How to Plant and Grow Boston Fern
This plant works indoors or out, adding tropical flair wherever you place it. For decades, Boston ferns have been grown as a tropical accent plant both indoors and out. The robust plant is often seen spilling out of pedestal planters and hanging baskets, or brightening up patios and shady garden spots with its graceful, sword-shaped fronds. In the wild, it thrives in wet, forested areas, so—whether you are planting it indoors or outdoors—give it high humidity and consistent moisture and it will reward you with long arching stems of spring-green foliage. Boston Fern Overview GENUS NAME Nephrolepis exaltata COMMON NAME Boston Fern PLANT TYPE Houseplant LIGHT Part Sun, Shade HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 2 to 3 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SPECIAL FEATURES Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 11 PROPAGATION Division Where to Plant Boston Fern In hardiness zones 9 to 11, Boston ferns can be grown…
Borage
Using Borage in the Garden Plant borage in the herb garden where it will add height above parsley, thyme, oregano, and other ground-hugging herbs. Borage is also a valuable addition to the perennial garden where its clean, medium-green foliage is a verdant backdrop for lilies, roses, and a host of bold-flowering perennial plants. Borage can be grown in containers, too. As it ages, this annual develops a somewhat loose habit and may benefit from staking to remain upright in late summer. Caring for Borage Borage grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It tolerates a variety of soil conditions, including quick-draining sand and heavy clay, but produces its best lush, leafy growth and a bevy of flowers in well-drained loam. Easy to start from seed, borage can be sown indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last predicted spring frost or directly into the garden. Direct sowing in the garden is preferred as seedlings develop…
How to Plant and Grow Threadleaf Bluestar
This low-maintenance native perennial has beautiful blue flowers that resemble small stars. Threadleaf bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) will be the star of your beds and borders for three seasons. This native perennial boasts clusters of pale blue star-shaped flowers in spring, fine green foliage through summer, and brilliant yellow-gold fall color. Indigenous to Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma where it grow in meadows, this bluestar also attracts pollinators and offers the desirable features of deer resistance and low maintenance. Threadleaf Bluestar Overview GENUS NAME Amsonia hubrichtii COMMON NAME Threadleaf Bluestar ADDITIONAL COMMON NAMES Hubricht’s Bluestar, Arkansas Bluestar, Narrow-leaf Amsonia PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 2 to 3 feet WIDTH 2 to 3 feet FLOWER COLOR Blue FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage, Spring Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Low Maintenance ZONES 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant Where to Plant Threadleaf Bluestar Use threadleaf…
Blueberry
Blueberry Overview DESCRIPTION Tasty blue fruits and vibrant fall foliage make blueberry plants landscape all-stars. Call on this plant to create a multitasking hedge. Add several blueberries to a shrub border as a colorful, fruitful planting partner. Plant breeders have selected many new varieties that thrive in containers, producing patio-side fruit that is just as sweet and delectable as the fruit grown on 8-foot-tall shrubs. GENUS NAME Vaccinium COMMON NAME Blueberry PLANT TYPE Fruit, Shrub LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 2 to 10 feet FLOWER COLOR White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage, Spring Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Good for Containers ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Stem Cuttings Blueberry Care Must-Knows Blueberries demand the right climate and soil but take only minimum care if you provide a site suitable to their somewhat exacting conditions. Growing blueberries requires a fair amount…
Bluebeard
This easy-care shrub blooms later in the season, right when many other plants start winding down. Colorful Combinations As one of the few flowering shrubs that bloom in late summer, bluebeard can be a valuable plant to add to your garden. Also called blue mist spirea, this deciduous shrub features long, graceful stems covered in small leaves. Those stems are loaded with blossoms at every leaf section when it is at peak bloom, which draws butterflies and bumblebees. There are many colorful foliage varieties to consider in addition to the familiar soft, silver-green version. Golden foliage is one of the most appealing; its bright yellow leaves create a stunning backdrop for the bright blue flowers. When bluebeard isn’t in bloom, the foliage adds a visual lightness to the garden. Bluebeard Care Must-Knows Bluebeard will not tolerate wet soils, so make sure it’s planted in a thoroughly well-drained area. If the soil stays…
