Gardenig in state Florida. Tips & Guides

This is a Florida predatory stink bug (Euthyrhynchus floridanus) feeding on a species of plant-feeding stink bug. The photo shows the predator’s piercing/sucking mouthparts inserted into its prey.

One of my earliest horticultural memories was watching my grandmother arrange purple berried branches of American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) in a vase and place it in the center of her dining room table. These beautiful, native shrubs grew wild in the woods surrounding her home, full of clusters of purple berries in the fall.

I must be selective in the kinds of shrubs and trees I add to my landscape. Very simply: I don’t have the room. Like the village matchmaker, Yente, in Fiddler on the Roof, I match the plant with my landscape, paying particular attention to sun exposure, drainage, and room to grow. I also consider its maintenance requirements, particularly water, fertilizer, pruning, and pests. As a tough-love gardener, I have no tolerance for needy, wimpy plants.

(Note on Gallery: Clicking on a thumbnail gives you a large, higher-quality image.)Winterberry hollies are native to swampy areas from Canada south to Florida, from Wisconsin and Missouri east.  Despite their heritage in wetlands, I grow my plants in normal to dry soil, at the edges of my hilly outer fields. I just don’t have wet lowland to offer on my windy hillside.Though they’ll fruit much better in a moist year than a dry one (as with all fruiting plant

EXPLODING Eremurus, why vulnerability is good for us, and the answer to why bird poop is white—all, and more, in the latest collections of links I’ve loved lately while staring into my computer screen (which I alternately do between long gazes out the window). Five links worth exploring:

I don’t grow C. florida in my current garden, but looking around here now since the snow receded and making my pruning list for the weeks ahead, I realize how many other dogwood species I do grow, and enjoy. The dogwood bloom season begins even before Forsythia, with Cornus mas (above), in April. A slideshow of it and some other reliable favorites.Use the thumbnails to toggle between slides, or hover your cursor on the middle of the right edge of the big photo to display navigational arrows. A list of dogwood profiles and other links is below the gallery. Enjoy

I had only ever seen a bottlebrush buckeye (Zone 5-8) once before, at the public garden called Wave Hill in New York City, a giant suckering mound of a thing probably 20 feet across and more than a dozen high. It grew there in the semi-shade of tall trees, as it is does in its natural habitat of the Southeastern United States, specifically rich woodlands in Alabama, Georgia, and northern Florida. I loved its big mountain of a presence right away—and then on that shopping trip to Allen Haskell’s former nursery in New Bedford, there it was. My plant!Though from a distance the flowers appear to be cream-colored, each tiny one on the long wands (technically panicles) is delicately splashed with drops of orangey-red paint–actually the red anthers and pinkish filaments inside the little trumpets. Butterflies and many insect pollinators love to visit them (that’s a silver-spotted skipper sampling the offerings, above).One year, a group of Baltimore orioles explored them enthusiastic

First, a recap of what Impatiens downy mildew (the fungus-like Plasmopara obducens) looks like:Did your impatiens seem to collapse in 2012? Early signs of infection may have been leaves that looked yellowish, as if the plant needed feeding, or foliage that curled under or seemed to wilt. Sometimes, a white material (the downy mildew) is visible on the undersides of leaves. Eventually, plants may defoliate, drop their flowers, and basically collapse. The fungus loves moist conditions and cool nights in particular. Particularly disturbing: symptoms happened earlier last year than before—as early as June.The disease, which attacks Impatiens walleriana (the species our

The answer is the pawpaw, and to say that Andrew Moore has a passion for pawpaws and encyclopedic knowledge about them would be an understatement.The Florida-born and Pittsburgh-based writer was just 25ish years old when he began work on what is now the book “Pawpaw: In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit,” and he did indeed go on a search for it, or maybe more of a magical mystery tour–through history, horticulture and literally around the nation with many unexpected adventures along the

