For at least 12,000 years, humans have been clearing brush, digging dirt, planting plants, cultivating, weeding, growing, and harvesting—in a word, gardening! And for almost as long, these same humans have crafted tools to help them carry out each specific gardening function. We have developed tools to help break up and dig soil; gadgets to cut stems, branches, and roots; and devices to remove unwanted plants. The best tools increase efficiency and proficiency, and they are constantly improved upon, evolving alongside gardening and the gardener, and making every gardening task easier to accomplish.
Whether you’re a newbie just embarking on your gardening journey or an experienced horticulturist, you know that having the right gardening tools at your disposal makes tending to your garden and plants a far more rewarding experience. There are thousands of handy items in every garden center or hardware store, all designed to be useful somewhere in the landscape. But with innovations, upgrades, and refinements arriving every year, it’s difficult to know where to start when searching for new or replacement gardening tools.
I live in a fabulous climate where year-round gardening is possible. I’m also fortunate to have been a gardener for almost 40 years. And for this very reason, while recently shopping for replacements for various worn-out, broken, and lost garden tools, I found myself most attracted to those made with ergonomics in mind. The following may not all be brand-new to the market, but they’re recent discoveries for me that I wish I’d come across years ago.
Radius Pro Round Point Shovel
Because it has been a while since I last purchased a round-point shovel, I had never come across an O-handled version. I’m amazed at how much more gripping power there is, how easy it is to push the stainless-steel blade into the soil (and it’s super easy to pull out again), and how the grippy ergonomic handle puts so much less stress on my wrists than previous (admittedly clunky and old) shovels. This well-made tool is the perfect size and weight for my needs, and it comes in a range of happy colors.
Although on the pricier side, these pruners are well worth it and so beautifully made! The rotating ergonomic grip moves smoothly as you squeeze, minimizing strain, yet the cutting power is as good if not better than every other pair of Felco pruners I’ve ever possessed. Said to be well-suited for those with smaller hands, these work perfectly with my own not-so-small ones. The signature red handle is so cushiony and comfortable, it makes tidying up my 65-plus roses almost effortless. The product description claims you should only cut branches less than an inch, but I can attest that these pruners easily handle 1-inch-diameter limbs.
I garden a lot and have abundant weeds consistently threatening to overtake my perennial and vegetable beds—and I love this slim little weeder. It is solid, sturdy, comfortable to use, beautifully balanced for easily levering-out tricky taproots (e.g., dandelions). The slender design is perfect for squeezing into the gaps between my intentionally planted vegetables, annuals, and perennials. It also makes a wonderful mini-dibbler, as it has the perfect girth for planting out onion or leek seedlings.
The gnarliest landscaping jobs are made much easier when you have this sturdy, stainless-steel landscaping axe/mattock combo at your disposal. At 4 pounds, it’s relatively lightweight, yet it is well balanced and heavy enough to reduce muscle strain. Use it to break up hard clay (with the mattock blade) or to chop through roots (using the axe blade). A cushion grip and a 36-inch fiberglass handle give it extra gripping and swinging power. Pulaski axes are famously known for their firefighting attributes, so yes, you can do that too.
Mostly evergreen shrubs, chiefly from tropical America, belonging to the Pea family, Leguminosae. They grow from 6-50 ft. in height, have pinnate, dark green, glossy leaves, and bear golden-yellow flowers in terminal clusters in summer. Cassia is from the original Greek name Kasia.
Most Cassias are hardy outdoors in the far South only. There they grow freely in light, well-drained soil in full sun. Some kinds, especially Cassia corymbose, a South American kind, are suitable for growing in cool, sunny greenhouses. Others useful for this purpose are Cassia glauca, a native of tropical Asia and Cassia splendida from Brazil.
Greenhouse Treatment
Under greenhouse cultivation, a minimum winter temperature of 50 degrees is required. The best compost consists of equal parts of peat and loam with sand added. In February, the lateral or side shoots on the main branches are cut back to within three buds of the base of the past summer’s growth, and the leading shoots—those at the ends of the main branches—are shortened by half. They are syringed frequently until the shoots break into growth, and are then repotted in larger pots. When established, cooler conditions are maintained and they are exposed to full sunlight to ripen the growth for flower production in summer.
