Author: Elisabeth Ginsburg

Born into a gardening family, Elisabeth Ginsburg grew her first plants as a young child. Her hands-on experiences range from container gardening on a Missouri balcony to mixed borders in the New Jersey suburbs and vacation gardening in Central New York State. She has studied horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and elsewhere and has also written about gardens, landscape history and ecology for years in traditional and online publications including The New York Times Sunday “Cuttings” column, the Times Regional Weeklies, Horticulture, Garden Design, Flower & Garden, The Christian Science Monitor and many others. Her “Gardener’s Apprentice” weekly column appears in papers belonging to the Worrall chain of suburban northern and central New Jersey weekly newspapers and online at http://www.gardenersapprentice.com. She and her feline “garden supervisors” live in northern New Jersey.

Decorative Gourds by Elisabeth Ginsburg

It’s that time of year again…All manner of skeletons, witches, tombstones and other items of Halloweenalia are popping up on stoops, porches and front lawns. But something else is also populating these autumn displays—decorative gourds—and they will hang around long after the skeletons retreat to attics and garages.

Decorative gourds can be tall, squat, smooth or warty, and come in a variety colors. All are part of the squash or Cucurbitae family of vining plants that is also home to melons and cucumbers. The most common decorative gourds belong to one of three genera: Cucurbita, Lagenaria or Luffa.

Large, smooth-skinned gourds, like the popular goose or swan’s neck types, are part of the Lagenaria genus, native to Africa. Their present incarnation as decorative items follows thousands of years of traditional, practical use. At various times and in various places, dried lagenaria have served as drinking, dipping, and storage vessels, and have also been made into musical instruments.

The cucurbita gourds are widely used for decoration, and include all the sizes and types of pumpkins and squashes. What’s the difference between an edible cucurbita and a decorative one? All develop from golden, trumpet-shaped blooms. Edible varieties, like those used for fall and winter pies, soups, and casseroles are usually called “pumpkins” or “squashes” (as in winter, Hubbard and patty pan squash). Decorative varieties, raised for ornamental use are generally called “gourds”.

Of course, the edible varieties can also be highly decorative, as floral designers and crafters have long known. The little “Jack Be Nimble” pumpkins fit right in with their bumpy gourd relatives. A patty pan squash is actually similar in shape to some of the ornamental gourd varieties. Equip a Hubbard squash with a set of googly plastic eyes from the crafts store and you have an excellent Halloween creature for your porch or doorstep.

The cucurbita that fit the gourd category generally have harder outer skins than the edible types, and come in a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes. They can be yellow, green, orange, cream, or combinations of two or more of those colors. Often adorned with stripes or splotches, many also sport appealingly bumpy skin. Piled up in a large container or basket, an array of decorative gourds is a seasonal eye-catcher.

One caveat about outdoor gourd arrangements… In many neighborhoods squirrels or other four-legged creatures are prone to nibbling on pumpkins and gourds. To ensure that your decorations stay intact, spray them with one of the better-smelling deer repellants.

Luffas are sometimes known as “sponge gourds” or “vegetable sponges”. On the vine, they look a lot like their green-skinned relatives, zucchinis, and the flesh has a similar taste. With a shape that is either straight or slightly curved, luffas can be added to fall displays. Later, when the skin dries to a brown color and the seeds rattle inside, the plants can be used to make the popular luffa bath sponges. To create your own bath luffa, remove both ends of the dried fruit and shake out the seeds. Soak the luffa in water and then peel off the softened skin. To obtain the white or creamy color characteristic of commercial luffas, soak in a solution of one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water. When the luffa has whitened, rinse it and allow to dry.

While the world of decorative gourds is large, the growing requirements are fairly uniform. All require sunny space and room for the plants to sprawl. If space is at a premium, or you are growing the gourds in a container, try vertical cultivation. As the vines grow, tie them to a sturdy vertical structure that is strong enough to support the weight of the vine when it bears mature fruit. Check regularly through the growing season and tie in new growth.

Whether raised in-ground or on a trellis, gourds need lots of warmth, water and fertilizer (diluted if necessary, and applied according to manufacturers’ directions). In the garden, some growers like to plant the seeds in mounds of soil or hills. This means that the resulting sprouts will have to be thinned, but that is not difficult. The time from seed planting to maturity varies, but generally gourds need a good long growing period—between 90 and 180 days until the fruits develop hard, glossy skins and the stems turn grayish brown.

The gourds available from retailers are generally uncured, meaning that the flesh inside is still moist, with seeds clinging to it. To display for longer than a few weeks, drying or “curing” is a good idea. This is an easy step. To dry the fruits, wipe to remove any dirt, and check for bruises or soft spots. Discard any showing damage. Dip the rest in the same nine-to-one water and bleach solution used for bleaching luffas. Lay the gourds out in a warm, dry place, making sure that they are not touching each other. Turn periodically and shake the gourds. When you can hear the seeds rattling inside, the gourds are dry and ready for arrangements or craft use.

Growing your own gourds is a great activity for adults and children. The seeds are large and easy to handle, the flowers are eye-catching, and the end results are dramatic—as long as you exercise a bit of patience during the growing period. Major seed producers often sell ornamental gourd mixes, which also provides the element of surprise as your plants produce a variety of fruits in all shapes and sizes.

For many people fall is like New Year’s, with school, sports, and other activities picking up after the slower days of summer. It should be a fun and exciting time before the dark days of winter. Add to that excitement with a colorful, lively display of ornamental gourds.

Butterfly Magnet Container Plants

Butterflies, along with other winged beauties like skippers and moths, bring magic to the garden with their colorful wings and intricate flight patterns. But the magic doesn’t stop there. Butterflies are among the VIPs of the pollinator world, transferring pollen as they swoop from flower to flower in search of nectar.

