 The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. ~Elizabeth Lawrence
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Annual, Perennial... or Temperennial?
Many plants that are labeled and sold as annuals are actually perennial — just not in cold-winter climates. Examples include begonias, petunias, and sweet potato vines. The term "temperennial" has been coined to describe these tender perennials. |  |
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How to Grow and Care for Eggplants
Long and thin or round and fat, eggplants range from egg- to melon-sized and come in a rainbow of colors, including purple, pink, white, orange, and green. They're used in hors d'oeuvres, main courses, grilled dishes, and pickled condiments. |  |
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Pick a Peck of Peppers
Whether you grow them for enjoying raw in salads, cooked in your favorite stir-fries and Mexican dishes, or dried and made into ristras, you want a big harvest of peppers. |  |
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Training a Climbing Rose
Climbing roses produce two kinds of shoots: the main structural canes and the flowering shoots, which grow from the canes. The long structural canes must be tied or woven into a support to keep the flowers off the ground. |  |
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Creating More Garden Space
Do you envision a summer garden bursting with color and fragrance? When gardening space is more limited than the imagination, why not think about growing things in containers as well as in beds and borders? |  |
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Bees and Wasps
People often confuse bees, wasps, and other flying insects as harmful. However, many are beneficial, acting as pollinators and pest control agents. Get to know their appearance and habits. |  |
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Trumpet Vine
Trumpet vine is a true North American plant. Native to the Southeast, it grows in most areas of the continent, and few hardy vines can offer an equal amount of color and vigor. |  |
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Yarrow (Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl Superior')
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Leaves: Fragrant
Flowers: Showy
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Summer, Late summer or early fall
Uses: Medicinal Herb, Cut Flower, Dried Flower, Will Naturalize
Dynamic Accumulator: K (Potassium), P (Phosphorus), Fe (Iron)
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Salt tolerant, Drought tolerant
Pollinators: Self, Bees, Flies
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Rose (Rosa 'Wife of Bath')
Bloom size: Large: 4-5"
Petal count: very full: 40+ petals
Rose bloom color: Medium pink
Rebloom: Some
Class: Shrub
Growth Habit: Medium, 3-4 feet, bushy
Fragrance: Moderate
Hybridizer & year: David Austin, 1969
Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 5 and warmer
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 5b -26.1 °C (-15 °F) to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
Plant Height: 3-4 feet
Plant Spread: 2-3 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Late summer or early fall
Uses: Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Parentage: Madame Caroline Testout x (Ma Perkins x Constance Spry)
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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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Compact Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa 'Boxwood Beauty')
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9a -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F)
Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet
Plant Spread: 4 to 6 feet
Leaves: Evergreen
Fruit: Showy, Other
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: 1"-2"
Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall, Late fall or early winter, Fall
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge, Groundcover
Edible Parts: Fruit
Eating Methods: Raw, Cooked
Resistances: Salt tolerant, Humidity tolerant, Fire Resistant
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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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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 Photo by dreamzzz
"Scent First Coral Reef"
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 Photo by MargitVienna
"Very reliable, strongly fruity scented, heahlty bush - I don't understand why D.A. Roses have discontinued this lovely rose"
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 Photo by bumplbea
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 Photo by RachaelHunter
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 Photo by JozicaPL
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 Photo by IrisLily
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 Photo by sugarcane
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 Photo by mom2goldens
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 Photo by JoshuaCole
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 Photo by Baja_Costero
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The numbers from this week:
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