Wisteria
Wisteria Overview DESCRIPTION Dripping with clusters of purple, white, or pink flowers in spring, wisteria is a dreamy vine for any gardener willing to invest the effort to meet wisteria’s growing requirements. GENUS NAME Wisteria COMMON NAME Wisteria PLANT TYPE Vine LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 8 to 20 feet WIDTH null to 30 feet FLOWER COLOR Blue, Pink, White SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Fragrance ZONES 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Layering, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant Choose the Right Location Wisteria does not tolerate transplanting and requires many years before blooming, so choose your planting spot carefully. Its thick, woody vines require support on pergolas, arbors, fences, terrace walls, or fences. But don’t let it grow alongside buildings, or its fast-growing vines will creep into gutter systems and scramble under shingles and siding. Wisteria grows best in full sun and moderately…
Wintergreen
Wintergreen Overview DESCRIPTION Wintergreen has caught the eye of plant scientists and landscape designers. It is a hardworking landscape problem solver in cool, shaded planting sites. Wintergreen has evergreen leaves paired with white flowers in summer and bright red berries in fall. Standing just 6 inches tall, it hugs the ground, choking out weeds while creating a dense mat of glossy foliage. GENUS NAME Gaultheria procumbens COMMON NAME Wintergreen PLANT TYPE Shrub LIGHT Part Sun, Shade HEIGHT 6 to 6 inches WIDTH null to 36 inches FLOWER COLOR White SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom, Winter Interest SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Fragrance ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 PROPAGATION Division, Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Groundcover Easy-growing Companions Grow wintergreen as a rich, colorful groundcover around shade-loving shrubs for a low-maintenance garden that overflows with interest year-round. Thriving in cool, northern gardens, the following plants provide flowers and spectacular foliage throughout the growing…
How to Grow Your Favorite Winter Squashes in the Garden
Here’s everything you need to know about growing your favorite winter squashes. Winter squashes are all known for the hard skins that protect them through the fall, winter, and sometimes even spring, depending on the variety. Every type of winter squash is edible, but the amount of flesh on the inside varies. If you love roasted squash or pumpkin pie, then these are the plants for you. Popular Winter Squash Varieties Pumpkins People may wonder what the difference is between pumpkins and squash. You might be surprised to learn there is no difference. Pumpkins are squash, but they are divided into two groups based on their look. Pumpkins usually have a spikier stem and their seeds are edible. Butternut The name says it all—you don’t need to add butter. One of the most popular squashes, the butternut squash, is yellow on the outside and extra sweet on the inside. This squash can…
How to Plant and Grow Willow
This fast-growing, moisture-loving tree or shrub comes in many sizes and varieties, including the popular weeping willow. Willows are known to be majestic, moisture-loving trees and shrubs. But not all willows are big—they come in different shapes, colors, and sizes, making them a popular choice for planting in landscapes and even for container-growing. These tough trees, some of which are native to the United States, are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate male and female trees. Willows rely on wind pollination. The attractive flowering catkins show up in April or May; they produce large amounts of pollen and have many exposed pollen-receptive parts. The leaves on a willow are narrow, lance-shaped, finely toothed, and are most often light green on top with a gray-green underside. During the fall, willows usually have a greenish-yellow color. In winter, the thin stems and smooth bark offer winter landscape interest. Willow…
How to Plant and Grow Wild Ginger
This native groundcover slowly forms a green carpet in shady or wooded areas. Wild ginger (Asarum spp.) is a low-growing native plant that thrives in moist, shady places. This stemless plant features dark green heart- or kidney-shaped leaves with visible veining and cup-shaped purple-brown spring flowers that are often hidden beneath its foliage. It is not a relative of culinary ginger; grow it for ornamental use only. Wild ginger spreads slowly by rhizomes and creates a lush groundcover in shady areas. It’s also deer resistant. Although wild ginger is grown more for its foliage than its floral display, its small blossoms are intriguing. The flowers develop at ground level, so they are often hidden from view. They can be various shades of brown, purple, black, yellow, and white; many feature unique patterning on the petals. This coloring helps attract their pollinators. Some species have larger flowers than others. Wild ginger native to the…
