Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) is a fast-growing evergreen vine grown as a ground cover and climber in warm climates. It fills a patch 10 to 12 feet wide, stands 1 to 2 feet tall when left to sprawl, and sends out fragrant yellow-white flowers in spring and summer that draw songbirds and pollinators. It takes […]
Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) is a tender perennial that most gardeners grow as a warm-season annual, prized for its cascading sky-blue flowers and its tidy, mounded habit. Blooms arrive in shades of blue, purple, pink, white, lilac, and red, many of them carrying a tiny white eye at the center. Plants reach 6 to 9 inches
Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors, and it repays a small amount of attention with fresh leaves every week of the year. The plant, Ocimum basilicum, is a true sun-lover that adapts well to windowsill life when it gets enough light, well-drained soil, and regular pinching. With proper care, indoor basil
Tomato plants reward careful planning, and the planning starts with distance. The space between plants determines how much light, water, and nutrition each vine can claim, and it sets the airflow that keeps fungal disease out of the canopy. Crowded tomatoes compete for the same soil and the same sun, which leads to poor growth
Spring is the season when lawns wake up, and homeowners face the same question every year: does the grass need fertilizer now, or is skipping it the smarter move? The answer depends on the condition of the turf and the soil beneath it. A healthy, full lawn can often skip spring feeding, while patchy, winter-damaged
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a deciduous shrub native to the southeastern United States, and its name comes from the leaves, which are deeply lobed like those of an oak tree. The botanical name quercifolia means oak-leafed, and the resemblance is easy to see. In early summer the shrub produces long, cone-shaped clusters of white
Sea holly is a hardy perennial that sends up thistle-like clusters of steel-blue flowers from midsummer into fall. The dark green, spiny-edged leaves form a low rosette at the base, and the stiff flower stems rise well above the foliage so the color reads clearly from across a bed. The blooms hold their color for
Mulch is any material spread over the soil surface around plants, and gardeners use it for one simple reason: a covered bed does more work than a bare one. A layer of mulch holds moisture in the soil, blocks weed seeds from germinating, keeps roots cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and slows erosion
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a clumping native perennial that blooms from midsummer into early fall with clusters of mauve, pink, reddish-violet, and occasionally white flowers. It is one of the most important host plants for monarch butterflies: females lay eggs on the leaves, caterpillars feed on the foliage, and the nectar-rich blooms draw bees
Astilbes are among the easiest perennials for shade, sending up feathery plumes of pink, white, red, and lavender above fern-like foliage from late spring into summer. They tolerate heavy soil, shrug off most pests, and ask only for consistent moisture and dappled light. A planting scheme that keeps their shallow roots cool and their blooms
