Zone 6b - Mid-Atlantic Gardening

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.

English ivy (Hedera helix) is not native to the United States. It is on the Maryland state list of “non-native invasive plants.” It was imported from Europe about three hundred years ago by wealthy landowners eager to duplicate the landscapes they left behind, particularly in England.
English ivy has its positive side: it is a wonderfully […]

Growing from seed has become increasingly popular as gardeners recognize that they can obtain more varied cultivars from seed catalogs than from garden centers. Germination and survival rates are more successful indoors, too, because the grower can control the environment.