 Winter is a season of recovery and preparation
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Worms for Christmas
I'm asking Santa to bring me worms for Christmas. Not just any worms; two pounds of Eisenia foetida, also called red wigglers or redworms, to be exact. No, I haven't completely lost my mind. I'm going to start worm composting. I've heard about this for a long time, and the idea of turning my kitchen garbage into free compost for houseplants, seedlings, and ultimately the garden is overwhelmingly appealing. |  |
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How to Grow and Care for Lavenders
Prized for its scented blooms and aromatic foliage, lavender has been grown for millennia. The cool-hued flowers offer a stunning display in the garden, and the dried flowers are a must-have in sachets. The scent of lavender is reputed to soothe frazzled nerves and promote calm. |  |
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Cooking With Parsnips
The Romans grew and relished parsnips but thought they were a type of carrot. Cooks in the Middle Ages converted them into thick porridge and stews. And home gardeners today are rediscovering parsnips for their homey flavor and adaptability to numerous culinary treatments. |  |
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Indoor Plants for Last-Minute Gifts
Indoor plants make ideal gifts. Plants bring life and comfort to an otherwise sterile setting. An office without plants is cold and uninviting. Add an easy-care, low-light houseplant such as peace lily or Chinese evergreen and even a nongardener can have success growing plants. |  |
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Gift Ideas for Gardeners
Usually at least one family member has a knack for picking just the right gifts at holiday time. Most of the rest can use some help, though, especially when it comes to buying a gift for someone with a special interest like gardening. Here are some gift ideas for your gardening friends -- or to add to your own wish list! |  |
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Potpourri From the Garden
Scent is a powerful memory inducer, and nothing conjures up visions of holidays past better than the fragrance of pine, bay, and cinnamon. Potpourri is a blend of aromatic and colorful flowers and leaves, displayed in an open container so the scents can permeate the room. Your garden plants can provide ingredients for this easy-to-make and personalized gift for the holidays. |  |
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Favorite Recipes from NGA Staff
We gathered a few favorite recipes that incorporate garden-fresh and purchased herbs and vegetables — even "weeds" like lambs' quarters and dandelions. Enjoy them and let them inspire your own culinary creativity! |  |
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Havana Snakeroot (Ageratina havanensis)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 7b -15 °C (5 °F) to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
Plant Height: 4 to 6 feet
Plant Spread: 3 to 4 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late fall or early winter, Fall
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Wildlife Attractant: Birds, Butterflies, Bees
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Princess Flower (Pleroma semidecandrum)
Plant Habit: Shrub, Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Plant Height: 10 to 20 feet
Leaves: Evergreen, Other
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Other, Purple
Bloom Size: 4"-5"
Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall, Late fall or early winter, Fall, Other
Suitable Locations: Patio/Ornamental/Small Tree
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Keys to the Kingdom')
Hybridizer: Hansen-D.
Year of Registration or Introduction: 2005
Foliage type: Evergreen
Scape height: 28 inches
Bloom size: 5.5 inches
Bloom time: Early midseason
Plant Traits: Extended Bloom, Rebloom, Nocturnal
Bud Count: 21-25
Branching: 3-way
Fertility: Pod Fertile, Pollen Fertile
Bloom Traits: Edged
Bloom Form: Single, Sculpted Form - Relief
Color description: pink yellow cream polychrome with yellow edge above yellow green throat
AHS Awards: JC
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Flowers: Showy
Ploidy: Tetraploid
Parentage: Empire Returns x Crows Feet
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Variegated Philodendron (Philodendron 'Florida Beauty Variegata')
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, 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: Climbs 6 to 8 feet or more
Leaves: Evergreen, Variegated, Other
Suitable Locations: Houseplant, Terrariums
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Toxicity: Other
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb, Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade, Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9b -3.9 °C (25 °F) to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
Leaves: Unusual foliage color, Evergreen, Variegated, Other
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Uses: Groundcover
Resistances: Tolerates dry shade, Humidity tolerant, Drought tolerant
Toxicity: Other
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots, Suitable for hanging baskets
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 Photo by piksihk
"First blooms (2018 seedling)"
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 Photo by ndmpkt13
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 Photo by daylily_almaty
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 Photo by RuuddeBlock
"R. 'Kalamaika' x R. 'Perlina') (Hans Hachmann 1987)"
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 Photo by ndmpkt13
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 Photo by Artsee1
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 Photo by LoriMT
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 Photo by Gerris2
"Indoors grown - no cultivar name - how about Blue Lagoon?"
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 Photo by Ursula
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 Photo by sedumzz
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
152 members joined.
2,761 posts written in our forums.
1,009 photos posted to the plant database.
512 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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 Winter is not a season, it's a celebration. - Anamika Mishra
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