One of the best things about butterflies is that they don’t care whether nectar-bearing plants are growing in garden beds, containers or window boxes. That is welcome news for people with limited spaces.

Nectar is the Name of the Game

To draw butterflies to your containers or window boxes, choose plants, including annuals, perennials and shrubs that are rich in nectar. Butterfly—attracting annuals and reblooming perennials may stay in the same containers all season long, flowering from spring until frost. Perennials can also be grown that way, but some gardeners prefer to plant them in liner containers that can be dropped into decorative planters and boxes and then changed out when flowering is over. An alternative strategy is to use large containers for mixed plant arrangements, incorporating both annuals and perennials for more bloom and prolonged interest.

Butterflies in the Name

Some of the best butterfly plants have “butterfly” in their names. Butterfly bush (Buddleia) is a great example. Traditional butterfly bushes are shrubs that grow anywhere from 48 to 72 inches tall, but breeders have come up with smaller specimens, like little ‘Pink Microchip’, with soft pink flowerheads and an 18 to 24-inch height and spread. Reblooming from late spring or early summer onward, the tiny, fragrant flowers are a butterfly’s delight and may also attract hummingbirds. The ‘Pugster’ series of small buddleias offers blooms in shades of purple, pink and white, all of which top out at 24 inches tall and wide—perfect for medium to large containers. Butterflies love the sun and so do butterfly bushes, so pick a bright location for your containers.

Perennial native butterfly weed or Aesclepias tuberosa, with its brilliant orange flowers, is both a host and food plant for monarchs, and will do well in container positioned in the sunshine. Since its good looks last only as long as the flowers, it is best grown in a liner, or a pot that can be moved to the back of the container array when the plant is not in bloom.

Irresistible Mint

Members of the mint or Lamiaceae family are irresistible to butterflies, with the added attraction of toughness and ease of culture. North American native Agastache or hummingbird mint is a great addition to any sunny container garden, and some varieties are perfect for small spaces. Little agastaches in the ‘Poquito’ series boast minty-smelling foliage and sprightly flower spikes that reach 11 to 14 inches tall in shades that include butter yellow and lavendar, with blooms appearing regularly in the summer and early fall.

Catmints (Nepeta) are virtually indestructible, flowering in flushes throughout the summer, with gray-green aromatic foliage and soft blue spikes of tiny flowers. Container growers will appreciate compact varieties like ‘Little Trudy’, with deep blue-purple flowers and a maximum height of ten inches. Light shearing after flowering will promote regrowth and additional blooms.

Smells Good, Tastes Good, Looks Good

If you want to combine pollinator attraction with culinary desirability, fill your containers with another mint family member–rosemary (Rosemarinus officionalis). Traditionally this shrubby, aromatic herb grows to impressive size. It can be grown in containers in topiary form, but for gardeners limited by both space and time, a better choice is a dwarf variety like ‘Blue Boy’, which grows only six to eight-inches tall, with a wider spread—about 15 to 18 inches. This trait makes the plant good for window boxes and hanging baskets, as well as taller containers. The flowers are light blue and borne in abundance. Rosemary is generally not hardy in cold winter climates. Container culture makes the plants easier to bring indoors when frost threatens.

A Butterfly Banquet of Annuals

There is a reason why traditional annual flowers like zinnias, marigolds and sunflowers have withstood the test of time and the ebb and flow of horticultural fashion. They are easy to grow from starter plants or seeds, bloom over a long season, and require little care. They also feature flowers that are rich in nectar, which means that your garden will also be rich in butterflies and other pollinators. For containers, choose varieties on the shorter side (or use large containers for traditional tall varieties). Zinnias like the ‘Thumbelina’ and ‘Lilliput’ series offer a rainbow of butterfly-attracting colors and plants that grow only 12 to 18-inches tall.

For something small but flashy, try dwarf marigolds like ‘Bolero’, with red and yellow-splashed petals on plants that grow only 12-inches tall. Use them alone in single-variety containers or combine with other, less flamboyant varieties for high contrast in small space.

We think of sunflowers as the giants of the summer garden, but smaller varieties are easy to grow in containers. ‘Sunray Yellow’ features the traditional golden-yellow petals surrounding big, dark seedheads. It rises to only 20 to 22-inches tall.

And don’t forget petunias—old fashioned and reliable, they are universally available and loved by butterflies. Aim for newer varieties with blooms that are less likely to “ball-up” when it rains. As with all annuals, deadhead faithfully for best results.

Health and Sustainability

Container gardens can be every bit as beautiful as in-ground landscapes, but require a slightly different approach to care. Regular watering is key, especially in hot weather. For the sake of plant health and sustainability, use a water-retentive planting compound like Sunshine® Black Bear® Indoor & Outdoor Growing Mix. Regular feeding, especially for annuals, is also important. Use a balanced commercial product, diluted, if necessary, according to manufacturers’ instructions. Eliminate or minimize the use of pesticides. In a healthy ecosystem birds and other pest predators will take care of the majority of insects that attack plants.

Healthy Plants, Healthy Pollinators, Healthy Humans

Pollinators, including butterflies, are essential, not only to flowers, but to all food crops, and ultimately to human survival. Do your part for beauty and sustainability by creating great container gardens full of flourishing butterfly-friendly plants.

About Elisabeth Ginsburg

Lovely Lacecap Hydrangeas

The lacecap bigleaf hydrangea is planted in more alkaline soil, hence the pink flower color.

In James McNeil Whistler’s famous 1871 painting, Whistler’s Mother, the title subject wears a lace cap and does not appear very happy about it. Most of us would probably have the same expression if we had to don similar headgear. Installing a lacecap hydrangea in the garden is a completely different experience and is highly likely to produce smiles instead of frowns.

Mopheads Versus Lacecaps

Mophead hydrangeas have more puffy, rounded flower clusters.