When to Take Cuttings
Propagation is by shoots inserted in pots of sandy peat in March. They are placed in a propagating case in a heated greenhouse and when rooted are potted in 3-in. pots, being transferred later on to 5-in. pots in which they produce flowers the following summer. To ensure bushy, well-branched plants the main shoots are pruned back to three or four buds and the side shoots are treated similarly. The plants need abundance of water during the summer when growth is vigorous, but little from October to March when the plants are resting, although the soil must not be allowed to remain dry for any length of time.
A Hardy Kind
Cassia marilandica is a hardy plant of eastern North America. It grows about 3 ft. high and has semi-woody shoots that die back to their bases in autumn. It has pinnate leaves and bears terminal bunches of yellow flowers in late summer. The plants should, in cold localities, be set in light, well-drained soil in April; the roots should be protected with a layer of leaves or similar covering in winter. Propagation is by division of the plant in spring as soon as growth commences. Seeds of Cassia may be sown in March in pots of light soil in a greenhouse, temperature 55-65 degrees.
Economic Uses
The senna of commerce is perhaps the most important product of the Cassias. It is a drug with laxative and cathartic properties, obtained from the leaves and pods of several kinds. Thus Alexandrian Senna is the product of Cassia acutifolia, a shrub found wild in Nubia and the Sudan; Arabian or Tinnevelly Senna is obtained from Cassia angustifolia, a plant common in Arabia, southern India and other countries; and American Senna leaves are produced by Cassia marilandica, a United States shrub. Pods and leaves are packed separately in bales and large quantities enter our drug markets.
Oxypetalum caeruleum is a South American member of the Milkweed Family which deserves to be better known. A reference to it in an English gardening magazine aroused my interest, and in the summer I sowed a packet of seeds in a flat. They germinated well, and in the autumn the little plants were potted up, and placed in the greenhouse for the winter. By April they were ten inches high and had begun to bloom. Set outdoors in May, in full sun, and in a. fairly rich sandy loam they flowered without a day’s interruption until the end of October when they were again potted and taken indoors. They have retained all their foliage, and now (arid-January) show signs of blooming again. I think it is probable that if encouraged to do so, they would flower eight or nine months out of the twelve.
The ultimate height of Oxypetalum – my garden, at least-is from a foot and a half to two feet. Although described as of trailing or twining habit, my plants have grown upright, with neat stiff stems that need no support. When broken, they exude the milky juice characteristic of the family, and the long pointed seed pods, filled with silken down, are also typical. The foliage is soft grayish-green and of velvety texture. The flowers are star-shaped, an inch or more across, growing in flat clusters over the top of the plant. They last for several days, even under the hottest sun, and are the only flowers I have ever seen which can be truthfully and accurately described as of the purest turquoise blue. This exquisite color is retained until just before the blossoms fade when they change to a pretty mauve.
Last summer the part of the border where my Oxypetalums were planted gave me particular pleasure, and since its charm was largely accidental arid owed little to any cleverness on my part, I may praise it without undue conceit. The edging was of Convolvulus mauritanicus and the low-growing Verbena bipinnatiflda: then came the Oxypetalum plants, with a generous mass of Aster frikarti nearby. In the rear, self-sown seedlings of Salvia France came up so fast that they were blooming by mid-June, and next to them was a large group of the decorative Verbena bonariensis, its tall slender wands crowned with helio-trope-like flowers. The silvery blue of the low-growing Verbena, Convolvulus, Aster, and Salvia, the turquoise of the Petaluma, and the soft reddish-purple of the tall Verbena made a delightfully cool and harmonious combination of color, which lasted in beauty from June until frost.
Oxypetalum caeruleum is not reliably hardy even in the British Isles but should be a good perennial for Southern gardens. Its exquisite color and neat growth, and its freedom of bloom over so long a season certainly make it highly desirable for the summer garden in northern latitudes, and it has been recommended also as a good winter pot-plant for the window or cool greenhouse.
by Antoinette Dwight caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/mavica/index.html part of www.biolib.de
Commemorating John Tradescant (died 1637), gardener to Charles I (Commelinaceae). A genus of 60 species of hardy perennial and greenhouse plants from North America and tropical South America. The hardy varieties are commonly called spiderwort, flower of a day,
Moses-in-the-bulrushes, or devil-in-the pulpit. According to some botanists the garden plants grown under the name Tradescantia virginiana belonging to a hybrid group known as Tradescantia x andersoniana.
