Winter sowing turns the coldest months of the year into a head start for the garden. By planting cold-hardy vegetable, herb, and flower seeds in miniature greenhouses made from milk jugs, or directly into garden beds, you can add weeks to months to the growing season, save indoor space, and widen the variety of plants […]
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are among the most popular houseplants in the world, and for good reason. Their graceful, arching leaves grow 12 to 18 inches long, either solid green or striped with white, and mature plants send out long stems bearing tiny star-shaped flowers. Once pollinated, those flowers develop into small fruits, and when
Schefflera, commonly called the umbrella plant or umbrella tree, is one of the most forgiving tropical houseplants you can grow. Its long, glossy leaflets radiate from a central stalk like the spokes of an umbrella, and the plant tolerates a wide range of indoor conditions that would punish fussier species. Two main types dominate the
Duranta erecta, commonly called golden dewdrops, sky flower, or pigeon berry, is a fast-growing tropical shrub in the verbena family that puts on a three-season display. Clusters of blue, purple, or white blossoms open from spring through fall, and hanging chains of golden berries follow the flowers, which is where the dewdrop nickname comes from.
The bananas in the grocery store have no usable seeds, but wild bananas do. Store-bought Cavendish fruit is seedless by design, while wild species such as Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata produce hard black seeds that can be coaxed into new plants. Growing bananas from seed takes patience, months of germination time, and room for
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is one of the most dangerous plants a homeowner can find on their property. Brought to the United States in the 1800s as a decorative garden plant, it has spread to nearly every state and is treated as an invasive species. Every part of the plant contains toxic alkaloids, and livestock
A front porch is the first thing visitors see, and the plants around the entryway set the tone for the whole house. The right mix of foliage and flowers turns an ordinary stoop into a welcoming space that works with the architecture instead of against it. Porch plantings also pay off on the financial side,
Daffodils and jonquils both belong to the Narcissus genus, and both burst into bloom in early spring, but they are not the same plant. Daffodils are larger, more cold-hardy, and come in white, peach, and bicolor forms, while jonquils carry several small, intensely fragrant yellow flowers per stem and prefer warmer climates. Telling them apart
Vegetable container gardening lets you grow fresh produce on a balcony, patio, or windowsill without a single in-ground bed. Success depends on four basics: the right container size, fast-draining soil, consistent watering, and enough sunlight. Beginners often start with peas and lettuce because both germinate quickly and produce an early harvest for the table. If
Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) opens its pale yellow flowers at dusk from midsummer into fall, a display that has made this North American native a fixture in cottage gardens and meadow plantings. The plant spends its first season as a low rosette of leaves, then sends up branched stems that reach 3 to 5 feet
