Snapdragons, Antirrhinum, are known for their colorful, upright spikes of fragrant flowers in a wide range of bright and pastel colors. Snapdragon cultivars include some that grow just a half foot tall and others that grow to 6 feet (182cm) tall. Tall and intermediate-sized Antirrhnum provide vertical color and accents in the garden. Dwarf forms […] More
Calendulas are the cool-season cousins of summer marigolds. These easy-to-grow annuals are nicknamed “pot marigolds” because they resemble marigolds and the leaves were once cooked in pots as a vegetable. Calendulas can be readily grown from seed. The large seeds are easy to handle and plant and they germinate quickly. Use calendulas in beds and […] More
Turnips are grown as a root vegetable or for their green leaves, Turnips are a cool-season crop; they grow and taste best when they come to harvest in cool weather. The turnip is a hardy, cool-weather biennial grown as an annual. The turnip has a rosette of bright green, wavy-edged leaves that grow to 12 […] More
Onions can be grown for their green immature stems or they can be grown for their mature bulbs. These strong-smelling plants have been extremely popular for centuries. Two main types of onions are grown in the home garden: the young, green or white, bunching sorts eaten fresh and before the mature bulb has formed, and […] More
Scallions, green onions, and spring onions are immature onions that have not formed a white bulb. What’s the difference between scallions, green onions, and spring onions? There is little to no difference. Scallions Scallions are the youngest or least mature of onions with very thin white bases no wider than their long, straight green stalks. […] More
Welsh onions are easy to grow. They are cool-season crops. They are best planted in spring or autumn. Welsh onions are mild-flavored members of the onion family. They can be added raw to salads and soups. They can be stir-fried and sauteed and served with beef or chicken. They can be used as garnish. Welsh […] More
Onion sets are small, dry onion bulbs grown the previous season but not allowed to mature. Grow your own onion sets from seed. It is not difficult, does not require much time, and can put you ahead in both time and money. Planted in the second season onion sets produce an early crop of bulb […] More
Swan River daisy, Brachycome, adds a decorative flair to pots and baskets. Swan River daisy has feathery green leaves and blue, pink, purple, or white daisy-like flowers from summer to early fall. There are 60 to 70 species in this genus but only Brachycome iberidifolia is grown in gardens. B. iberidifolia can be planted in […] More
Annual blue salvia, Salvia farinacea, produces spikes of small purple-blue flowers from midsummer to fall. Annual blue salvia is sometimes called mealycup sage. The plant is an upright perennial often grown as an annual. Leaves are lance-shaped. Annual blue salvia has the best effect when planted in drifts in beds and borders. More than one […] More
Salvias are grown for their showy spikes of flowers. Flowers are 2-lipped–the upper lips erect and hooded, the lower ones are toothed and spreading. Flowers can be tubular to bell- or funnel-shaped in a wide range of colors. Salvias make up a large genus of popular garden plants. There are many species of half-hardy annuals […] More
There are many types of phlox. All are known for their showy flower clusters. There are tall-growing phlox that can be used as border plants and there are dwarf-growing varieties that can be used in rock gardens and as edging plants along paths. Most phlox species are perennials; the annual species Phlox drummondii is perhaps […] More
Salpiglossis—commonly called painted tongue–is a cool-summer annual with colorful marbled or streaked flowers. Salpiglossis blooms come in shades of mahogany, red, reddish-orange, yellow, purple, and pink. Salpiglossis is loose to densely branched with sticky leaves and stems. It grows 24 to 36 inches (61-91cm) tall. Plant Salpiglossis as a border background plant or use it […] More
Stephen Albert