How to Plant and Grow Weigela
This shrub has pretty summer flowers as well as colorful foliage. PHOTO: MARK KANE Weigela puts on a show of red or pink blooms in spring and early summer and fades into the background as the seasons change. Weigela sizes can range from 1 to 6 feet tall, depending on the variety. These shrubs are also moderately fast growers, reaching their full size after just a few seasons. They’re hardy in Zones 4-9, so they’ll grow just about anywhere in the United States. Along with variations in weigela sizes, it comes in many foliage colors. Colors can range anywhere from green and gold to deep burgundy while showing a glossy finish. Shades of red and pink are still the dominant colors of weigela blooms, but new varieties have white and yellow options. Weigela Overview GENUS NAME Weigela florida COMMON NAME Weigela PLANT TYPE Shrub LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3…
Weeping Willow
Weeping Willow Overview DESCRIPTION Most people recognize this graceful tree from a distance by its long, pendulous branches that hang like ropes. Beloved for its brilliant yellow fall color and ability to grow in moist, boggy soil, weeping willow grows into a large tree in a short amount of time. Best reserved for natural planting areas and large, open spaces, weeping willow suits an acreage or farm. Its beauty doubles when you can see it reflected in a pond. GENUS NAME Salix babylonica COMMON NAME Weeping Willow PLANT TYPE Tree LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 20 to 20 feet WIDTH null to 40 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage, Winter Interest ZONES 6, 7, 8 PROPAGATION Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Good For Privacy Planting Partners for Weeping Willow Call on weeping willow to add color and texture to a large planting site that has wet soil. Create a wildlife-friendly…
Watermelon
This heat-loving, vining plant needs plenty of space to spread out before it produces its delicious fruit. Watermelon Overview GENUS NAME Citrullus lanatus COMMON NAME Watermelon PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 5 to 20 feet PROPAGATION Seed Watermelon Basics Plant watermelon seeds when weather is warm and nighttime temperatures regularly stay above 50 degrees F. Watermelons like full sun and rich soil. Place seeds in slightly rounded hills 2 feet in diameter and 5 feet apart. Sow 5 to 6 seeds 1 inch deep in a small circle on the top of each hill. When seedlings have several sets of leaves, thin them to the 3 strongest plants in each hill. If you’re starting seeds indoors, plant several weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds in individual pots of seed-starting mix. Keep the pots warm and moist and provide a strong light source until…
How to Plant and Grow Water Lilies
Growing water lilies in a pond brings beauty and serenity to a backyard. Water lilies (Nymphaea spp.) are more than pretty plants. They also contribute to pond health. By covering the water’s surface, they shade the water and keep it cooler, which helps control algae that thrive in heat. Water lilies also shelter fish from birds of prey and filter out excess nutrients to further inhibit algae growth. Growing from stout rhizomes from the pond bottom, water lilies’ signature leaves develop on long stems and float at the surface. When temperatures warm up in summer, water lilies’ showy flowers open in the morning and close at night. Water lilies are available in a rainbow of color options. Many of the hardy varieties have soft, pastel flowers; tropical varieties come in jewel tones of bright blues, purples, oranges, and yellows. Many varieties have a lovely fragrance, too. Although the majority of the species…
How to Plant and Grow Violet
This perennial comes in a range of colors from bright jewel tones to sweet pastels. While many of the 500+ species of violets are perennial, these rugged plants can also be treated as annual plants for early spring color. Because violets tolerate cold temperatures, they can be the first flowering plants placed outdoors in the garden or containers. Once violets are in the ground, they’ll reseed for years. Violets come in a whole rainbow of colors. They’re usually found in bright jewel tones, but softer pastel varieties exist. Many types also feature multicolor blooms with intricate patterns on their faces. In addition to their visual appeal, violets are a fragrant annual. This small plant can stand up well as a cut flower in a small bud vase. Plus, edible violet petals can be used to garnish cakes and pastries or tossed in a salad for a bright pop of color. A caution: Only…