Daucus carota sativus ‘Chantenay’ Sometimes a garden presents you with an unexpected reason to rejoice. Usually that’s a flower – an unanticipated crocus blooming in the snow, or a crepe myrtle, presumed dead, sending up fresh growth. But my personal favorite garden surprise involved vegetables, during the first season I grew ‘Chantenay’ carrots. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Inevitably, when people talk about galangal, they want to compare it to ginger. And that’s understandable. Alpinia galanga If you like Southeast Asian cuisine, then you need to become good friends with galangal. This delicious rhizome is indispensable in Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Malaysian cuisine. Sure, you can buy it at just about any store with a respectable range of produce, but growing it takes relatively little effort, and you have a beautiful ornamental in the meantime....

Asparagus growers have been aware of Fusarium crown and root rot since at least 1908, and things have not improved much since then. Fusarium and Phytophthora crown and root rot can devastate asparagus plots and cause a total loss of yields. There are steps you can take to minimize the stress to your plants and enhance their chances of survival. Learn how to identify and treat these diseases with our guide....

But I made some changes and I don’t find those big pieces of shell in my compost anymore. You don’t have to either. While eggs may be the delight of many home cooks, eggshells can be the bane of many home composters. I remember my reaction when I dug in to harvest my very first batch of finished compost. I was thrilled that all of my food waste and garden trimmings had magically transformed into a beautiful, brown, humus-like substance!...

But fertilizing is one element that you must pay attention to if you want to achieve an abundant crop. Next to pruning, it’s probably the thing that will have the biggest impact on your berry harvest. Munching on a ripe blackberry is a sensory experience that is hard to replicate: the snap between your teeth then the rush of juice, and the crack of the tiny seeds. Blackberry bushes are pretty reliable....

What is square foot gardening, and where did it come from? What’s so great about it? Why do people still use the method in gardens today, and why is it so popular? It’s been a buzzword in the gardening world for decades: the square foot garden, a revolution in small space gardening everywhere. It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what this basic concept entails. It involves carefully measuring gardening plots....

Whether you love a bright splash of bold and highly saturated color, or muted pastels are more to your taste, you’ll find just what you’re looking for right here. When you think of echinacea, chances are that the typical purple coneflower comes to mind, attractive to pollinators and herbalists alike, as well as wildflower aficionados everywhere. But, wait. What’s that? You’re looking for more variety? Blossoms bursting forth in all colors of the rainbow?...

There are many different types, some aggressive and some harmless. Which ones may need controlling, when, and how? All of this and more is laid out for you below! Vespidae Wasps, often miscalled bees, are probably one of the least favorite of all six-legged backyard friends and foes, and for good reason. They buzz around your head, they sit on your food and crawl into your drink, and they may sting....

In this guide, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about growing wood hyacinth in your garden. Hyacinthoides hispanica Wood hyacinth, aka Spanish bluebell, is a flowering perennial bulb that’s suitable for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8. These versatile spring bloomers provide a riot of blue-lavender, pink, or white bell-shaped flowers from April to May. Low maintenance and robust, wood hyacinths were regarded as a staple in many old English gardens, and the blooms are still loved today....

Beyond being a seriously traumatizing dining experience if you go to take a bite from a fruit that’s been infested, they can also cause the fruit to drop from the bush, so you lose out on that tasty harvest you’ve been working so hard to cultivate. And no one wants that! Epochra canadensis (syn. Euphranta canadensis) If you’ve ever plucked a juicy, ripe gooseberry from the plant and taken a bite, only to be horrified to discover a tiny white maggot has taken up residence in the middle of the fruit, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget....

We call columbine an ephemeral because it makes a brief appearance in the spring, often in the company of other early bloomers, like the crocus, hellebore, and snowdrop. Aquilegia viridiflora Ornamental green columbine, Aquilegia viridiflora, aka green-flowering columbine, is one of about 70 Aquilegia species in the Ranunculaceae, or buttercup family. The species in this genus and their cultivated varieties are suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9....

Commercial breeders have extended the color palette of this butterfly favorite by developing varieties that display a rainbow of colors: pink, deep red, orange, purple, and lavender. Coreopsis spp. Because it has so many redeeming qualities, we’re willing to overlook the origin of tickseed’s scientific name, Coreopsis. It comes from a combination of two Greek words: “koris,” meaning bedbug, and “opsis,” meaning view. Paints a pretty picture, doesn’t it? Well, while the etymology may not be lovely, the flower certainly is....

This attractive red-veined or blonde-green plant is also attractive in cool-weather window boxes, or as part of an edible landscape. But it is worth mentioning one minor drawback: Rumex acetosa, R. sanguineus, R. scutatus Tart on the taste buds and a rich source of nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, and iron, sorrel is one tough, delicious plant. This perennial herb or ornamental is adapted to USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9....

So I gave up and decided I’d have to settle for store-bought pesto. But as soon as the earth in my garden thawed, what did I sow first? The first spring I spent in Alaska, I got a strong hankering for fresh basil. I craved sandwiches on ciabatta bread with mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato slices, and aromatic basil leaves. Nothing could taste more like summer, and when you live in Alaska, summer is a glorious and highly anticipated, though short, season....

If this has happened to you, take a deep breath and keep reading. If the fruit is close enough to maturity, you can still help it to turn orange. Accidents happen. This is one of the universal truths of life, and it’s also true of pumpkins, my favorite fall fregetables. Take this scenario, for example: You’ve been growing several gorgeous gourds on a strong, hardy vine, and they’re getting larger every day....

Below are some of my favorite species and cultivars, and ones that you can often find at nurseries. There are lots more, though, so keep an eye out as you build your collection! I have a soft spot in my heart for the underdog, and scented geraniums (also called pelargoniums) are the underdog of the geranium world. For the most part, they aren’t as showy as their cousins, the zonal or garden geraniums....

These Pictures of Cascading Plants in Home are all you need to get inspired into growing them in your rooms! Here are the best trailing plants for hanging baskets Pictures of Cascading Plants in Home 1. Creeping Jenny Botanical Name: Lysimachia nummularia 2. Little Missy Botanical Name: Sedum ‘Little Missy’ 3. Rocktrumpet Botanical Name: Mandevilla 4. Purple Heart Botanical Name: Tradescantia pallida 5. English Ivy Botanical Name: Hedera helix 6. Arrowhead Plant Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum...

Houseplants are the best way to add a touch of greenery in the homes. Picking a variety that offers a dash of colors in the foliage can make it a tad more interesting for your rooms! Here are some best Colorful Houseplants, which you should grow indoors to fill your interior with the colors of nature! Check out our article at tricolor houseplants here 1. Pink Polka Dot Plant Botanical Name: Hypoestes phyllostachya...

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. With 80 organic recipes for essentials like compost, fertilizer, and pest deterrents, as well as instructions on soil testing, plant propagation, and attracting beneficial pollinators, it’s got everything you need to restore your gardens to a more natural, self-sustaining state. In this article, we’ll discuss the book in depth, to help you determine if it deserves a place on your gardening shelf....

Before then, I had no idea that green flowers existed. And that very moment was the start of a love affair with these interesting plants that still continues today! One of my most cherished memories as a gardener is from the 1960s, when I first set eyes on a green Primula auricula – common name mountain cowslip, and a close relative to primroses. This happened to be at an auricula show, though it was more of an informal garden visit with the horticultural college where I was attending evening classes....