Do your acid-loving houseplants begin to look sickly during the coldest months? Read More
Will the disease that is killing columbines in England come here? Read More
If you've ever accidentally rooted a cut stem in a vase, you know it was. But do all plants propagate that easily? Read More
Will the real corkscrew vine please curl up? Read More
Why should you plant a thistle on purpose? Read More
What bluebeard makes a killer of a flowering shrub? Read More
What plant smells like pineapple, with buds like acorns and blooms like thistles? Read More
What African flower is shiny, striking, and splotched? Read More
Hybrid impatiens plants might be the best annuals out there for covering shady ground fast. Hey, they aren't called impatient for nothing! And few flowers bloom as neatly and profusely as they do in shade. But all that consistency can be a bit boring. I must admit to a sneaking preference for the species types, which tend to be more leggy, awkward, and obstinate. Read More
Some of the more unusual plants that bloomed in my garden this year were just new to me. A few, however, are new to the market too. Read More
What “long-haired” plant is pretty, perfumed, and poisonous? Read More
I use the term Japanese morning glory somewhat loosely to refer to exotic varieties, usually Ipomoea nil cultivars, as opposed to the more common Ipomoea purpurea types . The blooms of Japanese morning glories are usually larger, but produced--in my climate at least--in much lower numbers than what purpurea can manage. Fortunately, we gardeners tend to have a weakness for difficult plants! Read More
Do you like discovering unique and unusual plants? Read on to learn about this lesser-known and lesser grown genus. Read More
No, we rose rustlers don't make a practice of stealing other people's roses, as if they were so many mavericks! We just root cuttings of heirloom types--usually found on abandoned farms or in old cemeteries--that may be in danger of dying out. Often their names have gotten lost somewhere along the way. Read More
"Some gingers are fussy or fail to blossom until they reach a ripe old age, thus testing your patience," Tovah Martin writes in The Unexpected Houseplant. I've experienced such recalcitrance on the part of the Zingiber family myself, probably because I too have to grow gingers as houseplants here in USDA zone 5. Therefore, I hope that she is going to mention an exception to the rule. I am not disappointed. Read More
When is a daisy not a daisy? Read More
Do you adore the frilly fullness of tuberous begonias? The good news is you're not alone! But there's even better news. Read More
Have you been gardening long enough that you are bored with common flowers? For your mid-hobby crisis, try a ferraria. Read More
Do you admire picture perfect camellias, but don't have the proper climate for them? Read More
Does this season have you singing the hippie folk song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Then you will dig the funky winter blooms of grevillea. Read More