Vegetables that go from seed to harvest in two to eight weeks let homeowners enjoy fresh produce in the same season they move in. Radishes, arugula, spinach, and cress are the quickest cool-season crops, and they fit neatly into the landscaping phase of a new build. A row of fast crops planted beside the porch […]
String of rubies (Othonna capensis), also known as the ruby necklace plant, is a trailing succulent that keeps showing up in building projects. Landscapers and general contractors use it on green walls, balcony planters, and courtyard installations because it grows fast, tolerates neglect, and carries yellow flowers through spring, summer, and fall. The plant stays
The quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) gets its name from flattened leafstalks that tremble at the slightest breeze, so the whole canopy shimmers in moving air. Its 3-inch-wide leaves are finely toothed and turn a brilliant golden-yellow in fall, and the smooth, light-colored bark is interrupted at intervals by darker knots and horizontal scars. The tree
String of dolphins (Senecio peregrinus), also known as flying dolphins and dolphin plant, is a vining succulent whose folded leaves resemble a pod of leaping dolphins. The plant is a hybrid of string of pearls and the candle plant, and it keeps the beadlike stem structure of its parents while adding a playful leaf shape.
The foxtail lily (Eremurus robustus) is often described as a bulb, but it is actually a perennial tuberous root that sends up bottle-brush spires of densely packed flowers from late spring into early summer. Depending on the variety, the plant grows 3 to 8 feet tall, with blooms in warm shades of yellow, orange, pink,
Rodgersia is a large, showy perennial that once appeared only in specialty nurseries, but it now fits comfortably in the home garden. The plant earns attention with two features at once: bold basal leaves in pinnate or palmate shapes that change color through the season, and tall spikes of white, cream, or pink flowers in
Every spring, gardeners face the same decision: which seeds and transplants deserve a place in the summer garden. The options at any nursery can overwhelm even experienced growers, yet certain crops keep earning the same bed space year after year. Ask gardeners to name their favorites and one plant comes up more than any other:
Succulents survive drought because their leaves, stems, or roots store water, and that built-in reservoir changes the watering rules. Most succulents need water only when the soil has dried out completely, which can mean weekly watering in summer and once a month in winter. Overwatering kills more houseplant succulents than neglect does. The drought tolerance
Plant reproduction is full of terms that sound similar but describe very different arrangements, and getting them straight changes what you can expect from a planting. A shrub that never produces berries, a tree that drops pollen every spring, and a vegetable garden that sets fruit without help all trace back to the same distinction:
Pothos plants are among the most popular houseplants because of their glossy foliage and trailing habit, but a mature vine often grows leggy, with long bare stretches between leaves. The fix is not a single trick; it is a set of care decisions that push the plant to branch, fill in, and stay dense. The
