Posts

In this article, we’ll consider 11 reasons for cauliflower not forming heads. Cauliflower can be a challenging vegetable to grow in the home garden. It has very specific needs, and when they aren’t met, your harvest basket may be full of green leaves, but no heads. And while the foliage is delicious, it’s a disappointing season finale. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

These 25 plants range from low-profile ground covers to bushes the size of small trees. When spring arrives, why not welcome it with a garden full of blossoms to chase the winter blues away? In this article, you will discover 25 of the best early spring flowering bulbs, perennials, and shrubs to awaken your garden from its winter slumber. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

The Rhododendron Handbook now lists over 800 species and 10,000 registered cultivars – and there are even more listed with the American Rhododendron Society. Few shrubs can match the fantastic flower power that azaleas are loved for. Reliable, vivid colors, masses of blooms, and easy-care maintenance make them a favorite among flowering shrubs. While most folks tend to think of azaleas as spring flowering, there are many types that bloom in summer and fall as well....

In this guide, we’ll cover how to identify peach twig borers and what you can do to control them. Anarsia lineatella The peach twig borer (PTB) is a medium-sized gray moth. Its larvae can cause devastation on stone fruit and almond crops in Europe, north Africa, North America, and Asia. This pest originates in Europe and was first identified in the US in California in the 1880s. It attacks a variety of stone fruits, including peaches, apricots, plums, prunes, and nectarines....

With so many pests, diseases, and other problems just waiting to plague your plants, it’s important to find the right spot, at the right time, and put them in the ground the right way. Any plant is going to do better in the long term if it has the ideal setup to begin with, and this is particularly true for roses. Given that a rose plant will likely be with you for at least a few decades to come, you don’t want to slouch on setting it up right....

In this article, you’ll learn how to cultivate this landscape plant for foundation or stand-alone placements, as well as mixed borders and hedges. Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’ (Mellow Yellow) Baby’s breath spirea, Spiraea thunbergii, is an ornamental woody shrub in the Rosaceae family. It has gracefully arching stems and slender, slightly-serrated lanceolate leaves. The ‘Ogon’ cultivar, S. thumbergii ‘Ogon’, aka Mellow Yellow, is noteworthy for its early spring bloom time and golden leaves....

In other words, they’re beautiful and versatile. Oh, and did I forget to mention that they’re not prone to pests and diseases? Papaveraceae Family There’s a reason that poppies make an appearance in so much artwork and in so many gardens across the world. They’re dazzling. The paper-thin petals are incredibly elegant, in shades that range from eye-poppingly vibrant to soft and subtle. The blooms can be petite and simple or massive and full....

One such plant is the coral bark Japanese maple, which – in addition to stunning spring, summer, and fall foliage – also looks amazing in winter. Acer palmatum Back when I was in high school, there were a fair number of jocks, i.e. sport-playing athletic people. And while the single-sport kids made it pretty far, it was the multi-sport folks who were the greatest athletes. The ones who played a different sport every season had the most adaptability, cross-conditioning, and all-around physical awesomeness....

There are maroon blossoms and dwarf plants, and flowers that are frilly and full like a giant marigold. Quick, picture a black-eyed Susan. I bet you imagined a daisy-like yellow flower with a black center, right? It’s true, black-eyed Susans don’t have the variability that something like roses or poppies do. People might assume the blooms generally have the same appearance and a similar color. But there’s actually quite a bit of variety available....

But during the early 2010s, impatiens started to fall out of favor because they were hit so hard by downy mildew. Impatiens walleriana Impatiens are famous for their ability to liven up a shady corner of the yard. Even deep shade doesn’t phase them much. And we aren’t talking about adding just a bit of greenery to a shady spot. Oh no, we’re talking vibrant mounds of pink, white, and purple....

Add to that the fact that you can make dozens of little baby monsteras (as they’re also known) with very little effort, and it’s clear to see why this beauty has popped up in stylish spaces practically everywhere. Monstera adansonii, deliciosa, pinnatipartita There are certain houseplants out there that shall remain unnamed (including one in particular that rhymes with middleleaf jig…) that have gained massive popularity despite being royal pains in the you-know-what to grow....

A light frost even improves the flavor, adding sweet notes to plants that may have become bitter in the summer months. Will kale grow in containers? You bet it will! In fact, this cabbage-family super veggie is one of the easiest of garden greens to grow. And just a few plants can keep you and your family supplied with a weekly harvest almost year-round! Being a cool weather and frost-hardy crop, it lasts well into winter....

Read on to learn why a spider plant may wilt, and some ways to help it bounce back. Spider plants are an attractive and easy to care for houseplant, which makes them a popular choice for indoor gardening. If you are like me, however, and tend to completely forget about your houseplants for weeks or – I’ll admit it – sometimes months on end, you may find yourself faced with a wilting spider plant....

Rusts don’t kill their hosts, but they don’t do them any favors either. This type of rust is found throughout the world wherever turnips are grown. Albugo candida White rust, caused by Albugo candida, afflicts turnip leaves and flowers and used to be considered a fungal disease. The organism has been reclassified and is now no longer a fungus. It is a water mold – a relative of brown algae....

I’ll share the benefits of deadheading here, and let you know when and how to perform this beneficial task. This is the information I’ll cover: It may sound a wee bit excessive to suggest the ongoing chore of deadheading for a flower like bachelor’s buttons. After all, the plant with the botanical name Centaurea cyanus and nickname cornflower grows so rampantly that in some areas, it’s considered invasive. But even with that vigor, bachelor’s buttons will appreciate the assist....

These flowers give way to brown seed pods, which burst forth to scatter ripened seeds in a dramatic fashion. Caesalpinia pulcherrima Ever wanted the majesty of a tree and the glory of a floral display, all in the same plant? Want all that with a side of drought-tolerance and attractiveness to pollinators? Well, look no further than the peacock flower, aka the red bird of paradise. This evergreen tree or shrub has dark green, bipinnate compound leaves on thorny stems that can provide a gorgeous screen if desired....

Growing angelica is pretty easy once you get started, and it will reward you with a unique source of food, flavoring, and herbal remedies. Angelica archangelica If you are looking to add some flair to your herb garden this year, look no further than angelica. Referred to as the “herb of the sun” by the famous 17th century British herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, this plant will welcome visitors to the garden with its pleasant, aromatic scent and impressive stature....

Now, I plan to plant celery in my next summer garden here in Alaska. Garden celery tastes much better than the store-bought stuff, and it’s time to properly introduce my three-year-old son to one of my favorite childhood snacks. Apium graveolens I’ll admit it: as a kid, walking past the soldierly rows of celery in my mom’s garden made me shudder. Celery was the stringy offender in the otherwise pleasant garden vegetable soup she offered up on summer nights....

How do you plant cosmos in a container? It’s easy, and there are several advantages to growing them in pots that we’ll cover in detail in this guide. Are you a wildflower fan without a meadow of your own to seed? Create your own mini potted display by planting cosmos in containers instead. Their wispy, fernlike clouds of foliage and showy blossoms that seem to float ethereally above them will surely satiate the desire for summer blooms buzzing with bees and butterflies....

Carving squashes have been grown and hybridized to have that classic, large Halloween look, while pie pumpkins aren’t there for looks (though they’re often adorable.) The biggest pumpkins make for the best pie, right? Well… maybe not. Most cultivars are edible, and you can make pie out of your giant ‘Jack-O-Lantern’ or ‘Howden’ Halloween gourds, but the flesh tends to be watery, stringy, and not-so-sweet. So what are the best pumpkins for pies, purees, and other sweet treats?...