In our coneflower growing guide, we discuss all you need to know to cultivate echinacea in your outdoor living space. North American native coneflowers, Echinacea spp., are hardy daisy-like perennials for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. There are nine species and numerous cultivars for an array of color, height, and style options. Perhaps best known is the purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea. The blossoms have protruding center disks that attract beneficial pollinators galore throughout the growing season, and foraging songbirds like goldfinches feast on the seeds at season’s end....

By Erin Marissa Russell and Matt Gibson If you take care of elm trees, you probably already know how important it is to stay vigilant against the European elm flea weevil.This common garden pest can cause unsightly damage to your trees. And when they attack immature trees, the damage from a European elm flea weevil infestation can be dangerous. Although damage from the European elm flea weevil is strictly cosmetic, it can make a tree vulnerable to secondary pathogens or infections that can ultimately kill the tree....

While the garden’s asleep, the single or double blooms add dramatic color to the home in rich shades of maroon, orange, pink, salmon, scarlet, white, and yellow, as well as bicolors and some with contrasting picotee edges. With magnificent blooms in vibrant colors, amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) is the darling among forced winter bulbs. These frost-tender tropical plants are hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11, but they respond well to forcing indoors, producing one to three thick stems with up to six trumpet-shaped flowers per stem....

In our guide to growing agapanthus, we discuss how to cultivate these elegant plants in the garden. But what if you don’t have space? Try growing them in containers instead! Have you ever grown agapanthus flowers? The blue, purple, white, or bicolored blooms grow on three-feet-tall stems above the lance-like leaves, and these plants a garden fixture in places like Mexico, Jamaica, and warm parts of the United States – though they’re native to South Africa....

This fragrant flowering shrub conjures memories for me. Many years ago, my mother used the blooms to craft simple flower crowns for her girls to wear at the elementary school’s May procession. Gardenia jasminoides For me, the allure of growing gardenias is half nostalgia, half an appreciation of the wonders of science. There are nearly 200 species in the Gardenia genus, but us ornamental gardeners are concerned only with G. jasminoides, and the variety it is often grafted onto, G....

Allowing the heads to grow to maturity requires a lot of time (we’re talking up to half a year) and multiple steps. And this most definitely isn’t a plant-it-and-forget-it type of veggie. Cichorium intybus var. foliosum When other types of greens are out of season, delicate Belgian endive is in its prime – and thank goodness for that! This slightly bitter, nutty, and refreshingly crisp vegetable is a welcome antidote to the usual winter fare....

Sugarcane is a grass from the Poaceae family. It grows in tropics and cultivated in all the subtropical and tropical parts of the world to make sugar crystal and syrup. Fresh sugarcane juice is also relished and prized for its nutritional properties. With so much goodness it offers, you might be wondering how to cultivate them? Let’s find everything about How to Grow Sugarcane! What is Sugarcane? Sugarcanes are subtropical/tropical grass....

Root maggots aren’t a fun find, but we’ve got everything you need to know about these insects covered in this guide, including control options! Anthomyiidae The sun is blazing down on your vegetable patch, and as the day heats up, you notice your cabbage is looking a little wilted. That’s weird, the soil seemed moist enough when you checked early this morning… Turning into a sleuth, you inspect the leaves. They’re free of pests, but you notice they’ve got a yellow tinge....

Houseplants Global Green Pothos plants are a lesser known pothos variety that have been gaining more popularity over the last few years. These hardy plants are favored for their rich green color, and beautifully textured leaves. In this article, organic gardening expert Logan Hailey walks through the exact steps you should follow to successfully plant, grow, and care for Global Green Pothos plants. By Logan Hailey Last updated: June 3, 2022 | 12 min read You can find pothos plants vining through practically every coffee shop and business lobby, but have you ever noticed the ‘Global Green’ variety?...

