Tips for Growing Aloe Vera Outdoors

Never underestimate the power of a little bit of year-round greenery. It can truly do wonders for walkways – and for your mind.When I lived in Oklahoma for two years, wintertime was difficult. There were few e

Are you growing your own aloe plant at home? If not, this is your chance to add an attractive ornamental succulent to your houseplant collection that offers tons of utility as well, as part of your homegrown medicine cabinet.Those of us who spend a lot of t

The first summer I lived in Alaska, my neighbors brought over a bouquet of enormous, lush pink flowers that I had never seen before. Set in vases against the green walls in my home, I could’ve stared at them for hours.I soon learned that peonies (Paeonia

If you want to start your spring garden early, or you simply desire some cheerful, indoor blooms, why not try growing violets indoors?These charming members of the Violagenus possess on

Some say the plants in this genus are commonly called the peace lilies because the white spathe of their flowers looks like a flag of surrender.I think the combination of columnar central spadix an

Johnny-jump-ups are one of my favorite flowers because they pop up everywhere, placing them among the easiest blooms to grow. They’re determined to flourish.Here’s an example: One year, I grew a container of t

I love those funny jokes about spinach. You know, the ones where people poke fun at the way you can put an entire bag of spinach in a pan to saute, but you’ll only have a teaspoon of the green once it’s done cooking?Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration –

If you’ve never grown root vegetables in containers, now’s the time to try.Parsnips are in the Apiaceae family,

As a kid, I dreamed of having my own berry patch. Any berry would do, but tart, juicy, sweet blackberries were a clear favorite.How wonderful it would be, I thought, if

While its primary common name makes it sound like this plant comes from the Caribbean island, Cuban oregano is a plant known by many other names as well, including Mexican mint, Spanish (or French) thyme, and Indian borage.Here’s the funny thing: Cuban oregano is not true ore

Boysenberries, Rubus ursinus x R. idaeus, are tasty hybrid berries that typically grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9.I’m in Zone 4, and it is admittedly audaci

When I was a kid, my mom turned our front yard, in Reno, Nevada, into a garden. I remember walking through rows of tall corn stalks that felt like an enchanted forest.I tried growing corn last year, but I started