How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Sesame
Sesame is a fun plant to grow for its tasty seeds. PHOTO: ARNAV RAY / GETTY IMAGES Sesame plants have been grown for thousands of years for their nutty flavor and nutritious oil. Native to Asia and Africa, sesame is thought to be one of the first crops domesticated by humans, providing people in desert regions of the Old World with a drought tolerant food oil source that requires very little water and care. Sesame grows well during the summer months in most climates, provided it has ample time to grow, flower, and produce seeds–at least 90 days for quick-growing cultivars. Sesame is very drought tolerant once established and it will especially thrive in areas with long, hot, and dry summers. Sesame Overview GENUS NAME Sesamum indicum COMMON NAME Sesame PLANT TYPE Annual LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 2 to 4 Feet WIDTH 2 to 3 Feet FLOWER COLOR Pink, Purple, White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green…
How to Plant and Grow Serviceberry
This flowering native beauty can be grown as a small tree or a large shrub for four-season interest. PHOTO: PETER KRUMHARDT Serviceberries are a relative of roses with a somewhat morbid history: This pretty native tree begins to bloom around the time the ground thaws—the same time it was possible to start digging graves in the olden days. Thus the name serviceberry, a reference to the funeral services the plant’s flowers often coincided with. These small trees and large shrubs thrive through all four seasons. Serviceberries show off their blossoms—which are usually white, but may also be pink or yellow—just before their blue-green foliage emerges in early spring, offering some of the first sources of nectar for pollinators. The five-petaled flowers closely resemble apple blossoms, but with skinnier petals. They may appear from March to May and don’t usually last long—only about a week. After the flowery display, clusters of edible berries form…
How to Grow and Care for Sedum
Featuring colorful foliage and pretty flowers, this perennial is easy to grow and drought-tolerant. PHOTO: JO-ANN RICHARDS A diverse group of plants, sedums come in myriad shapes, colors, and sizes. The foliage ranges from needle-like to broad, rounded, paddle-like leaves. Along with many different shapes, there are also a number of foliage colors. Standouts include bright chartreuse-gold; wonderful tricolor leaves with pinks, creams, and greens; and even deep, shiny, almost-black leaves. With so many species and varieties available, sedums can be found in bloom three seasons a year. Bees and butterflies love the flowers, making this plant perfect for pollinator gardens. On taller blooming varieties, the dried bloom stems add winter interest to the garden. And the best thing: Sedum is easy to grow and requires very little. maintenance. Sedum Overview GENUS NAME Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum) COMMON NAME Sedum PLANT TYPE Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 2 to 36 inches WIDTH 14…
How to Grow and Care for Schefflera
This popular, low-maintenance houseplant comes in many different varieties, sizes, and leaf colors. A classic plant that makes itself at home in many places, including corporate offices and cozy living rooms, schefflera is a low-maintenance houseplant for anyone looking to add some green to their space. Plant breeders have brought new varieties to the market. If you haven’t perused the houseplant section of a local nursery lately, take time to check out the variegated scheffleras in all shapes and sizes. Schefflera is toxic to pets.1 Schefflera. ASPCA. Schefflera Overview GENUS NAME Schefflera spp. COMMON NAME Schefflera PLANT TYPE Houseplant HEIGHT 2 to 10 feet WIDTH 3 to 6 feet SPECIAL FEATURES Low Maintenance PROPAGATION Stem Cuttings Where to Plant Schefflera Schefflera is usually grown as a houseplant. Keep it away from air conditioning vents because the plant does not like cold air. The plant can spend the summer outdoors where it tolerates direct sunlight.…
Savory
Savory Overview DESCRIPTION The flavor of savory is best described as peppery with a hint of oregano. This herb packs a delightful flavor punch and is easy-to-grow. Summer savory has a fine, feathery texture. An annual, summer savory (Satureja hortensis) foliage turns a striking shade of bronze-purple in late summer. Use it as an ornamental and culinary plant in the landscape. It’s a delightful addition to cottage gardens and flower beds. Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a perennial plant with stiff foliage and a stronger flavor than summer savory. GENUS NAME Satureja species COMMON NAME Savory PLANT TYPE Annual, Herb, Perennial LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 6 to 12 inches WIDTH 6 to 12 inches FLOWER COLOR Blue, Pink, White SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Fragrance, Good for Containers ZONES 10, 11, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed Harvest Tips Gather leaves as needed throughout the growing season to sprinkle on salads…
