 Winter is the time for comfort, good food and warmth.
|
|
Cast Your Votes for the 2022 Garden.org Photo Contest!
Over the past few weeks, gardeners from all over have been submitting their favorite photos, and it's now time for you to vote on your favorites! Each member may cast up to 3 votes in each category, so head over to the photo contest page, start browsing the many beautiful photos, and cast your votes for your favorites. |  |
|
|
Elegant Amaryllis
Pot up amaryllis bulbs now so you'll have something green and wonderful when winter really rages. Ready-to-plant amaryllis bulb kits are widely available with plenty of choices in flower color. These big bulbs bloom 6 to 8 weeks after you plant them, and it's easy to carry them over from year to year, too. |  |
|
|
How to Grow and Care for Hellebores
A welcome sight after a long winter, early-blooming hellebores herald the coming spring with nodding flowers in a range of colors. Flowering continues for a month or more, bringing color and life to the garden when most plants are still dormant. |  |
|
|
Herbs Make a Myriad of Holiday Gifts
Most everyone appreciates handmade gifts, and I especially like to give foods I've grown in my own garden or gifts made from things I've grown or collected. Simple gifts can be made absolutely elegant with added personal touches. What could be simpler and more refined than a basket of homemade scones and jam made from your own currants, tied with a ribbon and sprigs of juniper? |  |
|
|
Building a Terrarium
Terrariums can take many forms; all you really need is a clear glass container without drainage holes that's large enough to fit the plant or plants without them hugging the sides, which can lead to disease. You don't need an aquarium-sized home; a small round vase or candle holder can accommodate one special plant. You can find some unique containers by searching antique shops and second-hand stores. Glass bell jars are especially beautiful. |  |
|
|
Winter Interest in the Garden
As the days get longer and the temperatures get colder, the need for beauty in the garden is especially important. There are several considerations the home gardener can make to add beauty by using shrubs with beautifully colored stems, or trees with interesting bark, as well as plants with great foliage, fruits, and even flowers. |  |
|
|
Aphids
Found throughout the United States. These small, soft-bodied insects may be pale green, pink, black, or yellow, depending on the species. |  |
|
|
Grow Cyclamen for Winter Color
Just about the time I'm tired of the dull, gray days of winter, my cyclamen burst into bloom. Their flowers are beautiful, resembling butterflies perched on stems, with petals held high above thick, dark green leaves. At first the developing flower buds face downward, but as the petals open they sweep upward like the wings of a butterfly. |  |
|
|
Holiday Plant Lore
'Tis the season to be jolly -- and to attend holiday parties. Do you have trouble making small talk? Here are some fun facts about holiday plants to help you break the ice and get the conversation started. For example, have you ever wondered how poinsettias, a tropical plant, became such an important symbol of the winter holidays? |  |
|
|
Together with Bluestone Perennials Brilliant blooms in time for the holidays? Oh yes! Whether you're looking for the perfect gift or want to treat yourself, our Amaryllis kits are the way to go. They arrive complete with a large bulb and compressed soil disc in a charming ceramic pot that we dress up in shimmery cellophane. So, shop now to give the gift that keeps on growing this holiday season! Remember, Amaryllis Gifts ship for free!
|
|
Artillery Plant (Pilea microphylla)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9b -3.9 °C (25 °F) to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
Plant Height: 8 to 12 inches
Plant Spread: 12 to 24 inches
Leaves: Evergreen, Other
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Other, Green
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Suitable Locations: Houseplant, Bog gardening
Uses: Groundcover, Will Naturalize, Suitable as Annual, Suitable for miniature gardens
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon, Needs excellent drainage in pots
|  |
|
|
Mimosa Tree (Albizia julibrissin)
Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 6a -23.3 °C (-10 °F) to -20.6 °C (-5 °F)
Plant Height: 15-40 feet
Plant Spread: 20 to 40 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Fruit: Other
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall, Fall, Late fall or early winter, Winter
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall
Uses: Shade Tree, Flowering Tree, Will Naturalize
Dynamic Accumulator: Nitrogen fixer
Wildlife Attractant: Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Salt tolerant, Drought tolerant
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Not suitable for containers
|  |
|
|
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum 'Njoy')
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb, Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade, Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9b -3.9 °C (25 °F) to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
Plant Height: Trails and climbs 6 to 10 feet
Leaves: Unusual foliage color, Evergreen, Variegated, Other
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: White
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Toxicity: Other
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon, Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs repotting every 2 to 3 years, Suitable for hanging baskets
Parentage: Sport of an unnamed clone of: Marble Queen
|  |
|
|
 Photo by hlutzow
|
|
 Photo by sunkissed
"billbergia delicioso"
|
|
 Photo by Valery33
|
|
 Photo by Zoia
|
|
 Photo by bootandall
|
|
 Photo by NikolaHerzegovina
|
|
 Photo by GrammaChar
|
|
 Photo by Sscape
"Early Morning Image"
|
|
 Photo by Valery33
|
|
 Photo by RuuddeBlock
|
|
Active threads from our forums:
|
Thread Subject
|
Forum
|
Replies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The numbers from this week:
181 members joined.
2,726 posts written in our forums.
1,184 photos posted to the plant database.
1,278 plants added to personal inventory lists.
|
|
 Fall breeze, Autumn leaves.
|
|
|
