Elisabeth Ginsburg – Page 5

5 Fast Cool Season Vegetables for Instant Gratification

Crunchy baby carrots grow quickly and taste the sweetest.

“Patience is a virtue,” says the old adage, but sometimes even the most virtuous gardeners long for a little instant gratification. Succulent tomatoes and winter squash are a great reward for a season of waiting, but not all edible plants require a long growing period. In the cool growing season of early to mid spring and fall, you can have your salad and eat it too—sometimes in as little as 30 days—as long as you choose the right varieties and provide them with a bit of sunny space.

Always check the seed packets of various varieties for specific directions and the approximate number of days to harvest. Quick-growing veggies can generally be harvested in less than 55 days from sowing. The following is a list of five of the tastiest and most popular instant gratification crops.

Mesclun Mix

This widely-marketed greens seed mix usually contains an assortment of early lettuces and other fast greens. Depending on the seed producer, mesclun is sometimes also labeled “early spring mix” or “mixed baby greens”. Some vendors offer a variety of mesclun mixes to suit different tastes and seasons. No matter what the mix, the tiny seeds produce a crop of tasty small leaves in about 30 days, which is lightening-fast by garden standards.

Mesclun is easy to grow in containers, raised beds, or conventional garden beds. Sprinkle the seeds over moist soil, and do not cover because lettuce seeds need light to germinate. Water deeply using gentle spray. Sprouting should occur relatively quickly. The young greens can be harvested when the leaves are 4 to 6 inches long. Succession planting every two weeks in spring and fall ensures a continuous crop.

Relish the Radish

Radishes are ready to harvest in no time!

Radishes add a peppery bite to salads, sandwiches or all by themselves with a little sweet butter and salt. Radish lovers can rejoice in the fact that they are also quick to grow. For fast growth, select extra-early varieties, like ‘Rover’ or Easter Egg Mix. Sprinkle seeds over the soil and cover thinly with soil or mix. When the sprouts reach about 2 inches tall, thin to 3 inches apart. The young radishes should be ready in about 30 days. The best way to detect readiness is to pull one, wash it, and taste it. As with mesclun, succession sowing will provide you with a consistent radish supply.

Baby Carrots

Veggie lovers know that the “baby carrots” you buy in bags at the supermarket were actually sculpted from regular-size carrots at a processing plant. In-a-hurry gardeners can have the genuine article—real diminutive carrots—in about 55 days from sowing. Little carrots are excellent choices for container growing as well. Pick a small-size carrot variety, like ‘Caracas Hybrid’ or ‘Adelaide‘, and sow thinly in loose soil to which compost has been added. A product like Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost is perfect for this, providing the carrots with the lightened growing medium they need to produce straight roots. When seedlings emerge, thin to one inch apart. Water consistently whenever the top of the soil feels dry. At the 55-day point, or even a little earlier, pull one of the carrots. If it seems big enough, you are ready for harvest.

Spinach

Popeye may have eaten his spinach straight from the can, but he knew that the leafy greens are tasty and exceptionally good for you. Spinach is also a boon for impatient gardeners. Like other fast-growing veggies, it is also perfect for container growing, which should be music to the ears of those afflicted with deer, rabbits or other garden varmints. For container success, pick a smaller spinach variety, like ‘Melody’ or ‘Red Kitten’. Sow seeds about one inch apart in a planting medium that is pH neutral and enriched with plenty of compost. When the seedlings emerge, thin to two to three inches apart. The spinach harvest should be ready in about 40 days, depending on the variety.

Bok Choy

Mature bok choi ready for harvest. (Image by Jessie Keith)

Sometimes also known as pak choi, this Asian member of the cabbage family has become increasingly popular for home gardeners, who use the mild-flavored leaves in everything from stir-fries to salads. For speedy results and/or container growing, choose dwarf varieties that can be harvested after about 40 days, when they are less than 10 inches tall. As with other fast growers, sow seeds about two inches apart, cover with a thin layer of soil and keep uniformly moist. Dwarf varieties can be thinned to three inches apart. Harvest the entire head, as you would a cabbage.
Fast-growing vegetables are a great way to hit the ground running in spring, but most have a tendency to “bolt” as the weather warms, flowering and sprouting bitter leaves when summer’s heat sets in. Save leftover seed for the second cool season in the fall, when you can rejoice in baby greens and radishes all over again.

Growing Serviceberry for Fruit and Beauty

Well-loved plants tend to collect lots of descriptive common names. Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) have amassed quite a few, including Juneberry, shadbush, shadblow, May cherry, servicetree, and sarvisberry. No matter what you call them, trees and shrubs of the Amelanchier species deserve attention and appreciation from home gardeners. It is hard to beat them for hardiness, adaptability, four-season interest, and fruits, which are appreciated by both wildlife and people.

Serviceberry Species

Evening grosbeak eating serviceberries — An evening grosbeak messily eats ripe serviceberries.

One of the many useful and beautiful landscape plants in the vast rose family (Rosaceae), Amelanchier is a genus of 20 or so north-temperate species of trees and shrubs. In general, they offer showy white spring flowers, edible summer berries of purplish-red or black, festive fall leaves of red, yellow, and orange, and attractive bark and branches in winter.

Most serviceberries are native to North America, and some, like Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia, USDA Hardiness Zones 4-7) and Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis, Zones 4-8) are unique to these specific geographic areas. Two species, downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea, Zones 4-9) and Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis, Zones 3-7) are the most widely available commercially and quite a few cultivated varieties and hybrids have been bred. Both are native to the eastern United States and naturally interbreed. In fact, the hybrid apple serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora, Zones 4-9) is a natural cross between the two.

Downy serviceberry can be grown as a large, multistemmed shrub, but is normally available as a small to medium tree. At maturity it grows 15 to 25 feet tall, with an equally wide, rounded crown. Canadian serviceberry has a shrubbier natural habit than downy, and if allowed, it will spread by root suckers to form a thicket. Nurseries usually sell it in tree form, and it will top out at 25 to 30 feet tall, with a crown that spreads 15 to 25 feet.

Spring Blooms

White spring flowers — The leaves of downy serviceberry emerge alongside its clusters of white spring flowers.

As American novelist and playwright Gertrude Stein said, “A rose is a rose is a rose.” The rose family resemblance is evident in the abundant flowers that appear in early to mid-spring on serviceberries. (The bloom time gave rise to nicknames like shadblow, because shad fish swim upstream to spawn at roughly the same time.) Like single roses, each serviceberry flower has five petals, which are slightly more rounded on Canadian serviceberry than on the downy species. The blooms are white and borne in drooping racemes or flower clusters. To some noses, serviceberry flowers are lightly fragrant. To others, like that of woody plant guru, Michael Dirr, they are “weakly malodorous.”

