Gretchen Heber

Your Fall Tree Planting Guide

Why Autumn is the Best Time for Planting Shrubs

15 of the Best Woody Shrubs for Fall Color

How to Plant A Southern Fall Vegetable Garden

Considering their Middle Eastern and western Asian roots, fig trees (Ficus carica) are generally considered warm-climate plants.But our friends in the North and

Native to Mexico and parts of the United States, including the southwest and the Central Plains, blackfoot daisy is a cheerful, drought-tolerant plant that can take the heat and still shine brightly.This evergreen perennial member of the

Splashy, colorful ornamental peppers add dazzling bursts of red, purple, yellow, orange, black, or white to the garden. And many cultivars display upright fruits that change color as they mature.While the species Capsicum a

Years after the fact, I remain flummoxed as to why my neighbor Daniel – an otherwise normal, rational person – ripped down and pulled out a spectacular, 20-foot-tall labyrinth of colorful crossvine that was growing on a trellis he had built up against his house.Crossvine is a fast-growing climbing vine that can reach 50

According to the National Gardening Association, tomatoes are the most commonly grown backyard vegetable, and for good reason.Not only is a fresh-picked, homegrown tomato extraordinarily tasty

How can you not immediately fall in love with a plant called “American beautyberry”? It just makes the heart swell. Here, take a Kleenex.The emotive lexicon is well deserved.This large, deciduous shru

For an impressive dose of prehistoric drama, consider sago palm.The Cycad genus in the Cycadaceae family inclu

Though the profuse bell-shaped, yellow flowers that adorn the lengthy, twisted vines of Carolina jessamine are truly breathtaking, they conceal a deep, dark secret.They, along with the rest of the plant, are capabl

Beloved by many gardeners for its heat tolerance and shade-loving nature, but reviled by others for its eagerness to spread with abandon, R. simplex can be divisive.Thanks to its sweet purple flowers, however, we come down firmly on the pro-ruellia side of

Verbena is a genus containing about 250 species, many of which also simply go by “verbena” in common parlance, or if we’re lucky, something like the highly specific “purple verbena.”When I saw that my colleague here at Garden

Kale’s nutritional benefits are well-known, and the leafy green has become a favorite with restaurant chefs and home cooks alike.Perhaps you love this veggie so much

Oregano, or Origanum vulgare, is a bushy, woody-branched perennial member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Used extensively in a variety of cuisines, it is known for its earthy, robust, aromatic flavor.A staple of Italian-American cooking, orega

More than 200 species of stink bugs call North America home, and you may very well think most of them have taken up residence in your garden.These shield-shaped munchers are known for the odor they pr

After a long flight from South America, a bird could use a juicy meal and a place to rest, right?For purple martins, those tasty insects an

The intoxicating fragrance of Texas mountain laurel is enough to cause drivers to slam on the brakes or dog walkers to abruptly stop short, giving poor Fido whiplash.Famed TV chef Emeril Lagasse used to lament the non-inventi

Salvia, a genus of plants in the mint (Lamiaceae) family with nearly a thousand members, is known for its toughness.Heat tolerant, chill tolerant, drought tolerant, impervious to pest

Gardeners have many reasons for building paths in their landscapes.Some are looking to provide more convenient passageway from Poin

While its brilliantly-colored beauty is enough to make even the sourest puss happy, a crocus poking its brightly hued head through the snow is known to trigger frenzied joy in those who feel perpetually winter-afflicted.Many gardeners look to the appearance

Joe Lamp’l, the host of PBS’s “Growing a Greener World,” says he thinks interest in backyard gardening is growing rapidly across the country, especially as more and more people want to be in control of what they put in their mouths.“A lot of it is starting around foodies and loving to cook,” Lamp

Thirty-five years ago, Bob Piaschyk had no idea that a routine delivery of some live oak trees to his family-owned nursery outside of Dallas would launch a lifelong, dogged pursuit of a new species.That sunny day so many years ago, as his shipment wa

Mexican white oak (Quercus polymorpha) is such an incredible tree that it’s even become a favorite of the vaunted University of Texas at Austin.In fact, the facilities services of the university

A child in a beloved cartoon strip. A mother’s tender nickname for a tiny baby. A character on a TV show popular with young adults.Sweet peas one and all. All named for the lovely vining an

Ornamental grasses are increasingly being used in our landscapes as an alternative to shrubs.In any region of the country, you can find nati

Show of hands – who’s ever heard of epazote? If you’re a fan of southern Mexican or Guatemalan food, you may be familiar with this ingredient, which is comprised of the leaves and stalks of the epazote (eh-puh-ZO-tay) plant.This plant is considered a weed by some, but proudly

As the Mediterranean is the source of so much goodness on our dinner tables, it’s hardly a surprise that the region is also home to rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), the pungent member of the mint family that adds the perfect flavor to many dishes.While US gardeners who live in clima

Getting water to your plants can be one of the most labor-intensive aspects of gardening. But it doesn’t have to be.While I do sometimes enjoy standing in the garden with a hose and communing with

A gift from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, sun-loving turpentine bush is native to the southwestern United States, including southeastern California, west Texas, southern New Mexico, and southern Arizona, as well as north-central Mexico.And in addition to tolerating blistering desert heat, this tough ev

If your shady spots are looking a little dull and uninspired, you may want to consider Torenia fourneiri, which blooms generously and brightly in shade.Another mark in the “wow” column for this lovely annual comes from

Apparently, “sweet root vegetable” just didn’t have the same ring to it as “sweet potato,” so we’re stuck with a misnamed – albeit delicious – vegetable.For the sweet potato is not related t

Asian or Asiatic jasmine, Trachelospermum asiaticum, is a somewhat aggressive ground cover that utterly disregards the well-considered edgings you carefully construct to contain it.Its greatest feature – the ability to quickl

Crape myrtle trees (Lagerstroemia) are to the southern United States what ivy is to university towers. Imperative. Expected. Greatly appreciated, and… lovely.Though not as ubiquitous as they are the Southeast, the crape myr

Spicy, citrusy, minty… it’s difficult to describe the flavor of cardamom, other than to say it’s delicious!We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy fr