The garden lacecaps are eye-catching varieties of bigleaf or mophead hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) or Japanese mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata), and it is the floral “lace” that makes them different. Instead of the large, globe-shaped flowerheads familiar to hydrangea lovers far and wide, lacecaps have flattened flowerheads (technically called corymbs), characterized by wide centers of small true flowers, surrounded by lacy outer borders of large sterile florets. Depending on the variety, lacecaps bloom in the same colors as mopheads, bluer in acid soils, red or pink in alkaline soils, and lavender or purple when the soil is neutral. All the macrophylla hydrangeas feature the same large, medium to dark green leaves that are shaped like toothed teardrops. Japanese mountain hydrangeas tend to be smaller in stature and the leaves have more toothed, or serrated, edges.

Japanese Origins

Lacecaps have been around for some time. The first wild shrubs were discovered in Japan in the 1870s by English plant hunter Charles Maries, just a few short years after Whistler immortalized his mother. By the end of the decade, two varieties, the white-flowered ‘Veitchii’ and the pale blue or pink-flowered ‘Mariesii’ had been introduced commercially in Europe. The two are still available through some retailers today.

Modern Developments

The opulent ‘Izu no Hana’ bears double outer florets with pointed petals.

Modern breeders in Japan, Switzerland, the United States, and elsewhere have produced several other winning varieties, sometimes marketed as part of trademarked series. BLUE WAVE is the new, trademarked name of an old variety, ‘Mariesii Perfecta’, which features vibrant blue flowers and was introduced into commerce in 1904. It is a compact variety, with a 3.5-foot height and spread. ‘Lady in Red’ is even smaller at two to three feet wide and tall, boasting dramatic dark red stems and leaf veins. Its leaves turn scarlet in the fall. For even more drama, try ‘Zorro’, with near-black stems, and red fall foliage.

The opulent Japanese variety ‘Izu no Hana’ bears double outer florets with pointed petals. For even more petals, ‘Lanark White’ offers small blue florets that jostle in the flowers’ centers with a number of the larger sterile ones that are repeated in the outer margins. The overall appearance is that of a lacecap/mophead mash-up.

Variegated leaves can add interest to the garden, and varieties like Hydrangea macrophylla var maculata feature the characteristic green, elliptical leaves edged in cream.

Pruning and Blooming

Traditional lacecaps flower on “old wood”, which means this year’s flowers grow on last year’s stems. Late summer pruning is often recommended.

As with other mophead hydrangeas, traditional lacecaps flower on “old wood”, which means this year’s flowers grow on last year’s stems. Therefore, the best time to prune them is in the summer after their big flush of blooms has past. Another problem with the trait is that the buds can be frozen by late spring frosts, resulting in a loss of summer blooms. Newer varieties, like ‘Twist and Shout’ (part of the ENDLESS SUMMER® series of lacecaps and mopheads), bloom on “new wood” or stems produced in the year of bloom, which solves the spring frost problem. If you have experienced hydrangea disappointment when plants produce few or no flowers in any given year, it is worth seeking out new varieties to fill holes in your planting scheme. (Click here for a detailed hydrangea pruning guide from Proven Winners®.)

Hydrangea Hydration and Care

The pale blue or pink-flowered ‘Mariesii’ is a very old variety.

All bigleaf hydrangeas prefer uniformly moist soil and light shade. Heavier shade will result in fewer blooms. When planting, add a rich soil amendment, like Fafard® Premium Natural and Organic Compost. Mulching is also a good idea for moisture-loving lacecaps. The shrubs will succeed in large containers, as long as you water regularly throughout the growing season and feed with commercial plant food applied and diluted according to the manufacturer’s directions. If pesky spring frosts are a routine occurrence and you love your mature, traditional mophead and/or lacecap hydrangeas, you can wrap yours in comfy layers of burlap in the fall and remove it in spring when all danger of frost has passed. This doesn’t look particularly attractive, but may greatly improve the chance of abundant summer blooms.

Summer Coleus for Nonstop Color

Coleus ‘Inky Fingers’ features deeply dissected maroon leaves edged in lime green

The old saying goes, “Call me anything you like, but don’t call me late for dinner.” For a long time, plant taxonomists and botanists have moved Coleus from genus to genus; the colorful plants have been botanically tagged as Coleus scutellarioiodes, Solensostemon scutellarioides, Coleus x hybrid, and Plectranthus scutellarioides. But, gardeners just call the plants “coleus”, or sometimes, “painted nettles”, and only call it for dinner when it is part of a cut flower and foliage arrangement.

Old-Fashioned Coleus for Summer Foliage

Coleus is at home in window boxes, containers, or flower borders.

Long ago, the ancestors of coleus thrived in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Malaysia. Gardeners truly embraced coleus during the Victorian era. The straight-laced Victorians were anything but prudish about color in the garden. They lapped it up, which led to broad acceptance of coleus after its first appearance around 1850. Splashing around with leaves in every color but blue, coleus became indispensable in both parlors and gardens. Those indoor accommodations were, and still are necessary in cold winter climates, because coleus, which is a perennial in its native climate, cannot survive outside of USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 10-11.

With leaves in a multitude of shapes, colors, and patterns, coleus has long been a garden staple, beloved by anyone who has ever sought lightness and brightness in shaded spaces. Most celebrate it as a favorite summer foliage plant, showing up in borders, containers, window boxes, and public plantings all over North America and beyond. The species, which is part of the mint family (Lamiaceae) seems to transcend commercial barriers, dominating pallets in the biggest of big-box stores or the snootiest of specialty nurseries. This is quite an accomplishment for a plant that is both inexpensive and easy-to-grow.

Growing Shade-Loving Coleus

One robust coleus is enough to fill a large patio pot.

Like many mints, coleus—with intact flowers—will attract pollinators and generally repel garden varmints, like deer and rabbits. The plants grow readily and prefer light shade, which guarantees the best color. Consistent soil moisture makes for the happiest coleus and mulching helps the soil retain that moisture. We recommend Fafard Professional Potting Mix for potted coleus, and garden soil amended with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost for coleus planted in ground.

