Plant Basics

The lingonberry is a tough, easy to care for fruiting groundcover. They are perfect for areas of partial shade and acid soil, and are easy to grow and propagate.

Preparing bareroot nursery stock sets you on the path to growing a healthy garden. Bareroot stocks are popular among gardeners, because they are often less expensive then container grown plants....

From the day the dove returned to Noah with an olive branch (a symbol of peace), humans have had an ongoing love affair with the olive tree. Best suited to grow in Mediterranean climates, olive...

If you own a home with a yard or garden, chances are good that you're anxious to spruce up that land with flowers, plants, vegetables or a lawn. Plants, flowers and vegetables can also be grown...

Every plant has different requirements and preferences as to soil type, moisture, sunlight and temperatures. Some plants are easier to grow and cultivate in sandy soil.

Taking stem cuttings is an efficient and inexpensive way to propagate a new plant, and is easy enough for beginning gardeners. With just a few basic tools, you can replicate a plant that you've...

Skunk cabbage is a perennial plant that likes to grow at the edges of streams, ponds and marshes. It produces its own heat and as such is one of the first plants to bloom in late winter. The plant...

White licorice plants have long, green leaves, grow to 1 to 2 feet tall and wide and do not produce flowers. They are most often used to offset other plants and for edging around gardens. The...

Telegraphs plants, also called semaphore plants or Codariocalyx motorius, are tropical shrubs native to Asia. They are unique in that the leaves have special hinges allowing them to move--at...

Campanula alpina is a biennial plant that takes its name from the bell-shaped flowers it produces. A biennial plant takes two years to grow from the seed to full bloom before dying. Biennials last...

Broccoli sprouts are highly nutritious and are crunchy and tasty in salads and sandwiches. Although they are sometimes available in health food stores, they can be difficult to find in grocery...

Asparagus fern, also known as lace fern, emerald fern or sprengeri, is not a true fern, but rather a member of the lily family. The fern forms whitish green tubers that resemble tiny garlic...

One of the most important factors for successfully growing vegetables is the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. If your soil is too acidic, then not enough nutrients will be available for your...

Pot hanging plants in the spring to accommodate their new growth, or transfer hanging plants any time of year if their root growth or soil conditions require attention. The plant will benefit from...

You can call them angel's trumpets, brugmansia, or just plain pretty. Angel's trumpet flowers bloom in shades of yellow, pink, orange, red and white, from spring to fall. Although the seeds...

Bamboo is a plant of the grass family and grows rapidly in certain outdoor locations. Short, curled bamboo is sold in small pots for placement indoors as lucky charms. Some people face problems...

Growing stevia from seeds requires a bit of preparation and some attention to your newly planted seeds, but with planning and preparation, you can produce successfully germinated stevia plants...

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are popular perennial landscape plants. They provide their growers with near endless color combinations, stately landscape filler for bare spots and, for some types,...

Angel wing, or cane, begonias are among the oldest and easiest grown types in the family. Although they grow in various sizes, all feature sturdy bamboo-like stems and bold, pointed angel...

Daylilies are popular landscape perennials. They range from short and compact to tall mounds of grass-like foliage. Their bloom colors include red, white, yellow, peach, purple, and nearly black...

Planting a pineapple at home is a simple process, and to begin, all you need to do is buy a pineapple. The stem of the plant is the part which is rooted in the soil. You cannot just rip the stem...

The Chinese Fringe plant, also known as Loropetalum Chinense, is a large evergreen plant that can grow to 12 feet in height. The original Chinese Fringe plant produces delicate white flower...

Propagating plants from cuttings is a relaxing and fun hobby. Plants created by taking stem cuttings will grow true to their parent plants and usually have a better start on life than those grown...

It's easy to grow pineapple plants and fruit from the leafy tops cut from store-bought fruit, but it does take time. You can expect a well-established plant in a few months, and it will grow...

New growth stems of bamboo, sometimes referred to as shoots, arise from the ground at the base of bamboo stems, or culms. As long as the shoot is undamaged and alive, cuttings or divisions with...

