Cauliflower
Cauliflower Overview DESCRIPTION Growing your own cauliflower requires a little bit of science and a little bit of luck. Meaty, mild, nutty-sweet heads of cauliflower develop in cool weather. An early summer heat wave can thwart the most carefully tended spring cauliflower crop. Similar challenges exist in the fall. But don’t let that stop you from growing this vegetable with its complex flavor and delightfully tender texture. It is worth the effort! GENUS NAME Brassica oleracea COMMON NAME Cauliflower PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 2 feet PROPAGATION Seed Garden Plans For Cauliflower What to Plant With Cauliflower Great cauliflower planting partners for spring crops include tomatoes and peppers, which will expand after heads of cauliflower are harvested. Fall crops thrive when planted alongside greens and spinach. To prevent pest problems, plant cauliflower in a garden space that hasn’t hosted these crops in at least four years.…
Catnip
Catnip Overview DESCRIPTION Catnip is an easy-to-grow perennial grown primarily for its fragrant foliage that is extremely attractive to cats. A vigorous herb, catnip can be grown indoors on a sunny windowsill or in a bright location outdoors. As with many mints, it can become invasive. Plant it in a location where it is easily controlled. And remove the flower heads before they mature and set seeds. Harvest catnip leaves at any time as a treat for your favorite feline. You also can dry the leaves and stuff them into kitty toys. The aromatic foliage also repels mosquitoes. GENUS NAME Nepeta cataria COMMON NAME Catnip PLANT TYPE Herb LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 18 to 18 inches FLOWER COLOR White SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Low Maintenance ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought…
How to Plant and Grow Catmint
This close cousin of catnip delivers hundreds of rich purple booms all summer long. PHOTO: DENNY SCHROCK One of the perennial powerhouses of the plant world, catmint is extremely versatile and easy to grow. Rich purple blooms explode into color in early summer just as the spring bulbs are finishing and before many of your summer perennials begin to bloom. The show is spectacular and last for weeks. Catmints are fast-growing plants. When they first begin in spring, they form tidy little mounds of neat new foliage. They quickly grow outward and begin to set their buds for their flower show. Many species of catmint can become weedy in the garden setting. If you are worried about this, look for sterile varieties like ‘Walker’s Low’ that will not seed about and cause any future problems. Catmint plants are a wonderful source of nectar for many pollinators and are known to withstand harsh winters.…
Castor Bean
Use caution around this pretty but highly poisonous plant. Colorful Combinations Castor bean features reddish-brown seed capsules and large, glossy green leaves with five to 11 pointed lobes like fingers on an open hand. Some varieties sport attractive bronze or burgundy foliage. Given the showy nature of its other aspects, the fact that castor bean has small, dull flowers may come as a surprise. Spikes of small, cup-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers appear June to October. The seedpods emerge as bright red or pink then dry to a dull brown before splitting open to reveal highly poisonous seeds. Deadly Castor Beans Castor bean is extremely poisonous due to the deadly compound ricin in all parts of the plant, but especially the seeds. (The seeds are safe to handle because they have a protective coating.) However, the seeds do contain nontoxic oil harvested for numerous uses, including industrial, cosmetic, and as a laxative.…
How to Plant and Grow Carrots
Crunchy and nutritious, this root vegetable grows best in loamy soil and full sun. PHOTO: MIKE DIETER Homegrown carrots boast a flavor and texture that is quite different from their grocery counterparts. Enjoy the snappy crunch of this vegetable’s tap root when eaten raw. Cook carrots (their sweetness intensifies) to create dishes that dance the line between sweet and savory. Here’s how to grow a plentiful supply of carrots throughout the growing season. Carrot Overview DESCRIPTION Homegrown carrots boast a flavor and texture that is quite different from their grocery counterparts. Enjoy the snappy crunch of this vegetable’s tap root when eaten raw. Cook carrots (their sweetness intensifies) to create dishes that dance the line between sweet and savory. Full sun and loose, well-drained soil will produce baskets of carrots throughout the growing season. GENUS NAME Daucus carota var. sativus COMMON NAME Carrot PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Part Sun, Sun…
