Tag: growing

Parsley is a biennial plant with bright green, feather-like leaves and is in the same family as dill. This popular herb is used in sauces, salads, and especially soups, as it lessens the need for salt. Not only is the perfect garnish, it’s also good for you; it’s rich...

Also known as “rocket” or “roquette,” arugula is a fast-growing, cool-season salad green that adds a tangy, mustard-like flavor to salads. Here’s how to plant and grow arugula in your garden. Arugula is often found in mesclun mixes. Plant early or late in the growing season and you will be...

Pole beans are simply a vining cultivar of edible beans. One reason to grow a climbing variety of Phaseolus vulgaris is for its looks: Pole beans can cover a trellis with delicate green vines. Pole beans also provide shade from summer’s heat to other edibles and flowers. Phaseolus vulgaris cultivars can produce yellow, purple, and green pods. (Dozens of...

A fast-growing flowering vine with cup-shaped purple (or sometimes white) flower, cup-and-saucer vine will quickly camouflage a fence or trellis and also can be trained as a hedge. Cobaea scandens hails from warm climated (it’s at home in Mexico and Venezuela) and should be grown as an annual in regions...

With their glossy leaves and cheerful nature, it’s not hard to understand why members of the tropical Philodendron family fall into that category of outdoor plants that people in cold climates bring indoors as houseplants. There are nearly 500 species of Philodendron, the two main types being vines and nonclimbers. Native to the West Indies and...

Grape growing is experiencing a renewed popularity in home gardens! And why not? Not only are grapes wonderful for eating, juicing, and winemaking, but they are also a beautiful ornamental plant. Learn how to grow, prune, and harvest your grapes. Grape vines not only produce sweet and versatile fruits, they...

Many gardeners dream of growing their own juicy apples. However, growing fruit takes long-term commitment—from pruning apple trees for good form to pest control—for success. Here’s our expert advice on planting, growing, and harvesting apples. Apples trees aren’t just for people with acres upon acres of land. Even in...

The hardy perennial hibiscus, also called rose mallow or swamp rose, adds the beauty of a tropical hibiscus to the garden, but can withstand cold winter temperatures that kill the actual tropical varieties.  Perennial hibiscus have big, disc-shaped, hollyhock-like flowers that can be 6 to 12 inches across. The perennial hibiscus species found...

The butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a beautiful, fast-growing, deciduous shrub with masses of blossoms long, spiked trusses that bloom from summer to autumn. Its flowers come in many colors, though butterflies seem to prefer the lavender-pink (mauve) of the species to the white and dark purple cultivars. Also called “summer...

Tarragon is a perennial herb with long, light green leaves and tiny greenish or yellowish white flowers. For cooking, use French tarragon. Russian tarragon can easily be mistaken for French, but Russian tarragon is coarser and less flavorful than French tarragon. Planting You can’t grow French tarragon from seeds....