Sources may disagree on fragrance, but agree on beauty. Like many spring-flowering trees and shrubs, the Amelanchier bloom period is relatively short—generally about a week, depending on the weather—but reliable.

Summer Berries

Summer Serviceberries — Serviceberries ripen from pinkish-red to purplish-blue on a branch in the garden.

Birds, small animals, and humans all relish the sweet taste of serviceberry fruits, which develop after the flowers have faded. The berries start out green, gradually redden, and eventually become purplish-black to reddish-black when ripe. Though they are not as popular as the blueberries that they resemble, serviceberries have long been made into jams and pies. Would-be pie makers generally have to move faster than the birds in the race for the ripe fruit.

Fall Leaves

Amelanchier leaves are grayish-green, lightly toothed, and may be covered with fine, wooly hairs when they emerge in spring. By the time summer arrives, the leaves are medium green and smooth. Fall provides serviceberry with the second season of glory when the foliage turns shades of yellow, orange, and red. Though the leaves drop earlier than those of some other trees, they make up for it with a brilliant show.

Winter Grace

A shadbush (Amelanchier laevis) covered with snow — A shadbush (*Amelanchier laevis*) looks elegant covered with snow in winter.

With leaves departed, serviceberry still retains its good looks through the winter. Its smooth gray bark is striped with reddish fissures or shallow vertical cracks that develop into ridges as the trees age. The striking bark, combined with the branches’ graceful habit, makes serviceberry stand out even in the dark months.

Superb Serviceberry Varieties

Serviceberry in different seasons — When choosing a serviceberry variety, consider its overall habit and fall color. Most fruit and flower well.

Plant breeders have long appreciated the virtues of various Amelanchier species, varieties and hybrids. ‘Autumn Brilliance’ (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) is a widely available apple serviceberry noted for its dramatic red fall color. Another hybrid, ‘Rubescens’ (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Rubescens”), features dark pink flower buds and light pink blooms. Lovers of weeping forms can try to find the rare ‘Silver Fountain’ (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Silver Fountain’), and those who prefer a narrow, columnar specimen have the option of selecting Rainbow Pillar® (Amelanchier canadensis Rainbow Pillar®), which also has gold and red fall color.

Serviceberry Care

Serviceberry in spring — A serviceberry blooms in a spring landscape.

Serviceberries are adaptable but do best in open sunny sites with good drainage and moderate moisture. When you bring your new tree home from the nursery, give it a good start by amending the soil from the planting hole with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost. (Click here for tree and shrub planting guidelines.) Once established, the trees can withstand pollution, moderate drought, and variations in weather. If you want to maintain the erect, tree-like habit, remove all branches that sprout below the main trunk and remove emerging root suckers.

Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend pack

Serviceberries make excellent specimen trees and can blend nicely with mixed perennial and shrub borders. They also work well at the edges of woodland gardens, streams or water features. Given their native plant status and tasty fruits, they are great for native plant landscapes and habitat gardens.

Wherever you put them, serviceberries bring joy to two-legged, four-legged, and winged garden visitors. They are the ultimate multi-taskers.

Japanese Flowering Cherries for Every Yard and Garden

A Historic Spring Gift

Best Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees Featured Image

In 1912, the people of Japan donated over 3,000 flowering cherry trees to the people of the United States as a gift of enduring friendship. Planted around and near the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., the trees delighted visitors and gave birth to a festive seasonal tradition. It is no surprise that home gardeners clamored for Japanese cherry trees.

Most of us don’t have room for the kind of large-scale cherry tree plantings that wow Washington visitors, but even a single tree can put on a glorious garden show. Some dwarf varieties will even flourish in large containers, a boon to gardeners with limited space.

Flowering Cherry Basics

'Kwanzan' cherry trees — The double flowers of ‘Kwanzan’ cherries often bloom in late April or May.

Cherry trees belong to the genus Prunus, which is part of the rose family, Rosaceae. Some are commercially important for fruit production, but the famous Japanese cherry trees are just grown for their flowers. These include several species native to Japan, and other areas of Asia, that produce glorious single or double spring blooms in shades of pink, rose, and white.

Which Japanese flowering cherries are best for your garden? Size, growth habit (upright or weeping), flowering time, and blossom color or configuration are the most frequent criteria for tree selection. All flowering cherries have similar cultural needs, which include sunny locations, well-drained soil and (preferably) shelter from damaging winds. No matter which cherry you choose, give it a good start by filling the planting hole with soil amended with Fafard^® Premium Natural & Organic Compost. (Click here for a full tutorial on how to plant trees and shrubs.) Young trees also need regular watering while they establish root systems and may require support to keep them upright during the first year.

The following are among the loveliest and most popular flowering cherry choices.

Sargent’s cherry (Prunus sargentii, Zones 4-7, 20-30 feet)

Sargent's cherry trees — Sargent’s cherry has pretty pink spring flowers and glowing fall leaf color.

Sargent cherry is famed for providing multi-season interest. Its bark is remarkable—a rich, lustrous shade of reddish-brown, marked by horizontal striations. The mid-spring blooms are usually soft pink to deep rose and may be single or semi-double on trees with rounded crowns. When the flowers fade, toothed, oval leaves appear in a shade of shiny dark green. In fall, those leaves turn bronze to red.

The Sargent cherry hybrid ‘Accolade’, is a popular variety with rose-pink buds that open to soft pink, semi-double flowers. Its fall leaves turn shades of orange and yellow.

Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus serrulata, Zones 5-8, 15-35 feet)

Prunus serrulata cherry tree — *Prunus serrulata* is the latest of the flowering cherries to bloom.

Among the most popular Japanese cherries, Prunus serrulata is not usually sold in species form. Instead, merchants offer grafted or non-grafted varieties, like the extremely popular, double-flowered ‘Kwanzan’. Mature trees generally have a rounded or vase-shaped habit. While the mid- to late-spring flowers are the main attraction, the foliage is also appealing, with a reddish cast in spring, followed by glossy green summer leaves that turn red to bronze in autumn. The variety, ‘Amanogawa’, features a space-saving columnar habit and fragrant, shell-pink flowers. ‘Shirofugen’ is another fragrant variety with near-white double flowers. ‘Shirotae’, sometimes known as ‘Mt. Fuji’, is also popular and widely available. Its flowers are palest pink to white, semi-double, and fragrant.

Higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella, Zones 4-8, 20-30 feet)

Higan cherry trees — Higan cherry has white or pale-pink flowers that bloom quite early.

Higan or spring cherry is rarely available in species form. One of the best-known varieties is ‘Autumnalis Rosea’, which produces double pink flowers in early to mid-spring and a smaller number of blooms in the fall, leading some people to think the tree is suffering from seasonal confusion! Tree guru Dr. Michael Dirr, Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, characterizes Prunus subhirtella as “among the most cold-, heat-, and stress-tolerant [of the] ornamental cherries.”

Weeping Higan cherry (Prunus pendula, Zones 5-8, 15-25 feet)

Weeping cherry trees — Clouds of pretty flowers appear on weeping cherries early in the season.

Characterized by its distinctly weeping habit and early spring flowers, Prunus pendula has also been known to cause confusion among experts, who sometimes characterize it as a variety of Prunus subhirtella. What matters most is not the name but the habit, which is graceful and cascading or weeping. Clusters of white or pink flowers appear on trees in early spring. Available weeping varieties include ‘Pendula Rosea’, with pink blooms, ‘Pendula Rubra’, sporting darker rose flowers, and Extraordinaire™, with double pale-pink blossoms and fall leaves of burgundy.

Compact Japanese Flowering Cherries

The tiny Fuji cherry Zuzu® (Image thanks to Proven Winners) — The tiny Fuji cherry Zuzu^® is a good selection for small gardens. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)

Choose the right varieties, and you can have all the beauty and drama of traditional Japanese cherry trees in a compact form. The hybrid ‘Snow Fountains’ is a weeping, white-flowered type that grows only 8 to 15 feet tall. Reaching only 7 to 8 feet tall and wide, ‘Kojo-No-Mai’, a variety of Fuji cherry (Prunus incisa, Zones 5-9), is perfect for containers. The pale pink, bell-like flowers are a little different in shape than those of other flowering cherries but equally beautiful. Elongated leaves are green during the growing season but turn flame red in the fall. Another exceptional tiny Fuji cherry is Proven Winner’s Zuzu^®, which reaches just 5 feet and has fully double pink flowers. To maintain a tree shape, trim off any shoots or branches that appear below the crown.

The Best Shrubs for Container Gardens

There are lots of reasons to grow shrubs in containers. You may have a small garden or no garden at all. The only sunny spot on your property may be covered with concrete, or your soil may be so poor that even poison ivy fails to thrive. Then again, your “garden” space may be a porch, terrace or balcony. Perhaps you have acres of space but want distinctive potted garden accents. Whatever the reason, container gardening is in vogue, with the selection of beautiful, small shrubs and landscape pots at an all-time high.

Why Compact Shrubs?

Trolley with 'compact' shrubs — When choosing “compact” shrubs for containers make sure that they will stay compact.

Breeders are riding the container-gardening trend, producing compact versions of many of the most popular shrubs. But, don’t assume that words like “compact”, “miniature” or “dwarf” are synonymous with a “manageable size.” The compact version of an 8-foot shrub may still be 5 feet tall—too big for many containers. Always check plant tags and reference sources for the mature size of any plant before purchase.

Most small shrubs can flourish in containers that are between 18 and 24 inches wide and equally deep. If you live in a cold-weather climate, and the containers are going to stay out all winter, avoid thin ceramic or terra cotta pots, which will crack in very cold weather. Heavy, high-fired, glazed ceramic pots as well as metal, plastic, and resin containers won’t crack. (Click here to learn more about the best containers to overwinter outdoors.)

So, commit to container-grown shrubs. Pick your favorite shrub species, and do a little research to find small varieties. Attention to cultural requirements—sun or shade, drought-tolerant or moisture-loving—will prepare you to enter the universe of compact shrubs for containers. The following are a few of the better shrub options for the task.

Compact Evergreen Shrubs

Anna’s Magic Ball® arborvitae and Oso Easy® Lemon Zest rose (Image thanks to Proven Winners®) — Anna’s Magic Ball® arborvitae and Oso Easy® Lemon Zest rose are perfect for containers. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)

For lovely rounded shape, it is hard to beat Anna’s Magic Ball arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis Anna’s Magic Ball^®, USDA Hardiness Zones 3-7, 10-15 inches). Thriving in sunny spots, the Proven Winners’ plant boasts soft, almost ferny evergreen foliage that holds its color through the winter. At maturity, it tops out at around a foot tall and wide. Another rounded specimen, Wee Willie Korean boxwood (Buxus sinica var. insularis Wee Willie®, Zones 5-9, 2 feet tall and wide), has all the boxwood virtues—neat rounded appearance and fine green leaves, plus manageable dimensions. A pair of potted Korean boxwoods look wonderful framing an sunny or partially sunny entrance. For something a little less formal and a little bluer, try the sun-loving Blue Star juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’, Zones 4-8, 2-3 feet tall by 3-4 feet wide). Another sun lover, it has textural foliage of dusty blue-green.

Cavatine andromeda (Pieris japonica ‘Cavatine’, Zones 5-8, 2-3 feet tall and wide) combines small size with a floriferous habit and evergreen nature. The prolific spring bloomer covers itself with honey-scented bells and performs well in light shade.

Compact Shrubs Full of Flowers

Buddleia Lo & Behold® Blue Chip Jr. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®) — *Buddleia* Lo & Behold^® Blue Chip Jr. is the perfect butterfly bush for containers. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)

Flowering shrubs grown in containers give great garden value, and it’s easy to find old favorites in smaller sizes. Rhododendron lovers can rejoice in Ginny Gee rhododendron(Rhododendron ‘Ginny Gee’, Zones 5-8, 1-2 feet tall and wide), a pink-and-white flowered beauty perfect for containers. The leaves are dark green and small, and the habit is dense. Like most rhodies, ‘Ginnie Gee’ flourishes in light shade.

Hydrangea breeders have extended the range of offerings of this popular shrub and one of the best is Invincibelle® Wee White hydrangea(Hydrangea arborescens Invincibelle® Wee White, Zones 3-9, 1-2.5 feet tall and wide ). This early summer bloomer pumps out pink, globe-shaped flowerheads that age to white. Unlike older hydrangea varieties, Invincibelle® Wee White also flowers on new woods, so blooms appear throughout the growing season. Give it full sun to partial shade, good potting soil, and regular moisture.

Simple potted boxwoods (shown with potted Boston ferns) add a formal flare to garden spaces.

