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Gardening Articles
Research-based horticulture information to help keep your plants and gardens thriving.
Chenille Plant, Acalypha hispida
Chenille, the French word for caterpillar, refers to a type of yarn with a characteristic texture and appearance that is echoed in the pendulous blossoms of the tropical plant Acalypha hispida, leading to it’s common name of chenille plant. If you want to know more about this exotic species grown as a houseplant or seasonal annual in our part of the world, read this article…
Zinnias
The National Garden Bureau has declared 2011 the “Year of the Zinnia”. Among the easiest flowers to grow, these annuals come in a wide range of colors, heights and flower types. It may be hard to choose from the hundreds of cultivars and hybrids. To learn which ones I particularly like, read this article…
Horseradish, Armoracia rusticana
Every year the International Herb Association chooses one plant that is used as an herb to highlight. For 2011 this plant is horseradish, a plant long used as a condiment. To learn more about this tough herb, read this article…
Golden Trumpet, Allamanda cathartica
Looking for a flowering tropical plant to enliven a really bright corner of your house or sunroom? Allamanda cathartica is an attractive landscape ornamental in tropical locations, but can also be grown as a houseplant or seasonal outdoor plant in colder climates. To learn more about this “golden” plant, read this article…
Tradescantia zebrina
Tradescantia zebrina is a popular houseplant grown for its variegated foliage. This tender perennial native to southern Mexico and Guatemala can also be used as a seasonal groundcover or trailing accent in containers. To learn more about this tough plant in the spiderwort family, read this article…
Golden Creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'
There are plenty of green groundcovers, but not as many that offer the interesting contrast of golden foliage. The leaves of Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ vary from lime green to brassy gold, depending on light exposure. This vigorous, very low grower is useful in containers as a trailing plant or to fill in around larger perennials. Learn more about this cultivar by checking out this article…
Small Aloes – Interesting, Colorful, and Easy Succulents
Lots of people keep a plant of Aloe vera on hand, but did you know there are many other small species that make great houseplants? These compact succulents from Africa can have very ornamental foliage as well as pretty flowers. To learn more about these tender exotic plants, and how to grow them in a cold climate, read this article…
Storing Tender “Bulbs” for Winter
This time of year frost is bound to nip non-hardy plants still outdoors. If you have any of the tender “bulbs” (plants which grow from fleshy storage structures even if they aren’t technically true bulbs) you’ll need to get those into storage for the winter soon. Find out more about preparing these plants to save for the next growing season in this article…
Wild Cucumber, Echinocystis lobata
Have you noticed white-flowering vines engulfing trees or shrubs, particularly in more rural areas, lately? Wild cucumber is a warm season annual that becomes quite conspicuous in late summer at the peak of its growth and bloom. Although it is in the same family as cultivated cucumber, this species is not edible. To learn more about this native plant, read this article…
Garlic Chives, Allium tuberosum
The white blossoms of garlic chives begin to bloom in late summer or early fall. Although edible, this perennial is more often used as an ornamental. Learn more about Allium tuberosum in this article…
Dividing Bearded Iris
With the heat, humidity and mosquitoes of August you many not feel like working in the garden at this time of year, but a little time spent dividing crowded clumps of bearded iris now will pay great dividends in the future. These plants do best when divided every few years, and the process is really quite simple. To get detailed instructions, read this article…
Hibiscus ‘Lord Baltimore’
With big, bold crimson flowers, ‘Lord Baltimore’ hibiscus is a showstopper when in bloom. Not a tender tropical hibiscus, but a hardy herbaceous perennial, this tall plant is great as a specimen, an accent in the mixed garden or at the back of a perennial garden. To learn more about this flashy flower, read this article on ‘Lord Baltimore’ …