Not all coleus grow to great heights, but many varieties get “leggy” as the growing season progresses, with longer stems and fewer leaves. The easy cure for this is pinching back the stems by about one-third (or two-thirds for plants that are way out of bounds) to induce bushier growth and a fuller appearance. Another trick is disabling the plants from flowering because when they flower their foliage loses color, density, and vivacity. Pinch back all flower buds before they bloom to keep plants looking their best.

Mix coleus varieties for a riot of color.

Bargain lovers relish the ease with which coleus can be propagated. A 6-inch cutting with leaves removed will root quickly in a glass of water and can be transplanted within a week or so. This is a great way to increase supplies of unusual or highly desirable varieties. If you can’t afford to buy flats of coleus to fill beds or containers, take cuttings from a few specimens and root them. You will fill the available space quickly and cheaply. When cold weather approaches, coleus can be potted up and brought inside, but it is sometimes easier to start new plants from fall cuttings that grow to maturity on sunny windowsills indoors. When spring rolls around, take fresh cuttings from the overwintered specimens.

There is a coleus for almost every garden situation. The average coleus grows anywhere from 6 inches to 3 feet in height with an almost equal spread. Depending on the variety, the growth habit may be mounding or upright. Coleus can also be trained to grow as a small topiary, with a rounded ball of leaves atop a sturdy stem or several stems braided together. The colorful leaves are the plants’ main attractions, but they also produce slender flower spikes of tiny white or bluish blossom. Many gardeners snip these off, allowing the leaves to dominate the scene.

Choice Coleus Varieties

‘Henna’ is a beautiful coleus with fringed leaves of gold with hints of copper and purple.

Hybridizers come out with new coleus introductions every year in a dizzying array of colors and styles. To set things on fire, try the aptly named ‘Inferno Red’ or the slightly darker ‘Oxblood’. You can pick cheerful chartreuse varieties, like ‘Electric Lime’, the equally limey ‘Wasabi’, or Proven Winner’s Lime Time. Each will add a bright splash of color to any porch container or shaded garden. The number of bi- and tri-colored varieties is almost infinite.

Leaf forms and textures are varied as well. ‘Inky Fingers’ features deeply dissected maroon leaves edged in lime green, while ‘Coral Candy’ is a sun-tolerant coleus with elongated and toothed foliage centered in coral and surrounded by wine-red borders narrowly edged in green. ‘Henna’ has fringed golden leaves edged in coppery shades and purple, and ‘Spun Glass’ boasts ovoid leaves that seem to ripple in lime green accented with near-black veins.

Coleus is a garden hero, making shady areas into colorful canvases that reflect individual gardeners’ aesthetic and horticultural sensibilities. The plants are also great companions for shade perennials like hostas and readily cover ground vacated by early spring bloomers like daffodils and tulips.

‘Wasabi’ is a cheerful bright green coleus.

Creating Japanese Kokedama

February can be the longest short month for gardeners. In cold winter climates it is frequently too soon to get out in the garden and work. Elsewhere it may be gray, rainy, and dismal. Indoor gardening is a good way to beat the cold-weather doldrums, and the Japanese art of kodedama is a relatively easy, inexpensive means of enjoying a green project indoors.

What is Kokedama?

Asparagus fern is an easy-care kokedama plant.

Kokedama means “moss ball” in Japanese, and the words define this container-free method of growing small to medium-sized houseplants in mossy orbs of potting medium. Instead of a pot or other vessel, the plant of your choice grows in a soil mixture enclosed in a sheet of sphagnum moss (typically) and held together by nylon or burlap garden twine. The result can be hung from the ceiling or displayed on a decorative plate or tray.

Kodedama is interesting enough for adults and a great activity for children, with adult help and supervision.

Picking a Kokedama Plant

Choose small- to medium-sized non-spreading plants for kokedama.

Almost any small to mid-size plant that does not spread will work. If you plan to hang your kokedama, try English ivy (Hedera helix), asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus), or trailing heart-leaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum). For a flowering ball, think about African violets (Saintpaulia hybrids, click here to read more), flowering kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), or bromeliads, like terrestrial Tillandsias or Guzmannia. Dwarf fancy-leaf begonias make showy kokedama. If you have a sunny space and love succulents, smaller specimens will also grow well.

Think about where you will display your finished moss ball and choose plants that flourish in the available light. Flowering subjects generally like more light than foliage plants.

Raw Materials for Kokedama

Tillandsias can make very kokedama good specimens.

Like any good recipe, kodedama starts with an ingredient list. Necessary kokedama supplies:

Sphagnum sheet moss or loose coarse sphagnum moss
Well-aerated potting mix or bonsai soil (available at some garden centers or online)
Quality standard potting mix, like Fafard Professional Potting Mix
Garden twine or nylon filament
Large bowl
Scissors
Garden or rubber gloves

Have all of your materials ready before starting. The process can get messy, so work on an easy-to-clean surface or cover the work area with plastic or paper.

Creating Kokedama

Assemble the chosen plant, plus all the ingredients, with a water source nearby. Your finished kodedama will probably be 5 to 8 inches wide, depending on the size of the plant.

Put on your gloves. Soak the moss in water for a few minutes to make it pliable. In a bowl, mix equal parts of the bonsai and potting mixes. Begin adding water, a little at a time, until the mixture holds together when scooped up in your palm.

Form the mixture into a ball (like making a snowball). When you have a cohesive ball, split it by cutting or twisting. Remove the plant from its container, and gently remove the excess potting mix, but be sure not to harm the plant’s root ball. Insert the plant between the two halves and then reform the soil ball around the plant, patting and turning until the mass holds together. Be careful not to bend or harm any of the plant’s stems.