Species Grown Today
Tradescantia albiflora, wandering Jew, trailing, fast-growing greenhouse or house plant with shiny • stems, swollen at the nodes, leaves narrow, pointed, South America; several variegated forms are known with cream and yellow-striped leaves, green and white, or with faint red markings.
Tradescantia blossfeldiana„ creeping or trailing greenhouse or house plant, dark green leathery leaves, purple and whitely-hairy beneath, Argentine.
Tradescantia fluminensis, wandering Jew, trailing greenhouse or house plant, often confused with T. albiflora, leaves slender-pointed, green, purplish-red beneath; several variegated forms, South America. Tradescantia virginiana (or Tradescantia x andersoniana) spiderwort, etc., hardy perennial, 14-2 feet, flowers violet-blue from June to September, eastern United States; vars. alba, a white form; coerulea, bright blue; ‘Iris Prichard‘, white, shaded violet at the centre; ‘J. C. Weguelin’, large azure-blue; ‘Osprey’, large, white,’ with feathery blue stamens; rosea, pink, rubra, dark ruby-red.
Where to plant and how to propagate
The tender species and varieties require a minimum winter temperature of 55°F (13°C), and should be potted in March or April, in ordinary potting soil. Avoid a rich compost which may cause the leaves to turn green and lose their variegations. Hardy varieties can be grown in ordinary garden soil in sun or partial shade. Lift and divide in autumn or spring every three or four years. Propagation of tender species is by cuttings taken from April to August and insert-d in pots of sandy soil in a warm propagating frame; they will root in four to six weeks. Hardy varieties may be increased by division in the spring.
The almost constant enemies of seaside gardening are wind, salt and sand. Frost, however, is neither so prolonged nor so severe on the coast as it is inland, and seaside gardeners have been able to grow many frost-tender plants in the milder climate of their coastal gardens.
Inland gardeners have little idea how powerful is the effect of coastal wind on the growth of plants, and because none or few trees or buildings present a barrier to soften its effect during windy conditions the wind sweeps continuously in from the sea. Wind stunts and it deforms—one has only to observe the fantastic shapes of trees close to the sea to realise this.
Salt can kill outright. It is carried in the spray, and when the wind catches it, it is often deposited many hundreds of yards inland. Few plants are able to withstand the continual battering of sea wind heavily charged with salt, which is heavily scorching to plants.
Sand-blast is often too lightly regarded by newcomers to the coast, though its effect can be quite as damaging as salt’s. Seashore gardens suffer badly from its searing effect when the wind picks up the sand from a nearby beach. Small seedlings are killed and adult foliage is bruised and blackened.
The only answer to the problem of wind, salt and sand is shelter, and it is not possible to create a worthwhile garden in extremely exposed positions on the coast without it, though where a garden has protection a very wide range of plants will thrive which would not succeed in frosty gardens inland. Many plants will grow only when given adequate shelter at the outset, and the planting of newly-made gardens exposed to the full ravages of gales off the sea is rarely successful without the aid of some artificial wind-screen.
Planting of shelter belts of trees on a large scale benefits from an open fence of a two-bar wooden structure interwoven with foliage of gorse or spruce. For small gardens there is nothing better than a fence of wooden laths, 2.5cm (1in) wide with spaces of similar size, set vertically on a stout wooden framework and posts at either end for driving into the ground. Avoid a solid barricade such as a wall, which causes wind-turbulence on the lee side, since the aim is always to filter the wind rather than obstruct it.
