Trees Are you looking for a magnolia that blooms in beautiful shades of purple? There are plenty of different magnolias that bloom in all shades of purple, from light lavender to deep purple. In this article, gardening expert Melissa Strauss looks at her favorite magnolias with purple blooms. By Melissa Strauss Last updated: November 3, 2022 | 6 min read Upon hearing the name Magnolia, many people picture the classic Southern Magnolia (M....

If you are anything like me, you love to garden but also know that sometimes it can be difficult to know how to start out. This is especially true if you live in an apartment or don’t really have the space to start a garden, and if money is tight. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to garden in a small space, all while sticking to your budget and not breaking the bank....

I’m not much of a Christmas guy. Okay, let’s be honest: you might as well call me Scrooge McGrinch. The only parts of the holiday season I find joyful are watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and lacing my coffee with bourbon. For better or for worse, the gardening and landscaping company where I work does a tremendous amount of Christmas decorating for our clients. We wrap garlands, hang wreaths, and set up lights on indoor and outdoor trees....

Information Are you thinking of planting some hostas this season, but want to make sure they won't end up as deer chow before you start? In this article, certified master gardener and hosta enthusiast Laura Elsner walks through what you can expect from your local deer population if you decide to start adding hostas to your garden this season. By Laura Elsner Last updated: July 31, 2022 | 6 min read Hostas are leafy garden marvels....

Foundation plants are the first thing people see when they come to your home. So it’s important to choose the ones that looks the best. In this post, I share a list of my favorite perennials and shrubs for landscaping around your house. One of the best ways to increase curb appeal in front of your house is to use stunning foundation plants. From evergreen bushes to flowering perennials, there are many landscaping ideas you can use to add visual interest to your home....

If you want a Houseplant with Red Berries, that too during the festive time, then grow Ardisia crenata, which is also popular as a Christmas Berry plant, with the help of this care and growing guide. Common Names: Coral Bush, Hen’s-Eyes, Spiceberry, Scratch Throat, Chrismas Berry, Australian Holly Have a look at the How to Grow Blackberries in Pots Easily at Home here Christmas Berry Information Also known as spiceberry or Australian holly, in its native habitat in Asia and Australia, this compact shrub from the Primulaceae family grows up to 3 to 6 feet tall in the right growing conditions indoors....

Borage is one of the most enjoyable and easiest annuals to grow, and a must-have for anyone interested in natural, cottage, or potager style gardening. I have been growing borage for more years than I can remember, but I have only ever sown it once! This beautiful herb with its vibrant blue flowers repays me every year with an abundance of self-seeded borage plants to grow for another year. They are a clear signal that spring has arrived and summer is on its way....

Growing marjoram is rewarding, and their care is simple. In this post I’ll show you everything you need to know in order to have the best success. Learn how to grow fragrant marjoram to make a wonderful addition to your garden. It’s a low maintenance plant that’s great for beginners who want to enjoy home grown herbs. This guide will help anyone start growing marjoram by sharing all the essential care steps it takes to keep it thriving....

QUESTION: How do you know when carrots are ready to harvest? When should I harvest them? What about the carrot greens? -Ginny S. ANSWER: Carrots are typically ready to harvest 40 to 55 days after sowing seed. If harvesting the greens, they are ready to harvest when they reach four to six inches in height. If you are only harvesting the leaves, cut them from the plant when they reach the appropriate size, taking care to leave 1 inch or so of leaves above the crown of the plant....

Pitcher plants also become dormant during winter – so if you’re lucky enough to have these guys growing in your garden or home, there are some things you can do to make this time as comfortable for them as possible. Winter is a time to chill – both literally and figuratively. Besides the decreasing temperatures, wintertime is when everything slows down, so to speak. Many animals go into hibernation, while nearly all plants stop growing and greatly reduce their metabolic activity....