Wrapping Kokedama

Make sure the sphagnum moss covers the soil ball before tying.

Place the plant ball atop the moistened piece of sheet moss and pull the sheet moss up around the ball, tucking it at the base of the plant. Take the twine or filament and wrap it around the middle of the ball, leaving about six inches free to tie at the end of the process. Continue to wrap twine around the moss (like winding yarn into a ball), until the kokedama is held securely. If you are going to hang the finished creation, make a couple of hanging loops of the same length at the top of the ball and tie them together (see the image under Picking a Kokedama Plant). Trim and loose ends of twine or tuck them under. The kokedama is finished and ready to hang or display.

Aftercare and Keeping Kokedama Going

If you plan to hang your kokedama, be sure to tie the plant firmly.

As you might expect, you can’t just water a kokedama with a watering can unless you want a drippy mess. The best way to water is to soak the ball in a bowl of water for about five minutes and then let it drip dry for half an hour or so in a strainer or colander. Watering frequency may vary depending on the plant type and also the level of humidity in the air. If the ball feels relatively light and/or the leaves are droopy, the kokedama needs a drink. Dry air may mean watering every few days. Feed by using soluble fertilizer diluted according to the manufacturer’s directions and added to the water in which you soak your kodedama,

Most plants, even slow-growing succulents, will eventually outgrow their kodedama packages. When that happens, you can either use the plant to make a bigger kodedama, install it in an appropriately sized container, or, in the case of a perennial plant, transfer the former kodedama subject to the garden.

African Violets

The National Garden Bureau has decreed that 2024 is the “Year of the African Violet”. Coming in January, generally a dark, cold month, this boost for a cheerful little plant couldn’t be more timely.

Plant names can be great deceivers, but in the case of African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha), the common name is at least partly right. The ancestors of modern African violets did indeed live on the African continent, in mountainous cloud forest regions of today’s Kenya and Tanzania. Though the flowers bear a superficial resemblance to those of members of the violet or Violaceae family, African violets are not related to them. They are gesneriads, belonging to the Generiaceae family along with other popular blooming houseplants, like primulina, streptocarpus, and gloxinia.

Like their gesneriad relatives, African violets produce rosettes of evergreen leaves. Those leaves are rounded, somewhat fleshy, and covered with soft hairs. The flowers are on slender stalks and have five petals apiece—two upper petals and three, slightly larger lower ones. The petals may appear equal in many modern violet varieties. If you look at the flowers closely, you will notice that the petals’ bases fuse into a tube, another gesneriad characteristic.

In the nineteenth century, cradles of biodiversity in Africa, South America, and Asia were rife with European adventurers, some of whom were keen amateur or even professional botanists. One such amateur was Prussian nobleman Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire, who, during the 1890s, served as a bureaucrat for the German East Indian Company. Hiking through the Usambara mountains of eastern Tanzania, he discovered the low-growing plants that were eventually named in his honor. The baron sent seeds back to Europe and the saintpaulia craze began.

Serious breeding efforts began in the United States in the 1920s and eventually, thousands of African violet varieties were developed. The African Violet Society of America, now the world’s largest interest group devoted to a single indoor plant, was organized in 1946. In its role as the international cultivar registration authority for Saintpaulia, the AVSA is the African violet world’s “keeper of the keys.” Amateur and professional violet breeders must register their new creations with AVSA before they can be recognized as unique varieties.

African violets are inexpensive and accessible, available everywhere, from supermarkets to big box stores. Many of those plants, especially the trademarked Optimara violets, come from the world’s largest African violet supplier, Herman Holtkamp Greenhouses in Nashville, Tennessee.

The plants’ popularity owes much to the fact that they are relatively unfussy and thrive in indoor situations where light is somewhat less than optimal. All you need is a relatively warm room, bright diffuse light and well-drained potting soil. Relatively high humidity is not necessary, but the plants will appreciate either a humidifier or a perch atop a pebble and water-filled tray. The pots should sit atop the pebbles, not directly in the water, lest the water-logged situation cause crown rot, which is deadly to African violets. For safety’s sake, water only when the soil surface feels dry to the touch and direct the stream of water towards the edges of the pot, rather than directly at the plant’s crown. This also avoids water spotting on those fuzzy leaves. Your African violets will also appreciate regular applications of plant food marketed especially for the species, applied according to manufacturers’ directions.

While choice is sometimes limited in local retail stores, online vendors offer a host of options. Breeders have created plants in several sizes, grouped according to the width of the basal rosette of leaves. Miniature violets are six to eight inches or less in diameter, semi-miniatures grow six to eight inches wide, standard varieties span eight to 16 inches, and large African violets feature leaf rosettes that are over 16 inches wide.

Trailing varieties, suitable for pedestals and baskets, are also available. Blooms may be single, double, or appear as bursts of exuberantly ruffled petals. Flower colors range from white through pink, a host of purples, pale green, and even yellow. Some varieties sport bi-colored petals. Leaves may be green or variegated and shapes also vary widely, from the textured loveliness of “quilted” leaves to the pointed-sided “holly” types.

You can buy African violets almost anywhere, generally for a song. For something more unusual, the AVSA also has a listing of vendors located on their website.

Simply Beautiful Stewartia

In spring, when everything bursts into flower, the world is full of trees in bloom. But springtime is also the time to plan and plant ahead for the season, anticipating flowering trees and shrubs with a different time of bloom, like Stewartias. Their large, ivory, Camellia-like flowers would be worthy of a spring show, but they arrive in late summer when gardens are in need of their beauty.

The fact is, stewartias are welcome landscape additions at just about any time, and you can find one to fit just about any size garden. They are also plants that are showy in all seasons, whether in flower or not. Their mottled bark and beautiful statuesque habits are always lovely, and in the fall you can anticipate colorful leaves. Here are some of the best of these well-behaved Asian trees and shrubs.