There are plenty of little butterfly bushes (Buddleia hybrids) to attract all kinds of garden pollinators, whether the shrubs are in-ground or in containers. Lo & Behold^® Blue Chip Jr. butterfly bush (Buddleia Lo & Behold^® Blue Chip Jr., Zones 5-9, 1.5-2.5 feet tall and wide ) features deep blue-purple flowers that bloom in mid-summer and beyond. All Junior requires is a sunny spot and don’t self-sow prolifically, like standard buddleia.

Roses

Container gardeners can also cultivate wonderful rose gardens full of color and scent. Patio roses boast all the winning qualities of their larger relatives in smaller packages. Some of the newest and best are all of the colorful, compact landscape roses in the Oso Easy ® Series. The double-pink-flowered Oso Easy^® Strawberry Crush (Zones 4-9, 2-3 feet ) and yellow-double-flowered Oso Easy^® Lemon Zest (Zones 4-9, 2-3 feet) are both effortlessly beautiful high performers.

Or you could consider an English patio rose. The rose-red, repeat flowering Sophy’s Rose (Zones 5-11, 4 feet) is the largest size one would consider for a container rose. James L. Austin (Zones 5-11, 4 feet), with its large, fully double flowers of fuchsia pink, is another good choice. Those wanting a less demanding color should consider the highly fragrant, palest yellow, double rose Vanessa Bell (Zones 5-11, 3 feet).

Colorful Leaves for Extended Interest

Dwarf variegated aucuba looks good year-round with good care.

Container-grown shrubs, like their in-ground relations, can be the workhorses of the garden, providing interest in multiple seasons. The leaves of the southern favorite dwarf variegated aucuba (Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata Nana’, Zones 6-10, 4 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide) are dark green splashed with gold, lighting up the garden. This shrub is best in a large pot placed in partial shade to full sun.

Lil Miss Sunshine^® Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis L’il Miss Sunshine, Zones 5-9, 2-3 feet) is a stunner, sporting golden-green leaves and azure blue flowers in late summer. Grown in full sun, this sunshiny plant will provide interest throughout the growing season.

Bearing Fruit

Raspberry Shortcake® (Image thanks to Bushel and Berry®) — Raspberry Shortcake® stays small and performs beautifully in containers. (Image thanks to Bushel and Berry®)

Compact fruit-bearing shrubs are also gaining momentum, and the little blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries in the Bushel and Berry® series have quite a following. One to try is Bushel and Berry® Peach Sorbet blueberry (Vaccinium Bushel and Berry® Peach Sorbet, Zones 5-10, 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide ). The leaves attract attention, ripening from peachy-pink to green and eventually turning red in the fall. Bell-shaped white flowers appear in spring, followed by blueberries in early summer. Supply full to partial sun, fertile acidic soil, regular water, fertilize and blueberry harvests are guaranteed.

Raspberry lovers can rejoice in Bushel and Berry® Raspberry Shortcake® (Rubus Raspberry Shortcake®, Zones 4-9, 2-3 feet tall and wide). Single, white, spring flowers give way to big red raspberries. The canes are also thornless, which will please raspberry pickers. Like most other fruiting plants, Raspberry Shortcake ® produces best in full sun.

A Few Words About Culture

Pulled out plant with pot-bound roots — If the plant’s roots are pot-bound, be sure to loosen them before planting.

Success with shrubs in containers starts with the right pot. Make sure it is three times wider than the plant’s root ball and contains drainage holes at the bottom and a saucer to catch water. When you have matched a shrub to a container, fill the container with a quality potting mix, like Fafard^® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed that feeds plants for up to 6 months. The addition of a continuous-release fertilizer will help plants grow their best.

Fafard Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed and RESiLIENCE pack

At planting time, make sure the plant’s roots are not pot bound and intertwined when you remove it from the container. If they are, gently loosen them. Make sure the final soil level is 2 inches below the rim of the container, and firm the soil around the new shrub, making sure there are no air pockets. The top space will allow plenty of room for water. Water thoroughly until it percolates through to the bottom of the container. Potted plants require more water than those grown in-ground, and that often means daily watering while the plant establishes roots, as well as in dry seasons. In general, water when the top three inches of soil feel dry to the touch.

Growing Palms Indoors and Palms for Indoor Growing

Palms are trending in indoor gardening circles because they are the ultimate multi-taskers, functioning simultaneously as architectural elements, air cleaners, and silent promoters of peace and calm. With their pleasing green fronds and compatible natures, palms are among the best plants for enhancing living spaces of all sizes.

Palms Defined

Technically speaking, palms are plants in the palm (Arecaceae) family and are native to tropical or subtropical environments throughout the world. True palms are generally characterized by fronds of long evergreen leaves that sprout from unbranched stems. Some popular plants that are billed as “palms” and bear characteristic green fronds are only masqueraders that belong to other plant families. Some of these palm wannabes are ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) and sago palm (Cycas revoluta)–both excellent houseplants.

Palm Basics

Most indoor palms have similar needs, including bright direct or indirect sunlight; well-drained soil; and temperatures that never fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Good soil with good fertility and excellent drainage, such as Fafard Professional Potting Mix, is essential. “Wet feet”, which result from overwatering and poor drainage, will kill palms quickly. Generally speaking, water only when top few inches of potting soil feel dry. The early effects of consistent overwatering will show up in the form of yellowing leaves. Conversely, if your palm is thirsty and needs more water, the ends of the leaves will start to turn brown.

Starting Your Palm on the Right Foot

Fafard Professional Potting Mix with RESiLIENCE pack

When you buy a palm, you will probably want to replace the container it came in with something that fits your indoor décor and suits the palm’s growing needs. Choose a container that has drainage holes in the bottom and is a few inches larger than the palm’s root ball. Add your potting soil to the bottom of the pot so that the root ball sits 1 to 2 inches below the container’s rim. (The extra top space will provide room for water.) Fill in around the sides with more of the potting soil, gently pressing it down as you go. To provide the humidity that many palms crave, set the new container on a tray or saucer filled with pebbles and water. Mist periodically.

Palm Maintenance

Dried parlor palm leaves — The leaves of these parlor palms show tip drying due to too little water and humidity.

If the palm is relatively compact and can be moved, it will happily vacation outside through the warmer growing months. Be sure to position the plant in indirect light and bring indoors when night temperatures start to dip below 60 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prune dead leaves off your palm as they appear, but do not prune the top where new growth appears, as it will not re-grow. Though palms flower in their native habitats, indoor container specimens will almost never flower. They are prized on the strength of their stunning foliage.

