 Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful: they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul. -Luther Burbank
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Shopper's Guide to Bark Mulch
This article explores the kinds of bark mulches you can buy and their advantages and disadvantages. Several bark and wood mulches are available--bark nuggets, mini-nuggets, hardwood mulch, and shredded mulch. Some come in bags, some in bulk. A chief advantage of these mulches compared with other organic mulches is that they remain attractive and functional for a couple of years. |
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Growing Oregano
There are several species of oregano used in cooking, but the one we recommend for kitchen use is Origanum heracleoticum. If you haven't been impressed with the flavor of oregano you've purchased at the store, consider that commercially available dried oregano may contain any number of species of oregano, and even unrelated plants! Growing your own is the best way to find out which best suits your palate and compliments other ingredients. |
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Maintaining Container Gardens
These simple maintenance tasks keep your patio planters and window boxes looking their best throughout the growing season and help cold-climate gardeners prepare for winter. |
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Butterfly Garden
ot long after we moved from our small, shady city lot to a sprawling sunny piece of land in the country, we were rewarded by a visit from a flock of monarch butterflies that |
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Planting Raspberries
aspberries thrive in well-worked, well-fed, slightly acid soil (pH 5.5 to 6.8). Like most fruits, they crave sunlight and plenty of moisture, but adequate drainage is critical. Take the time to eliminate perennial weeds as much as possible, either by repeated tilling or by planting a cover crop a year in advance. Be sure to mix in some 10-10-10 |
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Super-Nutritious Vegetables
To all the reasons you might choose one vegetable variety over another--appearance, flavor, yield, pest resistance, or regional adaptation--now you can add enhanced nutrition. The vegetables you'll read about here aren't just good for you. They've been bred to be better for you. |
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Sponsored by Jung Seed End of Season Closeout Sale. 50% OFF bulbs, roses, and more! There's still time to plant. Order now and save! Offer good while supplies last.
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Pocketbook Plant (Calceolaria)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Annual
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Plant Height: 6-12 inches
Flower Color: White, Orange, Red
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous, Roots are poisonous, Other
Propagation: Other methods: Division
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Stringy Stonecrop (Sedum sarmentosum)
Hardiness: Hardy - Can Handle Freezing Temps
Evergreen: Yes
Growth Habit: Ground cover, Mat Forming, Trailing
Soil Type: Dry, Well drained, Loamy / Medium, Sandy / light, Good draining potting mix
Plant uses and characteristics: Border, Containers, Pest resistant, Average water needs, Does not like wet feet
Plant Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry
Plant Height: 4 - 6 inches
Plant Spread: 24 inches
Leaves: Evergreen, Deciduous, Other
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Spring, Late spring or early summer |
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Clematis 'Elsa Spath'
Raised by: L. Spaeth
Country of Origin: Germany
Growing Zones: USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, USDA Zone 8, USDA Zone 9
Typical Plant Size: Other
Pruning Group: Group 2 - Optional, light pruning after flowering
Bloom Diameter: Large - between 6 to 8 inches
Bloom Color (Tepals): Deep Blue hue
Center Color (Anthers): Red anthers
Bloom Shape: Single
Preferred Light: Tolerates partial shade, Prefers full sun
Suitability as Cut Flower: Excellent cut flower (strong stem, long vase life)
Recommendations: Good choice for beginners (easy to grow), Good choice for a container, Good choice for shaded areas or northern walls, Good choice for very cold climates |
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Rose (Rosa 'Red Cascade')
Bloom size: Small: under 2"
Petal count: double: 16-25 petals
Rose bloom color: Dark red
Extra Bloom Info: In clusters
Rebloom: Good
Class: Miniature
Growth Habit: Very short, 1-2 feet, very bushy; true groundcover rose. Can also be grown as climbing miniature, 6-8 feet tall.
Fragrance: Mild
Hybridizer & year: Ralph S. Moore, 1976
Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 5 and warmer
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Plant Height: 1-2 feet
Plant Spread: 6-8 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Red |
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Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Baltimore')
Hybridizer: Keith Keppel
Year Of Registration: 2016
Year Of Introduction (May Differ From Registry): 2017
Seedling Number: 08-79D
Classification: Tall Bearded (TB)
Registered Height: 37 inches (94 cm)
Bloom Season: Mid Late
Flower Form: Bubble Ruffled
Bloom Color Classification: Light blue, Violet
Flower Patterns: Neglecta
Bloom Color Description: Clear medium light blue standards; westminster violet falls, paler 1/8" abbey violet edge, white area veined violet blue on hafts surrounding beards
Beard Color: Light blue, tipped shrimp orange in throat
Style Arm Color: Clear medium light blue
Awards: Honorable Mention |
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Sponsored by AgroThrive "My Rose of Sharon plant is at least 10 years old. The last few years have not been flowering much and most of the buds did not open up and the flowers were small. I tried AgroThrive for the first time in spring this year and the result is fantastic. There are plenty of flowers opening up and they are 5 inches in diameter." - Wailan T. from California, AgroThrive user submission
Click here to shop Fruit & Flower Fertilizer.
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by GigiPlumeria
"My grafted purple desert rose. The color of this one is “stunning”!"
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 Photo by springcolor
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 Photo by Debleena
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 Photo by Kayakcowgirl
"Mid morning"
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 Photo by RachaelHunter
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 Photo by sunkissed
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 Photo by Betja
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 Photo by HamiltonSquare
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 Photo by kniphofia
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
450 members joined.
5,781 posts written in our forums.
2,289 photos posted to the plant database.
1,191 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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 I love better to count time from spring to spring; it seems to me far more cheerful to reckon the year by blossoms than by blight. Donald G. Mitchell
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