How to Plant and Grow Basil
Fresh basil is easy to grow and adds tons of flavor to your favorite dishes. PHOTO: ED GOHLICH A popular and exceptionally easy-to-grow herb, basil produces tasty foliage from early summer through fall. The eye-catching bushy plants grow equally well in garden beds and containers. Plant basil in a sunny spot, and you’ll reap rewards of flavorful foliage in shades of green, purple, or bronze for several months. The leaves lend a distinctive taste to salads, pizza, and pasta dishes. Add leaves to dishes just before serving for the best flavor and aroma. Basil Overview DESCRIPTION Basil dishes up classic Italian flavor in eye-catching bushy plants suitable for garden beds or containers. Grow this tasty beauty in a sunny spot, and you’ll reap rewards of flavorful foliage in shades of green, purple, or bronze. Basil lends a distinctive taste to salads, pizza, and pasta dishes. Use small leaves whole; chop larger leaves. Add…
Barberry
This tough shrub has gorgeous foliage, but it has become invasive in many parts of the country so plant responsibly. Barberry Overview GENUS NAME Berberis COMMON NAME Barberry PLANT TYPE Shrub LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 3 to 8 feet WIDTH null to 7 feet FLOWER COLOR Yellow FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green, Chartreuse/Gold, Purple/Burgundy SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage, Spring Bloom, Winter Interest SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Low Maintenance ZONES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Good For Privacy Colorful Combinations Barberries are mostly grown for their bright, colorful foliage and graceful arching stems. The traditional species of barberry most commonly grown has simple green leaves. But come fall, even this bland shrub lights up a garden space with brilliant shades of crimson, orange, and yellow. Many of the shrubs in their full fall glory seem to be almost lit from within…
Balloon Flower
The inflated buds of balloon flowers are fun to pop. And they make great cut flowers. Cut them in the bud stage, and sear the base of the stems to prevent the milky sap from seeping out and fouling the water. Most commonly available in blue-violet, balloon flowers also come in pink and white, as well as shorter forms that are better suited for rock gardens and containers. In fall, the foliage of balloon flower turns clear gold, so don’t cut the plant down too early — enjoy the show! They tolerate light shade, but not wet feet or drought. Balloon Flower Overview GENUS NAME Platycodon COMMON NAME Balloon Flower PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 6 to 6 inches WIDTH null to 1 foot FLOWER COLOR Blue, Pink, White SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 4, 5,…
Bald Cypress
Bald cypress is an easy-to-grow North American native conifer that features feathery, soft, green needles and attractive peeling bark. Unlike many needled conifers, the needles turn a delightful shade of russet-red in autumn, then fall off the tree in winter revealing its delightful architectural shape. In spring, new needles emerge. Bald cypress is wonderfully adaptable, growing well in any average or wet soil. This is one of the few trees that tolerates standing water. It grows best in full sun and moist, acidic soil, however. Bald cypress is the official state tree of Louisiana. Bald Cypress Overview GENUS NAME Taxodium distichum COMMON NAME Bald Cypress PLANT TYPE Tree LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 20 to 20 feet WIDTH null to 30 feet SEASON FEATURES Colorful Fall Foliage SPECIAL FEATURES Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed, Stem Cuttings
How to Plant and Grow Bacopa
This trailing plant’s pretty, small white flowers add brightness to garden beds and containers. PHOTO: BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Bacopa (Sutera cordata) is simple to grow and produces abundant blooms from spring until autumn. It’s a trailing plant, making it an excellent option for hanging planters, container gardens, and groundcover. Bacopa will usually grow to no more than 6-12 inches high. It can be grown as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11. In colder areas, this plant is treated as an annual. Most commonly seen in its white-flowered form, bacopa can bloom almost nonstop through the entire growing season. Though small, the white flowers cover the plant and act as a beautiful backdrop. The tiny green leaves are roughly heart-shaped and have a slightly serrated edge. The white blooms and green foliage mix easily in almost any plant combination. Bacopa Overview GENUS NAME Sutera COMMON NAME Bacopa PLANT TYPE Annual LIGHT Part Sun,…
How to Plant and Grow Bachelor’s Button
