Chives
Plant this perennial herb once and you’ll have fresh flavor for years. Plant Chives in an Herb Garden Chives are perennials, which means they come back year after year. Create a garden made up of perennial herbs and enjoy easy-care, fresh flavors for years. Excellent perennial herbs for full sun gardens include sage, thyme, French tarragon, and lavender. Quick-draining soil is essential for these perennial herbs. Chive Care Must-Knows Chives grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Plant them in a raised bed to improve drainage, if needed. They tolerate part shade well and will grow and blossom when they receive at least 6 hours of bright, direct light. One of the easiest herbs to grow, chives slowly increase the size of the initial plants and they self-seed, popping up around the garden. Easy to remove, any unwanted seedlings should be pulled. Deadhead plants just as the blooms begin to fade to prevent…
Chinese Evergreen
Tough-as-nails Chinese evergreen, also known as Philippine evergreen, is an easy-to-grow houseplant that tolerates virtually all indoor growing conditions. (Beginners: This one’s for you!) It’s also a showstopper, with verdant green leaves splashed with white, silver, pink, or red — depending on the variety. It rarely flowers when grown inside, though. A slow-growing houseplant, it will happily reside on a desktop for many months before outgrowing the space. Large Chinese evergreen plants are perfect accent pieces for empty corners or for pairing with big furniture pieces. Chinese Evergreen Overview GENUS NAME Aglaonema commutatum COMMON NAME Chinese Evergreen PLANT TYPE Houseplant, Perennial HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 3 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Gray/Silver SPECIAL FEATURES Low Maintenance PROPAGATION Division, Stem Cuttings Chinese Evergreen Care Must-Knows IIf you’re growing Chinese evergreen as a landscape plant, make sure you protect it from frost and intense mid-day sun. However, if you’re growing it…
How to Care for China Doll Plant
A China doll plant is grown as a houseplant for its abundant glossy-green, fernlike leaves. Adapted from its origin as a large tree, this fast-growing plant now happily tolerates indoor-growing conditions. A China doll plant rarely blooms indoors. This native of Southeast Asia was introduced as a houseplant in the 1980s. It grows up to 4 feet tall and is valued for bringing airy greenery into homes. BHG / KELLI JO EMANUEL China Doll Overview GENUS NAME Radermachera sinica COMMON NAME China Doll PLANT TYPE Houseplant LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 4 feet WIDTH 1 to 3 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SPECIAL FEATURES Good for Containers, Low Maintenance PROPAGATION Stem Cuttings Where to Plant China Doll Plants BHG / KELLI JO EMANUEL If you meet its finicky light and soil requirements, China doll is a relatively low-maintenance plant. Plant a China doll in well-draining soil…
Cherry
Cherry Overview DESCRIPTION A plump, juicy cherry is a luxurious treat—for humans and wildlife alike. Whether you grow sweet or sour cherries, plan to share. This is usually not a problem—a mature tree produces more fruit than a typical family can consume. When choosing a cherry variety, select one that is disease-resistant, grows to the right size for your space, and is adapted to your local conditions. The smaller the tree, the easier it will be to harvest the fruit. Cherries come in two main categories—sweet and sour. Sweet cherries grow well in the coast valleys of California, near the Great Lakes, and in the Northwest. They thrive where winters and summers are mild. Sweet cherries require a pollinator, so be sure to plant two varieties. Sour (or pie) cherries are easy to grow for most home gardeners. The hardy plants are adaptable and self-fertile—you need only one plant for…
How to Plant and Grow Chayote
Versatile chayote squash is a mouthwatering fruit in recipes from pasta to enchiladas, and it’s even more satisfying when you harvest it from your own garden. PHOTO: IGAGURI 1 / GETTY IMAGES Widely cultivated throughout Central and South America, chayote squash is a bright green, pear-shaped vegetable that’s actually a member of the gourd or Cucurbitaceae family. Used in a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes, chayote has a crisp texture and a taste that is somewhere between a cucumber and an apple. While most gardeners grow chayote for its fruit, all parts of chayote squash are edible, including tubers, stems and young leaves. Frequently used like summer squash, chayote is often featured in tacos and other Mexican fare, although it can be used in homemade sauces, juices, sautés and other dishes. This vining plant grows quite large and needs between 120 and 150 frost-free days to reach full maturity. Chayote Overview GENUS…
