 No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. -Thomas Jefferson
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Preventing Garden Diseases
Most garden diseases are caused by fungi -- microscopic relatives of the common garden mushroom. Mature fungi release millions of spores that are then carried on the wind or otherwise get transferred to our plants. And if the conditions suit them, the spores germinate and penetrate leaf tissue, creating spots, lesions, or other symptoms. Most fungi need moisture to germinate... |  |
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Here's to Rose of Sharon
I first noticed the hardy shrub called Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) while traveling one midsummer across the southern plains. I saw it over and over again, blooming bravely in dooryard gardens despite the sizzling heat |  |
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Bountiful Basil
Years ago, when I was a novice gardener living in the city and yearning for the country, I noticed a garden in a tiny front yard and complimented the elderly gardener on his beautiful basil. He gave me some seeds, which had come from his family in Sicily. Since then, my garden has never been without a generous planting of basil. |  |
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Naturally Rot-Resistant Woods
Twenty years ago, when I bought my present house in southern Vermont, one of the first things I did was put in raspberry beds and a sizable garden. To support the berry canes and fence the garden off from deer, I cut and split 8-foot posts of black locust, a local tree that I knew to be rot-resistant. In fact, old-timers told me that locust posts would last 60 years in the ground. |  |
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Preparing a New Garden Plot
Eliminating weeds and getting the soil ready for your flowers and vegetables are important first steps in growing a successful garden. Time spent in preparation reduces the time you'll have to spend maintaining and weeding your garden over the course of the growing season. |  |
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Donkey Ears (Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri)
Plant Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 11 +4.4 °C (40 °F) to +7.2 °C (50 °F)
Plant Height: 12 to 18 inches
Plant Spread: 1 to 2 feet
Leaves: Unusual foliage color, Evergreen, Other
Flowers: Showy, Other
Flower Color: Orange, Other
Flower Time: Fall
Suitable Locations: Houseplant, Xeriscapic
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies, Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Humidity tolerant, Drought tolerant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous, Roots are poisonous, Other
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon, Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Darwin's Slipper (Calceolaria uniflora)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic, Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 7b -15 °C (5 °F) to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
Plant Height: 4 to 5 inches
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Orange, Other
Bloom Size: 1"-2"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer, Summer, Late summer or early fall
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Wildlife Attractant: Birds
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Pollinators: Birds
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
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Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
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 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Plant Height: 6 to 8 feet, possibly 10 to 12 feet
Plant Spread: 4 to 6 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Fruit: Showy, Edible to birds, Other
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: White, Other, Green
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall
Uses: Cooked greens
Edible Parts: Leaves
Eating Methods: Cooked
Wildlife Attractant: Birds
Resistances: Humidity tolerant, Drought tolerant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous, Roots are poisonous, Fruit is poisonous, Other
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)
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Rose (Rosa 'New Day')
Bloom size: Large: 4-5"
Bloom shape: High-centered
Petal count: full: 26-40 petals
Rose bloom color: Medium yellow
Rebloom: Good
Class: Hybrid tea, Other
Growth Habit: Short, 2-3 feet, upright
Fragrance: Strong
Hybridizer & year: Reimer Kordes, 1972
Optimal growing zones: USDA zone 6 and warmer
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 6b -20.6 °C (-5 °F) to -17.8 °C (0 °F)
Plant Height: 2-3 feet
Plant Spread: 1-2 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Spring, Summer, Fall
Uses: Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Parentage: Arlene Francis x Roselandia
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Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade, Partial or Dappled Shade, Partial Shade to Full Shade
Water Preferences: Wet, Wet Mesic, Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Plant Height: To 60 feet in its native habitat.
Leaves: Evergreen, Broadleaf
Fruit: Edible to birds, Other
Flowers: Showy, Fragrant, Other
Flower Color: Other
Bloom Size: 3"-4"
Flower Time: Year Round
Suitable Locations: Street Tree, Houseplant
Uses: Shade Tree, Flowering Tree
Edible Parts: Fruit, Flowers, Leaves
Eating Methods: Raw, Cooked
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger, Needs excellent drainage in pots
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by Valery33
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 Photo by the_ever_lea
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 Photo by Wjb
"My grandmother gave me this plant over 40 years ago it was only 3 little fingers the"
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 Photo by drirastucker
"this cultivar is no longer present at the arboretum"
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 Photo by scflowers
"One of my 2024 registrations, formerly seedling C137-1"
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 Photo by Bellmar
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 Photo by jathton
"Melia azedarach [Chinaberry]"
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 Photo by SL_gardener
"An old-fashioned, full-sized poinsettia (8ft tall)."
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 Photo by Baja_Costero
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Active threads from our forums:
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The numbers from this week:
440 members joined.
2,559 posts written in our forums.
1,397 photos posted to the plant database.
475 plants added to personal inventory lists.
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 Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' -- Robin Williams
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