Potato
Provide a sunny spot, and potato plants will soon produce plenty of tasty tubers for you. Marty Baldwin . Potato Overview DESCRIPTION Fresh spuds, harvested from your backyard and then baked until tender, are the ultimate comfort food. Fun fact: potatoes aren’t actually roots, they are enlarged underground stems called tubers. Whatever they are, growing potatoes is especially rewarding because they’re so easy. You can practically plant them and forget them until it’s time to dig up some dinner. There’s a wealth of potato varieties from delicious fingerlings to large russets, and several colors to choose from. GENUS NAME Solanum tuberosum COMMON NAME Potato PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 2 feet FLOWER COLOR Purple FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom ZONES 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Seed Potato Care Must-Knows Potatoes thrive alongside most other…
Poppy Flowers
Poppy Flowers Overview DESCRIPTION With their glorious crepe-paperlike blooms in a wide variety of brilliant hues, annual poppies add a ton of color to the garden. They’re easy to grow and often self-seed, allowing them to appear year after year. It’s best to grow them from seed directly in the ground as most do not transplant well. They work well in cottage-style landscapes scattered among late spring-blooming perennials. GENUS NAME Papaver_ spp. COMMON NAME Poppy Flowers PLANT TYPE Annual LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 6 to 12 inches FLOWER COLOR Orange, Red, White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green, Chartreuse/Gold SEASON FEATURES Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Good for Containers ZONES 10, 11, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought Tolerant More varieties for Poppy Breadseed poppy Papaver somniferum is the largest annual poppy, reaching more than 3 feet tall. In summer,…
How to Plant and Grow Oriental Poppy
Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale) are distinguished by their papery petals and clear, bright colors. There are over 70 species of annual, biennial, and herbaceous plants in the genus Papaver (and some estimate as many as double that), but oriental poppies are some of the most recognizable. Hardy in Zones 2-8, oriental poppies (not to be confused with opium poppies or annual California poppies) are grown as an ornamental garden flower, blooming in the cooler months of April to June. Sometimes they’ll bloom longer where evenings remain cool during summer months. Their short flowering time of two weeks makes them a brief but colorful addition to a garden. They’re deer resistant, so won’t get eaten when they flower. All parts of the oriental poppy (including the juice) are considered mildly toxic to humans and some animals1. That said, other plants in the Papaveraceae family (like Papaver somniferum2) are considered highly toxic, so it is best to treat…
How to Plant and Grow Ponytail Palm
This houseplant can grow to the size of a small tree indoors. Equipped with a massive bulbous trunk for storing water, ponytail palm tolerates long stretches of dry conditions. It makes an easy-to-grow houseplant perfect for tabletops, nightstands, and coffee tables. Also known as elephant’s foot tree, ponytail palm is not a palm at all. Instead, it’s a succulent plant mistaken for a palm due to its single leafless trunk and the mass of leaves that emerge from the top of the plant. You can limit its growth by planting it in a small container and not repotting it to a large container. Ponytail Palm Overview GENUS NAME Beaucarnea recurvata COMMON NAME Ponytail Palm PLANT TYPE Houseplant HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 4 feet SPECIAL FEATURES Low Maintenance PROPAGATION Division PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought Tolerant Where to Plant Ponytail Palm A desert plant, ponytail palm is adapted to bright sun.…
Plum
Plum Overview DESCRIPTION Of all the stone fruits, plums are some of the most varied. They range from hardy little cherry plums and sand cherries to hybrids with the hardiness of natives, sweet European plums, and sweet or tart Japanese plums. Grow several different species and have fun comparing the fruits’ taste and texture. You’ll be surprised by the diversity. Plums are relatively easy to grow and the trees are a pleasing shape in the landscape. GENUS NAME Prunus_ spp. COMMON NAME Plum PLANT TYPE Fruit, Tree LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 8 to 20 feet WIDTH 10 to 20 feet FLOWER COLOR Pink, White SEASON FEATURES Spring Bloom ZONES 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Grafting HARVEST TIPS Plums bear their first crop of fruit 3 to 5 years after planting. Most trees are productive for 10 to 15 years. Plums are ready to harvest when they come…