How to Plant and Grow Salsify
An heirloom root vegetable with lots of history, salsify is hard to find in stores but super easy to grow in your garden. Originally from Europe and North Africa, salsify is a biennial wildflower and root vegetable that has a long history. Cultivated since at least the 16th century, salsify is prized for its edible taproot, which is sweet and slightly resembles the flavor of oysters or artichokes. Salsify is also grown for its edible, grass-like leaves and attractive, purple flowers. MARTY BALDWIN Salsify is difficult to find in stores, so if you want to taste this vegetable, growing your own is your best bet. Salsify closely resembles parsnips and has similar growing requirements to most root vegetables. As a cool weather biennial, salsify’s creamy white tap roots can be harvested during the first or second year of growth. Boiled, mashed, or roasted, salsify is a versatile vegetable and fun to grow too. Salsify Overview GENUS…
How to Plant and Grow Sago Palm
These ancient plants are standouts in garden containers or as houseplants. The sago palm may look like a tiny palm tree with its glossy, stiff fronds, but it is not a palm tree at all. Sago palms are cycads, some of the most ancient of plants that have been around since prehistoric times. They are easy to grow indoors as houseplants or outdoors in containers in warm areas. Don’t let the mature height of these plants frighten you off. These slow-growers take many years to reach their final height. Able to live for 200 years or more, the sago palm makes a rugged houseplant. It is extremely slow-growing, sometimes putting out just one set of new leaves per year—and sometimes not that often. When plants do put out new growth, it is generally borne in one symmetrical ring of leaves that emerges from the tip in an attractive bronze color.…
How to Plant and Grow Sage
This tough Mediterranean plant is so versatile in the kitchen. From medicinal to culinary uses, sage has long been an herb garden staple. Sage flower plants are multipurpose powerhouses with attractive foliage and pretty blooms in summer. This plant, hardy in Zones 4-10, is most commonly grown for its flavor, but it also makes a tough perennial plant in the garden. Sage’s light blue flowers and gray-green foliage help it combine well with other plants in a flower border or container. Sage Overview GENUS NAME Salvia officinalis COMMON NAME Sage PLANT TYPE Herb, Perennial LIGHT Part Sun, Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 2 to 3 feet FLOWER COLOR Blue, Pink, Purple, White FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green SEASON FEATURES Summer Bloom SPECIAL FEATURES Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance ZONES 10, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed, Stem Cuttings PROBLEM SOLVERS Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant Where to Plant…
How to Plant and Grow Saffron
Saffron is an expensive spice harvested from a type of crocus bulb that is easy to grow. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, so you may flinch when you see the price tag on a tiny jar in the grocery store. However, saffron comes from the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), which is a snap to grow and harvest in your home garden—with bonus points for the short, purple flowers in the fall. The prettiest way to save money on your food budget is to plant inexpensive saffron crocus corms in the late summer or early fall, enjoy the lovely fall blooms, and gather saffron in October. FOTOLINCHEN / GETTY IMAGES You may think of crocus as spring-blooming bulbs, but the saffron crocus is also called fall crocus or autumn crocus. A mature 3-inch crocus corm—a corm is similar to a small bulb—produces two to four purple flowers in October; then it multiplies…
Rutabaga
Rutabaga Overview DESCRIPTION Rutabaga is also called Swedish turnip. It is similar to turnip in that it is a cool-season crop with a crunchy underground root, though rutabagas produce a larger, firmer, rounder edible root than turnips. Rutabaga flesh is yellow and has a finer texture than turnips. Frost typically sweetens maturing rutabagas, so these productive crops are harvested late in the season and enjoyed in autumn. Pick greens when thinning plants early in the season and add the tasty leaves to salads. GENUS NAME Brassica napus COMMON NAME Rutabaga PLANT TYPE Vegetable LIGHT Sun HEIGHT 1 to 3 feet WIDTH 1 to 2 feet FOLIAGE COLOR Blue/Green ZONES 10, 11, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PROPAGATION Seed Growing Rutabaga Rutabagas are a long-growing crop that are great for pairing with early spring greens and vegetables. Planted in early summer, rutabagas will fill in empty garden space…