Plants which tolerate salt and wind are nowadays very largely selected from those grown in Australia and New Zealand. As a result of long coastlines and varied climatic conditions more successful seaside shrubs have evolved in Australia and New Zealand than in any other part of the world. Shrubs that successfully resist salt-spray are planted facing the sea. These are often equipped with toughened leaves such as are found in the genus Olearia. 0. haastii and 0. albida stand any amount of salty wind. Others have shiny leaf surfaces. Euonymus japonicus and Griselinia littoralis look bright and glossy within a few yards of the sea. Or the leaves of some may be coated with a gummy secretion as in Escallonia macrantha, enabling them to endure a coating of salt. Yet another form of protection is afforded by a multitude of tiny hairs which cover the leaf surfaces of grey-leaved and silver-leaved shrubs. It is a curious fact that most of these are well adapted to withstand the first brunt of a salty blast. Sea buckthorn, Atriplex halimus, Senecio laxifolius and S. monroi are among the best we have for prominent positions in exposed coastal districts. If sand-blast is a menace, tamarisk will grow with its roots in pure sand and is also useful for adding height to rough banks and walls.
Named after a sixteenth-century Spanish physician and botanist, Nicholas Monardes (Labiatae). A small genus of annual and perennial herbs from North America, with fragrant leaves and flowers, related to Salvia. The leaves are nettle-like, and the flowers have a spiky appearance and are clustered together in whorls: the color ranges from white through pink, mauve, and purple to red.
Species grown today
Monarda didyma, bee balm, oswego tea, 2-3 feet, scarlet flowers, sometimes in twin whorls, late summer; cultivators include ‘Adam’, 2-4 feet, cerise ; Beauty of Cobham’, purple leaves, pink flowers; ‘Cambridge Scarlet’, crimson-scarlet; ‘Croftway Pink‘, soft pink; ‘Dark Ponticum’, dark lilac; ‘Melissa’, soft pink; Pale Ponticum’, lavender; ‘Pillar Box’, bright red; ‘Sunset’, 4 feet, purple-red.
Monarda fistulosa, wild bergamot, 4-5 feet, purple flowers, summer, not as showy as Monarda didyma ; var. violacea (Violacea superba), deep violet-purple.
Monarda menthaefolia, similar to Monarda fistulosa, with mint-like foliage.
Where to plant and propagate
Any ordinary garden soil will suit these plants, but there must be plenty of moisture and good drainage. They will grow in the sun or partial shade. They can be planted in the autumn or spring and need top-dressing.
They can be separated by dividing them in February or March, or they can be grown from seeds planted outside in the spring in a semi-shaded spot or in March in boxes in a greenhouse or cold frame. Seeds germinate easily, but the plants will need weeding and any drab-colored varieties should be discarded.
Marigolds (Tagetes ) are annuals of great decorative value during the summer and autumn months. They are natives of Mexico and South America and belong to the Daisy family, Compositae. The name is said to have been derived from a mythological deity, Tages. These Marigolds are quite distinct from the Pot Marigold or Calendula.
The two chief types of Tagetes are the African Marigold, Tagetes erecta, and the French Marigold, Tagetes patula. The former reaches a height of 2-4 ft. and bears large, single or double flowers of orange or yellow coloring; the latter grows from 9 in. to 2 ft. high and the flowers are yellow, or yellow marked with reddish-brown. In recent years hybrids between the African and French varieties have been developed. In addition, two other species of Tagetes are grown in gardens, Tagetes lucida, the Sweet-scented Marigold, and Tagetes tenuifolia (signata).
The African Marigolds are represented by numerous handsome double varieties which bear large, rounded flowers in orange and various shades of yellow, on strong stems. They are extremely useful in garden beds and borders during the summer months. Much effort has been spent in attempting to develop a white-flowered variety and while not yet successful some modern varieties have pale creamy yellow flowers.
In the height of plants and form of flowers, there is considerable variation, and groups of varieties are designated in seedsmen’s catalogs as Carnation Flowered and Chrysanthemum Flowered. There are many other varieties with flowers in many distinct shapes and forms, and some even with odorless foliage. If the plants are well grown they will last in bloom until cut down by frost, and provide brilliant masses of color in the garden in autumn. They are useful as cut flowers.
When to Sow Seeds
The African Marigolds may be raised from seeds sown about 6 weeks before the plants are to be planted outdoors, in a greenhouse in which a temperature of 50-55 degrees is maintained. The seeds are sown in pots or flats filled with sifted sandy soil; they are lightly covered with similar soil and the containers are covered with glass and shaded from sunshine. If kept moist, the seeds will germinate in a few days.
