Previously only available at orchid shows and in flower shops, Phalaenopsis are now found in most garden centers and even in supermarkets and hardware stores. They are popular because they are relatively inexpensive, easy to grow, and very rewarding. They mature fast, the flowers are nicely displayed above the foliage, and they can bloom for extended periods of time, normally during the winter, but often well into summer. Read Phalaenopsis
Plants & Gardens Blog
Plant Choices
-
Plant Choices
Phalaenopsis
-
Garden DesignPlant ChoicesUrban Gardening
Dwarf Conifers in Containers: Designing a Miniature Landscape
Dwarf conifers are perfect for building texture in—and giving permanent shape to—confined garden spaces such as patios or terraces. Though small, the plants can also help block wind and screen undesirable views. Read Dwarf Conifers in Containers: Designing a Miniature Landscape
-
Plant Choices
Enterprising Euphorbia—Spring-Flowering Spurges for All Your Garden Needs
The genus Euphorbia is one of the largest and most astonishingly varied of all the plant genera. It contains over 2,000 species, ranging in form and habit from diminutive groundcovers to enormous 70-foot-tall trees. Picture a leafy holiday poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) beside another very common houseplant, the prickly, succulent crown-of-thorns (Euphorbia milii), and you get an idea of the diversity. Read Enterprising Euphorbia—Spring-Flowering Spurges for All Your Garden Needs
-
Garden DesignPlant Choices
Mad About Moss—The Simple Art of Moss Gardening
Hand-pulling blades of grass 'twixt thumb and forefinger, along with the occasional Ajuga plant, could be considered tedious work, but compared with the frantic pace my usual chores demand, it was an exercise in meditation. After removing every strand of grass, wild strawberry, and hawkweed shoot from the first square yard of ground, I was perversely gratified to see that the lawn was predominately moss and that my job would be time-consuming but not Sisyphean. I became obsessed with weeding my plot and started looking for opportunities away from housework and garden hoeing to sit and pick awhile. Read Mad About Moss—The Simple Art of Moss Gardening
-
Garden DesignPollinators and BirdsNative FloraPlant Choices
Rain Garden Plants
The following are some native plants suitable for rain gardens, listed by region. They are also attractive to butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Be sure to choose species appropriate for the degree of sun or shade on the site. Read Rain Garden Plants
-
Plant Choices
Splendid Salvias—14 Tender Perennials for Summer and Fall Bloom
Salvias are wonderful companions in the mixed border, providing the truest blue and brightest red flowers of any group of plants. The red ones, particularly those with long tubular flowers, are ideal lures and major nectar sources for hummingbirds as well as many species of butterflies. Many of the tender salvias begin to bloom in July and August in Zone 5, while others wait until September and early October to provide a burst of exquisite color that lasts until the curtain comes down with the first hard frost. Read Splendid Salvias—14 Tender Perennials for Summer and Fall Bloom
-
Native FloraPlant Choices
Ravishing Rudbeckia—Coneflowers That Light up the Fall Garden
Blooming from late summer through frost, coneflowers bring saturated warm color and height—they grow anywhere from three to ten feet tall—to beds and borders. Coneflowers are easy to cultivate and good for cutting, and they mingle well with other plants as long as their flower colors are compatible. Read Ravishing Rudbeckia—Coneflowers That Light up the Fall Garden
-
Plant Choices
Cape Fuchsias—Perennials With Punch
Native to South Africa, cape fuchsias (Phygelius species) will add verve to your borders with vibrant, warm-toned flowers that bloom for months in summer and fall. Read Cape Fuchsias—Perennials With Punch
-
Plant Choices
Power Plants—The Origin of Fossil Fuels
Did you know that current events on this petroleum-addled planet are closely linked to weird and wonderful plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago? Read Power Plants—The Origin of Fossil Fuels
-
Plant Choices
Daisies of All Kinds
There's enormous variation of flower color and size among daisies. There's certainly something for everyone. Read Daisies of All Kinds