The bald cypress has a life span of hundreds of years. It grows up to 150 feet in height and 12 feet wide. Its growth rate depends on the nutrient supply, water depth, availability of light and...

If you're an avid gardener--or just want great organic vegetables without going to the farmer's market--you probably already know you need to compost. Compost is the process in which organic...

Calaloo is a native plant that grows in the Caribbean Islands and it originated with the African slaves. In 1839, Captain Geoffroy imported it to Europe. Calaloo, called Indian spinach or Chinese...

Mock orange is a large and beautiful perennial shrub. During the spring, it is covered with thousands of blooms that smell like orange blossoms. The flowers feed an entire array of beneficial...

Thuja trees are a beautiful evergreen addition to the landscape. They provide good windbreaks, shelter for wildlife and shade for people, as well as stately hedging when planted in rows. They are...

Philodendron are a type of plant native to tropical South America, and popular as an indoor or office plant because of their hardiness in low light conditions. Some varieties are climbing, like...

A Currant is a delicious, versatile berry fruit. The red, pink and white currants originate from three European species. Black currants are from both the European and Asian species. Currants will...

Layering is a simple method of propagating many different plants. To perform simple layering, pull a long stem towards the soil and cover it partially with soil until it roots. This method is very...

Daphne plants are easy to grow, and their color and scent make them a great addition to your landscape. Intensely fragrant flowers appear in late March to early April, and the clusters of lilac to...

The key to reproducing a plant from a cutting, is to be sure the parent plant is healthy and youthful. The parent plant, or the plant where the cutting originates from, must be free from diseases...

Many people grow a garden. This can contain flowers, vegetables or sometimes both flowers and vegetables. When you are gardening, you want to be sure that your plants are going to grow. For...

You can cut a tree, shrub or plant to root if you want to multiply your hedges or fruit trees. Most commercial garden operations use propagated stems to create a unique array of...

Rosette-shaped succulents, agave plants have sharp-tipped wide leaves and a blue, green or gray color. Because they grow slowly, agave plants thrive in pots. They absorb water with their roots and...

Hardy bamboo is an exceptionally tough, fast-growing and easy plant to grow. It makes an excellent privacy screen. The harvested bamboo poles are strong and attractive, and can be used for light...

Hardy, drought-tolerant daylilies are among the world's most popular perennial garden flowers. They offer a wide array of bloom color and shapes as well as different scents. Some are tiny with...

Sedum thrives in full sun but happily tolerates partial shade. It is drought resistant and grows well in poor, dry soil. It blooms each year with minimal care, growing at a stately, but never...

Trumpet flowers (Brugmansia) are an enchanting addition to any garden. They can be grown as bushes, trained into unique trees and even used as tender hedges. Their large trumpet shaped blossoms...

Pond gardening is a fun and different way to grow beautiful plants. Water gardening is fun because it combines the fun of the water with the art of traditional gardening. Thousands of pond plants...

Stevia is widely used as a natural, calorie-free sugar substitute. The stevia plant is a challenging herb to grow, though it has proven to adapt to a variety of environments. With proper planting...

Most people associate wintergreen for its minty flavor, used in items such as chewing gum and toothpaste. However, it is not widely known that the wintergreen plant has a multitude of medicinal...

Porcelain flower and wax plant are other names for the hoya plant, as noted on the University of Florida website. The hoya is a succulent plant and has lovely heart-shaped leaves. This plant will...

February Daphne is a deciduous shrub that grows 3 to 5 feet high and about 4 feet wide. Intensely fragrant, lilac to rosy purple flowers appear in groups of two to three on leafless stems in late...

Aloe vera grows into an interesting and beautiful plant. When mature, it presents beautiful flowers and its leaves contain antibacterial and medicinal aloe gel. Once the aloe vera plant blooms,...

If you have the gardening space, growing pumpkins can be very rewarding. Pumpkins are a large, versatile squash that can be used in many savory dishes, soups, puddings, sweets and baked goods. If...

Hamamelis is the official family name of the witch hazel plant. Hamamelis Virginiana is the more common of the species in America, although there are four species and several cultivars. Witch...