Palms available in nurseries and garden centers are sometimes only identified as “palm”. Though most palms have similar needs, it pays to ask the nursery or store manager for specifics–starting with the plant’s real name.

The following are some great palms for indoor cultivation.

Good Indoor Palms

Parlor Palm

Beautiful potted palm in modern living room

Native to Central America, parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) lives up to its “elegant” Latin species name. Individual specimens are slender so parlor palms are generally sold with several plants in a single container to create a bushier appearance. They are relatively compact, growing 2 to 6 feet tall, and 2 to 3 feet wide. They are happiest in bright, indirect light. The fronds are long-lasting and decorative, which also makes them useful for indoor flower arrangements.

Kentia Palm

Light modern living room with brown leather couch and numerous green houseplants creating an urban jungle

Beloved by England’s Queen Victoria, the kentia palm (Howea forsteriana and Howea belmoreana) is another that is generally sold with more than one plant per container. Its statuesque nature—up to 10 feet tall—and arching fronds make it perfect for entryways or corners of rooms with high ceilings. This trait has contributed to one of its other common names, sentry palm. Of the two popular species, the belmoreana type is somewhat shorter with fronds that are more erect. Though a little more tolerant of less-than-tropical temperatures, kentia palms still prefer temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bottle Palm

The somewhat compact bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis), which can reach between 5 to 7 feet tall, has a slow growth rate that adds to its attraction as a house plant. The gray, bottle-shaped trunk, which gives rise to the common name, supports a vivid green main stem bearing large, arching fronds. Bottle palm is native to Mauritius and Madagascar and is distinguished by its graceful habit.

Pygmy Date Palm

A full-grown pygmy date or miniature date palm (Phoenix roebelenii) reaches 6 to 10 feet but grows slowly within the confines of a large container. The Southeast Asian native features a nubbly brown trunk that produces arching branches laden with slim, feathery fronds, giving the plant a delicate almost fern-like look. While the name promises fruit, the roebelenii species’ fruits—when they are produced on an indoor specimen–are rather seedy with little flesh.

Chinese Fan Palm

Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis), also known as Chinese fountain palm, is distinguished by its exuberant rounded “fans” of slender leaves that bend, fountain-like towards the floor. The Asian native is a slow grower and reaches impressive heights in the wild. Indoors, it may eventually reach 10 feet tall, but will take years to do so.

Windmill Palm

A horticultural relic of the Victorian era, when it was extremely popular, windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) is another “fan” –type specimen with a relatively luxurious crown of green, leafy “fans” atop a slender trunk. Native to China, a windmill palm will top out at 5 to 6 feet tall, fitting comfortably in a large container.

How To Grow Star Fruit Indoors

How to Grow Sunny Star Fruit Indoors Featured Image

Looking for an easy-to-grow fruit that will bring light and sparkle to your gardening life during the darkest months of the year? Tasty, tropical star fruits (Averrhoa carambola) may be the answer, even if you live in a cold-winter climate. Dwarf trees have made indoor growing possible.

Angular star fruits are succulent and taste much like tangy grapes. At home in the tropics of Southeast Asia, hanging from 20- to 30-foot tall trees, star fruits don’t look very celestial. Yellow-orange in color and 3 to 4 inches long, each sports a waxy skin with five prominent greenish ridges. When the fruits are cut crosswise, those ridges morph into the five points of a star, giving rise to the common name.

A Century in North America

Though exotic in appearance, star fruits, also sometimes known as carambola, are not newcomers to the North American scene. The trees first arrived in Florida about 100 years ago and have been grown commercially and in Florida, California, and Hawaii ever since. Early star fruit varieties were smaller and very tart, but breeding improvements have led to the larger, sweeter fruits, that are available in supermarkets today.

Versatile Star Fruit

Chopped star fruit — Crisp, sweet star fruit shows off its starry looks when cut.

All parts of the fruit, including the rind, flesh, and seeds, are edible and provide vitamins A and C, plus minerals. Eaten out of hand or used in salads or desserts, star fruit is both tasty and decorative. Most people can enjoy them regularly, but they are high in oxalic acid, which can cause kidney problems for those with related illnesses, so consult health care providers before eating lots of them.

Growing Star Fruit Indoors

Orange star fruit — Some star fruit varieties have orange mature fruits while others are more yellow or yellowish-green.

If you live in a cold-winter climate, you can enjoy homegrown star fruit if you pick a dwarf variety, like ‘Maher Dwarf’, which has sweet, crunchy fruit, or ‘Dwarf Hawaiian’, which has super sweet fruit, in large containers—at least during the cold weather months. Both varieties bear fruit when trees are just a few feet high, and they are self-fertile, so their clusters of pink flowers don’t require pollination.

To flourish indoors, potted star fruits need well-drained, loamy soil (Fafard^® Natural & Organic Potting Mix) with a slightly acid pH (5.5-6.5) and regular fertilizer for acid-loving fruit trees. Provide them with lots of sunshine and enough water to keep the pots just moist. The trees perform best when temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the air is moderately humid.

Dwarf plants are best for pot culture because they are bred to stay compact. Depending on your finances and level of patience, you can begin your star fruit journey with a starter specimen in a 6-inch pot or choose a mature 3- to 4-foot tree. Buying a larger specimen is a faster route to fruit, while smaller plants take a while to produce but are the least expensive.

Either way, give your new potted star fruit a good start by trading its nursery pot for a slightly larger one and filling it with our high-quality, natural and organic potting mix. If the plant will travel between outdoor and indoor locations, opt for a relatively lightweight pot or use a pot platform with casters that can be wheeled back and forth as the seasons change.

Growing Star Fruit Outdoors

Outdoor star fruit — Pick star fruits when they are fully colored. If you are not sure, pick one and test it for sweetness.

As tropical denizens, star fruit trees love warmth. If possible, let them spend the late spring, summer, and early fall soaking up sunshine outside. A protected location shielded from wind will help keep trees healthy and happy. If you choose a starter specimen in a 6-inch pot, expect to see pink flowers and resulting fruit by the time it reaches about 18 inches tall. Strong growth spurts will bring more flowers and fruit.

When outdoor night temperatures fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, bring the star fruit indoors. Position it in a situation with as much bright light as possible and make sure that room temperatures do not fall below 60 degrees. If the plant drops a few leaves in the days after the transition, don’t worry. Indoors or out, water when the top few inches of soil feel dry. Higher humidity will improve the growth of these tropical trees.