Japanese Stewartia

If you have the room, Japanese stewartia (Stewartia japonica) is an all-around great tree that offers four seasons of interest. Growing between 20 and 40 feet tall, with a pyramidal canopy, its branches have slightly toothed, ovoid leaves that are a cooling dark green during the growing season. In the fall, they flame up in shades of yellow, red, and burgundy, putting on a great show.

Before all of that foliage drama, Japanese stewartia flaunts its family relationship with camellias by pumping out beautiful, white, Camellia-like flowers. Each bloom is at least 2 inches wide and features five to eight petals surrounding a center of golden-orange stamens. While only minimally fragrant, the flowers are maximally elegant and borne abundantly on trees that are hardy to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5-8.

Japanese Stewartia develops fantastic mottled bark as it ages.

In the colder months, when both leaves and flowers are things of the past, Japanese stewartia continues to shine with multi-colored, exfoliating bark. This bark, which peels gradually from the tree, looks a little like camouflage, but a lot more interesting, with patches of gray, sepia, tawny orange-brown, and taupe covering the trunk. It is a feast for the eyes at all times, but especially in seasons when visual interest may be at a premium.

Tall Stewartia

Tall stewartia (Stewartia monodelpha) is another native of Japan, hardy to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6-8, with characteristics similar to those of Japanese stewartia. Young plants have a somewhat shrubby habit, but assume a tree form with age, reaching up to 25 feet tall in height. Tall stewartia features large, dark-green leaves that turn deep red in the fall. The bark does not exfoliate as colorfully as that of Japanese stewartia, but as the tree ages, the bark smoothes out and turns a stunning shade of cinnamon brown. The camellia-like flowers are more cupped in shape than those of other stewartias and sport attractive anthers in their centers.

Chinese Stewartia

Chinese stewartia (Stewartia sinenesis), which is hardy to Zones 5-7, can be grown in tree or shrub form. Left to its own devices, it will reach 15 to 25 feet tall, but like other stewartias, it can be kept smaller when pruned after flowering. The white flowers are somewhat smaller than those of Japanese stewartia but are profuse and surrounded by leaves that are reddish when emerging in spring, dark green in summer, and red again in the fall. The cinnamon-brown bark exfoliates in strips to reveal smooth, tan underbark, sometimes with pinkish overtones.

Mountain Stewartia

The Asian stewartias have American cousins, the best known is Stewartia ovata, sometimes known as mountain stewartia or mountain camellia. Native to the southeastern United States, and hardy to Zones 5-9, it is a little smaller than Japanese stewartia with a height and spread of 10 to 15 feet. It also excels in versatility because it can be grown as a tree or a multi-stemmed shrub. Like its Japanese relative and true to its common name, it features Camellia-like flowers and leaves that glow red and orange in the fall. Its gray-brown bark, while attractively ridged and furrowed, does not exfoliate like that of the Japanese species. Still, for those hankering for stewartias, but confined to smaller spaces, mountain stewartia is an excellent choice.

Stewartia Relatives

Franklinia blooms are attractive to lots of different pollinators.

Stewartia and camellia are both members of the Theaceae or tea family. Their equally beautiful relatives include the all-American Franklinia tree (Franklinia alatamaha), which was discovered in Colonial America and now extinct in the wild. Specimens of this beautiful small tree can be found at many botanical gardens and arboreta. They are also available at select garden centers.

All the stewartias make excellent stand-alone specimens, but can also anchor partly shaded garden beds, and situations that resemble their native habitats at the edges of wooded areas. They thrive best in rich, consistently moist soil and locations that are protected from harsh winds. To get a young specimen off to a good start, mix the soil in the planting hole with a nutritious soil amendment like Fafard Premium Topsoil, which is ideal for boosting the soil of newly planted trees and shrubs. Water regularly while the plants establish sturdy root systems and mulch generously around, but not touching the plants’ trunks or main stems.

Spring Container Garden Tips

There is nothing like a colorful spring container to brighten the garden.

Every year on May first, home and business owners in Annapolis, Maryland create May baskets in an official celebration of May Day. The May baskets, which appear on porches, stoops, and front sidewalks, are judged and prizes are awarded, but every basket shouts “Spring.”

As temperatures warm up, we all want to shout “Spring,” and there is no better way to do so than to fill containers with exuberant blooms and greenery. You don’t have to wait until May Day either.

Pick a Pot

Invest in well-made containers that make you happy!

Choose containers in sizes, shapes, and colors that make you happy. Your “basket” doesn’t have to be a basket, though wicker and woven containers have a spring-like lightness. Single large planters provide drama, while a cluster of small to mid-size pots creates visual excitement. If the chosen container does not have drainage holes in the bottom, either create the holes or plant up a slightly smaller, lightweight container that has drainage holes and slip the planted container into the decorative pot. This “pop in, pop out” strategy also works well for quick changes. Your early spring display may fade and pop-in containers make it easy to substitute a fresh arrangement that will brighten things up later in the season.

If you are using a large or heavy container, make sure to position it in the desired spot when it is empty to avoid muscle strain later on.

Choosing the Container Rainbow

Pansies are spring standbys that everyone loves.

Garden centers, big box stores, and even supermarkets are full of spring-blooming specimens, from perennial hellebores to winsome pansies and violas. For a longer-lasting arrangement, choose plants with one or two open flowers and plenty of buds.

When you plan your container display, buy enough plants to give a full appearance, but allow for a little growth room. If you aren’t sure, buy a few extra small plants. When your containers are full, you can always plug the extras into smaller decorative pots, or, if you have garden space, find spots for them in beds and borders. Make sure to add a quality potting mix, like Fafard Ultra Container Mix With Extended Feed, to your shopping cart.

Exciting Container Garden Mixes

Primroses, hyacinths, English daisies, daffodils, and other colorful spring flowers make great filler flowers.

