Aquatic plants add color and structure to a pond and they are also essential for the well-being of the pond life. Floating plants leaves are shading part of the surface and discourage the rapid developing of algae. Submerged, oxygenating plants revitalize and oxygenate the pond water. The roots of aquatic...

Ilex Aquifolium, on its common name Holly is a fully hardy, evergreen shrub that can grow to form a tree of about 20 m high if left un-pruned. Through pruning holly can be maintained as a shrub and it can be used to form an impenetrable hedge. It is an...

Hyacinthus orientalis is the common garden Hyacinth, a hardy perennial bulbous plant, with long, narrow, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are folded lengthwise and dense clusters of star-shaped, fragrant, tubular florets that appear in early to mid spring. Flower colors include all shades of pink, peach, orange, salmon, red, lavender,...

We use plants in any garden design, so the plants are important also in the water garden design. Plants with lush foliage and flowers enhance the pool and link it with the rest of the garden. Plants are vital to maintain clear water in the pool and to oxygenate the...

Soil pH is a measurement of acidity or alkalinity of the soil on a scale that ranges from 1 to 14. An acid soil will have a pH value below 7 and an alkaline soil will have the pH value higher than 7. A soil that has the value of...

Most of the time when we talk about our garden we mention the plants or the structures that we have in our garden, and almost never about the most important thing that make our garden exist: the soil. Soils are highly complex and dynamic materials that are made up of...

This plant is a perennial vegetable that have blue-grey leaves and thistle-like flowers. They also make a beautiful addition to a border by their architectural structure. They may grow up to 1.2-1.5 m tall and 90 cm spread. Globe artichokes are grown for their green and purple flower buds, which...

Camellias originate from eastern Asia, Indo-China and Japan and are long-lived, evergreen shrubs. They were grown for many years as subtropical plants in greenhouses and indoors as house plants, but many varieties will also survive in the garden. Grown for their beautiful flowers that appear early in the season, starting...

Making a growing-bag supportGrowing bags become more and more used for growing short-term plants, such as low-growing vegetables, that will only be there for one growing season. Some gardeners also use growing bags for cultivating cucumbers, peppers, eggplants or tomatoes. After such a crop you can still use the growing...

Basil, also known as Sweet Basil, is the common name for Ocimum basilicum, a popular, sweet herb of the Mint Family, grown for its flavorful foliage. Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, where is grown as a perennial. In cold area is grown as...

Skimmia japonica (Japanese Skimmia) is a genus of four species of slow growing evergreen shrubs and small trees, grown as garden plants for their foliage, flowers and showy red fruits. Their sizes when mature can reach 60 cm to 1.5 m high and 1-2 m wide. It makes an excellent...

Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden Hibiscus, also called Rose of Sharon or Rose of Althea is a woody perennial, deciduous, flowering shrub that can reach 2-4 m in height. It is widely planted in areas with hot summers for its very attractive white, pink, red, lavender, or purple flowers. The...

Fritillaria imperialis, on its common name Crown Imperial or Kaiser's Crown is one of the earliest plants to be cultivated for its red, yellow or orange-red flowers that appear in mid to late spring and last for 2-3 weeks. Plant them in clumps for maximum effect, in beds or woodland...

Canna indica, (also known as Saka siri, Indian shot, canna, bandera, chancle, coyol, platanillo, canna lily) is a beautiful plant that makes an excellent center-piece for a sunny, sheltered border, great for every garden and a perfect choice for the exotic garden.It has bright green or bronze, arching, large leaves,...

Ajuga reptans, also known as Ajuga, carpet bugleweed, common bugleweed, blue bugle, bugleherb, bugleweed, carpetweed, common bugle, is a spring-flowering, herbaceous semi-evergreen to evergreen, compact groundcover, with a rapid growth rate. The leaves are light green, dark green, bronzed, purple or variegated, depending on cultivar. Fall color is unchanged for...

Arapaho Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x faueri 'Arapaho')'Arapaho' is the first hybrid Crape Myrtle cultivar derived from hybridization of three species of Lagerstroemia: L. indica, L. fauriei, and L. limii. The Arapaho Crape Myrtle was created especially to offer bright dark red flowers that last from spring to fall. It...

Make a strawberry tableMany people start to grow more and more strawberries in containers or in growing bags in order to avoid the difficulties of growing them on the ground. This way are less chances of the fruits being tainted by the soil or eaten by slugs. You can build...

Autumn Flower Garden Autumn brings cooler temperatures and moist soil in our gardens, so the garden often takes on a new lease of life after the heat and dryness of summer days. If we choose right, our garden can be full of beautiful flowers even in the autumn. There are...

You can easily build a cloche or row cover on any sheltered are where the soil is well-drained and reasonable fertile and free form perennial weeds. Having a cloche helps giving plants an early start in the spring, sometimes even up to 3 weeks ahead of unprotected plants, thing that...

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial that may be productive for up to 20 years. It is cultivated for its delicious young shoots or spears that push through the ground in spring and are normally eaten cooked. It grows best at 16-24 Celsius degrees (61-75 F) in regions with cool winters.To...