Repotting indoor plants is beneficial and fun. In this post, you’ll learn everything there is to know, including how to tell if it needs to be repotted, when and how often to do it, and get tips for choosing the best pots and soil. Then I’ll show you exactly how to repot houseplants step-by-step. Repotting is beneficial, and an important part of growing houseplants that are healthy and happy. But you should only do it at the right time, and for the right reasons....

by Matt Gibson Florists depend on your lack of knowledge about flower arrangements in order to make a living. If you knew all of their secrets, you could save yourself quite a bit of change when you find yourself in need of a nice arrangement for a friend who could use a little cheering up, or as a gift for a significant other. Flower bouquets are also lovely additions to your home decor....

We noticed that, unlike some cacti we had seen, it didn’t have long, sharp spikes but rather tufts of small yellow bristles. My daughter thought she could root the paddle, so she grasped it gingerly while I opened my canvas shoulder bag. I was visiting my daughter out West, and on one of our walks, we came upon what turned out to be prickly pear cacti growing on a hillside by the road....

While most of the gardeners have common flowers, you could grow something different and exciting in your yard! Here are some of the rare and Best Russian Flowers that you can try your hands on! Check out our article on the best green flowers here! 1. Fernleaf Peony Other Names: Itobah, Peony, Itoba Botanical Name: Paeonia tenuifolia USDA Zones: 4-8 Fernleaf Peony can be seen in the Balkan peninsula, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe....

Shade gardening isn’t nearly as fun as it is in the full sun! Yep, I hear this all the time. The reason this is such a common feeling is because the most well known of all shade garden plants you see are BOR-ing (ehem, plain green hostas!). Ok, confession time… I find hostas mundane and overdone (at least they are here in Minnesota). Sure, there are tons of varieties to choose from....

You can grow coreopsis as a border, in a flower garden, as part of a wildflower field, in hanging flower baskets, or in containers. Your options are just about limitless. Few flowers are better suited to a wildflower garden than coreopsis, also known as “tickseed.” Native to North America, coreopsis comes in a pleasing array of colors, heights, hardiness suitabilities, and textures. The daisy-like blooms are often perennial, although some varieties are annuals....

Learn how to prune hydrangeas here 1. Boost Curb Appeal Hydrangeas have a long blooming season and a beautiful display of flowers, so planting them outside your house in the front garden is a good idea to create an alluring vista. 2. Increase Privacy Hydrangeas come in so many varieties and sizes. You can grow an appropriate one according to your climate and zone. Hydrangea, due to its thick foliage growth, is a good plant if you want more privacy....

Long-blooming perennials are the best way to get as much joy from your flower beds as possible. There are tons of great options that you can choose from too. No matter where you live, you’re sure to find plenty of great choices on this list. If you’re tired of perennials that only bloom for a few weeks and they’re done, then this list is for you! Perennials that have long flowering seasons will give you the stunning colors and textures that you desire....

Sounds good, right? It is! But first, let’s take a look at all of the steps that will help your pots and containers to put on a peacock-worthy display throughout the season this year. It’s a sad sight to see. And it happens every year. Planters and containers that were once rich with color and foliage slowly fade and fail, becoming worn out and tired-looking by the time mid-summer rolls around....

These non-toxic solutions can wipe out the problem of garden bugs without causing much harm to the rest of your yard. Know everything about DIY Insecticidal Soap Recipes for the Garden! Learn about Making Insecticidal Soap at Home here How Does Insecticidal Soap Kill Pests? Insecticidal soaps contain fatty acids as the active ingredient, also called soap salts. They are formed when the fatty portions combine together to form a strong alkali compound....

Do you love juicy, tarty fruits? Check out the Best Berries to Grow in Hanging Baskets and make the most of your balcony or patio garden! Learn about Growing Goji Berries here Best Berries to Grow in Hanging Baskets 1. Tomatoes Varieties for Hanging Baskets: Suncherry Premium, Sakura, Basket Boy Red, Gardener’s Delight, Sun Baby, and Tumbling Tom USDA Zones: 4-11 The tomato is categorized botanically as a berry but is used as a vegetable in culinary terms....