The growing season does not end when summer does. Cool-season crops such as lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, and carrots often go into the ground in late summer and mature through fall, and many of them respond well to one last feeding as they establish. The question of whether to fertilize vegetables in fall comes up […]
Of the roughly 300 hibiscus species grown worldwide, cranberry hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella) draws attention with deeply lobed palmate leaves in a dark burgundy hue and small pink and red flowers that appear from summer into fall. Gardeners in warm regions treat it as a short-lived perennial; everyone else grows it as an annual or carries
Spring bloom quality is decided in fall, when amendments, mulches, and cover crops have months of cold weather to break down before the first flowers open. Gardeners who wait until March to improve a bed work against the clock, while those who add organic matter in autumn let frost, worms, and fungi do the mixing
Chrysanthemums, sold as hardy mums or garden mums, are the daisy-like flowers that fill autumn containers and porches from late summer through first frost. Nurseries and farm stores sell them as a seasonal item, and they anchor autumn displays the way annuals anchor spring beds. Many gardeners treat them as annuals and toss the plants
Eucalyptus is an evergreen tree from Australia that can reach 60 feet in its native habitat, yet most home gardens see it stop around 10 feet. The genus belongs to the myrtle family and holds more than 700 species, nearly all from Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. Gardeners know it for three traits: a
Alocasia is a tropical genus in the arum family that grows from underground rhizomes and sends up arrow-shaped leaves with deeply etched veins. The roughly 80 recognized species come from rainforest floors in Southeast Asia and eastern Australia, where light is filtered and moisture steady. Indoors, most varieties stay between 2 and 5 feet tall.
The parlor palm, Chamaedorea elegans, has been an indoor favorite since the Victorian era, when it filled the parlors that give it its name. Its feathery, arching fronds bring a tropical look to rooms that get little direct sun, and it tolerates low light better than almost any other palm. Slow growth and a forgiving
African violets are compact perennials with violet-like flowers and thick, fuzzy leaves arranged in a rosette. They grow slowly but bloom several times a year, which explains their staying power as houseplants since the 1920s. The species Saintpaulia ionantha comes from the cloud forests of eastern Africa, where it grows on shaded, moist slopes rather
A narrow, columnar evergreen with lemon-scented foliage, the lemon cypress shows up in big box stores every December, but it earns a permanent place outdoors. Cupressus macrocarpa ’Goldcrest’, also called the Goldcrest Monterey cypress, works as a hedge, a specimen tree, a bonsai subject, or a patio container plant. Its yellow-green needles play off the
Avocado trees (Persea americana) reward patient growers with one of the most recognizable fruits in the produce aisle. In the right climate the trees grow into broad evergreens up to 60 feet tall with a 30-foot spread, thick bright green foliage, and ornamental value that holds year-round. The trees bloom in winter and spring with