Feeding Star Fruit

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Star fruit trees grow most actively in spring and summer, so this is the time to fertilize with balanced, granular fertilizer, added at intervals according to manufacturers’ directions. Growth slows down during the winter months, so feeding can stop at that time. At winter’s end, just as you are about to start fertilizing again, prune back branches that seem weak or unshapely. Dwarf trees generally need relatively little pruning.

If you like the tropical taste of star fruit and relish a horticultural challenge, try adding a dwarf star fruit tree to your house plant menagerie. It may be the start of a tropical fruit tree collection.

(Click here to learn more about growing other tropical fruit trees indoors.)

Repotting Pot-Bound House Plants

There is no shame in harboring a pot-bound plant. It can happen to anyone because pot- or root-bound specimens come in all sizes, shapes, ages, and situations. The geranium or aloe that spent a luxurious summer vacation on the back porch may be bursting out of their containers. The bargain spider plant, purchased from the garden center at the end of the growing season, may be yearning to break free of its nursery pot. Established house plants, apparently thriving in large or small containers are longing for a little elbow room, even if they can’t say so.

Identifying Pot-Bound Plants

Aloe with soil and roots out of pot — If a plant is growing poorly, and its soil dries out quickly despite regular watering, chances it’s root-bound.

How can you tell that a seemingly healthy plant needs a bit of TLC in the form of a larger pot and some root pruning? Tip the container on its side. If you see white roots emerging from the bottom drainage holes, your plant is pot-bound. If the plant’s soil dries out quickly, despite regular watering, chances are the roots need discipline. Does water pool on the soil surface and stay there? Tightly wound roots are probably preventing moisture absorption.

When plants are pot-bound, roots that should be growing outward from the bottom and sides of the plant are forced to grow in a circular fashion, following the shape of the container. Those roots will eventually form a tight mass that will overwhelm the pot, potting medium, and eventually strangle the plant. As the situation gradually worsens, the signs of ill health—leaf drop, minimal new growth, and a general failure to thrive—begin to show.

What to Do

The roots of a pot-bound plant have no place to go and begin growing in a circular fashion.

There are several steps to removing a pot-bound plant from the pot. Some plants may be tough to remove and others easier.

Check the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, and cut clear any roots that may be growing through. You may even try to push up through the holes to help loosen the plant from the pot.
Get a grip on the plant—literally. Tip the pot on its side, firmly grip the very base of the plant, and pull it out of the container. The tightly constricted soil-root ball should come out in one piece, but not always.
If clinging roots keep the plant in place. Run the blade of a garden or butter knife around the edge of the pot to loosen the plant. If the pot if plastic, you can also firmly wack the pot on all sides to loosen roots. Plastic nursery pots can also be cut off, if the roots are wedged into pot crevices and refuse to budge.

Once you have liberated the root ball, take a look. Pot-bound plants will have a dense network of white or brownish roots encircling the outside, which retain the shape of the pot. If you see any black or foul-smelling roots, trim them away immediately.

Freeing Pot Bound Plants

Roots from a potted plant — Don’t worry about tearing apart the roots of a pot-bound plant. The plant will be happier in the end.

The next step is to free the roots, so they can begin the process of healthy growth. This is when fear sets in for many plant lovers who worry that meddling with roots is the kiss of death for a beloved plant. In truth, freeing up roots is essential for plant health in this situation. Some roots will be lost in the process but new will quickly grow.

The remedy for a pot-bound situation depends on the degree of root entanglement. With some plants, especially smaller ones, gently teasing the roots apart with your fingers may be all that is needed. In more severe cases, where the root ball appears to have more roots than soil, more serious measures will be necessary.

For serious cases, use a garden knife or other sharp implement to make three or four vertical cuts on the outside of the remaining root ball, and then tease the roots apart with your fingers. If the root ball is deep, you may also cut away the bottom quarter of the root ball. Both options disrupt circular root growth and enable fresh, healthy roots to emerge.

Container Selection and Preparation

Aloe in pots and jar — These aloe plants have been cured of their root-bound condition, divided, and upgraded.

Once you have relieved a plant’s root-bound situation, it is time to repot. This is much easier and less stressful than teasing the roots and/or doing root pruning.

Choose a container with a diameter that is at least 2 inches wider than the old pot. Make sure it is clean and has sufficient drainage holes in the bottom. Keep soil from falling through the holes by lining the bottom of the new container with a coffee filter or piece of window screen cut to fit. For years, garden pundits suggested adding a layer of gravel to the bottoms of plant containers, but this is not necessary.

To give the newly liberated plant a good start, choose a potting medium like Fafard Professional Potting Mix for indoor plants or Fafard® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed for indoor/outdoor potted plants. Pour enough potting mix in the bottom of the container so that the top of the plant’s root ball is about 1 to 2 inches below the container’s rim. Center the plant in the pot and fill around the sides with additional potting mix, tamping down the mix as you go. Water thoroughly until water runs through the drainage holes.

As long as you provide new, larger living quarters for the plant, root loosening efforts will stimulate new, strong root growth. In the case of some house plants, like spider plant, you may be able to divide your specimen when you treat its pot-bound condition. In this situation, follow the directions above, but split the plant into two or more pieces (each section should have roots). Repot in separate containers and keep or give away the new plant divisions.

Aftercare

Repotted plant in larger container — Once the plant’s roots have been freed, repot them into larger containers.

Sometimes a newly repotted plant will show some signs of transplant shock, losing some leaves or looking a bit droopy. Don’t worry, and above all, don’t kill the plant with kindness by overwatering. Position the plant in the appropriate light situation (check plant tags or ask our garden experts if you are not sure), and water when the top inch or two of the potting medium feels dry. New root growth will start in a short time and the plant should rebound nicely.

In the end, liberating pot-bound plants is a beneficial exercise for both gardeners and plants. As with all things, practice makes perfect, but remember that it is hard to go completely wrong, and plants are generally quite forgiving. Giving your favorite specimens a little elbow room will ensure more years of vibrant leaves, blooms, and growth.

(Click here to watch a step-by-step video showing how to free pot-bound plants.)

Beautiful Culinary Sage

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For better or worse, we live in the age of multitasking, when the ability to do at least two things at once has become a common goal. As we multitask through our days, we gardeners can’t help but ask our plants to do the same. Fortunately, the enormous salvia clan has been multitasking for millennia. Ornamental forms of culinary sage, mostly Salvia officinalis, are champion multitaskers, contributing flavor to our food and beauty to our landscapes. Gardening and life don’t get much better than that.