Chard
Chard Overview DESCRIPTION Touted as an edible ornamental, chard (also called Swiss chard) is as pretty as it is productive. Its large spinachlike leaves are packed with vitamins, and its colorful edible leaf stalks add vertical interest to the garden. Chard delivers the best flavor in cool weather, but unlike spinach, it resists bolting in heat and will continue to decorate the garden and the plate through summer. Trim leaves and stems as needed and enjoy them fresh or sautéed. GENUS NAME Beta vulgaris var. cicla COMMON NAME Chard PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 6 to 12 inches WIDTH 1 to 3 feet PROPAGATION Seed Garden Plans For Chard Where to Plant Chard Pair chard with long-blooming annuals, such as geraniums, begonias, and calibrachoa, to create a container garden that delights the eye. Place the container on a patio or porch near the kitchen to ease harvest. Showy varieties, such…
Chamomile
Flowering Groundcover Low-growing Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) makes a fragrant perennial groundcover. Plant it in a rock garden where it will soften hard edges and slowly spread to cover large swaths of soil. Grow chamomile along a flagstone walkway because it will creep between the stones, blanket the soil, and prevent weeds. It can even be used as an aromatic grass substitute for lawns. It tolerates minimal foot traffic, though, so plant it in areas that are primarily viewed. Chamomile Care Must-Knows Roman chamomile does best in well-drained, sandy soil, full sun to part shade, and cool summer climates. It tolerates a little drought. Grow it from seed and see how it spreads over time via creeping stems that root as they move across the soil. But get ready; if you provide chamomile with optimum growing conditions it can grow aggressively. German chamomile often reseeds in the garden, so it comes back…
How to Plant and Grow Celosia
There are few flowers as showy as celosias. Whether you plant the plumed type with its striking upright spires or the crested type with its fascinating twisted form, you’ll love using celosia in bouquets. The flowers are beautiful fresh, but they can be dried easily if hung upside down. They bloom in the striking colors of a glowing sunset. BHG / KERRI JO Celosia Overview GENUS NAME Celosia COMMON NAME Celosia PLANT TYPE Annual LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 6 to 12 inches WIDTH 6 to 18 inches FLOWER COLOR Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green, Chartreuse/Gold, Purple/Burgundy SEASON FEATURES Fall Bloom, Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 11 PROPAGATION Leaf Cuttings, Seed Blooms and Leaves A cut bouquet favorite, celosia flowers come in several different styles: The spicata, or candle-type blooms, cover the plant in narrow upright blooms reminiscent of wheatgrass seed…
Celery
Celery Overview DESCRIPTION At the end of the 19th century, celery was considered a rare gourmet treat. Hostesses purchased beautiful crystal vaselike celery servers just to showcase this elegant vegetable. Today, we rely on celery as a crunchy, low-calorie treat and the basis for flavoring soups and stews. It’s readily available at the supermarket, but you’ll have fun growing it at home and will appreciate smaller celery heads, which are more tender and mild flavored.Homegrown celery is delicious raw in salads and appetizers or cooked in sauces, soups, and stews. It requires a long growing season (at least four months) and grows best in moderate temperatures. Because it takes a long time to mature, start seeds indoors 10-12 weeks before your area’s last frost date. Transplant seedlings to the garden after danger of frost has passed. GENUS NAME Apium graveolens dulce COMMON NAME Celery PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Part Sun,…
Cedar
Types of Cedar Trees Deodar cedar (40 to 50 feet, but grows up to 150+ feet in its native habitat) is the most common cedar; it features a Christmas-tree shape, drooping branch tips, and dark blue-green needles that measure 1 to 2 inches long. Some cultivated varieties display yellow foliage and dwarf, creeping, or weeping habits. Native to the Himalayas, this tree is planted mainly in the southeastern, Gulf, and Pacific states. Atlas cedar (40 to 60 feet tall) has a pointed, pyramidal crown that transitions into a flattened shape; short, pale blue-green or silvery needles; and relatively small cones. Its heavy, aromatic wood is used in cabinetmaking and construction back in its native home: the Atlas Mountains of northwestern Africa. This tree is planted in the eastern United States and Pacific region. Cedar of Lebanon (40 to 50 feet) has a narrow, pointed crown that becomes irregular and broad…