5 Ways to Set Up Your Space for Having A Very Merry Swiftmas

Dylan Chandler

Dana Gallagher

The gentlemen may well be resting and making merry but, never one to sit and twiddle my thumbs, I have suddenly found myself in the middle of another project. With only eight weeks until we open the garden again, it is not necessarily a sensible thing to be doing, but with a settled period of weather in the offing it was hard to resist, especially as the Golfer was very much up for the challenge. In fact, unusually, the project developed from an idea of his, a practical revision of the status quo, and began with stealing one of the cutting beds (above) and temporarily bagging it up (below):

How to Grow and Care for Mexican Fan Palms Washingtonia robusta

Succulents thrive in arid, often harsh climates, with abundant bright sunshine year-round and little to no regular water. They have adapted to such conditions by developing thick, fleshy leaves and stems to store whatever moisture eventually comes their way. They are survivors, accustomed to living and even flourishing with minimal care.

Growing Pothos is easy and fun, and you can use this fast-growing vine in your kitchen to make it more inviting and modern.

Alice Gorman, Flinders University

Shortening days and falling temperatures in autumn mean its time to swing into action and get your garden into shape, before the winter sets in.

Last week Kathy Sandel shared her former garden in Calabasas, California, and today we’re back visiting her current garden in Sacramento:

 Propagating begonias can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to expand your collection. In this guide, you can find the best and simplest ways to propagate begonias to enjoy more of these lovely plants in your garden or indoor space.

Header image: Space broccoli. Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit

While some may be familiar with Japanese sacred lily (Rohdea japonica, Zones 6–10), Rohdea pachynema is an uncommon species that is indeed a Rohdea less traveled. Found only in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, it is an intriguing member of the Asparagaceae family that is slowly becoming more available to gardeners. It was formerly known as Campylandra sinensis or C. pachynema, but recent DNA work has moved it into the genus Rohdea, whose name commemorates German botanist Michael Rohde. We can find no documented common name for this species, so we have dubbed it “yellow thread rohdea” since pachynema means “thick thread” (referring to the colored central stripe on the leaves).