Verbena is a varied genus of plants, mostly native to South America. They tend to be short-lived, but the abundance of nectar-rich flowers more than makes up for this.
24.05.2024 - 09:45 / gardenersworld.com
Wild strawberries or alpine strawberries, Fragaria vesca, are delicious, tiny red fruits borne on low-growing, spreading, perennial plants, from spring to autumn. Perfect for informal spots around the garden, they grow in a variety of situations, including cracks in paving and stone walls. In some situations they can become invasive. Wild strawberries are native to many countries in the Northern Hemisphere and are highly sought after due to their intense flavour, which is said to be sweeter than that of cultivated strawberries. If fruit production is your main aim, look for named varieties of wild strawberry that have been bred to produce slightly larger fruits than those of the species, although neither produce anywhere near the size and quantity of fruit borne by cultivated strawberry plants.
Identifying wild strawberriesWild strawberry plants form small (10-30 cm) rosettes of bright green leaves divided into three leaflets with toothed edges. Five-petalled white flowers are borne in spring and summer, followed by fruits no more than a centimetre across that turn from green to red and then dark red, at which point they are ripe and ready to eat (although birds and other animals may get there first!). In winter, the foliage may remain semi-evergreen if conditions are mild. Wild strawberries grow in a range of locations including road verges, path edges, banks, and woodland edges, particularly on alkaline (limy) soils such as chalk. In England, plants are categorised as near-threatened due to habitat loss, so any wild plants are best left untouched.
How to grow wild strawberriesGrow wild strawberries in moist but well-drained soil in sun to partial shade. Trim back or remove runners as needed.
Where to grow wildVerbena is a varied genus of plants, mostly native to South America. They tend to be short-lived, but the abundance of nectar-rich flowers more than makes up for this.
Most of us think of honeysuckles as twining climbers with pretty, scented tubular flowers, perfect for covering walls, fences and pergolas. But there are also evergreen, shrubby types that make an excellent honeysuckle bush, hedging or topiary. Both belong to the genus Lonicera and there are many different cultivars, hailing from Europe, Asia, the Mediterranean and North America. Lonicera periclymenum (wild honeysuckle, common honeysuckle or woodbine) is native to the UK.
If you are looking for an option to save money while enjoying fresh coriander sprigs right at your home, then learn How to Grow Cilantro from Stem Cuttings!
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to get exclusive access to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show? Well, your dreams have come true because in this exclusive interview we got an all-access pass to THE horticultural event of the year thanks to Annie Guilfoyle, a 2024 judge. Annie is co-founder of Garden Masterclass in the UK and an award wining garden designer who earned a Silver Medal at Cheslea years ago for her innovative landscape design. Annie is just back from the show this year and shares details from her favorite gardens, interesting new plants that caught her attention, and even some celebrity gossip from those stars that were in attendance at the show. (Spoiler alert: she did not see Lady Whistledown at the Bridgerton -themed garden). We discussed how native plants and sustainable practices played a role in this year’s event and talk about themes of water conservation and hardscape upcycling.
The bamboo palm (Rhapsis excelsa) is an elegant evergreen fan palm. It has bamboo-like stems and fronds of long dark green leaves with blunt ends, making it an unusual, yet attractive, house plant. Several other house plants are also referred to as the bamboo palm, including Dypsis lutescens (also known as the Areca palm, golden cane palm or butterfly palm) and Chamaedorea seifrizii.
If there’s one thing the most exciting gardens have in common, it’s that they always have something beautiful happening. And that “something” usually means something in flower. Bringing that idea home may seem challenging for gardeners, but happily, plant breeders know we want more—more beautiful foliage, more interest across every season, and most importantly, more and better bloom—and they have answered our calls. This is excellent news because, let’s face it, most gardeners today have less time to spend in the weeds (or looking for strong bloomers) than in years past. And everyone stands to benefit from bigger, continuous summer blooms with less effort. The following group of superstars starts flowering at the onset of summer and keeps going all season long, many even going right into fall. Use them as supporting players for those that shine more briefly, or switch it up and make them the centerpiece.
There’s nothing like a crisp cucumber freshly harvested from your garden, then chilled to perfection. They’re so much better when you grow them yourself! They’re also one of the easiest vegetables to grow from seed. New compact varieties of cucumbers grow well in containers on a deck, patio or balcony, too.
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Hummus lovers rejoice: You can learn how to grow chickpeas in your vegetable garden. Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, cecci beans, and Egyptian peas, are a staple in diets across their indigenous Mediterranean region. And like other legumes, they’re easy to grow and the plants improve the soil. Plus you can enjoy chickpeas fresh from the garden, much like shell peas, or harvest them at the end of the growing season for drying. In this ultimate guide for how to grow chickpeas, you’ll learn all about growing chickpeas on a small scale. Read on for tips on sowing, caring for, harvesting, and enjoying these tasty and nutritious beans. Why grow your own chickpeas Until now, you may not have thought much about how to grow chickpeas. There are a lot of reasons why