Sweet corn is an annual that grows to at least 75 cm - 1.7 m, with male tassels and female ears (cobs) borne on the same plant. Cobs can be golden, white or bicoloured white and yellow. They can be eaten cooked or raw when they are young. For a...

Blackcurrants are soft fruits bushes that flower early in the season so they will only grow in cool-temperate climate. They are prone to frost damage if they are placed in exposed sites. They fruit in mid summer. There are some hybrid plants called Jostaberries, obtained from blackcurrants and gooseberries and...

Almonds are fruiting trees that can grow up and wide if not pruned until they reach 5-6 m. They produce fruits regularly only in area with warm, dry summers and frost-free winters. The nuts are flattened and pointed, with a pitted shell. They still require a chilling period of about...

The traditional choice for a lawn is grass, but there are also other alternatives that fit better to the growing conditions that our gardens can offer. To keep a grass lawn in good shape it requires regular watering and a good soil. Read more... (garden-plants/lawn/choosing-a-lawn.html)

No matter how big or small is your garden because you can always find a place for a small herb garden. You can chose an informal or a formal shape for your herb garden, but make sure it will be congruous with the style of the rest of the garden...

Aubergines also known as eggplants are short-lived perennials but we normally cultivate them as annuals. They form small bushes of about 60-70 cm tall and 60 cm wide. They produce fruits that can vary in shape, color and size depending on the cultivar. The fruits can be oval, pear-shaped or...

Tamarillos or also known as tree tomatoes are subtropical fruiting trees that can grow up to 3-5 m high and a spread of 1.5-2.5 m wide. They grow well and are productive at temperatures of 20-28 Celsius degrees (68-82 F) and a humidity of 70%. The flowers are small, pale...

Summer is the most colorful of all seasons, with all the plants that bloom now: perennials, annuals and bulbs. So to have a beautiful garden over the summer is the most easiest thing of all. But you still can work on planing your summer garden to make sure the display...

We all wait eagerly for the first spring flowers, the ones that tell us that the winter is gone and our garden will become once again full of blooms and fragrances. Many of those plants that show their flowers soon after the snow is gone are plants that flourish naturally...

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are the smallest species of the Alliaceae family that also contains onions, leeks, and garlic. Chives are hardy, draught tolerant, bulb-forming herbaceous perennials, that grow in clumps from underground bulbs up to 30-50 cm tall. The bulbs are slender conical, 2-3 cm long and 1 cm broad,...

Golden Pothos or Devil's Ivy, on its botanical name known as Epipremnum aureus or Scindapsus aureus is a very hardy indoor evergreen, root-clinging climber. Their climbing or trailing habit makes them extremely decorative and useful in a variety of settings so they are perfect to be grown in hanging baskets...

On its scientific name Monarda didyma is an aromatic herb also known as Scarlet Beebalm, Scarlet Monarda, Oswego Tea or Crimson Beebalm. Beside their use as aromatic plants, they are also a nice addition to the flower border. They attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies because their blossoms secrete much nectar,...

Hamamelis also known as Witch hazel is a genus of four species of deciduous shrubs, two species from North America (Hamamelis virginiana and Hamamelis vernalis), one from Japan (Hamamelis japonica also known as Japanese witch hazel) and one from China (Hamamelis mollis also known as Chinese witch hazel). Many cultivars...

Cucumbers and gherkinsCucumbers are widely cultivated plants in our vegetable gardens. Most of them are annual plants, that form trailing vines that can grow up to 1-3 m, but there are also some cultivars that form compact bushes. Cucumbers are commonly harvested while fruits are still immature, still green and...

Bare-root and root-balled shrubs are best to be planted from autumn to spring, in their dormant period. Container-grown shrubs can be planted at any time of the year but for best results is good to plant them also in their dormant period. Autumn planting allows the root system to establish...

Fat balls for birds Once the autumn has come we start to store supplies for the cold winter days that are going to come, but do not forget to put some things away for our little noisy friends that are visiting our gardens. Not all the birds migrate to warmer...

Rudbeckia Rudbeckia, also known as Black-Eyed Susan, is a showy, summer-blooming herbaceous perennial suitable for the sunny gardens, adding bright, long-lasting color to any perennial gardens. Plants make a bushy, upright clump with daisy-like flowers with golden yellow petals and brown or green centers that are either domed or...

Propagate orchidsOrchids can be propagate from cuttings, by division or from seeds. There are six main techniques used to propagate orchids: division, back bulbs, keiki, aerial cuttings, meristem or tissue culture and seed. Vegetative propagation methods are the easiest and by this methods can be produced offsprings that are identical...

Pumpkins and winter squashesThey are a very diverse group of annual plants with fruits that range from 450 g to over 30 kg, with smooth, warted or ridged skin and color that vary from green, blue-green, cream, yellow, orange or red or diverse types of stripes. The shape also can...

Aucuba Japonicathis is an evergreen, vigorous shrub, with elliptic to ovate, glossy, mid-green leaves usually with a few marginal teeth. It is also called Spotted Laurel because of its variegated foliage that is attractive all year round to some of its varieties or Himalayan Laurel because of its origin from...

