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But these hearty bulbs also love to be transplanted and respond quickly to division with fast, vigorous growth. Grape hyacinths are a beautiful addition to the early spring garden. Stout stands of tightly clustered flowers bloom in bright shades of blue, purple, white, and even yellow and have a delicious, fruity fragrance. These little plants make a reliable addition to beds, borders, and containers and naturalize readily in meadows, woodlands, or just about anywhere they’re scattered....

They’re truly ideal houseplants for beginners and experienced growers alike. Peperomia spp. Peperomias are marvelously diverse, ranging from petite bright green plants that trail out of hanging baskets to two-foot-tall upright specimens with striking wrinkled foliage and purple stems. Some look like succulents, while others are bushy and lush. What they have in common is that they’re all tolerant of drought, don’t demand much light, and they add gorgeous greenery to your home without much maintenance at all....

Fall crops may also succumb to frost or freezes, which may cause ice crystals to form and break the cells in the plant tissue, leaving you with dead, inedible leaves. Leaf lettuce is one of the fastest-maturing vegetables you can plant in your garden or in a container. The seeds are inexpensive, too, and it’s quite simple to sow and maintain them. But all that convenience won’t mean much if you don’t pay close attention to when and how to harvest this type of Lactuca sativa....

This plant is easily confused with another jumbo-size, bodacious tropical, Monstera deliciosa, which also has divided leaves and grows to be big and tall. Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (formerly Philodendron selloum syn. P. bipinnatifidum) The philodendron houseplant is such a reliable old friend, and so commonplace, that you might tend to overlook it in favor of more remarkable species. But then along comes the tree philodendron, sometimes called lacy leaf, split leaf, or horsehead philodendron, a species that’s so large and bold you can’t help but take notice....

But regardless of what it’s officially called, rosemary is still one of the most rewarding herbs to grow in the garden. Salvia rosmarinus (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) It’s official. Rosemary has been stripped of its own genus. As of 2017, thanks to botanical DNA testing, its taxonomy has changed – but not much else. It’s still the same beloved, fragrant herb with a bittersweet, piney flavor. It still makes an outstanding, aromatic ornamental....

So that your crop is ripened to perfection, you’ll want to know how to tell when exactly your apples are ripe as well as some of the finer points of the actual picking process. How do you harvest an apple? Does that seem like a dumb question? I mean, you just reach out and grab it off the tree, don’t you? Actually, there are a few considerations to take into account before you reach out for that lovely autumn fruit....

Don’t despair! It’s no big deal, this just means you should probably plant a few extras so that you have more than you want. And if more take off than you expect, they make a lovely gift. You know how sometimes you have a plant that just seems to do exceptionally well in your garden? Or you fall in love with a neighbor’s rose bush? Or maybe a rose you love is entering its senior years?...

Our Le Creuset Cyber Monday deals collection can help you find the perfect new purchase for your kitchen. A truly versatile cooking tool, the Le Creuset Deep Dutch Oven can be used for slow-cooking, roasting, baking and frying, across both the stove and the oven. Act fast, colors are already starting to sell out. Year after year, Le Creuset cast iron pieces are highly sought-after item on many lists, from novice cooks to pro chefs....

With awesome large and lush green leaves, the monstera looks simply fabulous in any type of decor. If you want to maintain it without a fuss, then learn everything about Split-leaf Philodendron Care here. Split-leaf Philodendron Also known as the Swiss cheese plant or monstera deliciosa, this popular low-maintenance houseplant is native to Panama, India, and the jungles of Mexico. It features glossy heart-shaped and split foliage. The splits on the foliage are called cuts....

Thirty-five years ago, Bob Piaschyk had no idea that a routine delivery of some live oak trees to his family-owned nursery outside of Dallas would launch a lifelong, dogged pursuit of a new species. That sunny day so many years ago, as his shipment was being unloaded from the delivery truck, the sharp-eyed Piaschyk noticed three specimens that were not like the others. These three didn’t quite look like what live oaks — or any tree he was familiar with — are supposed to look like....

In commercial farming, the answer to this question regarding the goal of pruning is almost always,“for high yields.” There are just about as many opinions for pruning almond trees as there are almond growers. As with pruning trees in general, some experts advise extensive pruning to stimulate growth, while others recommend clipping just a few branches here and there. Still others advocate for throwing your shears away entirely, and doing away with pruning altogether....

Birches, Betula spp., and tulip poplars, Liriodendron tulipifera, are awash in yellow. Autumn is my favorite season – crisp, fresh, and full of promise. I want to wear plaid, sharpen pencils, and buy a new journal. Each year I eagerly anticipate leisurely walks among the brilliantly colored foliage that dots my local landscape. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Even if you don’t live in an arid environment, you can still choose species that naturally conserve water, and do your part to protect precious and dwindling resources. When you think about xerophytic or drought-adapted plants, you might immediately picture a saguaro cactus and other similar species, and you’re not wrong – but there are so many more, and a lot of them are colorful flowers, useful herbs, and beautiful trees....

Are you wondering how to deal with a current spider mite infestation? Or maybe you’re here to learn how to be proactive and deal with them before they become a serious issue for your plants? Tetranychidae When I worked as the integrated pest management (IPM) specialist at an ornamental plant nursery, spider mites were always on my radar. There was no waiting until I saw leaves with damage. No room for surprise web-covered flowers....

But if you see these evergreen plants in the landscape, you can propagate seeds to spread the holiday terror! Er, I mean joy… Phoradendron leucarpum, and other species If you look up during the winter, when all the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, you might spot something still growing up there, tucked in the bare branches. It might be mistletoe, that beautiful parasite that we smooch under during the holidays....

What I didn’t realize in those early days is that growing and harvesting it can be a bit tricky, if you don’t know what to watch out for. I grew up eating broccoli at almost every meal. My mother loves broccoli, almost to an absurd degree, and she made sure to instill that love in all of her children. Whether it was roasted with garlic, steamed in butter, or sauteed in a stir fry, I could almost always count on broccoli making an appearance at the dinner table....

Writer Michael Pollan even described it as one of the two most nutritious wild edible plants, along with lamb’s quarters, in his book “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.” Portulaca oleracea When I told my husband I was planting purslane in the garden, I suspect he thought I’d lost my mind. No doubt he was thinking back to the years when I fought furiously to tug the tenacious weed from my garden beds....

Since its discovery and official documentation in France in 1805, asparagus rust has proven itself to be a pernicious disease that can devastate asparagus crops wherever they are grown. Puccinia asparagi Asparagus rust is a highly complicated fungal disease with four different stages that can invade your plants without showing symptoms until it is too late. Cultivars bred to be resistant to this pathogen often lose effectiveness over time. Read on to learn what symptoms to look for and how to treat your infected plants....

In our Christmas cactus growing guide we discuss how to cultivate this colorful houseplant in your home. The Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera spp., is not a desert cactus. It grows instead in the moist understories of South American rainforests. As a houseplant, it’s easy to maintain in a container of well-draining, organically-rich potting medium in a location with indirect sunlight. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

After all, what’s the fun of falling in love with a specimen you have no chance of finding for your own collection? Prayer plants are loved, at least in part, for their charming habit of lifting their leaves heavenward as the sun goes down every night. But these houseplants are also cherished for the appearance of their stunning foliage. And thanks to the many different species and varieties available, there are a wide array of foliage patterns and color combinations to choose from....