Soil

Well-drained soil of average fertility.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

None. Morning glory is a warm-season annual.

Feeding

Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid fertilizer to prolong bloom time.

Companions

Melon. Vigorous morning glory vines will twine up any type of support and grow into lush, heavy-blooming plants. They are at their best on a sturdy fence.

Spacing

Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum)

Rows: 7" (20cm) with 7" (20cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Sow morning glory seeds indoors to get a head start, or you can plant the seeds where you want the plants to grow at about the time of your last spring frost.

Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Morning glory vines are fast climbers that will run up fences, poles, or taller plants such as sunflowers. Morning glory flowers close up during the afternoon hours.

Harvesting

Gather up the old vines after they are damaged by frost and compost them. Morning glories are related to tomatoes, sweet potatoes and other members of the nightshade family.

Troubleshooting

Many older strains of morning glory quickly become invasive weeds in warm summer climates. ‘Heavenly Blue’ and ‘Flying Saucers’ are safe choices because they set few seeds compared to many other varieties.

A leafy vegetable with large, light green , round leaves and red nervures in the center. Tolerant to heat but not cold.

This variety has large, light green, round leaves and red nervures in the center. The plant produces a high yield of tender leaves even in warmer weather. Amaranth will tolerate hot, dry and moist condition but will not thrive in cold temperatures.  

Day to maturity: around 40 days. 

Leaf shape : round

Cold tolerance : Excellent

Heat tolerance : Excellent

Harvest from sowing : 25 days

Optimal temperatures : 25~35℃

Optimal temperatures (Fahrenheit) : 77 - 95

Amaranth has many common names: Chinese spinach, edible amaranth, bayan (Malaysia and Indonesia), Calaloo (Caribbean), klaroen (Surinam),Xian cai (Mandarin) Yin choi/in tsoi (Cantonese) Hi-yu-na, Jave hohrensoh (Japanese). Its’ origins are in the tropics of the Carribbean, Asian and African, but now has spread all over the world. They are exceptionally nutritious plants, and from ancient times, seed and leaves of cultivated and wild forms have been used by man for food, medicine and animal fodder. Many exhibit striking colors in leaves and flowers and have been grown as ornamental plants in the west. Known as Red Calaloo in the Caribbean, it has medium green, oval to heart-shaped leaves that are overlaid with burgundy red. Comparable to spinach in taste, the leaves are a good source of dietary fiber and contain high amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is often used in soups. For practical purposes the Amaranthus species can be divided into the following groups according to their main use today: leafy Amaranths, grain Amaranths, decorative Amaranths and weeds. Because the leaves of all Amaranths are edible, all can be considered a vegetable. The leafy Amaranths are the best for cultivating. They are erect, branching, short lived annuals with an average height of about 35cm-150cm when flowering. Leaves are soft textured and go limp quickly after being picked. Both the leaves and stems are edible and delicious. The flavor can be described as ‘like artichokes’ and ’spinach with a bit of a twang’. 

12-18 Inches Tall

8-12 Inches Wide

Plant in Full Sun

Onion Chives are a hardy perennial herb that is easy to grow, easy to use, and plentiful in its harvest. New plants are ready for harvest within 80-90 days, but established plants will be ready much sooner. Chives are easy to utilize in the kitchen; add them to soups, salads, potatoes, spreads, eggs, and any dish you would like to add the crisp onion flavor to. This variety has green tubular leaves and lovely purple flowers that are also edible. The upright habit and purple flowers make chives a must-have addition to the edible garden, and makes it a great choice for borders and flower gardens, as well.

Chives are perennial herbs and can withstand a light frost. Chives onion have purple flowers and waxy green, tubular leaves that taste like onion. Flowers bloom in summer and are edible. Chives can grow up to a foot high and spread by seed. They have an upright growth habit that looks great in borders, containers, and gardens.

Annual zones 2-10

5-6 feet tall, space 18-24" apart

full sun/part shade, average water

Great cut flowers

Sow seeds 1/4-1/2" deep

Sunflowers are best used as outdoor border plants and can be planted in fences or crowded fields. They will bloom throughout the summer and collect seeds at the end of the season.

Soil

Average garden soil with excellent drainage.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Good. Where winters are mild, seedlings sprout in fall and survive until spring.

Feeding

Fast growth is encouraged by mixing a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting.

Companions

Echinacea, Oats and Monarda. Upright larkspur makes an ideal flower to grow behind shorter mound-forming bloomers.

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. Larkspur can be transplanted with care, but plants grow best from direct-sown seeds.

Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Well-pleased plants can grow quite tall and may need staking. In many climates, larkspur will reseed with a little encouragement. Colors include pink, purple, lavender, white and many bicolors.

Harvesting

Larkspurs make wonderful cut flowers. As flowers fade, snip them off with scissors to keep the plants looking neat. Pull up plants when blooms become scarce.

Troubleshooting

The biggest challenge to growing larkspur is getting the seedlings up and growing. Larkspur is poisonous to pets and horses, but is seldom nibbled due to its bitter taste

Soil

Well-drained soil of average fertility.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Limited. The varieties sold as bedding plants can tolerate light frosts, but are meant to be grown as summer annuals.

Feeding

Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. In summer, drench plants every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer.

Companions

Ageratum and Petunia. African daisies look best when planted in groups or masses, perhaps framed with dusty miller, ageratum or annual verbena. Osteospermum make great flowers for containers.

Spacing

Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum)

Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Only a few varieties of osteospermum are grown from seed. The heavy flowering varieties are propagated from rooted stem cuttings and sold as potted plants in spring. Set plants out at about the time of your last spring frost.

Notes

Osteospermum colors include pink, white, and shades of yellow. The plants will bloom for eight weeks or more if old flowers are removed.

Harvesting

When cut as soon as they open, osteospermum make good cut flowers.

Troubleshooting

As plants age, they sometimes develop problems with powdery mildew. Aphids may occasionally feed on new growing tips and buds. Pinch off large colonies.

Soil

Fertile garden soil with excellent drainage.

Position

Full sun.

Frost tolerant

Good. Where winters are mild, well-rooted plants survive one winter and bloom heavily the following spring.

Feeding

Encourage fast growth by mixing a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting.

Companions

Cosmos, Salvia and Celery. Upright and uniform, snapdragons make great accent plants when grown in groups. Try a snapdragon as the upright element in a mixed container.

Spacing

Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum)

Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

When starting snapdragon seeds indoors in late winter, barely cover the seeds with moist seed starting mix. Grow the seedlings under bright lights until they are large enough to transplant outdoors. Most gardeners save time by buying snapdragons as bedding plants.

Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Some varieties can grow tall enough to need staking. Colors include red, orange, yellow, violet, white, pink and many bicolors.

Harvesting

Snapdragons make wonderful cut flowers. Gather stems when two-thirds of the flowers on the spike have opened. As flowers fade outdoors, snip them off with scissors to encourage reblooming.

Troubleshooting

Especially in warm, wet weather, tired snapdragons may collapse from various root rot diseases.