Culinary sage is a pungent herb. For many families, it does a star turn at Thanksgiving in turkey dressing. It also has affinities to pork, poultry, eggs, sausage, and savory ravioli. When food is rich, a little sage can save the day by cutting tastefully through heavy flavors.

Sage also remains beautiful in the garden from fall and through winter. Its evergreen leaves may droop on the coldest winter days, but they maintain substance and can still be harvested.

Growing Sage

Standard sage is evergreen and pretty in its own right.

The plants are shrubby perennials that generally grow 12- to 18-inches tall and wide but can be kept shorter by timely light pruning in late spring or after flowering. Standard varieties have elongated oval leaves that are velvety and a little wrinkled on the surface. Lavender-blue or purple flowers appear in May or June. These are also edible.

In the garden, sage favors sunny, well-drained spaces, and benefits from quality soil amendments like Fafard Premium Natural and Organic Compost and Garden Manure Blend. Once established, sages require little care and offer a steady supply of evergreen leaves for fresh or dry use. (Dry by hanging tied stems in a cool, dry place until crisp.) Hardiness depends on the variety but sage can generally withstand quite cold winters. It is wise to check plant tags at purchase time for hardiness specifics.

Culinary Sage Varieties

'Tricolor' sage — ‘Tricolor’ sage is ivory edged with purplish new growth.

One of the most beautiful varieties is ‘Tricolor’ (USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9). The plants feature elongated gray-green leaves edged and marked with cream. New growth is both purple and ivory edged. Equally suitable for pots, herb gardens, or front- to mid-border positions, ‘Tricolor’ is also a useful, aromatic filler for bouquets.

Another eye-catching variety is ‘Purpurescens’ or purple sage (Zones 6-9). The young leaves are purple, while older ones age to gray-green. Its flavor is as intense as any culinary sage, and the colors bring real life to beds and borders.

Golden sage has the brightest color of the ornamental culinary sage varieties.

For something a little more luxurious, try ‘Aurea’. Featuring brighter green leaves, it attracts attention with its golden edging. ‘Icterina’ is similar to ‘Aurea’, but the foliage is more subdued and edged in pale green. Like ‘Ictarina’, the less common ‘Woodcote’ also boasts pale-green leaf edges, contrasting with darker green centers.

'Berggarten' sage — The silver-grey leaves of ‘Berggarten’ sage are broad and ornamental.

‘Berggarten’ features more silvery leaves that are fatter. Its habit is also neater and mounded, making it especially useful for flower gardens and container culture. For dramatic edging in a large bed, alternate ‘Berggarten’ with its bi-colored sport, ‘Variegated Berggarten’, which features leaves with creamy-yellow leaf edges.

'Ictarina' sage — ‘Ictarina’ is a more subdued variegated sage.

In addition to pretty leaves, culinary salvia produces spikes of lavender-blue or purple blooms that attract bees while discouraging deer and other marauding creatures. For flower contrast and culinary prowess, choose pink-flowered ‘Rosea’. The leaves are solid green and aromatic, growing on plants that may be a little larger (36 inches tall and wide) than some other salvias.

Decorative culinary sages can also work well in smaller spaces. The petite ‘Compacta’ tops out at about eight inches. Its flowers are vivid purple and aromatic leaves contribute the same flavor punch.

Pineapple Sage

Other species are also edible and ornamental. Bushy pineapple sage (Salvia elegans, Zones 8-10) reaches a great height of 3-4 feet. The tender perennial grows quickly and should be treated as an annual in cold-winter climates. It features intensely aromatic leaves that exude the fruity scent of fresh pineapple. Minced in fruit salad or muddled in hot or cold drinks, the leaves are a great addition to the home cook’s herbal arsenal. It is a fall bloomer that sports vivid scarlet blooms that lure migrating hummingbirds.

The ‘Golden Delicious’ variety adds an extra dimension to the landscape with the brightest golden-green, aromatic leaves. This one also reaches great heights, so it needs ample space, but don’t let this deter you from growing it. Judicious pruning can reduce its overall dimensions and stimulate branching and more flowers.

You can use culinary sages to adorn herb gardens, but don’t stop there. Beds, borders, containers (mixed or single variety) and window boxes all become more interesting when decorative culinary sage is added to the mix.

Gorgeous Garden Grasses of Fall

Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, pioneering garden designers like Wolfgang Oehme, James van Sweden and Piet Oudolf sparked an interest in garden grasses. That spark turned into a wildfire of bold, ornamental garden grasses, and now they can be found in public and private gardens all over the world.

These stars of the informal gardens shine because they are low maintenance, high impact plants that create drama in the landscape throughout the seasons. Home gardeners are spoiled for choice when it comes to grasses. The following are some of the best for hardiness, ease of care, and beauty.

Great Fall Grasses

Dried spires of Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Image by Jessie Keith) — The dried spires of Karl Foerster feather reed grass add structured to this late-season garden. (Image by Jessie Keith)

Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) is an upright grass so tough that it will even succeed in an area with air pollution, clay soil, and nearby black walnut trees. The popular variety ‘Karl Foerster’ is of medium height (3-5 feet tall and about half as wide) with vertical green spikes that terminate into “feathers” that give the grass its common name. These feathers give rise to pinkish-purple flowers followed by golden seedheads. Feather reed grass stalks also make excellent dried flowers and the plants turn a pleasing brown in fall.

Though feather reed grass tolerates adverse conditions, it prefers soil with average moisture and full to partial sun. Happy plants will form dense clumps, so position them accordingly in the garden. Expect them to be hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9.

Naturalistic meadow border with upright clumps of little bluestem — A naturalistic meadow border shows upright clumps of little bluestem.

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is an aptly named smaller grass that tops out at 2-4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. The common name “bluestem” comes from the fact that each grass stem is bluish at the base. A North American native, little bluestem is especially valuable in the garden because it provides three seasons of interest. In spring and early summer, the blue-green blades shine. When August arrives, the branched stems produce 3-inch purple flowerheads that eventually give way to white seedheads that persist into winter. Fall turns its blades purplish and orange hues. Hardy to zones 3-9, little bluestem likes sunshine and is also somewhat drought tolerant once established.

Shade gardeners need not be left in the dark when it comes to native grasses. Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) thrive in light to medium shade and grow 2-5 feet tall and about half as wide. Also known as Indian woodoats, the plants are native to North America and hardy in zones 3-8.

Northern sea oats are best known for the delicate, pendulous seed heads that appear in summer and flutter in even the lightest breezes. Looking a little like flat feathers or the oats which they resemble, the seed heads eventually turn a lovely shade of bronze-purple and then brown. The long, green leaf blades are wide by ornamental grass standards, which enables them to put on a dramatic show when they turn copper hues after the first frosts of fall. By early winter, the seedheads shatter and the plants become flattened by rain and snow.