The tomato hornworm and tobacco hornworm both have angled white markings on their sides, but the tobacco hornworm’s seven marks just go in one direction, and the white is edged in black; the tomato hornworm’s eight marks per side are each more like a chevron, or “V,” with no black edge. The other big difference: Tobacco hornworms’ “horns” (which look like a tail) are usually reddish; the tomato hornworms’ are black or blue-black. (Oddly, I don’t have a photo of the tomato hornworm, but you can compare them on this University of Florida web page.)That University of Florida Entomology site has photos of the very similar-looking sphinx moths that each one becomes, too.I think the one just above was more recently “hatched,” because its body was still dark-colored, but I’m not certain. Maybe he’d just been smoking and got all sooty? (Kidding.) You can see all the life phases–caterpillar, chrysalis, sphinx moth–here.I have to say, I’m violent when one of these guys is eating my tomatoes in early summer, and it’s all “off with their heads” over here then. But in fall, as the garden un

The ‘Rogers’ strain is technically Aesculus parviflora var. serotina ‘Rogers’ (I know, a mouthful), a selection of a Southern U.S. native variety labeled serotina. Though much younger than my plain old Aesculus parviflora, my ‘Rogers’ is already much larger—more than 20 feet across and probably headed for 15 or so high. It was too hot and sunny for a good photo while it was in is prime, but you get the idea from the one below. A beast! So big, in fact that I planted it way too close to something it is now engulfing (left side of above photo). Funny to think about this Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida native being perfectly at home and so robust way up North in my garden, but it is.Either Aesculus makes a bold statement and is perfectly happy in

Gardeners in some areas of Texas where the species is endemic are smiling right now. “I’ve got them all over my backyard,” they are perhaps saying, because the species can be found growing as a self-sowing annual in parts of Florida and North Carolina and Texas, says the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.The H. argophyllus selection I grew in 2012 was a refinement of the straight species called ‘Japanese Silver-Leaf’ (which I expect was so named after being bred in that country, as numerous fine sunflower varieties have been—crossing the genetics of our various U.S. natives). My plants grew from about 5 feet to 7 feet.Various sources say one should hide its awkward-looking “legs” with some other mid

AllImpatiens walleriana types are potentially affected. That’s the species that the common garden impatiens is bred from, as are the double-flowered types and miniatures and the Fusion series I like so much (that’s variegated Fusion Peach Frost, above). Other impatiens species may likewise be susceptible–even the native jewelweed, Impatiens capensis.The updated Impatiens Downy Mildew factsheet from Cornell Cooperative Extension explains that early signs of infection may have been leaves that looked yellowish, as if the plant needed feeding, or foliage that curled under or seemed to wilt. Sometimes, you can see a white material (the fungus) on the undersides of leaves. Eventually, plants may defoliate, drop their flowers, and basically collapse. The American Floral Endowment website has detailed photos of symptomatic plants, and other links (most geared to growers) about this threat to a favorite bedding plant.Categoriesannuals & perennials compo

You know: when gardening season returns. It will return. It will.How are you all faring in your personal winter wonderlands?

Yes, you’ve seen these and many more examples of bird behavior–but do you know what any of it means? Do you know not just the what, but also the why behind those actions?I’m a longtime amateur birder and can ID a good number of species, but until I started taking online webinars and other courses with Cornell Lab of Ornithology maybe five years ago, I didn’t realize that my powers of observ

I’m often asked that question, usually phrased like this: Why didn’t my (insert name of tomato variety) taste as good this year as last?Getting the best flavor from a tomato is “a matter of lining the genetics up with the environment,” says Tom Stearns, founder of High Mowing Organic Seeds. It’s something he acknowledges that people are more inclined to do with animals than plants—to choose a breed of l

If this sounds familiar, maybe you thought it was “your fault.” Chances are it was basil downy mildew, a devastating disease that in 2014 was reported to thwart backyard and commercial growers alike in at least 35 states plus the District of Columbia—up from 20 plus D.C. in 2013.For farmers, a once-easy, profitable cash crop is challenged; for gardeners, a beloved ingredient elusive. Is there a resistant variety, or a cultural trick to outsmarting the destructive pathogen?University researchers are collaborating in a

