Harvesting As flowers fade, snip them off the flowering spikes with scissors to keep the plants looking neat. Very tall varieties benefit from staking. When starting the tiny seeds indoors, barely cover them with moist seed-starting mix.
Dwarf types make good edging plants for beds and containers. Harvesting Snip off spent blossoms to keep plants looking neat, and to prolong flowering. Notes Blue ageratum provides excellent contrast when combined with flowers with orange blossoms.
Cover the bulbs to four times their depth with loose soil. Troubleshooting Daffodils have few pest problems and are seldom eaten by deer. Allow 4in (10cm) between bulbs of miniature daffodils, and 6in (15cm) between taller varieties.
Valerian can stand 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall when it is in full bloom. Dried valerian roots are used to make a bedtime tea that promotes sleep. Harvesting Dig roots in fall or early spring and dry outdoors, because they release an unpleasant smell as they...
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Average to gritty garden soil with excellent drainage.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Chamomile Aphids (General) Slug Snail Notes Feathery chamomile foliage contrasts well with the textures of other herbs and flowers.
Moderately invasive. Position Full sun to partial afternoon shade. Spacing Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 5" (15cm) with 9" (25cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Start with a purchased plant, or start seeds indoors and set out at about...
If you like dried flowers, harvest blossoms when they have good color, strip off the leaves, and hang them to dry in small bunches in a dry, well-ventilated place. Colors include purple, white, and orange.
Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Average garden soil with excellent drainage. Heavy winter mulching can cause the dormant plants to rot. Troubleshooting Agastache has few pest problems and is seldom eaten by deer.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Lavender Aphids (General) Slug Snail Notes Try different strains, and even species, to find the right lavender for your climate.
Dwarf varieties can sometimes be found as bedding plants. Troubleshooting As cleome plants mature, the lowest leaves wither and fall to the ground. Allow 12 inches (30cm) between very tall varieties.
Snip off old flowers once a week to promote blooming time. Position Full sun. Locate lavatera near the edges of beds to make it easy to gather stems for indoor arrangements. Or, start seeds indoors to get a head start on the season, and set them out after...
Most tulips are hardy to -35F (-37C); cold tolerance varies with species. Harvesting Cut tulips to use as cut flowers just as the buds open. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Choose early and late-blooming varieties to extend the iris season. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Rich, fertile soil with excellent drainage. Troubleshooting Several insects damage iris roots.
Daylilies with dark red blossoms often do best with slight afternoon shade. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Fertile, well-drained soil. As the flowers fade in the garden, trim them off with scissors or pruning shears.
Position Full sun to partial afternoon shade. Becomes dormant in winter. Harvesting Use scissors to gather handfuls of leaves from early spring onward. Notes Established clumps produce beautiful pink flowers in late spring.
Notes Ornamental alliums often have a light lilac fragrance. Crop Rotation Group Allium (Onion family) ● Soil Average garden soil with excellent drainage. As the flowers fade in the garden, trim them off with scissors or pruning shears.
Try a snapdragon as the upright element in a mixed container. Gather stems when two-thirds of the flowers on the spike have opened. Colors include red, orange, yellow, violet, white, pink and many bicolors.
Frost tolerant Echinacea is a hardy perennial that survives very cold winters. Feeding Spread rich compost over the dormant plants each winter. Harvesting Dig plants in early fall to harvest the roots.
Spacing Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Sow larkspur seeds where you want the plants to grow in fall, or first thing in spring.
They are also attracted to lights, and can become a nuisance in outdoor living areas in midsummer. Tips: Orange hawkweed, an invasive weed from Europe, is a preferred host plant for this pest.
Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil. Troubleshooting Beware of sleepy bees when pruning or otherwise working with mature borage plants. Blossom clusters make beautiful but short-lived cut flowers or edible garnishes.
Harvesting Snip off spent blossoms to keep plants looking neat, and to prolong flowering. Notes Celosia often reseeds in warm climates, but not in an invasive way. Seed germination is fast and sure, but most gardeners buy celosia seedlings.
Pair gazanias with taller drought-tolerant flowers such as gomphrena and coreopsis. Harvesting Blossoms open during the day and close at night, so they are not useful as cut flowers.
Notes Gaillardia blossoms attract bees and butterflies, and the plants will bloom for eight weeks or more if old flowers are removed. Position Full sun. The strongest bloom time is midsummer to fall.
Flowers emerge in fall on bare stems. Allow unharvested flowers to remain in the garden until they set seed, if possible. Harvesting Despite their short stems, colchicums make good cut flowers.
Troubleshooting As plants age, they sometimes develop problems with powdery mildew. The plants will bloom for eight weeks or more if old flowers are removed. The heavy flowering varieties are propagated from rooted stem cuttings and sold as potted plants...
