Lamium

It is best to cut this plant back after the first bloom to promote compact growth. Use lamium in hanging baskets, in mixed containers, trailing over walls or as an edger, but spread must be controlled.

The weed species predominant in vegetable crops are well controlled, e.g. Chenopodium album, Echinochloa crus-galli, Galinsoga parviflora, Lamium spp., Matricaria chamomilla, Polygonum spp., Senecio vulgaris, Stellaria media, Urtica urens.

Magic Giant pairs beautifully with other perennials as well as shrubs in the border. The thick foliage emerges a bronzy shade of green, only to turn dark green for summer and much of fall, before taking on deep shades of burgundy for winter.

These and other less-known chrysanthemums will repel common damaging insect pests. Other perennials that make good companions for chrysanthemums include Lamium, which is a spreading ground cover and Eupatorium maculatum, or Joe-pye weed.Foliage plants...

No "critter-proof" designation is infallible because different rabbits like or dislike different plants. In times of scarcity, a truly hungry rabbit may also eat just about anything.Common zinnias (Zinnia elegans) and lower-growing creeping zinnia (Zinnia...

Lamium, or, spreads quickly and often has variegated foliage with sweet pink to lavender flowers.Hardy herbs like red thyme, golden oregano and creeping raspberry add culinary tones to the garden along with their bright blooms.

They help suppress weeds, cover tough-to-mow slopes, provide nectar for pollinators, and prevent soil erosion. Creeping Mazus ( Mazus reptans ) This ground cover is about as low as you can go, reaching only 1/2 inch high.

Shooting Stars are in this family, which typically has white, yellow and pink flowers. Euphrasia rostkoviana, Lathraea squamaria, Melampyrum pretense, Orobanche caryophyllacea and lutea, Pedicularis palustris and sylvatica, and Rhinanthus major and serotinus...

Monarch Watch classifies the varieties of milkweed by ecoregion. Lower leaves tend to dry up and wilt while the flowers are still in their glory days, so some mindful placement of medium-height plants can help with the aesthetic appeal of the awkward...

Dentata , whose flowers are daisy-like, instead of spikes. Some cultivars also have burgundy stems or foliage for additional interest. There are many different cultivars—some tall and some short—but all have inch-wide, mottled blooms that are long-lasting...

Their airy blooms might grow up tall, but the foliage stays low, so my view of the iris blooms isn't blocked. You also want to choose plants that won't grow up around your irises and hide their blooms.

As with other mints, it can be used to make a soothing tea and to help with indigestion. These plants are just the tip of the iceberg. Freeze or dry them, and save them for when you need a little help loosening mucus during cold season.

Answers: As a disclaimer, I have only gardened in New England. Occasionally we come across a question that we find particularly interesting or intriguing. A fertilizer with this ratio (3-1-2) of the major nutrients (N-P-K) and some micronutrients should...