Zone 6b - Mid-Atlantic Gardening

Recently, one day when the thermometer hit 70 degrees, a lady came into the nursery and demanded to know why we weren’t selling impatiens already — the plants, not the seeds. Not satisfied with pansies, she huffed out of the store and said she’d find them elsewhere. Good luck with that!
I know, I know, […]

Cyclamens are a good alternative to poinsettias during the holiday season. The lovely variegated foliage contrasts nicely with the blossoms – ranging from white to pink to lavender, to purple, to red – that seem to float like small butterflies atop slender, erect stems. I’d rather receive a cyclamen than a poinsettia during the holidays. […]

If you had guests over for Easter Sunday dinner, chances are you might have received an Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum). To me, these are among the least attractive of lilies, resembling one of those alien plants that sprayed the Starship Enterprise crew in This Side of Paradise, the one where Captain Kirk and the crew […]

African violets provide welcome color indoors, especially during the winter months. It’s easy to generate new plants from existing ones – called “propagation.” There are two propagation methods: leaf stem (or “petiole”) propagation, and divisions.

The African violet (Saintpaulia) is an excellent flowering house plant, and these days there are more varieties than ever! Here’s a short primer on how to take care of them.