Applying fertilizers of various types can help to support blooms, foliage, and fruit; boost production; and even aid in pest and disease resistance. But which type is the best vegetable fertilizer? Most of us want our veggie garden to produce bumper crops, don’t we? Whether we’re feeding a family, sharing with friends and neighbors, selling from a produce stand, or canning and preserving for future use, abundance is usually what we’re aiming for....

By Matt Gibson Also known as goldbugs, or golden lady bugs, golden tortoise beetles are a common garden pest that chew through the leaves of various plants, especially morning glory vines and sweet potato vines. Despite their destructive nature, golden tortoise beetles are actually rather handsome bugs. They are about one-fourth of an inch long, and vary from dark-orange to metallic gold in color. When they are not stressed, tortoise beetles tend to be shiny and gold....

Now an enthusiastic rhubarb convert, the sweet, tart tang of the red-green stalks haunted my winter dreams and made me ache for summer. Even though all of my friends had pie-plant patches in their gardens, I still didn’t. The first time I ever tried rhubarb, it was a squishy mess inside a pie at a chain restaurant somewhere. I never wanted to eat it again. That all changed the summer I moved to Alaska, when my parents convinced me to try the pie at a quaint local establishment, with the best view ever of the surrounding mountains and the Matanuska Glacier....

What’s a gardener to do with these cute little pests? I read “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” just like everyone else, and loved the drawings, the live action movie, and the series of stuffed animals that came out many decades later. While reading the book, I sympathize with Peter and Flopsy and Mopsy. But when it comes to cottontails making free with my home garden, I am strictly Team Mr. McGregor....

We humans have a lot going for us physically. Dermal sweat glands, opposable thumbs, an upright gait for energy-efficient locomotion… the list is rather long. Yuccas may be prone to frost damage, but at least they can grow back their succulent leaves in time! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Not to mention our super-high intelligence and sociability as a species, which has allowed humanity to establish itself at the top of Earth’s food chain....

Golden Pothos, also called Devil’s ivy, are the most commonly seen houseplants. They are forgiving, require low maintenance, and don’t have specific requirements for light, watering, or fertilization. Check out our article on the best types of pothos to grow indoors here! Propagating Pothos Before starting with pothos propagation, it is important to know a few essential points: Pothos can be propagated both in water and soil. For propagating in both mediums, you need a healthy 4-6 inches long cutting with 1-2 nodes and a small pot, a glass jar, or any other creative container....

Buying houseplants from a garden center or online can be an exciting experience, but at the same time, you need to make sure of certain points to keep them healthy for a long time to come. And this is why we have made this checklist of Important Things To Do Before Bringing New Plants Indoors. Check out our article on best organic pest control approaches here When Purchasing New Indoor Plants Keep these points in your mind before selecting and buying plants:...

CALAMINTHA While calamint (Calamintha) might not be the most well-known shrub in the United States, it certainly deserves a more prominent role in our landscapes. A hardy, deer-resistant perennial that produces profuse and showy delicate blooms from early summer to autumn, calamint offers a number of varieties and cultivars that make a fine addition to gardens of all types. Characterized by a distinctive minty scent, this plant is native to many parts of the world, most notably the Mediterranean, with couple of varieties that are native to North America....

What is a lithops plant? Lithops are succulents in the family Aizoaceae. These little charmers are in the genus Lithops, and they are native to South Africa and Namibia. They really do look like stones. Their natural habitat is arid, rocky areas, which is why they evolved such a clever camouflage to protect themselves from browsing herbivores. Each lithops plant has a pair of leaves that look more like squishy rubber pads than leaves, with a fissure separating them....

Growing food in pots is often the easiest way to do this. Able to fit perfectly in little corners of any city, container growing offers the perfect way for people with limited space to get into edible gardening. Growing up with a little garden, producing plants in pots was my first taste of growing my own food. From the chives in the big garden pots, to the little pots of mint and coriander sitting on the kitchen windowsill, these experiences were the first to pique my interest in gardening....