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The cultivar that I prefer to grow is Red Russian Kale, mostly due to the beautiful coloration on the stem — a light, pinkish-red hue that paints a stark contrast with the green leaves. It’s a cheap seed to get as well. Kale Microgreens Quick Info Flavor: fresh, milder than most other brassicas. Soak – No Rinse / Drain – No Germination – 2-3 days Ideal Harvest – 8-12 days You can either watch the full grow-along video or follow the step-by-step guide....

We’re not too fond of annuals in these parts. Too much trouble. Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’ With its deep purple leaves and long, colorful flower spikes, purple fountain grass is among the loveliest of the ornamental grasses. Alas, its beauty is fleeting. Hardy in Zones 9 to 11, P. x advena ‘Rubrum’ is grown as an annual in most of the United States. They were actually quite popular here in Austin, Zone 8b, for a few years, but I don’t see them much anymore – presumably because they couldn’t take our occasional chilly weather, and no one was particularly motivated to replace them....

Fresh zucchini is an integral part of the summer vegetable garden. Unfortunately, pests like aphids and squash bugs can cause damage and reduce harvests. While there are various methods available for getting rid of bugs once you have an infestation on your hands, it’s best to be proactive. Using physical protections, like floating row covers, is particularly effective if you are trying to grow crops organically. Common zucchini diseases, like bacterial wilt, can also be spread by pests....

Table of Contents The world of hydroponics can be a bit intimidating to someone new to the methods. Even the subject of growing medium can seem convoluted. Should I use floral foam? Growstones? Perlite? Oasis cubes? Coconut chips or fiber? Rockwool? Should I just go jump in a river and fish for rocks? Before you end up shivering from a frigid dip in the nearest river, look to this guide for information on a particular growing medium that is quite popular amongst hydroponics gardeners....

Read on to learn what to look for and what to do if your tomato plants have big bud disease. If your tomato plants have enormous flower buds and little or no fruit develops, you should examine them more closely to see if they have the aptly named tomato big bud disease. While this disease can be a severe problem in subtropical areas of the world, it is less common in the US, and typically is a more minor concern for farmers and home gardeners here....

Two types happen to grow wild on a family member’s prairie ranch, and I count down to the flowering period every year, spending hours traipsing around the farm, gushing over the vivid colors, surprisingly delicate petals, and variety of pollinators they attract. Easy to grow and care for overall, sporting stunning blooms, and complete with their own prickly characters, cactus plants are perfect house and garden additions, and they’re very popular these days....

For more information on how to cultivate this member of the Brassica genus, which is also called Chinese cabbage or pak choi, check out our growing guide. Maybe you decided to cook a new recipe, and after a cursory glance at the ingredients list you picked up some bok choy at the grocery store. But then you got home and realized the recipe actually called for baby bok choy. Your heart sinks....

Gardening can be hard work. Every year you pull out the tiller and plow through the rock and weed filled ground to make it loose enough to plant in. In addition there are tasks like amending the soil, planting, watering, and weeding among other tasks. For some people it just begins to take too much time, or too much energy. I used to plant my garden the old-fashioned way too. I would put in all that effort and my harvest would be mediocre at best....

Looking for the perfect plant to provide a new shade of beauty in each season? Look no further than kaleidoscope abelia. Table of Contents This particular cultivar of Abelia x grandifolia is a true delight. Each season its foliage shifts and changes to a new vibrant hue. From late spring into the fall, it’s awash in flowers. And best of all, it can tolerate compact spaces as well as open beds!...

If you would like more tips on growing this evergreen houseplant, be sure to read our complete guide to growing and caring for Norfolk Island pine. Evergreen Norfolk Island pine trees (Araucaria heterophylla) make festive indoor displays during the holiday season, and are easy-care houseplants when the holidays are over. But don’t wait until after the festivities are over to begin a good watering routine for your conifer – you’ll want to start right away!...

Ivy is one of the most popular plants to grow indoors, thanks to its handsome looks and easy to grow nature. As there are many Types of Ivy Houseplants available, it can become quite tough for you to take your pick, and to make it easy for you, we have put in the most exclusive ones to help you decide! Ivy Species There are many different ivy species that exist, but it is the English Ivy, which is popularly grown as a houseplant....

Here are a selection of plants that are simple to grow in your garden that can be beneficial to your health and prove just as useful as the synthetic products most of us tend to stock in our medicine cabinets: Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) Chamomile looks pretty in the garden, tastes mild but pleasant when utilised in teas, can be enjoyed by both adults and children alike, and has a myriad of health benefits....

The official classifications according to the American Rose Society are species (or wild), old garden (or antique), modern, hybrid tea and grandiflora, floribunda and polyantha, miniature (or miniflora), climber, and shrub. If you’ve ever tried to disentangle the many different categories of roses, you know it can be a bit, erm, confusing. Not to get too into the weeds here (who are we kidding, I could talk roses all day!), but when a rose is hybridized, it’s registered with the American Rose Society by the breeder or nursery....

Table of Contents The china doll plant was only introduced to domestic settings in the early 1980s. It’s a fairly compact plant that has became popular due to how tolerant it is of the warm, low-humidity air of most modern homes. It has medium to dark green foliage that’s glossy and almost look oily. The leaves are divided into separate leaflets and are generally thin and delicate looking. The blooms that occur on mature plants are white (but it rarely blooms indoors)....

My leeks were finally ready to harvest! I knew it was time to make one of my all-time favorite soups: potato leek soup. There are a few things I love about soups: They’re dead-simple to make They’re super nutritionally-dense They’re easy to make with ingredients from the garden! So I ventured out into the garden to harvest my leeks (see the full growing guide here). With a quick tug, they were out of the ground…but they were filthy:...

Of course, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few things you should know, but this article will give you all the details (and then some!). After battling finicky allium, ramp, and delphinium seeds this year, I was thrilled when it was time to turn my eye to planting borage. Borage is one of those plants that makes me feel like I am a world champion green-thumb. Whether I start them from seed or grab a few starts at the local farm, they seem to thrive no matter how neglectful I am....

The pink plumes of color make Muhlenbergia capillaris a true garden gem. One of the most sought-after members of the ornamental grass world, it’s also called pink muhly grass. Table of Contents Native to the United States, the tall flower stalks evoke the thought of cotton candy. Need a bit of deer resistant color? This will provide a lush pink glow in the fall. So let’s explore the vibrant flora from this grass family in more detail....

Senecio serpens is a popular filler plant that jazzes up any garden. The cylindrical leaves are dusted with blue-grey “chalk,” ergo the name Chalksticks. They stick straight up in the air while the plant grows wide. It practically gives the appearance of a sparse shag rug. Table of Contents Originally from South Africa, Chalksticks is easy to grow and maintain. With the steps we outline below, your succulent will be flourishing in no time....

In rock gardens, wooly thyme reigns supreme. This tiny-leafed plant is a perfect ground cover variety, and can tolerate poor soils. Table of Contents Growing thyme amongst your stepping stones is a great choice. While only tolerant of occasional foot traffic, it lets off a faint but beautiful aroma when stepped on. If planted out of the range of feet, it can be used as a culinary herb as well....

Growing Sprouts at Home is an easy, inexpensive, and nourishing way to provide necessary nutrition to yourself and your family. They’re pretty digestible and can provide necessary vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals! Check out our article on growing microgreens without soil here What are Sprouts? Sprouts are germinated seeds with infant plant stems, unlike microgreens, which are baby plants. You can also grow them without soil where the seeds produce two small leaves, along with stem and root....