How to Plant and Grow a Cardamom Plant
Growing cardamom at home is possible with the right growing conditions. Here’s how to grow it in pots and plant it indoors. PHOTO: EYESWIDEOPEN / GETTY IMAGES The beautiful perennial herb, cardamom, flowers in early spring through summer and produces edible pods and seeds to flavor desserts, meats, and teas. Even when this popular tropical plant is not flowering, its mounds of lush leaves add interest to a tropical container garden or greenhouse. Its straw-like leaf sheaths start small, grow larger, then open like flowers. This rainforest native requires constant warmth and high humidity, so it can be tricky to grow this spice outdoors in many regions of the United States. Cardamom should be brought indoors to overwinter, and it can work as a houseplant, however, it rarely flowers when grown in a container, therefore it won’t produce flavorful seeds indoors for your culinary creations. You’ll also need to give this plant plenty of space—it can…
Caraway
This biennial develops ferny foliage its first year in the garden and bears white flowers and seeds the second year. The seeds are most commonly used to flavor rye and other breads, but all parts of the plant are edible. Caraway prefers a sunny location with rich, well-drained soil. Although the plant tolerates drought, don’t let the soil dry out completely. Caraway Overview GENUS NAME Carum carvi COMMON NAME Caraway PLANT TYPE Herb LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 6 to 6 inches WIDTH null to 18 inches FLOWER COLOR White SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 5, 6, 7, 8 PROPAGATION Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought Tolerant
How to Plant and Grow Canna
Cannas (also called canna lilies) are large plants that add bold, tropical texture to a garden, whether used in containers or planted directly in the ground. In cool climates, cannas are fast-growing plants that are treated as annuals to fill a space with color quickly. In warm climates, they create dense stands of lush foliage and vibrant blooms throughout the summer, year after year. When cannas first began to be used for their ornamental appeal, the flowers (which come in bright colors displayed on tall stalks) were the real stars. In recent years, the introduction of hybrid crosses means these plants have become known as much for their colorful foliage as their brightly-hued flowers. In addition to plain green, the foliage colors and patterns now include blue-greens, striped burgundy and gold, and cream-splashed greens. These additional options have made cannas highly desirable plants for use in gardens and containers. Canna, Canna Lily…
How to Plant and Grow Camellia
Evergreen camellia shrubs will brighten up gardens during the colder months with their rose-like flowers. PHOTO: ROBERT CARDILLO Camellia is a perennial shrub that comes in many shades of pink, red, and white. There are six types of blooms: single, semi-double, anemone, peony, rose form double, and formal double. Each form features a specific petal arrangement and number of petals. Bloom time varies in camellia shrubs depending on the species. Some bloom in the spring, fall, or even winter in mild climates. Species with small flowers tend to be the fragrant ones because breeding efforts for large formal types have focused on size rather than scent. Camellia Overview GENUS NAME Camellia COMMON NAME Camellia PLANT TYPE Shrub LIGHT Part Sun, Shade, Sun HEIGHT 8 to 20 feet WIDTH null to 20 feet FLOWER COLOR Pink, Red, White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Winter Bloom, Winter Interest SPECIAL FEATURES…
California Poppy
When in bloom, this plant will bring the glow of the California sunshine to your garden. Colorful Combinations California poppies are often found in bright sunset tones, with the most common color being bright orange. The four-petal blooms almost shimmer in a certain light. There are also varieties that bear eye-catching bicolor blossoms. Many of these blend ivory with flushes of pink, purple, and even yellow. Some varieties exhibit a second row of petals for a lovely double-flower effect, and others feature twisted petals. The flowers of the California poppy will close at night and on overcast and windy days. The blue-gray foliage makes a pretty statement against plants with darker leaves. California Poppy Care Must-Knows Being native to hillsides, sandy plains, and other open areas of the mountainous regions of western North America, California poppies require well-drained soil. Sandy or rocky soils are best, and anything that remains too…