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In this brief article, you will learn the best time to divide asters, how to go about it, and why doing so is beneficial. Perennial asters have pretty, daisy-like flowers that bloom late in the season. Low-profile types add ribbons of color to borders while potted types make front elevations pop with curb appeal. Taller varieties make delightful bed anchors and foundation plantings, providing vertical foliar interest all summer long, before bursting with color come fall....

In the best of health, it is a floral diva aswirl in rich, jewel-like tones. But disrupt its ideal growing environment and it melts down, dramatically dropping leaf after leaf until its denuded stems make you want to avert your eyes. Garden croton, Codiaeum variegatum, is a showy foliage species for cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12 or it may be grown as a houseplant in any region....

Have you ever wanted to grow a lucky plant? Aglaonema, also called Chinese Evergreen, is a colorful favorite in China where it is considered lucky. Native to China and the Philippines, these leafy tropicals are easy-care houseplants with foliage that is a combination of white, dark green, pink, and other colors. Table of Contents NASA has placed the Aglaonema modestum variety on its top ten list of clean air plants because of the plant’s natural ability to remove benzene and formaldehyde from air sources....

Vines can make an excellent choice if you are looking for plants to grow on your property. They can enhance a property’s aesthetic beauty, add privacy, soften hard edges, and benefit the environment. Vines are generally low maintenance and can be easily trained to grow on gazebos, trellises, and arbors. Growing vines in the northern regions of the United States is easy if you know which plants to select. I have been growing non-invasive vines for years....

Broccoli is a delicious cool-season vegetable that many gardeners love to grow. Broccoli plants can become quite large, so broccoli companion plants are one of the best ways to maximize the space in your garden when you are planting broccoli for the season. Table of Contents There are many types of broccoli, but the most common is the Calabrese variety, which is sold in stores. This is a heading variety, which can take up several feet of space in your garden....

The Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) is an evergreen succulent that produces colorful bracts of red, pink or orange colors around the mini flowers like the poinsettia, continuously. It’s named Crown of Thorns due to a legend that the Thorny Crown of Jesus was made from this plant’s stems. This easy-care succulent houseplant is originated in Madagascar and can be grown indoors year-round in any part of the world. In areas with frost-free winters, growing Crown of Thorns outdoors is possible....

Have you been wondering what kind of grow light you need for that indoor growing adventure you want to start so bad? With the recent explosion of hydroponics, indoor growing, and the LED grow light industry, it’s no surprise that there are a ton of companies in the market right now. And with so many options, making the right choice can become quite a headache really quick when you scroll past dozens of lighting options....

An evergreen shrub, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a robust herb that is ideal for your kitchen garden. Rosemary grows equally well in the ground or in a container garden, just as long as it gets plenty of full sun. Furthermore, this Mediterranean herb is not particularly picky about its soil, as long as it’s well-drained soil. It’s easy to maintain and harvest. As a result, even novice gardeners should learn how to harvest rosemary, because anyone can keep it growing!...

Starting with clean seed is essential. If you can’t buy heat-treated turnip seeds, you can treat them with hot water yourself before planting. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris Black rot caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is a highly destructive disease of crucifers, including turnips. In fact, the disease was first identified on turnips in 1893 and remains a severe problem today. The pathogen spreads easily between plants and can survive on infested plant material in the soil for years if buried deeply....

I’ve got to tell you all, I’m ecstatic when I get messages from Epic Gardening readers. I LOVE opening up Gmail during a break from business and seeing urban gardening questions come in, so you better believe I was excited when a reader hit me up and asked a great question about plant spacing. She’s setting up a small hydroponic herb garden build and wanted to know how she should space her plants....

Today, we’re taking a look at a complete lighting kit from my friends over at GrowersHouse. I’ve talked about ceramic metal halide lights in-depth before, but realize that they might be a bit expensive for most growers to get started with. On top of that, the form factor of the bulbs isn’t friendly for those who are rocking a standard HID lighting system. Table of Contents Getting set up with a CMH grow light used to mean getting a new grow light reflector – one with the two-prong base that most CMH bulbs use....

Most of the time we talk about plants that you can grow and eat… Table of Contents But what about plants that grow by eating animals and insects?​ Enter carnivorous plants, a fascinating type of plant that gets most of its nutrition by preying on other living creatures! Here are 18+ things you didn’t know about carnivorous plants. Most of us know carnivorous plants from movies. They’ve been in a ton of movies over the years, but the most memorable is probably The Little Shop of Horrors ....

Well, I’ve tested all but #1! I hope you enjoy these tricks. Let me know in the comments if you have any of your own! Listen to this post on the Epic Gardening Podcast Subscribe to the Epic Gardening Podcast on iTunes 1. Be Em-bare-assed! Ever heard of the “Bare Butt Test?” Legend has it that many years ago, farmers would go out into the field, pull down their pants, and see if the ground was comfortable enough to sit on for a good period of time....

About the Society Since 1905, the National Audubon Society has operated as a nonprofit mainly concerned with the protection of birds. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. From the scaly-coned Pacific Silver Fir to the spiny-barked Devil’s Walking Stick, readers will discover over 540 unique native species and almost 2,500 color photos. If you read our review of the “National Audubon Society Birds of North America,” you know you’re in for a treat with the scope and quality of an Audubon book....

There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to grow it inside, though. Without proper care, your plant might struggle. The evergreen perennial that we call rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a popular kitchen garden plant. And why not grow it indoors? With its spicy-sweet flavor, pungent aroma, and pretty, needle-like leaves, this shrub in the mint family, Lamiaceae, can bring good cheer to your home as an herbaceous houseplant that keeps on giving....

It was a favorite tradition, but it’s a rare happening to see snow on Thanksgiving nowadays. As a gardener, these climatic changes are vital to understanding the evolving state of our yards and our gardens. Let’s take a little trip back in time… When I was a kid, I celebrated Thanksgiving with unusual aplomb. Part of it was recognizing the few days off from school as a prelude to a longer winter break, but the memories I hold most dear involve bundling up and taking a post-dinner hike into the woods....

Vines are the best way to transform the look of your dull walls and landscapes! They last for decades and get more beautiful each year! Here are some of the Best Perennial Vines for new as well as experienced gardeners! Check out Some of the Best Vines for Shade Here! 1. Arctic Beauty USDA Zones: 5–9 Botanical Name: Actinidia kolomikta Length: 15-20 feet Arctic Beauty grows beautiful and fragrant white flowers at the start of summer....

1. DIY Tripod Planter Create this decorative tripod planter to grow your favorite houseplant. The tutorial is here. 2. Tripod Planter Attach peg legs to a bowl using nuts to recreate this project for your patio or balcony garden. Visit Jungalow to get the directions. 3. Wooden Bowl Tripod Planter Grow your favorite succulents and flowers in a tripod planter made from wooden bowl and legs. Get the directions here....

I had the pleasure of helping some friends set up their first no-dig garden this summer. Around half of their growing space was allocated to tomatoes, a favorite summer treat. My friends would send me frequent update photos of the progress as they were eagerly awaiting to taste their first tomato. One day in mid-summer, I received a frantic text that something’s wrong. The first green tomatoes were all developing dark brown spots on the bottom!...

In this guide, I’ll cover how to grow chamomile as a ground cover to replace your lawn. Are you sick of mowing all the time? Why not replace that time consuming, resource draining lawn with a beautiful meadow of low-growing chamomile? Perfect for slopes and other hard to reach spots, a chamomile lawn requires no regular mowing, fertilizing, or watering. Furthermore, it can improve the soil, attract pollinators, and the flowers can be used to make delicious tea!...