This easy-going annual practically grows itself. Bachelor’s button, also known as cornflower because of its prevalence in cornfields in its native Europe, is a cutting garden and cottage garden favorite. Grown for its bright blue, fringed flowers, the stems last for days in a cut flower arrangement. As a rugged reseeding annual that’s hardy in Zones 2-11, bachelor’s button will pop up year after year without needing much help from you. In addition to cornflower blue, bachelor’s buttons flowers come in many shades of pink, purple, white, and almost black. Along with showy blooms, bachelor’s button leaves are an appealing silvery-green that mixes well with other plants, including grasses and wildflowers. Bachelor’s Button Overview GENUS NAME Centaurea cyanus COMMON NAME Bachelor’s Button PLANT TYPE Annual LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 2 feet FLOWER COLOR Blue, Pink, Purple, White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green, Gray/Silver SEASON…
How to Plant and Grow Baby’s Breath
With its loose, billowy panicles of tiny single or double pink or white flowers, baby’s breath provides a lightness and airiness to flower gardens. The creeping forms drape beautifully over rock walls. After bloom time, shear the plants to deadhead and for neatness. Plants prefer sweet (alkaline) soils with full sun and excellent drainage. Baby’s Breath Overview GENUS NAME Gypsophila COMMON NAME Baby’s Breath PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 6 to 12 inches WIDTH 1 to 4 feet FLOWER COLOR Pink, White SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Cut Flowers, Low Maintenance ZONES 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Division, Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Groundcover Varieties of Baby’s Breath Baby’s Breath Gypsophila paniculata produces clouds of small single or double white or pink flowers on branching stems. Its blue-green leaves are 2-3 inches long. Superior cultivars are often grafted. Plant in zones 5-9. Creeping…
How to Plant and Grow Astilbe
This pretty perennial livens up shady spots with its fine-textured foliage and colorful summer blooms. Astilbe is a knockout plant, thanks to its ornamental, fern-like bronze-and-green foliage and its feathery plumed blossoms that look good in season and when dried for winter interest. Even if astilbes never bloomed, the healthy foliage of these plants adds wonderful texture and color to a garden. In spring, new foliage often emerges bright green with blushes of bronze. Some varieties hold that color all year long, and others offer deep chocolate/burgundy foliage. These finely textured mounds of foliage stay compact with no training needed. Come summer, they’re topped with fantastic feathery spikes of tiny flowers in shades of pinks, reds, purples, and whites. Karlis Grants. Astilbe Overview GENUS NAME Astilbe COMMON NAME Astilbe PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 18 to 30 inches FLOWER COLOR Pink, Purple, Red,…
Aster
Plant this stellar perennial in your landscape for its fantastic fall blooms. Colorful Combinations Aster plants get their name from the Latin word for “star,” and their flowers are often the superstars of the fall garden. Some aster’s height can reach up to 6 feet with white and pink flowers but also, perhaps most strikingly, in rich purple, showy lavender, and occasionally blue. Aster Care Must-Knows Aster can be found for most growing conditions short of full shade, with several hundred species available. This plant prefers moist, well-drained soil; overly wet soil leads to rot. Some asters require nutrient-rich soil; others need lean soil lacking organic material. Most asters should be grown in full sun to prevent flopping, especially in shady or windy locations. Woodland species tolerate shade but need morning sum to produce the prettiest flowers. Aster can be grown from seed, but expect uneven germination. It may be easier to purchased plants…
Aspen Tree
Dancers in the garden, aspens are popular choices for fast-growing windbreaks, screens, and mass plantings. Their oval leaves flutter in the slightest breeze. These extremely cold-hardy trees can gain almost 5 feet in height per year. Avoid problems with their invasive roots and suckering by selecting species and varieties that won’t run rampant. Enjoy the best fall color with the quaking aspen. The trees have a preference for moist, well-drained soil but they adapt to almost any soil. Aspen Tree Overview DESCRIPTION Dancers in the garden, aspens are popular choices for fast-growing windbreaks, screens, and mass plantings. Their oval leaves flutter in the slightest breeze. These extremely cold-hardy trees can gain almost 5 feet in height per year. Avoid problems with their invasive roots and suckering by selecting species and varieties that won’t run rampant. Enjoy the best fall color with the quaking aspen. The trees have a preference for…