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Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love fiddle-leaf figs, and I understand their appeal. They’re just quite particular about what they like and don’t like. But they’re hard to beat if you want a plant that makes a serious statement in your home or office. Ficus lyrata You’ve seen it in stylish hotel lobbies and on the Instagram accounts of the trendiest designers. It’s the hard-to-miss, oh-so-dramatic fiddle-leaf fig, also known as the banjo fig, or the lyre leaf tree....

Planting chamomile in a pot keeps things under control. You can still enjoy those pretty little white flowers, even if you only have a tiny spot in the corner of your apartment balcony. Chamomile is a marvelous medicinal herb with beautiful blooms. But let’s be honest: it can be a bit boisterous in the garden. It’s one of those plants that you start growing, only to find a few years later that it has reseeded, and volunteers have started popping up all over the place....

So, which type should you plant, and when? Winter is a time when most crops go dormant or have died off for the season in many areas, leaving a brown, slumbering landscape in the garden. But there are a number of vegetables that can be grown in the winter. Onions can be planted in the fall to begin their growth cycle and get a jump on the next season, for an early harvest....

Indoor gardening with terrariums is a fun and attractive way to incorporate plants into any home décor. In Victorian times, renowned physician Nathanial Bagshaw Ward was pursuing a passion for botany and conducting an experiment with moths, when he discovered that he could cultivate rare ferns inside a bottle. This led him to develop a glass vessel for nurturing imported plant specimens. The “Wardian case” is the predecessor of the terrarium....

Although some claim that you can just plant them and that’s all that there is to it, that’s not really the case. Plants that Contain Citronella, And Why you Need to Buy Insect Repellent I’m going to be straight with you. You cannot run over to your local garden center or hop online and purchase a plant (or thirty) that will make your summer backyard gatherings mosquito-free. It’s just not going to happen....

Garden-fresh tomatoes are juicy and flavorful that they will surely ruin store-bought ones for you. But don’t fret, as you can grow your own delicious garden tomatoes without a garden landscape at all. Here are the Best Tomato Varieties for Hanging Baskets that take a very little space! Here are the best tomatoes varieties you can grow in pots Best Tomato Varieties for Hanging Baskets 1. Micro-Tom Created and bred by the University of Florida in 1989, Micro-Tom was declared the world’s most miniature tomato variety....

And therein lies the kicker for those of us in the southern parts of the country. In the plant world, when does “full sun” not really mean full sun? When you live in a place that gets really, really hot for a really long time. When we go to the garden store, and our attention is captured by an interesting-looking species that’s new to us, we’ll often look for that little plastic pick that’s inserted into the pot, or if it’s a seed packet we’re intrigued by, we’ll flip it over to learn more....

I got to travel to Jamaica to see some of the places where my dad and grandparents had lived after leaving Cuba, their home country. Agapanthus spp. Every kid in my tiny elementary school thought I was a strange girl because I kept a jar of sand on my desk. But it wasn’t just any sand. It was sand my dad had brought back from a trip to Honduras for me, to sate my obsession with turquoise-watered and white-sanded beaches....

Baked into bread, whipped into ice cream, baked with chicken, grilled with octopus, or simmered in a curry, this lemony wonder can do it all. Plus, it’s still perfect for all those classic uses in tea, potpourri, soap, and lotions. Aloysia triphylla For years, lemon verbena has been valued for its incredible fragrance and medicinal uses, and some people regularly enjoy it in tea. But I think this humble woody herb deserves a lot more love than it has gotten....

If these big-eared pests have become a big problem for you, there are lots of attractive flowering options they won’t gobble. There are some furry critters that will nibble just a few flowers or fresh shoots from your garden, and that’s okay. But rabbits, well, they can go too far. When they start consuming such large portions of your precious flowering plants that you stop using the word “cute” to describe the babies, or you don’t find Bugs Bunny to be quite so funny anymore, well, it’s time to take action....

It’s not just about the fruit, though. Apples are moderately quick-growing hardwood trees, which means you can make them into an elegant, dramatic piece of visual art within your lifetime. If there’s a more eye-catching bonsai than an apple tree in fruit, I don’t know what it is. The contrast in scale between the full-sized fruits on the tiny tree is pretty striking. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

If you live in a growing zone that is pleasing to this shrub, I highly recommend giving elderberries a chance. Though they are not widely known, elderberries are one of the most versatile and productive plants in the garden world. Native to many parts of the United States, they have offered shade, protection, beautiful flowers, and tasty berries to their keepers and the local wildlife for generations. In short, they require very little care and give back so much!...

Let’s learn why you should plant in autumn, what “fall” really means, and how to plant woody plants! The cooler temperatures of fall are an invitation to leave the blast-chiller air conditioning behind, and step outside and enjoy that certain crispness that characterizes autumn. And while you’re out there, why not install a few shrubs into your landscape? As with trees, autumn is generally considered to be the best time to plant ornamental bushes....

Also known as “spekboom” or “dwarf jade,” this succulent makes an excellent houseplant that is supremely easy to care for and fun to propagate. Portulacaria afra Hey people, it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room. Or at least, an elephant that you’ll be happy to have in your room – I’m talking about your new favorite houseplant, elephant bush! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Wonderfully diverse, they come in a huge variety of colors, sizes, and shapes suitable for many interior settings. Gorgeous grasses add immense appeal to our outdoor gardens and yards – but did you know they make beautiful houseplants as well? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. You can create a cool green mini-meadow in a glass bowl with grains like wheat (Triticum aestivum) or add a fiery potted New Zealand sedge (Carex testacea) to your holiday decorations....

Sunflowers are gorgeous plants that can brighten up any space. Here’s all you need to know about How To Grow Sunflowers On The Balcony to attract attention from people and bees alike! Check out our article on the best yellow flowers here Best Types of Sunflowers for the Balcony As sunflowers can get quite tall, you must choose a variety that stays compact while giving you big yellow flowers! Dwarf Sunflowers are the best choice, and here are the best ones you can grow!...

This hardy perennial grows quickly and easily, has beautiful flowers, and best of all, it can provide a completely free nutrient-rich source of fertilizer which can be used all season long. Fertilizing gardens can be costly, especially if you are an organic grower. And even fertilizers labeled organic may contain some undesirable chemicals. They are also packaged in plastic, made in factories, and shipped long distances. Finding truly sustainable, healthy, and cost-effective solutions can sometimes be frustrating....

If you’re looking for some new feeders for your backyard, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve reviewed 13 models, including: The most inviting gardens teem with life, and a great way to liven things up is to add bird feeders to your outdoor landscape. One of my favorites is a tubular unit that I fill with thistle seed to attract goldfinches. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

In addition to being popular in the kitchen, the horseradish plant has its fans — and a history — in the medicinal plant world, too. Armoracia rusticana While it’s quite possible you’ve tasted horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) and appreciated its sinus-clearing and deliciously flavorful bite, has it ever occurred to you to grow it? How fun would it be to mix up a batch of Bloody Mary drinks for your brunch guests, using your own homegrown horseradish?...

Aloe Vera and all the other plants that belong to this genus are warm-climate plants but can be grown in cold temperate regions as well. This succulent is a low-maintenance plant and is often killed due to extra care. You can either grow it in a pot or on the ground. But if you live below USDA Zone 9, plant it in a pot because it doesn’t tolerate frost. Aloe Plant Care & Growing Requirements *Do you know a well-cared aloe vera plant can live up to 100 years?...