Fill a few spaces, garden beds and containers with easy care flowers to cut and enjoy in bouquets and arrangements. The All America Selections winner, Queeny Lime Orange Zinnia (Zinnia elegans ‘Queeny Lime Orange’), can easily be started from seed in the garden. For earlier bloom, sow seeds indoors several weeks before the last spring frost. The compact Victoria…
Increase your gardening success by selecting plants suited to your cold hardiness zone and other environmental conditions. Hardiness zones reflect the average minimum temperatures for an area. Buying cold hardy plants helps reduce losses when extreme winter temperatures occur. You’ll find the USDA Plant Hardiness Map printed in garden books and catalogues. Locate your town on the map and…
Expand your garden’s flavor, fragrance and beauty with these lesser-used herbs. Enjoy the attractive cucumber-flavored leaves of salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) in salads, on sandwiches, and in dips. Or add a refreshing hint of cucumber to lemonade and sparkling water. Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) has a similar flavor that is stronger, less bitter and less minty than Greek oregano….
The colorful and uniquely shaped leaves of coleus have made it a favorite of gardeners for several centuries. But recent introduction have helped move it out of containers and the shade and into sunny borders. Here at Boerner Botanical Gardens they created several gardens featuring a few sun loving varieties. This large oval garden features Flamethrower Habanero coleus. The…
Add a few houseplants to brighten those low light locations in your home and improve your indoor air quality. Selecting the right plants and providing proper care will save you time and keep your plants looking their best. Pothos, philodendron, snake plant and ZZ (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) plant are a few of the most low light tolerant plants. Use your…
Brighten your home with a few colorful amaryllis. Purchase firm bulbs free of soft spots and blemishes. Plant one or more bulbs in a container with drainage holes that is slightly larger than the bulbs. Plant your amaryllis in a well-drained potting mix leaving the top 1/3 of the bulb above the soil surface. Then water thoroughly. Or place several…
The light airy texture of this tree makes it a standout – even among all these beautiful and unusual plants. But in fall when the needles turn yellow it truly is amazing. Yes this conifer and a few others are deciduous. Though they bear needles and cones like pines and spruces, they are not evergreen. The larches needles turn…
Don’t let a lack of space stop you from composting. Convert kitchen scraps and garden debris into compost right in the garden. Use the pathway between gardens for sheet composting. Place damaged plant leaves, annual weeds that have not flowered or gone to seed and similar plant trimmings in the pathways. As you walk across the path you help break…
They’re almost gone, but you can still find a few trees displaying beautiful fall colors before they all fall off for winter. The brilliant fall color in our landscapes is a magical transformation that happens each year. And the science behind it all is just as intriguing. Each fall as the days shorten our deciduous trees and shrubs begin…
Coneflowers, liatris, and black-eyed Susans are some of the natives we add to our gardens. But there are many more native beauties to consider. Add vertical interest with minimal care with American larkspur. This sturdy perennial does not need staking, withstands winds and blooms for several months. It has the beautiful blue of delphiniums without the fuss. You and…
