Nan Schiller

Agricultural lime is a conditioning agent that many folks apply to their lawns, vegetable gardens, flower beds, and pastures. If you’re not sure whether it’s right for you, read on!Is your grass lush, like a thick green carpet, o

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.Whether your address is a city block or a rural route, this 928-pa

Succulents are colorful and fun to grow. Many folks collect miniature species, like Echeveria, Haworthia, and Lithops, to display decoratively in their homes.We link to vendors to help you find releva

Shrubs add structure and depth to the landscape as substantial mid-story forms that function as specimen plantings, backdrops to lower profile plants, and transitional armature between ground and canopy layers.There are also compact varieties suitable for sma

Have you ever wondered about the bundles of bamboo stems you see for sale just about everywhere, from novelty stores to warehouse clubs?They’re called “lucky bamboo,” and despite their ubiquitous presen

Succulents are drought-resistant plants native to arid regions.Some, like hens and chicks (Echeveri

White wood asters, Eurybia divaricata, are native perennials in the Asteraceae family, which also includes chrysanthemums, coneflowers, and sunflowers.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If

Peas, Pisum sativum, are a cool-weather crop for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 11.Those in zones that receive

Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum spp.) are edible flowering perennials suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. They may be grown as annuals in all temperate regions.We link to vendors to help you find relevant produ

Succulent plants have unusual shapes, rich textures, varied colors, and showy blooms that make a dramatic impact in any container or garden setting.They are not a unique floral family, but div

The hydrangea is a deciduous shrub with mature dimensions ranging from dwarf to tree-sized that boasts showy flower heads in an array of forms and hues.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products

Borago officinalis, commonly known as borage or starflower, is one of a host of herbs with origins in the Mediterranean region.It’s a member of the Boraginaceae family of plants, wh

Balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, is a native of the Russian Far East, China, Japan, and Korea that has become a garden sensation in the United States.A member of the Campanulaceae family that includes bellflower

The garden heliotrope, Heliotropium arborescens, is a tender shrubby perennial, or sub-shrub, of the borage family, with clusters of sweetly-scented blossoms in shades of purple, blue, or white.With a backdrop of dark green pleated leaves, plants bear a resembla

Have you always wanted to grow your own succulents?You’re not alone.Some vari

Eggplant, Solanum melongena, is suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 10.It prefers full sun and organically-ric

Are you familiar with deadheading? This is the practice of cutting flowers off a plant after they finish blooming, and before they set seed.Its main purpose is to extend the growing s

Cardinal climber,I. sloteri, is a tender annual vine with red, trumpet-like flowers in the Convolvulaceae family that’s easy to grow and provides sprawling color from summer to frost. It grows fast and is a favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If yo

The parrot tulip, Tulipa gesneriana var.dracontia, is an intriguing cultivated variety with twisted, curled, and ruffled petals streaked by vivid combinations of colors.We’re all familiar with tulips and their cheerful, colorful blooms that herald the arriv

The aster is a sturdy-stemmed flowering perennial known for its masses of small daisy-like blossoms.There are numerous aster species in several genera within the Asteraceae family that contains chrysanthemums, daisie

Calico aster, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum, formerly Aster lateriflorus, is a native perennial flower that blooms from midsummer to mid-fall.It rejuvenates fall gardens with masses of tiny white blossoms, with striking reddish-purple to

Gardening with children is great fun and you can begin in any month of the year. From planning and craft-making to planting and harvesting, you can treat your kids to fun activities any time!When my daughter was small, we had a

Bachelor’s button, Centaurea cyanus, is a European wildflower that has naturalized across the United States. It is a member of the Asteraceae family that includes asters, chicory, daisies, mums, sunflowers, and yarrow.It’s a vigorous plant commonly found growing among the grain crops in farmer

Summer snapdragon, Angelonia angustifolia, is a member of the Plantaginaceae family, a very large group that includes plantain, penstemon, and foxglove.It is cultivated as a tender perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11

Basil, Ocimum basilicum, is an aromatic culinary and medicinal herb that’s perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11 and a summer annual in other regions.We link to vendors to h

Columbine, or Aquilegia, is an intriguing member of the Ranunculaceae family with exquisite petals that give it an ephemeral quality, like a briefly glimpsed hummingbird.It is an herbaceous perennial that blooms from sp

China Aster, Callistephus chinensis, is a member of the Asteraceae family that includes the chrysanthemum and daisy.Unlike other aster varieties, this particular species is not a

In the quiet, post-holiday weeks of winter, nothing livens up a gardener with cabin fever like a fresh-off-the-presses, colorful and enticing seed catalog.This time-honored resource has its root

Dame’s rocket, Hesperis matronalis, is a fragrant, edible member of the Brassicaceae family of plants, which includes arugula, broccoli, and mustard.Native to Europe and Asia, it was originally brought to

The tulip, Tulipa spp., is a spring-blooming bulb flower in the Liliaceae, or lily family. It has a waxy, cup-like flower available in every color except blue, a bare vertical stem, and fleshy green foliage that is sometimes variegated with red or white.After blooming, the foliage feeds the bulb so it can

Perennial asters, from the Aster, Stokesia, and Symphyotrichum genera, are members of the Asteraceae or daisy family.They are transition flowers that bloom from late

Aster is a catch-all name for a range of flowering plants in the large Asteraceae family that includes coneflowers, chicory, daisies, sunflowers, yarrow, bachelor’s buttons, and zinnias.It refers to a number of di

Late season asters are transitional flowers that bloom between summer and fall, bringing masses of small blossoms and rich texture to end of season gardens.In this article, we focus on 13 companion plants that sha

The aster is a flowering plant in the large Asteraceae family that includes the chrysanthemum, dahlia, and daisy. Its flower heads consist of radiating rays around a dense central disk of tiny florets.You may be familiar with the blue,

On late summer mornings, one of my favorite rituals is to wander through my garden, and pick a few of the vibrant pot marigold flowers to make into a refreshing tea.Each day I am pleasantly surprised to see a collection of new b

Calendula, Calendula officinalis, aka pot marigold, is an annual flowering herb in the aster family that’s suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11.We link to vendors to help you find releva