gray-green foliage. Nepeta x. faassenii Hey, get your cats straight! CatMINT is not catNIP. Unlike its cousin catnip (Nepeta cataria), Faassen’s catmint does not drive felines wild, so you are free to plant it in your garden without fear of your yard turning into a hangout for tipsy tabbys. All members of the Nepeta genus produce nepetalactone, the kitty intoxicant, but the amount in Faassen’s catmint is considerably less than the amount found in catnip....

It’s not too hot, but isn’t bland, with plenty of bold-but-sweet flavor. Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon ‘Persian Star’ I don’t know what’s happening with alliums in Uzbekistan, but they’re growing some fantastic garlic. There’s nothing wrong with a lovely, mild bulb, but sometimes you want something sweet, complex, and distinct. If that’s where you’re at, ‘Persian Star’ garlic is about to become your new best friend. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

When growing these plants for their berries, particularly if you hope to be rewarded with a good harvest, you’ll need to know how to care for them properly to ensure plentiful fruit growth for you and for the local wildlife. Elderberry (Sambucus spp.) should be pruned as part of your regular garden maintenance routine, just like other fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, to encourage abundant berry production while supporting overall health....

We’re going to address what causes yellowing leaves on pothos plants, what to do if yours develops them, and how to keep this from happening. When you grow easy-care pothos, some varieties of yellow on its leaves may be desirable. Certain cultivars of Epipremnum aureum, also known as devil’s ivy, have yellow splashes on the variegated leaves, for example. And ‘Neon’ is a light lemon-lime color all over. But when healthy leaves on your houseplant or the cuttings you’re trying to root start turning yellow, you’ve got a problem....

And cultivating a survival garden is not just about preparing for the worst. Growing enough food for your family has many wonderful benefits. It is impossible to know exactly what the future may hold, but if you want to be as ready as possible for a potential emergency, growing your own food is one of the most useful things you can do. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Fortunately, they are easy to grow in containers, which can be particularly advantageous if you are worried about them spreading. Morning glories, Ipomoea purpurea, are quick-growing vines, popular for their colorful flowers that open each morning from summer until the first frost of fall. Reaching between six and 10 feet in height, this fairly aggressive plant can take over a garden if you aren’t careful. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

As painless as the process is, there are a few tricks you should know to ensure your success. To that end, this is what you can expect in the coming guide: One of my favorite things about pothos is how ridiculously, absurdly easy they are to grow. More than once, I’ve gone on vacation or gotten super busy and forgot to be the good plant parent I know I should be....

But when we talk about snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.), it’s easy to become lost in the jargon. What is a butterfly snapdragon? Or a Group II plant? How does an intermediate differ from a summer type? And what the heck is a series?! Snapdragons are iconic. They have to be one of the most recognizable types of flowers out there. Who hasn’t walked past a patch and longed to give the little jaws a pinch?...

When I was a kid in Williamsburg, Virginia, our family grew flowers and the occasional parsley or bell pepper plant. Solanum lycopersicum ‘Yellow Pear’ You never forget your first. Homegrown heirloom tomato plant, that is. Well, I haven’t, at least. It was a ‘Yellow Pear,’ purchased during one of the first years I lived in Knoxville, Tennessee. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

But when, exactly, do flowers in the Viola genus bloom? Pansies, violets, and violas are some of my favorite flowers. These perky, cheerful blooms all belong to the same genus, Viola, but they are diverse in size and color. Known for being prolific bloomers, they’re perfect for beginning gardeners because of how easy they are to grow, and valued by longtime gardeners for the same reason. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

You’ll find at least one species that will work for you no matter where you are in the continental US, as well as some options for Canadian gardeners. If you have decided to grow milkweed to help monarch butterflies on their migratory routes, let me join our fluttery orange friends in thanking you! Since milkweeds are larval host plants for monarchs, increased plantings of these wildflowers will help populations of these regal butterflies in their efforts to make their grand migrations, a phenomenon which is in peril....

We’re going to get up close and personal with a mere handful of the many different types of orchids that exist in the world. Orchids are fascinating plants with incredibly attractive flowers. The blooms appear in a myriad of colors, shapes, and patterns on plants with many different foliage types. And luckily for those of us without the luxury of having a greenhouse in our backyards, there are many different types of orchids that can be grown indoors as houseplants – making it entirely possible to find the one that is our perfect match!...

Growing apple trees may seem daunting, but it’s a rewarding investment. Let’s get started. Malus domestica I have to admit, when somebody says, “Imagine a tree,” I envision an apple tree, and when they say “Think about a fruit,” my mind jumps to apples right away. It only makes sense that I think growing apple trees is a gardening high art. Part of that love and appeal comes from being raised on an old apple orchard....

Cultivars like ‘Genovese’ produce large, green leaves with a sweet flavor of cinnamon or cloves. Thai varieties have narrow leaves with a distinct hint of anise to their flavor, plus gorgeous spires of purple flowers. And there are striking purple-leaf and variegated varieties as well. Beloved for its sweetly spicy flavor, aromatic basil is easy to grow from seed for a steady harvest over the entire growing season. Many different varieties are available for home gardens, each with their own unique charm and characteristics....

Some trees can live for thousands of years, like bristlecone pines, and others are here for just a few decades, like some palms. Japanese maples fall somewhere in the middle. You spend time searching for the perfect Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and you shell out your hard-earned money to buy the biggest one you can afford – and that’s only the beginning. Then you need to dig that giant hole and plant the darn thing, not to mention all the care that goes into raising it....

Mother Nature has gifted our northern friends with a number of rosemary varieties that can withstand the chill and still reward with garden interest and palate pleasure. As the Mediterranean is the source of so much goodness on our dinner tables, it’s hardly a surprise that the region is also home to rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), the pungent member of the mint family that adds the perfect flavor to many dishes....

While they may not be the easiest plant to grow, they aren’t all that difficult either. You just need to be sure to give them a few specific conditions that they crave, including high heat and lots of humidity. Plerandra elegantissima There are some houseplants out there that take a bit of extra work to keep happy, but they’re so beautiful that they’re worth it. False aralia is one of those plants....