African Daisy
African Daisey Color Combinations Daisy-like flowers burst from the plant every morning. The blooms all consist of a ring of showy outer petals in bright colors and a compact “eye” in the center. The eye of the African Daisy bloom can be several different colors, typically brown, gold, pink, or green. While the majority of the African Daisies come in solid colors, some fade into another color toward the center of the bloom for an almost tie-dye effect. With so many colors to choose from, there’s no reason not to try out an African daisy. As if the flower color palette wasn’t enough, these South African natives have silvery gray foliage that lends even more visual appeal to the overall plant. When paired with the bright jewel-toned blooms, the silver foliage really sets off the vibrant blossoms. African Daisy Care Must-Knows Because these plants hail from sandy and rocky areas in…
Lavender
This popular herb is most loved for its refreshing scent and long-lasting flowers that attract pollinators. Lavender Overview DESCRIPTION Lavender fills the early-summer garden with sensory delights: beautiful purple-tone blooms atop foliage that emanates its fresh scent on a sunny afternoon. Every part of the plant is infused with aromatic oil, making this a choice herb to place along pathways or near outdoor seating areas so you can experience the pleasant fragrance. Lavender varieties abound: The darker the flower, the more intense the aroma as well as the flavor in cooking. GENUS NAME Lavandula spp. COMMON NAME Lavender PLANT TYPE Herb, Perennial, Shrub LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 3 feet FLOWER COLOR Blue FOLIAGE COLOR Gray/Silver SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers ZONES 10, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant,…
Black-Eyed Susan
The perennial black-eyed Susan has bright yellow flowers that light up the midsummer garden and keep on going until frost. Black-Eyed Susan Overview GENUS NAME Rudbeckia COMMON NAME Black-Eyed Susan PLANT TYPE Annual, Perennial LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 3 feet FLOWER COLOR Orange, Red, Yellow FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 11, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant Black-Eyed Susan Color Combinations Because black-eyed Susan blooms when other summer perennials begin to fade, this plant is a sign that fall is around the corner. The blooms last for weeks and form large masses of color. The most common black-eyed Susan flowers have a single row of gold petals surrounding a black or brown center. Thanks to…
How to Plant and Grow Calibrachoa
PHOTO: BHG / EVGENIYA VLASOVA With flowers that look like tiny petunias, calibrachoa (also called Million Bells) grows and blooms at an amazing rate. Though they only get about four inches tall, the plants can spread out enough to cover about 2 square feet of space in a season. These extremely vigorous plants make for colorful, cascading accents in containers or hanging baskets, along walkways, and on garden walls. Calibrachoa has only been available in the retail plant world since the early 1990s. That’s not long in plant years, especially with how far the plant has come since then. What started out as a simple, single-color bloom has transformed into a whole new class of plant that comes in a riot of colors. These include yellow stars, speckles, veined and segmented petals, and sometimes combinations of all of the above. Calibrachoa Overview GENUS NAME Calibrachoa COMMON NAME Calibrachoa PLANT TYPE Annual LIGHT…
How to Get Rid of the Yellow Foamy Fungus on Your Mulch
Don’t fret if a foamy fungus has sprung up in spots across your mulch. We’ll tell you what it is, what causes it, and what to do about it. The Question: A builder landscaped our new home, sodding the front lawn and planting various perennials and shrubs. The plants are surrounded by mulch. About a week ago, I saw two foamy yellow piles on the mulch. What is it, and how do I get rid of it? It sounds as though you have a slime mold growing on your wood mulch. I’m guessing that the lawn and new plants have been heavily watered (probably to help the sod), because this slime mold generally develops when moisture is plentiful. There’s not much you need to do except cut back on the moisture a bit. Luckily, the fungus won’t harm anything, and it will disappear on its own when the…
Shotgun Fungus Can Shoot Black Spots Onto Your House
The culprit of the dark specks on your siding could be hiding in your mulch. Mulching around your plants helps soil hold onto moisture, keeps the weeds down, and looks tidy. But with certain types of wood-based mulch, you might be providing a home to shotgun fungus, too. This fungus likes to live in damp, decaying wood, such as decomposing shredded bark mulch. You’d probably never notice it except as its name implies, shotgun fungus can forcefully shoot out spores. If your house is in the way of the spray, you’ll see the results: Tiny black specks you can’t rinse off with a hose. The good news is, the fungus isn’t poisonous to you or your pets. But its extremely sticky spores are difficult to remove without damaging the walls of your house or any other surface the spores have landed on. The best thing you can do is to avoid it…
9 Ways to Avoid the Worst Mulching Mistakes
Keep your plants happier and healthier with these dos and don’ts for using mulch in the garden. I was a new gardener planting my first vegetable patch years ago when a friend gave me some hay from his farm to use as mulch. Planting in mulch can really benefit your plants by keeping their roots cooler in hot spells, helping control weeds, and holding moisture in the soil. So I gladly accepted the hay and spread it around my peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, then sat back to watch things grow. Things grew all right: plenty of weeds! If only I’d known that I should have composted the hay first to kill the weed seeds in it, or chosen a different mulching material such as shredded leaves. Here’s how you can avoid common mulching mistakes in your own garden. KELLI JO EMANUEL / BHG 1. Don’t Use Mulch Mixed with Soil Mulch, compost, and soil are different…
How to Choose the Best Type of Mulch for Your Landscape
Whether you are preventing weeds or beautifying a garden bed, follow this guide to pick the right mulch for your garden. While mulching may seem like a simple part of gardening, there are a few must-knows about the different mulches you can use and the benefits of each. Though shredded bark might immediately come to mind, there are several other types of mulch that you may want to consider using in your garden. Knowing when to add mulch to your planting beds and how much to use is essential for keeping all your plants healthy. Keep these tips in mind as you’re planting your spring garden and throughout the entire year, especially if you decide to add new beds or landscaping. MARTY BALDWIN Benefits of Mulch There are some advantages to adding mulch to your garden. In the summer, mulch helps the soil hold moisture, so you don’t have to water as often. Soil also tends to…
8 Essential Tips for Mulching with Straw in Your Vegetable Garden
Help your veggie plants thrive, even through heat and drought, by using straw mulch correctly. In your vegetable garden, mulching with straw will give you a long list of benefits. For starters, straw is inexpensive, easy to work with, and good for your soil. And a layer of straw mulch between your veggie rows sets off your plants and makes your garden look neat and tidy. Although it takes a little effort up front, mulching with straw will save you time in the long run when it comes to weeding and watering. Unless you garden on a massive scale, one or two bales is usually all you’ll need to mulch your entire vegetable patch. Here’s what you need to know about using straw mulch around your edible plants. MARTY BALDWIN What is straw? Straw is the dried stems left after wheat or oats (or other grains) have been harvested. Once the grain is removed, the dried…
How to Mulch Like a Pro
Learning how to apply mulch can make gardening much easier and more labor-efficient. Here are nine steps to learning how to mulch like a pro. Mulch does a host of things that your plants want and need, such as shading roots on hot days, preventing moisture from evaporating, and stopping weeds from taking root. But it’s important to learn the differences between mulch materials, and how to properly spread mulch. Andy Lyons. ANDY LYONS Two Types of Mulch There are two basic kinds of mulch: Organic and inorganic. Organic materials—wood, bark, compost, grass clippings, and leaves—will decompose and improve the soil. They last a few years, after which you’ll need to add more. In addition, organic mulches are easy to spread and do no harm if mixed into soil, as will happen when planting annuals or shrubs, for example. Stone, by contrast, is meant to be a more or less permanent mulch,…