In late spring and early summer, scentless mock orange (Philadelphus inodorus) is covered with bright white, 4-petaled flowers with a yellow center. These deciduous shrubs make a great privacy screen and are easy to grow. They can reach a height of 12 feet, so prune them back in summer, just after the flowers are over. (The blooms are produced …
rooting
Bee Balm Attracts Hummingbirds and Butterflies
If you’re looking for a native, perennial plant to add to your garden that will be easy to care for, add great color to your garden, and attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, bee balm (Monarda sp.) is a good choice. Bee balm is in the mint family; its leaves are aromatic and both leaves and flowers can be made into a tea. There are …
Continue Reading about Bee Balm Attracts Hummingbirds and Butterflies
Coleus: Colorful Shade Plants Easily Grown From Seed or Cuttings
Coleus are known for their colorful leaves and are a great addition to shaded or part-sun areas of your garden. Some cultivars are more tolerant of sun, so be sure to read the labels on your selected varieties. Here is a list of some of the sun-loving varieties. Cultivars can have wavy, smooth-edged, or serrated leaves and come in many colors, …
Continue Reading about Coleus: Colorful Shade Plants Easily Grown From Seed or Cuttings
Cross Vine: Bignonia capreolata
As a native plant, cross vine has a big advantage - it's easy to grow, hardy, tolerates the heat, has a low water requirement, and can grow in both full sun and part shade. It's in the same family as trumpet creeper (Bignoniaceae), and the flowers are very similar - trumpet-shaped, 2" long tubular, and bright orange-red/yellow. Cross vine is …
Bringing Herbs Indoors for Winter Cooking
Having fresh herbs to add to your cooking in the winter is a great boon – you just can’t beat that fresh flavor. Now is the time to plan so that you can enjoy the flavor throughout the winter. Depending on where you live, some of your herbs will survive outdoors even in winter. My herb beds are partially protected by a tree, so they have been …
Continue Reading about Bringing Herbs Indoors for Winter Cooking
How To Grow Tomato Plants from Cuttings
It stays warm enough here in the Southeast that we sometimes get the chance to have a second crop of tomatoes and other vegetables before the cold of winter takes over. For those of us who love eating homegrown tomatoes in salad or pasta, it is definitely worth replanting to try and get a second harvest of tomatoes. At this time of year, …
Continue Reading about How To Grow Tomato Plants from Cuttings