Gardeners looking to add a bit of excitement to a shady corner of the landscape need to look no further than the Japanese painted fern. Known botanically as Athyrium niponicum, this drama queen boasts silvery sweeps of soft mounded foliage that are almost luminescent. Unlike the typical green fronds of other fern types, this species produces blue-gray foliage with deep burgundy stems. And to make these great garden plants even more noteworthy, they are very hardy and easy to care for. In this article, I’ll share all the ins and outs of growing the Japanese painted fern in outdoor gardens.
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Rainbow carrots: The best red, purple, yellow and white varieties to grow
Harvesting rainbow carrots is like digging for treasure; you never which color you’re going to get until you pull up the roots. I love growing purple, red, yellow, and white carrots in my garden as they’re just as easy to grow as orange varieties but add vibrant colors to raw and cooked dishes. You can buy pre-blended rainbow carrot seeds or you can mix your own. Keep reading to learn more about growing a rainbow of roots and the best colored carrots to plant in the garden.
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Aster Purple Dome: A fall-blooming perennial for your garden
When many of the perennial flowers in your garden are wrapping up their performance for the year, Aster Purple Dome is just starting to step onto the stage. Known botanically as Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ (syn. Aster novae-angliae), this late-blooming plant is a true star of the fall garden. Yes, the dark green foliage looks unassuming all season long, but when the days begin to shorten and early autumn arrives, things change. The buds burst open to reveal clusters of hundreds of inch-wide, daisy-like blooms in rich shades of purple. But this plant’s beauty is more than skin deep. There are also plenty of other reasons to include it in your garden. In this article, I’ll share Purple Dome’s many noteworthy traits and offer tips for growing it successfully.
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Basil leaves turning yellow: 7 reasons why basil leaves can yellow
The sweet-spicy flavor of basil has made it one of the most popular culinary herbs to plant in gardens and containers. It’s generally easy to grow, but from time to time you may encounter challenges like basil leaves turning yellow. This is a common complaint and there are several potential causes including overwatering, cool temperatures, or a disease like basil downy mildew. Keep reading to learn more about why basil leaves turn yellow and what you can do about it.
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Powdery mildew on squash: What is it and how do you get rid of it?
Whether you are growing summer or winter squash varieties, learning how to identify and control powdery mildew can lead to healthier, more productive plants. From blight on tomatoes to brown rot on peaches, food gardeners are all too familiar with how fungal diseases can affect the production and appearance of their plants. In the squash patch, a disease known as powdery mildew is often our biggest enemy. This article offers tips for identifying and preventing powdery mildew on squash, as well as a list of resistant varieties. You’ll also find details about organic spray products you can use to manage this disease in your garden.
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Preserving herbs: Drying, freezing, and more
Homegrown herbs are one of the garden’s greatest pleasures. Preserving herbs in a way that doesn’t negatively impact their flavor enables you to enjoy your homegrown herb harvest for months. In the following excerpt from the gorgeous and useful book Herbal Houseplants, (used with the permission of its publisher, Cool Springs Press) author Susan Betz sheds some much-needed light on how to properly preserve herbs via drying and freezing. Plus, you’ll learn tips for harvesting, as well as preserving herbs in butters and herb-infused vinegars.
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