Cacti and succulents in containersFor an attractive focal point on your patio or windowsill you can choose to grow in pots, bowls or troughs a collection of cacti and succulents and place them in the right spot. For good results is important to choose the right compost for your arrangement....

French beansAlso known as kidney, snap or string beans, they are tender annuals with climbing, dwarf or intermediate forms that bear round, flat or curved pods of 7-20 cm long. They may be green, yellow, purple, red or green flecked with purple. They need optimum growing temperatures of 16-30 Celsius...

Kiwi fruits were originally known as Chinese gooseberries. They are deciduous trailing climbers that will grow up to 9 m in length. The kiwi fruits are large berries with hairy, brown skin and green pulp containing small, black seeds.For a proper developing of this plant in the open choose a...

Preserving herbsAfter harvesting herbs from your garden you might want to preserve them for later use. The main methods of preserving herbs are drying and freezing but some of them are also suitable for flavoring vinegars, oils or jellies and some may be crystallized (candied) for decorating cakes and desserts....

Harvesting herbsIf you grow herbs in your garden and you want to harvest them for later use then you might need to know some things about how to do it properly. The flavor of herbs may vary according to the season, the growing conditions and even to the time of...

Globe amaranthGomphrena globosa, on its common name Globe amaranth is a bushy annual plant found in a variety of habitats from open, sandy soils to moist woodland in Australia and Central and South America. The persistent, clover-like flowerheads are borne on upright spikes from summer to early autumn. The individual...

Figs are one of the oldest fruits that were cultivated. They grow well in regions with long and hot growing seasons but even if you are in cool areas you can still grow figs. Fan-trained figs may be grown under glass and will crop more regularly than in the open....

RedcurrantsRedcurrants and whitecurrants are some of the most cultivated soft fruits in our gardens. They require cool climate. Whitecurrants are just a color variant of redcurrants. They both need the same growing condition and fruit in midsummer.To grow well and produce many fruits they need a sunny position in your...

Pinks and carnationsPinks and carnations belong to the genus Dianthus. They are mostly perennial plants, some of them are annual or biennial and some are low sub-shrubs with woody basal stems. They are grown for their attractive, long-lasting and usually flagrant flowers that appear in spring and summer. They can...

Greenhouses typesGreenhouses vary in style, size and materials that are used to build it in order to fulfill any requirements and to suit any type of garden. The materials used to build the main structure of a greenhouse are timber, aluminum or steel. Timber frames are the traditional choice for...

Foxgloves Digitalis, also known as Foxglove, is a genus of about 22 species of herbaceous short-lived perennials and biennials that bears tall, dramatic spikes of tubular flowers with speckled throats that vary in color including pink, red, purple, white, and yellow. Foxglove blooms in midsummer and adds elegance to a...

Muscari armeniacum, on its common name Grape Hyacinth is a genus of 30 species of spring-flowering bulbs in the hyacinth (Hyacinthaceae) family. Little jewels of the garden, Muscari look absolutely breath-taking, like a sea of blue, forming low carpets of intense color with their spikes of tiny, downward-facing, bell-shaped flowers,...

Omphalodes verna, a relative of Forget-me-nots, in the Boraginaceae family, on its common name known as Blue-Eyed Mary, Creeping Forget-me-not or Navelwort is a semi-evergreen perennial plant, unlike Forget-me-nots, which are biennials. It can spread quickly to cover the ground with dark green, grooved leaves. That is why this plant...

Mid summerThis is generally the hottest period of the year, the time when your garden is in its best shape, full of color and interest. The most common things that need to be done this time of year are dead-heading to prolong the flowering season, watering to keep the plants...

Lily of the Valley - Convallaria majalis - is a genus of 3 species of old-fashioned rhizomatous perennials that look so delicate with their tiny bell-shaped, fragrant, mostly white flowers that is found in light woodland, scrub or alpine meadows in North temperated regions. It is one of the few...

Zephyranthes, on its common name known as Rain Flower, Windflower, Rain Lily, Zephyr Lily, Magic Lily or Fairy Lily is a genus of 71 species of bulbous perennials in the amaryllis family, some of them evergreen. But the most used name for the small and delicate Zephyranthes is Rain Lily...

Syringa, also called lilac, is a genus of 20 species of deciduous, low growing trees, usually found in woodland from S.E. Europe and E. Asia. They are grown for their pyramidal or conical panicles of small, tubular flowers that appear from mid spring and are usually very flagrant. Their color...

Kerria Japonica - Japanese Yellow Rose or Jew's Mantle or also known as the Easter Rose because it seems to be in bloom every year at Easter time, from mid to late spring, wearing yellow flowers that resemble buttercups. In early spring, before the leaves emerge, the numerous yellow flowers...

One of the most common plant that we grow in our ponds is Nymphaea, on its common name of water lily. They are a graceful addition to any kind of pond, whether is a formal pond, a natural setting or a city courtyard, by their elegant floating cups and lush...

Lawn in summerSummer time is warm and the grass, like all the plants in the garden have a rapid growth, so a regular mowing, at least once a week is necessary for lawn to grow stronger or twice a week for a better finish on fine lawns. By this operation...