Azaleas are among the most popular spring-flowering shrubs – and deservedly so. Their brilliant flowers can’t be beat for early season color. Caring for azaleas isn’t difficult, but one item many gardeners struggle with is azalea fertilization. Do you know when to fertilize azaleas, what fertilizer to use, and how to apply? If not, this article provides all the know-how you need to get the job done right.
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Seeding pansies: How to grow your own pansy and viola plants from seed
Pansies are among the first plants to appear outdoors at the garden center in the spring. And despite their sweet, colorful faces and sometimes intricate bloom markings, they are remarkably hardy. If you think ahead, seeding pansies yourself allows you to choose from a wide range of varieties to add to container arrangements and the garden. In this article, I’m going to share some tips for growing pansies (and their Viola cousins) from seed both indoors and out, as well as advice on how and when to plant your seedlings outside.
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Bridal veil plant: How to grow this beautiful flowering houseplant
Bridal veil plant is a trailing houseplant that’s perfect for hanging pots. Delicately pretty, the foliage of this unusual plant drapes down like a bride’s veil studded with tiny white “pearls”—three-petaled blossoms measuring just a little more than a quarter of an inch across. As for the leaves of bridal veil plants, they feature a deep green color along their tops and rich hues of purple to lavender on their undersides. This attractive foliage provides a dramatic backdrop for the veil’s hundreds of tiny white flowers. Whether you’re naturally drawn to foliage plants or you love a good profusion of blooms, the bridal veil plant has a little something for everyone. Learn more about how to care for this flowering plant below.
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Winter sowing: An easy, low-cost technique for starting seeds
Winter sowing is one of my favorite techniques for starting seeds because it’s easy, doesn’t take up indoor space, uses recycled materials, and is a low-cost way to produce a lot of seedlings. It’s also very effective for many types of vegetable, perennial, annual, and herb seeds. Below you’ll learn when to winter sow and get step-by-step instructions for sowing seeds in milk jugs as well as plastic containers.
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Monstera adansonii: How to grow the Swiss cheese vine
The Swiss cheese vine (Monstera adansonii) is a charming houseplant with unique foliage and a vining growth habit. With holes scattered throughout its leaves, it’s perfect for houseplant parents who are looking to add a bit of quirkiness to their collection. In this article, I’ll offer care advice for Monstera adansonii, along with tips for propagation and troubleshooting.
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Annual vs perennial plants: Understanding the differences
For those who are new to gardening, figuring out what’s an annual vs perennial plant is an important piece of information to take to the garden center. This knowledge helps determine how you plant up a new garden, or add to an existing plot, and it guides you to container arrangement options. Once you figure out what you need to put where, your seed and plant list will take shape. Where things get tricky is when you get into terms like hardy annual or tender perennial on a plant tag. What do they all mean? This article will share information about both annuals and perennials, and the variations that come with each definition.
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