Splashy, colorful ornamental peppers add dazzling bursts of red, purple, yellow, orange, black, or white to the garden. And many cultivars display upright fruits that change color as they mature.While the species Capsicum a
12.06.2023 - 01:00 / gardenerspath.com / Gretchen Heber
How, When, and Why to Cut Back Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses are increasingly being used in our landscapes as an alternative to shrubs.
In any region of the country, you can find native grasses that do quite well, and add textural variety and a soft, flowing aspect to the garden.
These plants are particularly attractive when grown in groups. Examples include any of the many Miscanthus varieties, blue fescue (Festuca glauca), and Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima).
A few are evergreen in the southernmost parts of the United States.
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
But most are deciduous, rewarding gardeners year after year with fresh blades in solid or variegated green, red, and coppery colors, as well as prolific and attractive plumes and seed heads.
And while largely maintenance-free, many of these plants do benefit from an annual haircut. Let’s learn more about how to trim them up for maximum growth and beauty.
Enjoy Them Throughout WinterWhile you likely won’t do any irreparable harm if you trim ornamentals back in the fall, we recommend you wait until late winter or early spring before you bring out the shears.
Many of these plants – especially those with spent plumes and attractive seed heads – offer alluring winter interest, particularly if snow or ice graces their foliage.
Keeping the leaves around also protects the crown of the plant throughout the winter, but you do want to prune the old growth before the new growth begins.
Leaving the dead material on too long can impair the crown’s warming and delay new growth by as long as three weeks.
If you delay the haircut until after new shoots have appeared, you’ll want to trim the
Splashy, colorful ornamental peppers add dazzling bursts of red, purple, yellow, orange, black, or white to the garden. And many cultivars display upright fruits that change color as they mature.While the species Capsicum a
Years after the fact, I remain flummoxed as to why my neighbor Daniel – an otherwise normal, rational person – ripped down and pulled out a spectacular, 20-foot-tall labyrinth of colorful crossvine that was growing on a trellis he had built up against his house.Crossvine is a fast-growing climbing vine that can reach 50
According to the National Gardening Association, tomatoes are the most commonly grown backyard vegetable, and for good reason.Not only is a fresh-picked, homegrown tomato extraordinarily tasty
How can you not immediately fall in love with a plant called “American beautyberry”? It just makes the heart swell. Here, take a Kleenex.The emotive lexicon is well deserved.This large, deciduous shru
Though the profuse bell-shaped, yellow flowers that adorn the lengthy, twisted vines of Carolina jessamine are truly breathtaking, they conceal a deep, dark secret.They, along with the rest of the plant, are capabl
Beloved by many gardeners for its heat tolerance and shade-loving nature, but reviled by others for its eagerness to spread with abandon, R. simplex can be divisive.Thanks to its sweet purple flowers, however, we come down firmly on the pro-ruellia side of
Oregano, or Origanum vulgare, is a bushy, woody-branched perennial member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Used extensively in a variety of cuisines, it is known for its earthy, robust, aromatic flavor.A staple of Italian-American cooking, orega
After a long flight from South America, a bird could use a juicy meal and a place to rest, right?For purple martins, those tasty insects an
Grasses are not just only for meadows, lawns, and gardens. This is why here’re some of the Best Ornamental Grasses for Containers that you can grow easily in small spaces!
Salvia, a genus of plants in the mint (Lamiaceae) family with nearly a thousand members, is known for its toughness.Heat tolerant, chill tolerant, drought tolerant, impervious to pest
How does your garden grow?Well, we know that trees and shrubs are the “bones” of a garden – they p
Show of hands – who’s ever heard of epazote? If you’re a fan of southern Mexican or Guatemalan food, you may be familiar with this ingredient, which is comprised of the leaves and stalks of the epazote (eh-puh-ZO-tay) plant.This plant is considered a weed by some, but proudly