White ZZ plants are not exactly “White” but have a tint of yellow and white on the leaves, which makes them appear very different from the regular green and rare black types.
08.03.2024 - 09:43 / gardenersworld.com
This article has been checked for horticultural accuracy by Oliver Parsons.
The olive tree, Olea europaea, is a classic Mediterranean tree that we might associate more with holidays than our own back garden. However, being slow-growing and usually only reaching a modest size, it makes a good garden tree in the UK. They can be grown in borders but make good trees for pots, too. There are now many cultivars that tolerate cooler temperatures to choose from, although a sunny, sheltered location will get the best results. You might even be lucky enough to get your own crop of olives – perhaps not enough for a bottle of olive oil, but certainly enough to cure and serve up as an appetiser.
How to grow olivesGrow olives in free-draining soil or compost in a sheltered, sunny site. There’s no need to feed olives growing in the ground but they may need protection from frost in winter.
Where to grow olive treesOlives are Mediterranean plants so thrive in conditions closest to the hot, dry climate of their native habitat. Choose the sunniest and most sheltered spot available – a south-facing spot with a brick wall behind it will work well.
How to plant olive treesIf you’re growing your olive tree in a border, dig a hole and add mycorrhizal fungi to help the tree establish quickly. If you have heavy soil then add plenty of grit to aid drainage. If growing in a container or raised bed, prepare a soil-based mix of compost and grit, with added some organic matter.
Most olive trees are supplied pot-grown, so they can be planted at any time of the year, unless the soil is frozen.
It’s possible to grow an olive tree from seed, but this is a long process and when grown, your plant will revert to a wild variety, rather than its parent
White ZZ plants are not exactly “White” but have a tint of yellow and white on the leaves, which makes them appear very different from the regular green and rare black types.
Oxalis triangularis, also known as false shamrock, is an eye-catching bulbous perennial that makes an excellent and long-lived house plant. Bold, dramatic foliage in shades of dark purple to wine-red creates a striking contrast to blush-white flowers borne in summer. The leaves are three-lobed, hence the name of shamrock which it resembles, though is not actually related to. Oxalis triangularis is native to from Brazil. Its leaves have extra fascination because they open during the day and close at night.
Poppies (Papaver spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) are one of the most beloved and desirable garden flowers, but they aren’t as easy to please as many sources make them out to be. While there are those who will claim that they are the easiest flowers to grow since they often self-seed around the garden with abandon, poppies—especially the annual species—remain challenging to grow for many gardeners. Below I’ll go over some common annual and perennial poppy species, some recommended varieties of each, and how to make them thrive in your garden.
Ranging from $500 to $5,000 per kilogram, saffron, or the Red Gold as it is commonly referred to, takes a total of about 150,000 flowers to produce just one kilogram! Now you know why it would be a great idea to have its plant at home!
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Ponytail palms are not exactly the fastest or the tallest growing specimens out there, so people are always in lookout for ways to make their’s stand out from the rest!
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum) are a popular ‘superfood’ to eat fresh or dried. Native to China, they’re packed with vitamins and antioxidants and have been used in Chinese medicine for over a thousand years. They’re easy to grow at home in the UK and bear fruit after just one or two years. The best thing about growing your own goji berries is that you can eat them straight from the bush – most commercially available goji berries are dried.
Home-grown garlic takes up little space and requires hardly any effort to get a good crop. It’s an easy crop to grow, spouting from a garlic bulb separated into cloves, which you plant individually. Certified, disease-free garlic bulbs are sold at garden centres or online.
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) is one of the most majestic of European native trees, yet also makes an excellent formal hedge as it tolerates regular clipping. Although deciduous, beech is still good to use as a screening hedge as growth is dense, twiggy, and the dead leaves usually remain on the branches for much of the winter, often until the new leaves appear in spring. There are both green and purple-leaved varieties of common beech which are suitable for hedging. The purple-leaved form (Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ is commonly known as copper beech. To grow as individual trees, the common beech species becomes too big for all but the largest gardens, but there are columnar (fastigiate) and weeping forms of beech that are much more compact in size.
Being the third largest state of the United States in size, it has diverse climate, this is why this list includes drought tolerant, sun loving, cold hardy, tropical, and temperate trees for the “Golden State.”
How to Grow Coral Bells Coral bells bring colorful foliage and airy blossoms to any garden! Here's how to grow them. Add coral bells to your garden!
Transforming your flat’s balcony into a lush, herb-filled oasis is easier than you might think, even if you’re a complete novice. With a bit of know-how and enthusiasm, you can enjoy the freshest flavours right at your fingertips. Let’s dive into how to get started on this rewarding journey.