Purple flowers include the upright spikes of salvia and blazing star, the broad blooms of clematis, and the small faces of pansies. Their shared color can hide very different needs. A sunny, dry border, a partly shaded woodland edge and a hanging basket each call for a different plant. Start by matching the flower’s shape…
How to grow milkweed from seed starts with the botanical name on the packet. Milkweeds belong to the genus Asclepias, and their needs change with the species, seed origin and growing site. A damp winter treatment that suits one temperate seed lot may be unnecessary for a California nursery’s locally sourced material. Start by choosing…
Types of blue flowers range from low spring bulbs and woodland perennials to trailing summer plants and flowering shrubs. Blue daze and baby blue eyes offer clearly blue blooms; grape hyacinth and balloon flower often lean toward violet. Choose by the plant’s identity, season and growing conditions as well as its color. A close-up can…
Deer resistant annuals can reduce browsing losses when the plants also suit the garden’s light, soil and summer temperatures. Consider ageratum, French marigold, mealycup sage, cleome or annual vinca for brighter beds, and wax begonia for shaded color. Edging lobelia suits cooler, moist conditions; polka-dot plant contributes patterned foliage in partial shade. Resistance means a…
How to grow zinnias starts with choosing a variety that fits the space, planting after frost in warm soil and leaving room for its mature branches. Tall cutting types and compact bedding hybrids need different handling. Give both sun, drainage and attentive watering during establishment, then adjust pruning to the plant you chose. A seed…
When to cut back hostas depends on the leaves: leave healthy green foliage in place, then remove the dying leaves and leaf stalks after autumn color fades or frost damages them. Clear the fallen material without cutting into the crown at soil level. A faded flower stalk can be removed earlier; it does not mean…
When to cut back irises depends on which part has finished growing. Remove a spent flowering stalk after its blooms fade, and keep the healthy green leaf fan. Clear dead bearded iris foliage in late fall or early spring. Where iris borers are a problem, cleanup after a hard frost removes old material that can…
When to cut back peonies depends on the type and the condition of the foliage. Cut ordinary herbaceous peonies close to soil level after their leaves and stems die back in fall, often following a hard freeze. Keep healthy green leaves after flowering. Tree peonies retain woody branches above ground, and Itoh peonies need a…
How to plant tulip bulbs successfully depends on choosing a draining site, planting during the local fall window, and measuring depth from the correct part of the bulb. Follow the instructions for your variety. Place each bulb with its pointed growing tip up and flat root plate down, cover with soil, then water to settle…
Black spot on rose leaves calls for checking the lesion pattern before removing foliage or choosing a spray. Irregular dark spots with fringed edges, yellowing around them, and lower leaves dropping after wet weather fit the disease, but other rose problems produce dark patches too. A rose that still carries plenty of green foliage needs…
How to prepare a rose bush for winter depends on which part of the plant cold can damage: the roots, the graft near the base, or the long canes carrying next year’s flowers. An established cold-hardy shrub may need little extra work. A tender hybrid tea in the same yard needs protection around its lower…
How to overwinter geraniums depends on whether you have a sunny indoor spot, a cool storage room, or space for a few small cuttings. A red-flowered patio pot can still look healthy when the first frost warning arrives. Act at that point, when the stems are firm and the plant has something worth saving. The…
How to store dahlia tubers successfully depends on keeping viable roots cool and frost-free without letting them rot or dry out. Lift them where winter threatens the roots, preserve the crown and neck, and pack only after surface moisture has dried. A storage box should protect living tissue through dormancy; it should never become a…
Hibiscus not blooming can mean low sun, excess nitrogen, pruning timing, root stress, or bud pests. Separate no buds from buds not opening.
Holes in leaves of rose bush usually come from sawfly larvae, leafcutter bees, beetles, caterpillars, or slugs. Match the damage before spraying.
Last Updated June 10, 2026 A jasmine that once covered a fence in flowers can turn into a tangle of bare stems, leafy whips, and blooms that sit too high to enjoy. A hard haircut usually creates more bare stems and fewer flowers when timing, plant type, and support are ignored. Pruning jasmine works when…