Gretchen Heber

Don’t you just love unusual plant names? There are species with names like turpentine bush, and of course there’s snake plant and Persian shield, too.Here’s another good one for you: bat-faced cuphea.As you migh

Unlike its rather dull brown rodent namesake, gopher plant is beautifully colored, impressing with distinctive gray-blue, lance-shaped leaves, chartreuse bracts, and bright yellow springtime flowers.Gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida) is native to the Mediterranean and th

Upon seeing the title of this article, you may be thinking, “What is Mexican oregano? Is it different from “regular” oregano?”We’re so glad you asked. To start, for pur

Full disclosure: I don’t have chickens. My homeowner’s association prohibits them. Nor, before reading this book, did I particularly want a flock.HOA rules aside, a couple of my neighbors raise these birds, and I just didn’t get the appea

In general, fig trees, Ficus carica, are well-known for their preference for mild climates. But northern gardeners won’t be denied a supply of fresh backyard fruit if they grow a ‘Hardy Chicago’ variety, which can withstand fairly cold temperatures if properly cared for.Also known as ‘Bensonhurst Purple,’ this variety produces p

Fragrant flowers. Beautiful, shiny, and evergreen foliage. Colorful, edible, and delicious fruits. A well-behaved root system. The ability to adjust to different types or methods of cultivation.All of these make the dwarf

I’m going to be straight with you. You cannot run over to your local garden center or hop online and purchase a plant (or thirty) that will make your summer backyard gatherings mosquito-free.It’s just not going to happen.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from on

In the plant world, when does “full sun” not really mean full sun?When you live in a place that gets

Hey, get your cats straight! CatMINT is not catNIP.Unlike its cousin catnip (Nepeta cataria), Faas

True to its name, American beautyberry is certainly a beauty, and a plant – once you’ve had a sampling – you might want more of.Gardeners love beautyberry’s large le

The brilliant green color, satisfying crisp crunch, and light onion flavor of chives (Allium schoenoprasum) make them a requisite ingredient in many dishes.How essential and wonderful, t

Show of hands: How many of you detested brussels sprouts when you were a kid?My hand is up. My introduction to the infamous cruciferous veggie wa

With so many different varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) available, it can be hard to know which one to pick.Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitac

We’re going to do a little test.Cockroach!Did an involuntary

Sweet peas (Lathryrus odoratus) are vintage charmers that are as lovely and welcome in the garden today as they were when Grandma planted them decades ago.In addition to offering a ra

Vitex is one of the most liberally reseeding plants I have ever grown.In an interesting twist, it got a couple of its nicknames – chaste

I’m always interested in growing plants that offer a solid ROI. And while plants that offer a lovely flower or an unusual leaf shape in exchange for my work in cultivating them are nice, even better is a plant that rewards with something I can put on the dinner table.And the caper bush fits this bill to a T

How many 10-year-old boys ask for a tree for their birthday? Ours did — he loved the fresh peaches from our neighbor’s tree so much, he wanted to be able to harvest the fruit from our own yard.How could we not oblige? And while that boy is coming up on

Autumn is the magical time of brisk mornings, hot apple cider, and approximately one to three million leaves in the yard that must be raked and bagged.But before the leaves fall,

The distinctive flavor of dill, Anethum graveolens, is said to resemble a combination of fennel, anise, and celery.The feathery leaves of this delicate and

Are you up for a challenge that is extraordinarily rewarding? Grow olive trees!Of course, if you’re located in the US and you

The flora of spring and summer with their lush foliage and eye-catching flowers receive a lot of attention in the garden.But we shouldn’t forget about autumn’s c

The cooler temperatures of fall are an invitation to leave the blast-chiller air conditioning behind, and step outside and enjoy that certain crispness that characterizes autumn.And while you’re out there, why not install a

An almost-ubiquitous ground cover in much of the American South, Asiatic jasmine is actually not jasmine at all, though it is Asian, with origins in Korea and Japan.It takes the second half of its name from its frag

With its deep purple leaves and long, colorful flower spikes, purple fountain grass is among the loveliest of the ornamental grasses.Alas, its beauty is fleeting. Hardy in Zones 9 to 11, P. x advena ‘Rubrum’ is gr

If you live in the right growing zone, you may be lucky enough to grow not only a traditional spring vegetable garden, but also a fall vegetable garden. This applies to gardeners in the South, who are blessed with a long growing period.If this is the year you’re going to finally

I don’t know if we’re cursed or what, but we’ve had two trees exhibit a strange, disfiguring phenomenon wherein the top part of the trunk — the “leader” — has died, taking with it numerous scaffold branches and leaving an unsightly, shortened trunk surrounded by perfectly healthy branches.One was a cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia)

Many of us are accustomed to cutting back our ornamental grasses in late winter to get rid of dead leaves and promote fresh, attractive growth.You might wonder if it’s also nec

While calamint (Calamintha) might not be the most well-known shrub in the United States, it certainly deserves a more prominent role in our landscapes.A hardy, deer-resistant perennial

Before we talk about how to overwinter banana plants, the first thing we need to get straight is that the banana tree (Musa spp.) is not actually a tree. It’s an herb! A rather sizeable herb.Its “trunk” is actually a cyl

There may be no vegetable more closely associated with the American South than collard greens.Oh, wait, well, except maybe okra.Regardless of which veggie

The leek looks like a steroid-fueled green onion. It’s considerably fatter than a scallion, at one to three inches wide, and about twice as tall. But it totally wears the same outfit, albeit in a bigger size.It is in fact related to onions, offering a mi

Today, we often think of the cabbage as a humble vegetable. However, the ever-wise ancient Romans valued cabbage as a luxury food item, and many treasured its flavor above that of other veggies.They also held its p

With its sweet fragrance, sparkling flavor, and pretty flowers, mint makes a delightful addition to any garden.It’s a welcome ingredient in cold beverages and teas, as well as

I can’t tell you how much fun it is to create beauty from kitchen waste. I also really love free plants.With pineapple (Ananas comosus), you can

It takes a very special plant to withstand the brutality of the South. Oppressive, sustained heat, punishing sun, lack of rain – it’s a wonder anything can stand up to these conditions.But fear not, for Mother Nature provides. She has given