From the Garden
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How to Plant and Grow Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is a member of the beet family grown for its rosette of large, crinkly green leaves on thick red, white, or rainbow stalks. Plants can grow to 16 inches tall and leaves and stalks can be harvested several times over the course of a season on a cut-and-come-again schedule. Swiss chard can be […] More
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How to Grow and Care for Monkey Flower — Mimulus
Mimulus–commonly called monkey flower–is a spreading perennial commonly grown as an annual. Mimulus produce dragon-like two-lipped flowers that cover the plant from summer to early fall. Flowers bloom in shades of red, pink, yellow, and orange. Flowers are often spotted with contrasting colors. The Mimulus genus includes about 150 species of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. […] More
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How to Grow Sea Holly — Eryngium
Eryngium–commonly called sea holly–is an upright perennial with heart-shaped, divided green leaves. In summer, it produces tall blue stems topped with cone-shaped purple flowers surrounded by spiny bracts. Eryngium is stiff-branched and thistle-like. There are 230 species in the Eryngium genus; some are fibrous-rooted and some are tap-rooted. Eryngium self sows. Eryngium is an excellent […] More
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How to Grow Lenten Rose — Helleborus
Helleborus–commonly called Lenten rose or Christmas rose depending on the cultivar–has nodding purple, white, or pink cup-shaped flowers in winter or early spring. Flowers are born singly or in clustered. Helleborus are long-lived perennials. They bloom in late winter or early spring. The showy parts of the flowers are not true petals but petal-like sepals […] More
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How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Sorrel
Sorrel is a cool-season perennial often grown as an annual. Sorrel is often grown from root divisions. Sorrel can be grown from seed sown in the garden as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date in spring. Sorrel will be ready for harvest 60 days after sowing. Plant sorrel seeds […] More
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How to Plant and Grow Melons
Melons grow best when summers are hot, dry, and almost always sunny. The best-flavored melons will come from the hottest-growing regions. Both cloudy and rainy weather will slow and all but stop melon growth. Melons grow best when both the soil and air temperature are at least 70°F (21°C). You can sow seeds directly in […] More