The Italian Bellflower is one of the best of all summer-flowering trailing plants. For generations it has been grown on windowsills and sideboards, its long grey-green stems tumbling down the side of the pot. During the summer these stems bear a profusion of small star-shaped flowers. The blooms are clustered at the tips of the
In these spring months nothing is better than enjoying your garden and open air space – if you are lucky enough to have one – but to make the most of your pocket-handkerchief plot you need to roll up your sleeves and take care of your meadow, plants and flowers. Following some useful tips you
Some people just seem to have a green thumb and a real knack for growing fresh herbs to make gourmet meals. Using herbs grown in a kitchen window can enhance any meal. Most people think that methods to grow an herb garden are complicated but in truth, they are quite easy. The great thing is
Fuchsias occur in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes. There are hundreds of named varieties of F. hybrida, with the familiar bell-shaped flowers hanging from the stems. These blooms may be single, semi-double or double, with colour combinations of white, pink, red or purple. A collection of these hybrids can provide blooms from
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is important perennial medicinal herb and native to North America, where the dried, powdered root was used by the Plains Indians as an antibiotic to cure rabies, snakebite and septicaemia. Purple Coneflower has traditionally been used to treat or prevent colds, flu, and other infections. Today it is used in homeopathic
Almost everyone loves grapes. These delicious low-calories fruit is small round berry that grows in clusters on a perennial and deciduous woody vine of the Vitis genus. Though the grapes are today cultivated all over the world, but they initially belonged to Mediterranean and European regions. These semi-translucent fleshed grapes are encased by a smooth
Spider mites may be having negative effects on your outdoor vegetable garden. Very small and likely to go unnoticed, these critters are not beneficial to your plant life. A spider mite may kill an entire plant if left to its own devices even a plant as sturdy as the dieffenbachia may be at risk, so
Summer flowers and bedding plants are a great way to instantly add color to your lawn. Summer flowers start appearing in garden centers in the early spring, but you should be careful to plant only after the danger of freezing weather has passed. Summer flowers produce the best results when purchased ready to plant rather
Asparagus is a hardy perennial plant. It rises to the height of five feet and up, with a vertical, branching stem, short slender tube like leaves, and greenish sagging flowers. The seeds, which are produced in spherical, scarlet berries, are black, somewhat triangular, and retain their germination powers four years. It is indigenous to the
Cauliflower is a member of the cabbage family. The word “cauliflower” means “cabbage flower,” and centuries of cultivation were necessary to produce a tight head of clustered flower buds in place of the compact leaves of the cabbage head. Although there are thirty-five or more varieties of this vegetable, there are probably not more six
The petunia can make a beautiful addition to the sunny garden. They range in height from 12 to 15 inches tall and come in a large variety of single and bicolor plants. Their bright shades of blue, purple, pink, white, red and yellow will bloom all summer. Petunias make wonderful bedding plants and when planted
Window boxes are a charming feature for any home. You can make the most of these miniature gardens by choosing the right flowers. To pick the right plants, you must consider the climate of your location, the amount of sunlight the window boxes get, and the amount of care you are willing to give the