Florists have long used the “thriller, filler, spiller” formula for mixed planters because it is easy and it works. Don’t be afraid to combine cut branches, which can be plugged right into the soil, with annual or perennial plants.

Pussy willows, in the form of either branches or small weeping standards, make great thrillers. (If you use cut branches be aware that they will root themselves quickly.) Even as the “pussies” or catkins drop off, the young green leaves are attractive. Cut forsythia or other flowering branches also work well. The “filler” in your container arrangement might be potted daffodils, tulips, or hyacinths, or for smaller containers, dainty primroses or violas. If you happen to have a large swathe of snowdrops or crocuses in the garden, dig up a clump or two and use them as part of your selection of “fillers”. You can replant after the flowers fade.

For “spillers” small-leafed ivies work really well and variegated types add visual interest. Shade-tolerant tradescantias like ‘Zebrina’, with its boldly striped leaves, spill beautifully.

Container Garden Color Combos

A two-color planting is easy to create and always looks great.

Some of the best container arrangements contain only one or two colors. A large urn filled with a solid mass of blue grape hyacinths or violas makes a compelling statement. If you want a little variation, use those same grape hyacinths in a mixture of darker and lighter blue.

Color wheel opposites, like orange and purple, are eye-catchers in containers. Create a carnival in a basket by combining dark purple and orange pansies. For something a little more subdued, try pale green hellebores with pale pink tulips.

Spring Container Garden Aftercare

When the spring plantings are past their peak, and frost warnings have passed, it is time to plant summer container garden plants.

Once you plant your containers, keep them well-watered but not soggy. Deadhead faded flowers to encourage rebloom in plants like pansies that will continue to pump out flowers until the summer really heats up. For once-blooming specimens like daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips, carefully dig up and swap out spent plants for fresh ones, which keeps the floral show going without the necessity of replanting the entire container. Plant the bulbs in the garden to enjoy the following spring.

First and foremost, have fun with your container arrangements, knowing that while they may please others—or even win prizes—they have to delight you.

Easy Succulent House Plants

Echeverias, with their pretty rosettes of foliage, are easy and a visual treat.

Succulent plants are riding a wave of popularity right now. Striking, easy to care for, and available in a variety of shapes and colors, they make perfect house plants. Some indoor gardeners amass a collection of specimen plants, while others combine different species or varieties into indoor gardens, arrangements, or even wreathes. The possibilities are many and the limitations are few. The following are some of the best.

The Healing Plant: Aloe vera

Aloe vera has been a kitchen stalwart because its soothing sap is a great topical remedy for burns and other injuries. The fleshy leaves are erect, fanning out from the plant’s center and tapering at the ends. Some are attractively spotted, with leaf edges that are slightly toothed.

As with most other succulents, the plants flourish best in bright indirect sunlight and need a well-drained potting mix. Overwatering or lack of drainage will result in root rot and eventual plant death, so even if your aloe lives near the kitchen sink, do not kill it with the “kindness” of overwatering. Breaking off leaves to doctor scrapes or burns will not harm the rest of the plant.

Choice Crassula

Jade or money plant (Crassula ovata) is a long-lived native of South Africa with a branching habit and fleshy, rounded leaves. Left to its own devices a healthy jade plant can become tree-like and rise between 2 and 3 feet tall. Though statuesque and striking, it is not noted for its clusters of starry white winter flowers, which may not even appear on indoor specimens.

For dramatic flowers, try the closely-related propeller plant (Crassula perfoliata). Unlike the branching jade, it features propeller-like grey-green leaves that jut out from single stems. When in bloom, the plants produce vivid red flower heads made up of scores of tiny blossoms that last up to a month. Another winning crassula is Crassula spiralis, with its bright green, spiraling, angular succulent leaves. Growing to only 6 inches tall, it is the perfect succulent for small spaces. (Click here to view a fine collection of Crassula from Mountain Crest Gardens.)

Vibrant Kalanchoe

Blossfeld’s flowering kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) is another branching Crassulaceae member and a much-loved indoor plant. The glossy green leaves are fleshy and nicely scalloped, sometimes with reddish edges. It is known for its long-lasting umbels of flat-topped clusters of small, single flowers that rise above the foliage and last for months. Petal colors include white, shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow. Some retailers may also carry a more opulent, double-flowered kalanchoe variety sold under the trade name, Calandiva.

Whether single or double-flowered, flowering kalanchoe is easy to grow, though it can be tricky getting it to rebloom (click here for details). Be sure to check the leaves before you water. If the foliage is plump and firm, the plant has all the moisture it needs. If the leaves seem flaccid, water sparingly. Sometimes the stems of established plants grow “leggy”, with relatively few leaves on elongated stems. Fix that by pinching the stems back by about one-third. This promotes branching.

Succulent Roses

Rose-form echeverias (Echeveria spp. and hybrids) are among the most beautiful succulent plants. Their dense, fleshy leaves overlap like rose petals and may be rounded or distinctly pointed at the ends. The succulent, low-growing rosettes bloom in a range of colors from near-black, to shades of brighter and darker green, to grey-green. Varieties with grey-green leaves may also be glaucous as if each leaf is covered with a powdery translucent veil. Some echeveria foliage sports reddish or pinkish overtones. Flashier varieties are variegated with contrasting stripes. (Click here to view an excellent selection of Echeveria from Mountain Crest Gardens.)

Widely hybridized, echeverias are native to the New World and hail originally from Mexico and parts of Central and South America. When mature, they are compact, growing only 3 to 5 inches tall and up to 6 inches wide. Happy echeverias may eventually flower or even produce offsets, which can be grown into new plants.

