 For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair. Anne Morrow Lindbergh
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Growing Flowers for Cutting
An urban gardener with limited space can still grow flowers for cutting. Even a small garden can produce many months of flowers for indoor enjoyment. |  |
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How to Grow and Care for Astilbes
Astilbes produce attractive mounds of glossy, fernlike foliage topped with plumes of flowers in shades of pink, red, lavender, and white. The plants bloom in late spring and early summer to brighten shade gardens. |  |
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Companions in the Garden
Companion planting is simply arranging plant types so that they complement each other. For example, one crop might deter pests from an adjoining patch; another might somehow improve the yield or quality of its neighbor. |  |
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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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Gardening for the Greater Good, Seeing Your Garden as Part of the Ecosystem
Seeing your garden as part of the larger ecosystem is not a one-time action, but rather a process of continuously evaluating opportunities to increase your garden's ecological benefits and functions. The tips mentioned in this article are just a handful of ways you can get started making relatively simple changes to your garden that deliver significant environmental benefits. |  |
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Made in the Shade Lawn Care
Lawns are the living carpet of our landscapes. Like other growing plants, turfgrass requires sunlight for survival and growth. Although lawn grasses differ in their tolerance of shady conditions, most types grow best in full to part sun. |  |
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I've Got the Blues -- Bluebirds, That Is
Streaking between trees like little slices of the bluest summer sky, bluebirds make welcome gardening companions. If you want to enjoy their company, set up a bluebird house. |  |
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Bring in the Beneficials
The key to growing a successful garden without too much intervention is to help the garden reach an ecological balance. And one of the critical parts of this balance is to have a garden filled with beneficial insects. |  |
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Together with Jung Seed Jung Seed is having an end of season rose sale! Save 35% off all roses while supplies last. We have a wide selection of hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, both antique & modern climbing roses, and disease-resistant, highly floriferous shrub and groundcover roses. Shop now!
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Tropical Hydrangea (Dombeya wallichii)
Plant Habit: Shrub, Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9b -3.9 °C (25 °F) to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
Plant Height: 15-20 feet
Plant Spread: 15-20 feet
Leaves: Evergreen, Broadleaf
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant, Other
Flower Color: Pink
Bloom Size: 1"-2"
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Uses: Flowering Tree
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Containers: Not suitable for containers
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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)
Moisture Requirements: Average moisture requirements
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
Awards: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit
Plant Habit: Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Plant Height: 6-10 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Summer, Late summer or early fall
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
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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
Uses: Groundcover, Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Drought tolerant
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon, Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Wet, Wet Mesic, Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Plant Height: 3 - 12 feet
Plant Spread: 6 -12 feet
Leaves: Unusual foliage color, Deciduous
Fruit: Showy, Edible to birds
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Summer
Uses: Culinary Herb, Medicinal Herb, Will Naturalize
Edible Parts: Fruit
Wildlife Attractant: Birds, Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Flood Resistant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Pollinators: Various insects, Bees
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
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Rose (Rosa 'Charisma')
Bloom size: Medium: 2-3"
Petal count: full: 26-40 petals
Rose bloom color: Orange and orange blend
Extra Bloom Info: In small clusters
Rebloom: Good
Class: Floribunda
Extra Color Info: Red/orange/yellow blend
Growth Habit: Medium, 3-4 feet, upright
Fragrance: Mild
Hybridizer & year: Bob Jelly, 1977
Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 6 and warmer
Awards: AARS
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Plant Height: 3-4 feet
Plant Spread: 2-3 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Bi-Color
Flower Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Uses: Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Parentage: Gemini x Zorina
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Together with 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.
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 Photo by Kaktus
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by Calif_Sue
"Still in 1 gallon pot and a bit bug chewed"
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 Photo by celestialrose
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 Photo by Bellmar
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 Photo by LoriMT
"Blossom is deep purple when it first blooms (as shown), then fades to lilac as it ages."
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 Photo by RachaelHunter
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 Photo by Betja
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
302 members joined.
4,149 posts written in our forums.
1,424 photos posted to the plant database.
837 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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 The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.
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