You want a vegetable garden, but you’re stuck with a postage stamp-sized plot of grass and/or a teeny tiny deck/patio of approximately the same area. What are your options? How about a small raised bed or a few nifty container gardens for some of your…
Long ago, Coleus had been considered a house plant. I can remember, my grandmother always had coleus growing in her house. It was a popular winter houseplant because the colorful leaves provided bright spots of color during the long Midwest winter months. Only occasionally were plants planted outdoors during…
Annuals aren’t just a summer thing. True, many popular annuals – such as marigolds, zinnias, castor beans, portulacas, and celosias – are unabashed heat-lovers, languishing in chilly conditions and hitting full stride during the long sultry days of July and August. Among the most valuable annuals, however, are those…
“Hi! I just got done repotting my houseplants only to realize that I used indoor outdoor vegetable/flower mix instead of all purpose potting mix. Will this hurt my house plants? Anything I can do to rebalance the soil? Thanks!” Question from Jessica of Bend, Oregon Answer: You are…
Petunia plants are costly to buy and easily grown from seed, so grow them at home. Here’s how to start your own petunias from seed! More seed starting resources: Click here for more tips about how to…
Answer: It depends on where you live in the Los Angeles, California area. Oriental lilies (Lilium orientale) need six weeks of winter cold to survive and bloom each year. They are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9 or Sunset Climate Zones 1-9, 14-23. Los Angeles is listed as having…
Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus and hybrids), with their ragged, “pinked” edges, lovely colors, and long vase life, are staples of the cut flower trade. They also have a lengthy and celebrated history in gardens,…
Houses are often stuffy for plants when the weather is mild and pleasant. Most houseplants thrive in the fresh air, natural sunlight light, humidity, and warm temperatures. For these reasons, it’s smart to bring tender houseplants outdoors in the summer months. But, four precautions must be taken…
Sweet spring beets, carrots, scallions, radishes, and turnips! Few vegetables are as awaited in my home garden. Though root vegetables can continue to be grown throughout the season, they are the sweetest and arguably easiest to grow…
Brides traditionally wear or carry “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Gardens—whether they are arrays of containers, in-ground beds, or window boxes–often contain those same elements. Agapanthus, sometimes known as “Lily of the Nile”, combines all of those attributes in a single plant. The “something old”…
Tomatoes have made an epic evolutionary journey from the currant-sized fruit of their wild ancestor to the beefsteak behemoths of modern times. That gain has come at a price, though – the loss of numerous genes conferring flavor, disease resistance, and other valuable traits. Currant Tomatoes The ancestor,…
Spring is here! Officially it was March 20th, but I knew it was spring as soon as I saw the daffodils emerge. The hellebores have been glorious this year, but as their late-winter flowers slowly fade, new colors appear in the garden. The red stems of the peonies have…
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