Since it’s so easy to propagate, basil (Ocimum basilicum) earned a spot in my treasured little garden. Every morning that summer I’d leap out of bed and grab my watering can. Watching those tiny green seedlings grow and thrive gave me an unmatched sense of accomplishment. One of the most exciting moments of my childhood was the sweet summer’s day when my mom gave me an entire raised bed in her square foot garden....
There are both early- and late-season varieties, making it possible to plant in succession for multiple harvests. Onions are a vegetable garden favorite. They are members of the large and diverse Allium genus that includes garlic and leeks, and are staples in recipes from countries around the globe. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
In this article, we introduce seven pests common to Christmas cactus and how to manage them. Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera spp., is an umbrella term for species and hybrids of epiphytic tropical flora that grow on trees and rocks, under the canopies of South American rainforests. As houseplants, they are easy to care for, and can be manipulated to bloom each year at a particular time, for many enjoyable holiday seasons....
Here are some great Old Wooden Boards Used to Create Brilliant Vertical Gardens ideas for you to add a beautiful appeal to your home and garden! Have a look at some really eye-catching vertical macrame planter ideas here Old Wooden Boards Used to Create Brilliant Vertical Gardens 1. Hanging Pots on Wooden Planks Create a wooden wall by nailing wooden planks on the wall and hang pots. 2. Mini Wooden Ladder Made from Boards A mini wooden ladder is a great option to hang mini pots and grow herbs....
Whether you need a post-workout protein shake or a frozen margarita for an evening with friends, the best blender can do it all. A big saving for this Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender. Providing consistent results for smoothies, soups, and purée recipes, featuring automated blending and variable speed control, the 64-ounce container can fit snuggly under and in most kitchen cabinets, but is still the perfect size for family meals and entertaining....
What do you do when you want a greenhouse but don’t want to spend a fortune to make it happen? Hit up Craigslist. And that’s just what Jason Ellis of Rock Hill, South Carolina did. He found some free pallet racking and put it to use, converting it into the framework of a spectacular DIY greenhouse. Pallet racking is the metal framework that pallets are stored on in warehouses – similar to giant sized shelving....
Here’s the good news: If you focus on your harvest from the time you select seeds right up until you’re snipping the last cukes from the stems, you can have both – high quality fruits, and loads of them. What’s that expression? Quality is more important than quantity? Or is it the other way around? When you grow cucumbers, both aspects are important, particularly at harvest time. Sure, you can grow dozens of these cool, crispy veggies on every plant, or pick pounds at a time....
Before they reach the kitchen counter, though, you’ll need to harvest them. There’s a bit of a knack to the process, but nothing tough! Whether you mostly eat takeout and warm up frozen dinners or are a dedicated home chef, the harvest season for homegrown scallions is a gleeful time. They’re so handy for chopping to scatter over a frozen dinner entree or even canned soup, or to toss in with taco toppings or a green salad....
Commercial farms often preemptively treat their soil with fumigants. However, these compounds are biocides – they kill all forms of life, including beneficial nematodes, soil microbes, and earthworms. Meloidogyne spp. Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) truly are a menace. There are over 100 species in the Meloidogyne genus found worldwide, and they can affect almost every type of plant. And the worst part about it is that you might not even know that your plants are infested until it is too late to save them....
Native to northeastern Europe and Asia, the colors of wild species are typical of an autumn palette, in hues of red, white, and yellow. Chrysanthemum spp. November’s flower is the delightful chrysanthemum, an easily grown herbaceous perennial that adds a lovely splash of warmth to the cool autumn garden. These late-season flowers can handle a light touch of frost, and colors often deepen and improve with cold weather! A member of the large Asteraceae family, close cousins include asters, cosmos, daisies, dahlias, marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias....
Often overlooked, the lovely little white or yellow blossoms of the magical elder shrub are also edible and medicinal, with some very special benefits of their own. You may have heard talk about the benefits of elderberries, or even come across elderberry syrup on the shelf of your local health food store. But you likely never heard anything about the flowers. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
My Alaskan friends all have rhubarb growing somewhere in their yards or gardens – sometimes planted by them, often planted by whoever first lived on the property. Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) grows all over the place up here in Alaska, and no wonder: it’s a supremely cold-hardy plant, although most cultivars thrive best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8. Like celery, this plant features a firm petiole, or stalk, which is edible. Oh, so very edible....
Some miniature roses grow better than others. There are hybrids and cultivars out there that produce an unimpressive display or that struggle with pests and diseases. Teacup roses are just the thing if you want to fill a small space with the beauty of full-sized roses. These petite bloomers stay small, so you can plant them in containers, use them as a small border, fill in a cramped corner, or add them anywhere else you need a bold display but don’t have a ton of room....
If you want an indoor plant that stands out from the rest, then Elephant Ear Stingray is the best bet! Its leaves might not be as big, but it makes its impact with a distinctive “tail” and “wings” on its foliage! Here’s all you need to know about Alocasia Stingray Care Indoors. Botanical Name: Alocasia macrorrhiza ‘Stingray’ Here are the best Alocasia varieties you can grow Propagating Alocasia Stingray The plant is quite easy to grow, and you can propagate it by rhizome division, and offsets....
Native to southwestern Asia, this non-aggressive, non-invasive perennial grows in bushy clumps one to three feet tall and one and a half to two feet wide. Tanacetum Coccineum Pyrethrum daisy is but one of the many plants that bear the name “daisy,” but it’s certainly an alluring one. Also known as painted daisy, Tanacetum coccineum produces showy, three-inch-wide flowers in a variety of brilliant hues, including red, yellow, white, violet, and pink....
Depending on the variety, they enjoy a range of locations, including some that do well in wet conditions – perfect for those hard-to-grow areas beside a bog or pond! Elegant and stately, irises are beloved for their glorious range of colorful, fragrant flowers and outstanding versatility in the garden. They add charm and grace to beds, borders, and containers, plus numerous landscape settings from cutting gardens to creek banks. This large genus in the Iridaceae family has numerous subgenera, species, sections, and cultivars that give us a fantastic array of plants to choose from....
Many garden chores revolve around elimination – mowing the lawn removes the tops of grass blades, pulling weeds does away with plants out of place, deadheading scraps spent blooms, and so on. Want to keep your bird of paradise plants healthy while gaining a few more, without shelling out any moolah? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Keep reading to learn how to cultivate ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes in your garden. Here’s what we’ll cover: Solanum lycopersicum ‘Cherokee Purple’ ‘Cherokee Purple’ is a delightfully scrumptious beefsteak in the tomato repertoire. A tomato with a story, this garden favorite can purportedly be traced back to Cherokee hands, carefully passed down through the generations. Sizeable in both vine and fruit, this indeterminate heirloom can yield tomatoes weighing up to 12 ounces each!...
That’s a lot to recommend them and we haven’t even started talking about maintenance yet. Or, rather, the lack of it. Creeping junipers truly are “set it and forget it” plants. Juniperus horizontalis Do you know the old saying about how good things come in small packages? Creeping junipers rarely stretch above a foot or so tall, but they make an outsized impact. This species of evergreen comes in some unusual colors like yellow and silver, and they can spread up to 10 feet wide, which means you get a ton of coverage with one easy-going specimen....
Also known as A. palmatum var. dissectum, Japanese weeping maples add the majesty of dissected leaves and a cascading habit to an already-awesome plant. It’s well worth learning how to grow one in your own landscape or garden. Acer palmatum var. dissectum Whether it’s a screaming infant in the theater, a breakup gone horribly wrong, or the ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ scene from “Good Will Hunting,” weeping speaks volumes: “Don’t bring a baby to the movies....