Bloodroot
Bloodroot Overview DESCRIPTION Bloodroot, a member of the poppy family, is more delicate and beautiful than its common name implies. (It gets its common name from the blood red sap that oozes from the root when it is cut or broken.) Native to North America, bloodroot is found in the shade of deciduous forests where it unfurls white daisylike flowers in early spring. The flowers usually open a day or two before the plant’s large, lobed leaves unfurl. Bloodroot spreads by thick, tuberous roots; the rootstock is poisonous if ingested. GENUS NAME Sanguinaria canadensis COMMON NAME Bloodroot PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Shade HEIGHT 6 to 12 inches WIDTH 3 to 6 inches FLOWER COLOR White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Spring Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Low Maintenance ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 PROPAGATION Division, Seed PROBLEM SOLVERS Drought Tolerant, Groundcover Using Bloodroot in the Garden A native…
How to Plant and Grow Bleeding Heart
Add cottage garden charm to your landscape with this perennial. A classic cottage garden staple, bleeding heart (Dicentra) has long been a favorite in perennial gardens. It’s easy to see how this plant, with its heart-shaped pink or white blooms, captures the love of so many gardeners. Bleeding heart plants are quick to come up in the spring, and their long stems with pendulous, romantic flowers beg to be admired. The old-fashioned bleeding heart, D. spectabilis, now also known as Lamprocapnos spectabilis, is truly an easy-to-grow perennial. These plants are quick to pop up alongside spring bulbs and swiftly grow to full size. D. spectabilis leaves are generally a pleasant blue-green or gold, and its heart-shaped blossoms can come in a range of colors, including pink, red, white-reds, and white. Bleeding heart, D. spectabilis, is known to be toxic to humans, dogs, and cats.1 Bleeding Heart Overview GENUS NAME Dicentra COMMON NAME Bleeding Heart PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part…
How to Plant and Grow Blanket Flower
Get more bloom for your buck and entice pollinators to your garden with the long-blooming blanket flower. With such an extensive bloom time, few other perennials can rival what blanket flower brings to the garden. On top of their visual appeal, the bright, cheery blossoms of blanket flowers are a wonderful food source for pollinators. Come fall, small birds also love to pick seeds off of spent blooms. The biggest problem with blanket flowers? They bloom too much! Available in many warm colors and even a few cool shades, blanket flowers can make a big statement in a garden—especially when paired with other drought-tolerant perennials and ornamental grasses. It should be noted, however, that many parts of the blanket flower contain compounds (lactones) that can cause skin irritation in humans1, so gloves should be worn when pruning, propagating, or deadheading the plant, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Blanket Flower Overview GENUS…
Blackberry
Blackberry Overview DESCRIPTION Blackberries are delicious, nutrient-rich, and relatively easy to grow—making them perfect additions to your home garden or landscape. Even though they bear thorns, the canes are attractive with lush green foliage, white blushing, and charming white flowers. Most varieties get relatively large, so be sure you have room for them before planting. There are two distinct types of blackberries: trailing and erect. Trailing blackberry (also called dewberry) is grown mainly in the South. This type needs to be supported by a trellis, fence, or arbor to keep it up and off the ground. Erect blackberry is a hardy, stiff-caned plant that may or may not need support depending upon the variety. You can also find blackberry varieties with and without thorns. Because blackberry is a big, vigorous plant, it’s well-suited to grow in a patch by itself. This is especially true for trailing blackberry varieties with stems…
Black Pepper
Grow your own peppercorns with this lovely houseplant. A vine that produces chains of small round fruit, black pepper thrives in full or part sun and indoor temperatures above 65 degrees F. By selecting the time of harvest, all four types of peppercorns — black, white, green, and red — can be harvested from the same plant. Black pepper is a slow-growing vine, and plants take three to four years to start flowering and fruiting. Wait to water black pepper until the soil is visibly dry. When watering, thoroughly saturate the soil until a little water runs out the bottom of the pot. Black Pepper Overview GENUS NAME Piper nigrum COMMON NAME Black Pepper PLANT TYPE Houseplant, Vine LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 8 to 20 feet WIDTH null to 3 feet SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Good for Containers ZONES 10, 11 PROPAGATION Division