Pitcher Plant
Pitcher Plant Overview DESCRIPTION Pitcher plant has a Dr. Seuss-like quality that draws onlookers to its unique leaves and whimsical, upright habit. At home in soggy soil, pitcher plant has exacting growing requirements. In nature it grows in full sun and moist but not watery soil, from Minnesota to Florida. Mimic its native environment and you’ll have success with pitcher plant, too. GENUS NAME Sarracenia spp. COMMON NAME Pitcher Plant PLANT TYPE Perennial, Water Plant LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 6 to 6 inches WIDTH 3 to 3 feet FLOWER COLOR Green, Pink, Red SEASON FEATURES Spring Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Cut Flowers, Good for Containers ZONES 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant How It Works An old wives’ tale says the plant requires a constant diet of protein in the form of bugs or hamburger to feed it, but there…
How To Plant and Grow Pistachio Trees
In addition to producing tasty edible nuts, pistachio trees add a tropical feeling to the landscape with their large leaves. PHOTO: GOMEZDAVID / GETTY IMAGES While technically called “drupes,” pistachio nuts have been a favorite food for thousands of years. When enjoying these crunchy, greenish nuts, you may have wondered if you could plant one and have it grow into a tree. While it’s possible, you probably wouldn’t want to because of the variability of the resulting tree. However, if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 7-11, you still can try your hand at growing these amazing trees and harvest your own pistachios. Aside from giving you pistachio nuts, the trees themselves are also attractive and fit well in the home landscape. With their wide, somewhat shiny leaves and ripening fruit taking on a pink tone, pistachios have a distinctive, almost tropical look to them. Unlike many fruit and nut trees, pistachio…
Pine
Pine Tree Overview DESCRIPTION Pines are landscape workhorses. They are a top choice for screening a view or wrapping a patio with lovely green privacy, providing interest along a foundation, or as an eye-catching focal point in the landscape. Look for cultivars ranging from 3-foot-tall shearable foundation specimens to a lofty Australian pine that will stand 60 feet tall at maturity. These hardworking evergreens are particular about their growing environment. Plant them in a location where they will thrive, and you’ll enjoy decades of year-round color while creating a valuable habitat for wildlife. GENUS NAME Pinus spp. COMMON NAME Pine Tree PLANT TYPE Tree LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 3 to 8 feet WIDTH 2 to 60 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Winter Interest SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Fragrance, Good for Containers ZONES 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Grafting, Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Good For Privacy,…
How to Plant and Grow Phlox
From ground cover to tall flowers, there is a variety of this summer bloomer for every perennial border. Phlox is one of those dependable summer flowers any large sunny flowerbed or border shouldn’t be without. There are several different kinds of phlox. Garden and meadow phlox produce large panicles of fragrant flowers in a wide assortment of colors. They also add height, heft, and charm to a border. Low-growing wild Sweet William, moss pinks, and creeping phlox are effective as ground covers. Phlox Overview GENUS NAME Phlox COMMON NAME Phlox PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 6 to 48 inches WIDTH 14 to 24 inches FLOWER COLOR Orange, Red FOLIAGE COLOR Chartreuse/Gold SEASON FEATURES Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 PROPAGATION Division, Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought Tolerant Where to…
How to Plant and Grow Philodendron
A philodendron is the perfect houseplant for new plant owners. Philodendrons are possibly the easiest houseplants you can grow. Whether you choose upright or trailing/climbing types, they are perfectly happy in a home setting. Even beginner gardeners are usually successful at growing these plants. Philodendrons are extremely low maintenance and can sit idle for long periods. DEAN SCHOEPPNER The most common varieties of philodendrons are the climbing type. With heart-shaped leaves and a deep green color, these plants are a wonderful accent in any home setting. Climbing varieties can be trained around windows, up poles, or down the sides of containers. The upright types tend to be larger-leaved and have a more compact habit. Upright varieties are also slower growing but can become quite large if you let them. They may look like harmless houseplants, but philodendrons are toxic to humans1 and animals2, so position them out of reach of children, dogs, and…