Why plant colorful shrubs? Shrubs with colorful foliage are among the shining stars of the garden. Not only do they dress up foundation plantings and shrub beds, they also add form and structure to perennial borders, mailbox gardens, and even hedgerows and privacy plantings. Their brightly colored leaves lend their hues to the garden for the entire growing season, not just while the plant is in flower. As an added bonus, shrubs with colorful foliage often change in appearance throughout the growing season....

Excellent as cut flowers, they’re the types most often used in florists’ spring bouquets. And some Junos and Dutch selections are wonderful for indoor winter forcing as well. Iris subg. Hermodactyloides, I. subg. Scorpiris, I. subg. Xiphium Iris are highly popular perennial flowers, loved for their gorgeous, rainbow colored blossoms in the late spring garden. Many of us are familiar with the tall, handsome stands of bearded iris and the elegant charm of Japanese or Siberian varieties....

Although rose of Sharon may look a bit like a rose upon first glance, with its large showy flowers, the medium-sized shrub is actually part of the Malvaceae or mallow family. Hibiscus syriacus As the line from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” goes: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”Except when the “rose” in question isn’t even a rose, that is, and doesn’t smell like much of anything…What rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, lacks in aroma, it makes up for in sheer beauty, with a dazzling display of single or double flowers from midsummer to fall or first frost....

Lettuce is notoriously easy to grow, and even in areas with higher overall temperatures, planting during cooler seasons or in partial shade can solve problems commonly caused by heat. Lactuca sativa ‘Buttercrunch’ Are you searching for a palate-pleasing lettuce? Tired of the old standby ‘Iceberg’ and varieties of romaine? Then ‘Buttercrunch’ might be just what you’re looking for. Any time the word “butter” appears in the name of a vegetable, you know you’re in for a treat....

If you’re ready to dive into the world of propagating chives from seed, here’s what we’ll talk about in this article: Chives are one of those herbs that I consider essential in any kitchen garden. They’re not fussy and they provide you with a reliable crop all season long. Plus, once you have a plant going, it will reproduce as long as you let it. That’s because chives send up pretty flowers that turn into seed heads....

Here are some easy tips on How to Make a Tiny Bathroom Look Bigger that will help you to make the best use of the available space! Find 16 Best Plants for Windowless Bathrooms here How to Make a Tiny Bathroom Look Bigger 1. Use Plenty of Lights Lights add a sense of spaciousness and drama to any room, and doing it in your small bathroom will make it appear bigger than it actually is....

Plants Are you thinking about planting some hostas in your garden, but aren't sure where to start? The best place to look, is usually someone that has experience planting them! In this article, certified master gardener and hosta expert Laura Elsner walks through every step you'll need to follow in order to plant, grow, and care for hostas in your garden! By Laura Elsner Last updated: July 31, 2022 | 22 min read Hostas, sometimes referred to as plantain lilies, are a wonderful genus of low-growing shade perennials....

Whatever you call them, these little berries are a superfood that you can easily grow for yourself. Physalis spp. Ever wish you could plant a berry bush or fruit tree and get instant fruit? Ground cherries are the answer to your impatience! Related to the ubiquitous garden tomato, these summer annuals can be included in your veggie garden to provide a crop of delicious, tropical-flavored fruit in just one growing season....

Their showy blooms highlight beds, borders, and large containers. They’re a must-have for the cutting garden, and they make a spectacular addition to meadows, woodland fringes, or any natural setting. Lilium spp. Adored by florists and gardeners everywhere, lilies are delightfully flamboyant with gorgeous flowers and heady perfume. Renowned for their big, bold blooms in scrumptious colors, these hardy bulbs are dependable, low maintenance, and multiply easily. And many have an unforgettable and intensely sweet fragrance....

Pruning cuts are a major source of entry for this fungus. Sunscald and cold injury – and even deer rubs – can make your tree vulnerable to Cytospora infection. Leucostoma persoonii and Leucostoma cincta Gummosis refers to the oozing of sap or gum from a tree. This behavior is very common on stone fruits, including apricots, peaches, and plums. You can look at gummosis as your tree’s cry for help in the face of any one of a number of problems....