Before I called Craig, I had searched in the Seed Savers Exchange database for tomato, and found more than 12,000 listings, not including the tiniest currant types or the many hybrids that Seed Savers doesn’t even focus on. How to choose–and how to make room for all the tomatoes we simply cannot resist?Craig is also cofounder of the Dwarf Tomato Project (those are some dwarf types sliced open up top), which gets back to the issue of how many tomatoes can be squeezed in,

Don’t worry: There won’t be a quiz at the end, where instead you can also share any tomato wisdoms of your own for our collective benefit.my 16 bits of tomato wisdom1. Start with a homegrown seedling (grow it like this) or a locally raised one—not a big-box-store seedling that may have been shipped in from warmer zones, where more tomato diseases are endemic and overwinter. (That logic isn’t tomato-specific; I buy local seedlings or g

All in time for World Carnivorous Plant Day on Wednesday, May 4th, we’re also going to learn about the plight of carnivorous plants in the wild, where they’re disproportionately endangered.Kenny Coogan is a board member and education director for the International Carnivorous Plant Society (which also has a popular group on Facebook). Kenny’s also author of the recent book “Florida’s Carnivorous Plants,” and he operates a carnivorous plant nursery there

Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)*, sometimes known as sweetgrass, is a beautiful ornamental grass celebrated for its displays of pink, purple, or white flowers in the late summer and fall.

Can ZZ Plant Cause Cancer? If you too have this question lurking in your mind, then we have all the right answers for you!

Have a growing house plant collection and not sure about their care when you take off for vacation? The best way is to have a family or friend come over to help, but sometimes this may not be possible. Many indoor plants can survive a week without their parents' care, but you’ll want to consider some factors, such as lighting, and giving them a thorough watering before you leave. There are several tips and tricks to ensure your plants manage without you. We asked Southern horticulturists for their best plant care tips while you’re away

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California is an agricultural powerhouse, producing over a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. It’s also experiencing extreme weather in the form of heat, drought, wildfires and floods, issues experts say will become increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change.

Star Fruit comes from the Carambola tree and can be found in most places throughout the world. While it thrives in humid subtropical climates, the Star Fruit can also be grown in cold climates in pots, where they survive winters indoors or in greenhouses.

As tomatoes grow tall and the yellow flowers slowly turn into small round tomatoes, another unexpected creature may appear: the Tomato Hornworm. You'll have to look closely as this chartreuse caterpillar with a pattern of several white V-shapes along its body blends in well when roaming along the green stems of tomato plants. Once you've spotted this pest, you'll want to take action before it harms your plant. 

Some of the best tasting tomatoes grow from vines. These semi-determinate to indeterminate fruits have no stopping point at the ends of the stems. This leads to tangled drooping stems if they are not supported. One successful way to make sure the fruit is above the soil is by using the Florida weave trellis. The Florida weave is a common field technique for trellising tomatoes. This method keeps vines upright, and fruit away from ground contact.

Also known as the scarlet or swamp maple, the red maple has a special place in my heart.It’s the first plant that I could ever identify,

Maintaining houseplants can be a tough and expensive task if you don’t know how to do it correctly. To make it easy for you, we bring some of the best Cheap Indoor Plant Parenting Hacks!

People usually associate crotons as container plants, but they can also be cultivated as tall specimens. Here are some tips on  How to Grow Big Croton like a Tree  that’ll help you to flaunt it as a tall specimen in your yard!

If you are looking for the Best Plants for Privacy in Florida, then our exclusive list will surely help you out with the most beautiful ones!

When it comes to selecting ideal Houseplants for Girl’s Room, you must ask about her favorite colors. In many studies, it is found that generally, females love pink, blue, red, and purple colors most. With all that in mind, we have compiled a list of houseplants according to colors, air-purifying capabilities, patterns, shapes, benefits, and ease of growing.

These Rose Color Houseplants represent the famous hue of rose in the magnificent shade of red-pink. Grow them in your rooms for the awesome colors!

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Our editors are vacationing throughout the country this summer, and we've compiled our best travel essentials for you. Find your next go-to carry-on bag, or grab an outfit that's sure to keep you comfy—no matter how long your next flight.