Succulent Snake Plant

Sansevieria trifasciata is known by many common names, including snake plant, viper’s bowstring hemp, and even “mother-in-law’s tongue (presumably for its sword-shaped foliage). It is an impressive upright plant with narrow, sharply-tipped green leaves, each with a vertical gray-green central stripe. Jutting skyward, the plants may grow up to 4 feet tall outdoors in frost-free climates, but generally, reach only about 2 feet indoors in containers.

Species snake plants are striking and sculptural all by themselves, but sansevieria fanciers can also buy interesting varieties like ‘Black Coral’, featuring silver, horizontal bands. All snake plants are long-lived and resilient and reputedly help clean indoor air.

Good Conditions, Happy Plants

Since succulents have evolved to conserve moisture in their leaves, potting mediums must be free draining. If you use a potting mix like Fafard Natural and Organic Potting Mix, combine it with fine gravel or sand to increase drainage. Once installed in well-drained containers, water the plants sparingly. If you live in a cold-winter climate, your succulents will appreciate an outdoor vacation during the late spring and summer months. Position the containers in a semi-shaded, protected spot, and make sure to tip pots to drain away excess water after rainstorms. When night temperatures start to drop in early fall, return plants to their bright indoor locations.

Celebrate the Wintery Beauty of Florist’s Cyclamen

Even when not in bloom, cyclamen leaves continue to look lovely.

Florists’ cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum hybrids) is a great imposter. Despite the Latin name persicum, they are not from Persia (modern-day Iran) but hailed from nearby countries, including Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Algeria, and Tunisia. Though the graceful flowers might make you think of orchids, cyclamens actually reside in the primrose family, Primulaceae. The leaves are also cleverly disguised, with patterning that might be mistaken for marble or damask fabric.

Subterfuge aside, florists’ cyclamens beguile holiday plant buyers with their ravishing good looks, and every winter multitudes of them find their way into homes, offices, houses of worship, and other public and private spaces.

Cyclamen with Dancing Flowers and Swirling Leaves

Rising 6 to 10 inches tall and equally wide, cyclamen plants dazzle with basal mounds of heart-shaped leaves marbled in silvery shades. They almost swirl before your eyes. Slender stems support nodding buds that resemble tightly furled umbrellas. Once open, each bloom features five backswept petals that may be pink, red, violet, lavender, white, or in combinations of two or more of these colors. The petal edges are either smooth or exuberantly ruffled. The combination of swaying stems and vibrant colors has led more than one observer to liken a pot of cyclamen in full bloom to a flock of butterflies.

Cyclamen’s Wild Ancestors

*Cyclamen persicum* is the primary wildflower descendent to most cultivated *Cyclamen*.

In the beginning, Cyclamen persicum was a pretty wildflower that barely hinted at the charms of its modern domestic descendants. The species made it to Europe around 1700, but breeders first took an interest in them in the early nineteenth century and have been working on them ever since. Most breeding occurs in England, continental Europe, and Japan. All of that breeding and propagating work set the stage for cyclamens to burst onto the mass-merchandising scene nearly 50 years ago.

New Cyclamens Get Bigger and Better

Bigger flowers in more diverse color combinations are sought by plant breeders.

Consumers have always loved big flowers, so breeders have made that trait a priority. Once they bulked the flowers up, plantsmen produced larger plants with a wider range of flower colors. Double flowers and those with contrasting picotee petal edges also emerged from the selective breeding process. Each year it seems that the flowers get bigger, bolder, and more numerous.

Fragrant Cyclamen

One trait that was all but lost in the breeding process was fragrance. But that began to change around 2000, when hybridizers started crossing Cyclamen persicum with a fragrant Mediterranean species, Cyclamen purpurascens. The resulting plants were somewhat smaller than standard florists’ cyclamen, but boasted pronounced fragrance, sometimes reminiscent of roses. Now scented varieties are available in many places—to find them just follow your nose in the greenhouse section of a well-stocked nursery or garden center. One beautiful and fragrant variety to look for is the exceptional, hard-to-find, Cyclamen purpurascens ‘Green Ice’.

Holiday Cyclamen Care

With the right care, cyclamen make reliable, lovely house plants.

Fragrant or not, all florists’ cyclamens need care once they arrive home from the store. “Care” means removing the decorative foil around the pot and positioning it in a cool place with bright, indirect light. A surplus of direct sun will caused scorched leaves.

If you want to repot it after the holidays, use a quality medium like Fafard^® Ultra Potting Mix with Extended Feed, and make sure the top of the root ball is level with the top of the soil in the new container. (Click here for an overview about how to repot house plants.) High humidity is a plus, so mist regularly or place the pot atop a saucer filled with pebbles. Add water to the saucer, but make sure the base of the pot is not submerged. Cyclamen appreciate moisture but detest wet feet. Water when the top of the soil is dry and aim the spout of your watering can around the edges of the pot.

Post-Holiday Cyclamen Care

Even when not in bloom, cyclamen have decorative leaves.

With proper care, a cyclamen with some open flowers and a few buds should bloom for three or more weeks. Once the bloom period is over, gradually cut down on watering. It is not uncommon for plants to go into a natural dormancy in summer, which corresponds to a summer dry period to which they are acclimated. This is the point when most people throw a cyclamen out, thinking that it has died. Instead of doing that, you may want to try for a second cyclamen act.

Move the pot to a cool, moderately dry location for a few weeks and then, attempt a resurrection by soaking the soil thoroughly and bringing the pot back to a spot with bright, indirect light. Wait until you see signs of sprouting before watering again, and resume a regular watering schedule. Feed with commercial houseplant fertilizer according to package directions. With a bit of luck, the cyclamen will begin its growth cycle anew.

If for some reason the cyclamen has actually died, skip the guilt and purchase another one. The death was probably not your fault. When thousands of plants are raised in a carefully controlled environment, and forced into bloom at a specific time, they may not have a second season’s worth of energy. Ironically, in the Victorian language of flowers, cyclamens, which seem so bright and cheerful during the winter, are symbolic of goodbyes.

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