Certainly, staking tomatoes is the most important thing. It’s very beneficial and undoubtedly far better than letting the foliage sprawl on the ground. Tomatoes need to be staked or caged to produce their best crop. Importance of Staking Tomato Plants The chief purpose of staking a plant is to keep it elevated. Unstaked tomato plants don’t get enough sunlight and air circulation and leaves remain wet due to overhead watering. They rot and get plagued easily due to the constant contact with the damp soil, as the moisture and the bugs present on the ground lead to disease of the leaves and fruits....

I’ll give you the scoop on pumpkin seed nutrition and why you shouldn’t toss those innards from your homegrown crop! When I think of fall, pumpkins automatically come to mind. Or, to be more specific, pumpkin pie, cake, rolls, and lattes… But what about all of the seeds that are left over after carving jack-o’-lanterns and baking cinnamon-scented fall treats? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Did you know that there’s more than one seed starting method? Yes, it’s true, and they each have their own unique purpose. In this post, I’m going to tell you all about 3 sowing techniques, the pros and cons, and which seeds work best for each method. The biggest mistake I made as a new gardener was using one sowing method to start ALL of my seeds – and that was planting them inside of my house....

Do you enjoy growing edible perennials? Maybe you love garlic chives for their flavor and pollinator-attracting prowess. Or maybe you’d like to add a splash of color to one of your herb gardens. If this description suits you, look no further than society garlic! Table of Contents A society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) plant is a great addition to gardens managed by those with different plant tastes. Wildcrafters love using the leaves and flowers in salads and just as they would use wild garlic....

There are over 3,000 species of this true bug worldwide. The cicada is an insect in the Cicadoidea family of the Hemiptera, or true bug order, that is related to aphids, crickets, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, and stink bugs. It makes its home in and around woody trees and shrubs, and has the potential to cause great damage. And while it may not always be easy to spot, the cicada makes its presence in the landscape abundantly clear by producing a droning, rhythmic buzzing sound that starts out soft and gets louder....

QUESTION: Where Is the best place to buy seeds? I’d like to start my garden from seed this year instead of buying starter plants, but I’m not sure which company I should go with. — Angel F ANSWER: With so much information out there, it can be hard to know the best places to buy seeds for your garden. As we mentioned above, you can take a look at a company’s ratings and reviews at Garden Watchdog to get an idea of the experiences other customers have had....

Coming in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes, Landscaping with Hostas will allow you to use the plant to its full potential to make your yard stand out! Have a look at some expert tips on growing the best hostas here Landscaping with Hostas 1. Boost Curb Appeal Prized with robust, attractive, and heart-shaped blue-green foliage, hostas can highlight your landscape with their immense beauty. Planting them outside your house in the front garden is an excellent idea to boost the curb appeal....

By Matt‌ ‌Gibson‌ If you are a gardener and you need to learn how to do something in the garden that you are not familiar with doing, one simple solution to help you learn exactly how it’s done is to sign on to YouTube. Just do a search about the task in question and you will be given a couple of different options or a couple of pages worth of options to click on to learn from some of the experienced gardeners online....

I’ll be distilling the results of my own decades of seed-catalog browsing and vegetable growing experience here, and invite you to share my list of 13 of the best lima beans and butter beans for home gardeners. Choosing a lima bean variety or two to grow in my garden each summer makes me nostalgic for the sustenance gardeners of old. The folks of decades and even centuries past were probably so busy eking out every last seed to dry, pressure can, and freeze for their hungry families that they didn’t have the time to categorize what they grew in any detailed fashion....

Dish Garden Plants are a great way to make your table and desktops look green and attractive. With just a few plants and your creativity, you can design a great looking miniature garden that’s easy to maintain and bring a green appeal indoors! Check out our article on making a succulent dish garden here Best Plants For a Dish Garden 1. Jade Plant Botanical Name: Crassula ovata Apart from its ornamental beauty, the jade plant is also considered a lucky plant....