Perhaps the only downside to northern sea oats is a tendency to spread by self-seeding. To contain these tendencies, watch for unwanted seedlings and remove them while they are small. Another option is to plant them where they can naturalize.

Rose pink muhlygrass — Few grasses can match the impressive rosy clouds of pink muhlygrass.

Another American native is pink muhlygrass or pink hair grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris), which is famed for its large (up to 12-inches) fall-blooming flowerheads, which envelope the plant in a reddish-pink cloud. After the flowers depart, the seedheads fade to tan and often persist into winter. Best grown in free-draining soil, pink muhlygrass is drought tolerant and dislikes wet feet. Full to partial sun suit it well, and in good conditions, clumps may reach up to 3 feet tall and wide with narrow green stems that add textural appeal to the garden. Grow pink muhlygrass in zones 5-9.

Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) gets its evocative common name from the fountain-like shape of its clumps and flower stems. In summer they are enhanced by fluffy, silvery or pinkish cylindrical flowerheads, which may persist beyond the growing season. It grows in a graceful mound that is 2-5 feet tall and wide and boasts narrow green leaves that turn golden brown in the fall. Like other grasses, fountain grass is tolerant of a variety of soil types but thrives with average moisture and full sunlight. Gardeners in zones 6-9 can grow these “fountains” whose flowering stalks also make lovely dried arrangements.

Grasses are generally undemanding but can always use a little help in the soil department. When planting, lighten and feed the soil with Fafard^® Premium Natural & Organic Compost. If your soil is thin or you are installing your new grasses in raised beds, create a congenial home for them by filling in with Fafard^® Premium Topsoil. Once planted, most perennial grasses only need a once-yearly haircut in late winter. Cut back to several inches above ground level in late winter or early spring before new growth appears.

Artful Gardens: Blending Art and Plantings

Artful garden blending is combining a diverse collection of plants, hardscaping, and art into a larger, living, inspiring work of art. The greatest gardeners are master blenders that work magic to bring a garden design idea to life.

The Gertrude Jekylls and Christopher Lloyds (two famed and accomplished garden designers) of this world are rare but given a few guidelines, most of us can create visually and emotionally satisfying beds, borders, and container gardens. Incorporate some artful elements and you can have perfect synchrony of color, texture, and structural elements.

Blending Style

Sunny garden patio — This garden patio has formal statuary but informal plantings and lines.

Your approach to artfulness will depend on your individual style. Do you like formality, with crisp edges and well-defined spaces, or do you prefer something a little less restrained, with drifts of plants blending together in a naturalistic style? Your first steps may also depend on whether you are taking on a new bed or container array, or modifying one that is already established. If a planting scheme is already established and you don’t want to start over from scratch, look at it with a critical eye. Sometimes taking photos will help with this. Figure out what you like and don’t like. Does the big picture look like a mishmash of plants or an interesting composition? If it looks like a mishmash, it’s time to find ways to introduce some unifying themes or elements.

If your garden lacks cohesion, you can often solve the problem by introducing repetition. This can be as easy as going to the big box store and buying flats or large pots of annuals in a single neutral color, like white impatiens (for shady spots) or white cosmos (for sunny areas), and interspersing those plants throughout the bed or border. You can do the same thing with silver-leaved foliage plants like silver sage (Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’) or lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina). Foliage plants have the added benefit of providing continuity that goes beyond flower color.

Repetition of textures is another technique that can bring about unity. The quilted leaves of some hostas sprinkled throughout a shade garden or drifts of catmint (Nepeta species and hybrids) in sunnier areas can knit plant collections together.

Displaying Plants with Art

Green garden gazebo — Fencing and unifying colors evoke a strong sense of structure and continuity.

Think about displaying plants to best advantage. For beds that back up to something solid—a fence, wall or tall hedge–place the tallest plants at the center back. Medium height plants go in the middle of the bed and short or ground-covering plants go in front. For circular beds or beds that will be seen from all sides, position the tallest, most striking specimens in the middle to create focal points. You can also use a distinctive shrub, small tree or a piece of garden art to do the same job.

Whenever you rearrange plants or add new ones to the garden, give them a good start by amending the soil with quality organic matter like Fafard^® Garden Manure Blend. Healthy plants always make a more beautiful landscape.

Spring flowers and stone borders — Spring plantings in contrasting colors, textural walls, and walkways, and a simple artful pot blend together in a clean garden composition.

Some artful gardeners unify planting schemes by emphasizing a single color. English gardener Vita Sackville West did this with her famous “White Garden” at Sissinghurst. Using many shades or tones of one color, combined with plant choices that allow for long seasons of interest, can create beautiful effects. Sometimes introducing a few specimens in a contrasting color adds sparkle.

Artists understand the color wheel and so should gardeners. To create excitement and unify beds or large containers, combine primary or secondary colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel—blue and orange, for example—and choose plants with leaves and/or flowers in shades of those colors. Mix brighter and lighter shades and use green as a neutral buffer, so that you garden doesn’t suffer from too much of a good thing.

You can also combine colors that are side by side on the color wheel, like shades of green, blue, and purple. Plants with purple or purple/black leaves, like Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’ or Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’, make especially useful accents. Some artful gardeners choose “hot” color schemes (red, yellow, orange) or “cool’ colors (blue, pink, and purple) to unify plantings.

Plants and art can provide pleasing vertical and rounded elements in the garden.

If you have chosen sculptures, benches or other objects as focal points, use plants to highlight them. Flank a garden arch with a columnar shrub, like Sky Pencil holly (Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’). Position pots of red cannas on either end of a garden bench and you will have created an eye-catching focal point for a summer garden. To avoid creating a sensory distraction, make sure that the surrounding plants are a little less dramatic.

If you are just starting out, remember to keep it simple. Think about seasons of interest. Depending on the size of the bed, border, or container, choose varieties that will bloom at different times during the growing season. Remember that leaves, stems, bark, seed pods and fruit all contribute to a plant’s overall aesthetic value. Nursery plant tags, catalog copy and internet references will help you figure this out.

Bird sculptures by the pond — Simple sculpture can add so much to special garden spaces.

And above all, don’t be afraid to take risks. Gardening is a forgiving art and planting “mistakes” can almost always be fixed by moving things around, introducing visual buffers or even giving away plants or decorative elements that don’t work. The definition of “artful blending” depends on the taste of the individual doing it.

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