Caladium Care and Growing Tips Common name: Caladium or angel wings Scientific name: Caladium bicolor Hardiness zones: 9 to 10, annual elsewhere Light needs: Partial sun to partial shade Size: 1 to 2 feet high and wide Soil: Must have well-draining soil or the tubers will rot When you’re choosing new plants for your garden, chances are it’s usually flowers that catch your eye. But fascinating foliage can be a real asset to your garden too, and tropical caladiums are a terrific example. Their large leaves come in shades of white, pink, red, and combinations of all three. Caladium leaves can ..read more

Crape Myrtle Tree and Shrub Care Tips Midnight Magic crape myrtle Botanical name: Lagerstroemia spp. Common names: Crape myrtle, crepe myrtle, crapemyrtle, crepe-myrtle Hardiness zones: 6 to 10 Size: 3 to 30 feet Soil: Moist, well-draining Water needs: Moderate Light needs: Full sun Flower colors: White, pink, magenta, red Foliage: Deciduous, some foliage color in spring and fall Attracts: Bees, birds This fast-growing (up to 5 feet per year) woody plant flowers all summer long, making crape myrtle a popular garden favorite. “Specimen trees can be great for shade in the summer,” says Tracy H ..read more

Asian Jumping Worms vs Earthworms Amynthas agrestis, also known as an Asian jumping worm, can wreak ecological havoc in North American forests by consuming the litter layer.Many of us have been taught, over years, that earthworms are good—but that’s not the case for all species. Invasive Asian jumping worms (Amynthas spp.) certainly aren’t beneficial to the environment. The opposite, in fact. As an invasive species, jumping worms are harmful because they consume organic matter and degrade the topmost layer of soil. This can make the soil non-conducive to native plant growth and often leaves it ..read more

Rugosa Rose Care and Growing Tips Lotty’s Love rugosa rose Common names: rugosa rose, beach rose Botanical name: Rosa rugosa and hybrids Hardiness zones 3 to 10 Light needs: Full sun Soil: Moist, well-draining Size: 3 1/2 feet to 6 tall and wide Rugosa rose is a tough and adaptable shrub rose native to Asia. Its name Rugosa translates in Latin as “wrinkled” because of its leathery, dark green foliage. The plants can be heavily thorned. The blooms, ranging from white to magenta and rarely yellow, can be single or double. They are often quite fragrant, usually displaying an open center full of ..read more

Ripe red tomatoes at a farmers market Summer is the sweetest season for the tomato lover, but with so many types and varieties available, it can be hard to know which ones are best for your garden. Terms like ‘heirloom’ and ‘hybrid’ are often used to describe tomato varieties, but what do they mean and is one type better than the other? Below we explore the pros and cons of both hybrid and heirloom tomatoes and spotlight six outstanding varieties. Discover the worst mistakes you’re making with your tomato garden. Heirloom Tomato Pros and Cons Brandywine tomato Pre-date 1950, have often been p ..read more

How to Grow Stock Flowers Matthiola incana, commonly called Stock Common name: Stock flower, Brompton stock, Gillyflower Scientific name: Matthiola incana Hardiness zones: 7 to 10 Light needs: Full sun to partial shade Watering needs: Average, keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged Preferred soil: well-drained, fertile, pH of 6.0 to 7.5 Size: 10 to 36 inches tall, 6 to 18 inches wide Flower colors: white, pink, purple, lavender, red, yellow, apricot, blue, rose pink, bicolor or multicolor Attracts: Bees and butterflies Spiky, colorful stock flowers are relatively easy to grow and l ..read more

Are Cranesbill Geraniums Annuals or Perennials? ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill geranium Don’t confuse the cranesbill geranium with annual Pelargonium geraniums that fill garden centers every spring. All 300 species of cranesbill geraniums are perennials, which means they’ll come back each year. Learn more fascinating geranium plant facts. How to Grow Cranesbill Geraniums Scientific name: Geranium spp. Common name: True geranium or cranesbill Hardiness zones: 4 to 10 Light needs: Full sun to partial shade Soil: Well-draining Water needs: Drought tolerant once established Flower colors: White, blue, pink ..read more

Ruby Ann strawberries Sweet, juicy strawberries are a delightful summer treat—and are easy to grow in a home garden. These productive plants are perennial, returning year after year, and depending on the type, can provide months of mouthwatering berries. Planting a strawberry patch can save you lots of money too! Here’s how to grow strawberries in your backyard. June-bearing vs Everbearing Strawberries There are three main types of strawberries: everbearing, June-bearing and day-neutral. Everbearing strawberry plants fruit in early summer and again in autumn. June-bearing plants produce a heav ..read more

What Does a Fiery Skipper Look Like? Female fiery skipper A female fiery skipper has dull orange and dark markings, while males sport a slightly brighter orange, and dark, uneven borders. If you’re able to get close enough to spot the butterfly’s antennae, look for short antennae with knobby ends. Meet more members of the vast (and fast!) skipper butterfly family. Is a Fiery Skipper a Butterfly or a Moth? Fiery skipper on globe amaranth When you’ve found a skipper, you might first think it’s a moth. “Though they’re part of the butterfly family, they have characteristics of moths, too,” says Bi ..read more

Elderberry Bushes Attract Backyard Birds Cedar waxwings feed on elderberries This one of our berry facts is for the bird lovers. One of the best ways to bring in birds to your backyard is to plant bushes with berries. Birds that don’t usually visit feeders—such as stunning cedar waxwings—will readily eat fruit. Elderberry shrubs are known to feed more than 30 bird species, such as cedar waxwings, northern mockingbirds and gray catbirds. Plus, they provide shelter and nest sites. No space to grow a berry bush? Consider putting out grape jelly for fruit-eating birds. Raspberries Are More Colorfu ..read more