Do you have an area available that gets afternoon shade and morning sun? If so, you may have the perfect spot for this shade-loving plant. Hydrangea quercifolia You may already know about those fabulously puffy, fluffy hydrangeas, bursting with blue and purple blooms. But do you know their less showy, yet still just as charming sister, H. quercifolia? Commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea, this plant is native to the southeastern region of the United States....

In our guide to growing garden geraniums, we discuss all you need to know to grow your own plants as perennials in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, and as annuals in all temperate zones. We also introduce you to the many modern hybrid series available and their arrays of color options. The garden or zonal geranium, Pelargonium x hortorum, is a geranium by common name only. It is actually a member of the Pelargonium genus, in the large Geraniaceae family of plants....

The end game is to increase the whole garden’s ability to repel pests and attract beneficial insects, improve your soil health, and sometimes to create an appealing garden design. When certain plants produce huge yields, grow fast, and take a lot of nutrients and water, it’s only natural they would become the stars of the garden. Cucumbers, Cucumis sativus, definitely play that role. But if you’re wise, you can make them healthier, happier, and more productive by choosing proper companions as supporting players....

So, much as I would like to pretend like I simply didn’t spot it when I see the evidence of an assault on one or more of my cukes, I always follow up. There are two main reasons why I don’t like to see holes in the cucumbers I grow in my garden. The first was best stated by a work friend’s wife many years ago. She was complaining about chard that had been gnawed on by slugs, but her chosen phrase applies here, too: “I don’t like to eat anything that something else has eaten first....

The cruciferous plants may start flowering and producing seeds, in a process also known as bolting, at two different points in the growing season. It’s so convenient to have a fresh supply of homegrown bok choy available to harvest from your garden at a moment’s notice. You can put stir fries, fresh salads, or smoothies on the table just minutes past picking. But to reach that harvest-ready state, you must carefully choose when to plant bok choy, also known as pak choi, or by its botanical name: Brassica rapa subsp....

Whether you want to grow small, sweet, yellow fruits, big and tangy red-fleshed ones, or something in between, you have plenty of pitaya varieties to choose from. Dragon fruit, also known as pitayas, are available in different sizes, shapes, skin colors, flesh colors, and flavor profiles. And these cultivars have different sun, heat, and cold tolerances. So, when you grow them at home, you’ll want to choose the best one for your growing conditions – and your taste buds!...

There’s no need to sacrifice fresh eating with most canning tomato plant choices, either. What do home gardeners do when the going gets tough? If you’re like me, your thoughts turn to growing foods for stocking up, and canning tomatoes are top of the list. Come to think of it, growing varieties ideal for preserving is a good strategy in prosperous times of absolute certainty, too. It’s always nice to have a taste of summer waiting in the pantry or freezer, or being able to turn an overabundance of tomatoes into salsa and sauce to keep on hand for neighbors and community members, or to give as gifts....

You might have seen these fleshy plants in a shade of green mostly, but there are Succulents that Change Color according to sunlight exposure, watering, and temperature. Find out the best ones in this article. Have a look at some stunning colorful succulents here Why Succulents Change their Colors? Sun, water, and temperature play a vital role in determining the color of succulents. These plants take their best color when exposed to more sun and might appear dull and pale if they don’t get proper light....

But then you started doing some research and realized that the jury was out on whether these beauties were such a good addition after all. Calendula: the ultimate garden charmer. Pretty, medicinal, tasty as tea, and easy to grow, you may have grabbed a packet of seeds during your spring fever with plans to liberally sprinkle these plants throughout your garden this year. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

The benefits of transplanting or direct-seeding bok choy in a pot don’t stop with mere space saving, either. Since bok choy is suitable for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11, just about anyone in the US can grow their own supply of the cruciferous leafy green. And don’t rule yourself out just because you’re an apartment dweller, or don’t have the space or the energy to keep up with a full-size vegetable patch....

I hate it when everyone tells me a plant is impossible to kill. If it starts to look sick, I feel like a failure. Obviously, they provide beautiful color to shady spots, but that’s not the only reason hostas are so wildly popular. They’re also low maintenance and extremely resistant to disease (we won’t talk about slugs, however). So when your hosta looks like someone beat it up with a baseball bat, it can be extra distressing....

With its striking and unusual flowers, this North American species brings bright splashes of color to the landscape, but needs little to no upkeep in return. Ratibida columnifera If you’re looking for a drought-tolerant perennial with a slightly quirky vibe, meet your new favorite prairie native – Mexican hat! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Soil that is composed of aggregates (smaller fragments) will be less likely than individual particles to be blown away by the wind or taken up by water – both major causes of soil erosion. Hopefully you don’t think of soil as just dirt. Soil is actually an incredibly complex ecosystem, with billions of organisms found in a single teaspoonful. These organisms range from fungi and bacteria to earthworms, nematodes, and insects....

In this article, we discuss guidelines for choosing the best time to plant bulbs, and what to do if you miss this optimal window of opportunity. Most of our favorite flowers that grow from bulbs bloom in the spring. But when is the best time to plant them? Bulb flowers such as allium, crocus, cyclamen, daffodil, fritillaria, iris, Siberian squill, and tulip should be planted in the fall, so they can undergo the winter chilling they need to bloom in the springtime....

An Accomplished Author Jessica Walliser is a renowned horticulturist who received her formal training from Penn State University. She is the co-host of the acclaimed Pittsburgh radio program, “The Organic Gardeners,” and a former contributing editor of Organic Gardening magazine. Jessica Walliser’s new book, Gardener’s Guide to Compact Plants: Edibles and Ornamentals for Small-Space Gardening, contains all you need to create a lush setting on a restricted scale that’s laden with flowers, fruits, and vegetables....

On the flipside, there are folks who are ready and eager to toss on a backpack sprayer and spray away dandelions, gout weed, and every last creepy-crawler in a hundred-yard radius. Pesticides and other chemical applications are a viable solution, damn it. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t spray! Applying chemicals to the garden and yard can be a tricky thing. Too much and you’ve overdosed the landscape, but too little and you’ve done nothing but waste your money by pouring it down the drain....

ASTILBE X ARENDSII It took me far too long to discover the beauty and special quality of the shade garden. Since I’ve always been into those tough, hard-scrabble plants that eke out a living in any condition, the idea of a garden full of particular and at times sensitive plants was not of interest to me. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve discovered a keen appreciation for these gardens and the plants that call them home....

In this article you will learn when and how to harvest rutabaga, proper storage techniques, as well as ways to cook and enjoy this versatile veggie. So you planted a rutabaga patch this year. If you’re anything like me, you are walking through your garden every day, impatiently awaiting the moment you can harvest and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You see those greens growing, and perhaps the bulbs beneath expanding....

Read on to learn how to identify and control cedar apple rust in your garden or home orchard. Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae Rusts are fungi that will not kill their hosts, although they sure make them suffer. There is even a term for pathogens that require living hosts: biotrophs (in contrast to necrotrophs, pathogens that kill their host and live off the dead tissue). Think Gloria Gaynor – your plants will survive! However, repeated infections of this pathogen can seriously weaken and destroy the health of susceptible plants....

If you want to know all the secrets about transferring your old plants to a new container then have a look at these top Mistakes to Avoid When Repotting Houseplants. Here is all you need to know about repotting indoor plants correctly When to Re-Pot the Houseplants? Before you decide to re-pot any plant, look for the following signs so you can determine whether it’s time to repot your plants or not....