When the seedlings are 1-2 in. high, they should be transplanted to flats 3-4 in. deep, filled with a sandy, loamy compost; they are placed 3 in. apart. They should remain in the flats until it is time to plant them out of doors after danger of frost has passed and the weather is warm and settled. For two or three weeks after transplanting to flats the seedlings should be kept in the greenhouse to assist them to become established quickly. Subsequently, they are grown in a cold frame, and as the time for planting draws near, they are hardened off by ventilating the frame more freely, and finally are fully exposed to the air.
It is also quite practicable to grow African Marigolds by sowing the seeds in the locations where the plants are to remain, but the plants obtained by this method will not bloom quite so early as those raised under glass. The seeds are scattered thinly in a well-prepared seedbed outdoors as soon as danger from frost has passed, and the seedlings are thinned out until they are not less than 10 in. apart.
African marigolds must be chosen in a location fully exposed to the sunshine; they are not successful in shady places. It is a mistake to set them in very rich soil, or they will produce rank, luxuriant growth at the expense of flower production. They should be planted 12-15 in. apart.
The French Marigolds
The varieties of these vary in height from 6-24 inches. The taller ones are useful for grouping towards the front of flower borders and producing cut flowers; the very dwarf ones are commonly used for edging flower beds. There are both double-flowered and single-flowered varieties.
Among the dwarfer varieties Naughty Marietta is popular. It has rich golden-yellow flowers attractively marked with brownish-red. The single flowers of Red Head have a crested center of yellow and maroon and surrounding petals of mahogany, bronze and gold. Sunny has single, bright yellow flowers marked with cerise at the bases of the petals. Ruffled Red has mahogany-red flowers edged with yellow. All these are single-flowered varieties. Of the dwarf double French Marigolds, some of the best are Spry, maroon with bright golden centers; Tangerine, bright tangerine-orange; Lemon Drop, clear lemon-yellow; and Yellow Pygmy, with tiny, light yellow chrysanthemum-like flowers. There are single forms of the tall French Marigolds, but these are not so popular as the dwarf varieties.
French Marigolds require the same general cultural care as that detailed for African Marigolds. They may be started in a greenhouse or raised from seeds sown directly outdoors. If sown directly outdoors the seedlings germinate quickly, provided they are kept moist. They must be thinned out in good time to allow them to develop sturdily.
It is a mistake to grow these plants in too rich a soil, for they will make vigorous growth but will not bloom very freely. Neither is it wise to plant them anywhere except in full sunshine, for in shade or partial shade they become very leafy, and their blossoming is disappointing.
African-French Hybrid Marigolds
A race of hybrids between the African and French Marigolds, raised in America in recent years, are named Burpee’s Red and Gold Hybrids. As yet the strain is not fixed and the plants vary in the color of the flowers they produce. Some are solid red, some solid yellow, others various combinations of red and golden-yellow. Flower colors vary on the same plants at different periods during the season. The flowers are double, 2-3 in. in diameter; the plants are bushy and grow about 18 in. tall.
These African-French Hybrid Marigolds require the same culture as their parent types. They bloom throughout the summer and fall and are good cut flowers. Because the strain is not fixed a few true African Marigolds usually appear among the seedlings. Even while they are very small it is easy to segregate these from the hybrids because the African type has green stems whereas those of the hybrids are red. The African Marigolds normally grow taller than the hybrids and should be planted separately.
Other Kinds of Tagetes
A Tagetes of very distinct appearance and of great charm and usefulness is T. tenuifolia (signata) pumila. In recent years this has been listed under the name of Dwarf Signet Marigold. It is a native of Mexico and forms a broad, bushy plant 1 ft. or less tall. It has finely divided foliage and bears a multitude of single, golden-orange flowers about 1 in. in diameter, each with but few ray florets.
Tagetes tenuifolia variety pumila requires the same cultural care as the dwarf French Marigolds and, like them, is a splendid subject for planting in groups at the fronts of borders, for bedding and for setting out as edgings to flower beds.
The Sweet-scented Marigold, Tagetes lucida, is an attractive species from Mexico that does not appear to be very much cultivated. It grows about 1 ft. tall, has fragrant foliage and carries its golden or orange-yellow flowers in dense terminal clusters. It requires the same cultural care as the other kinds.
In Greenhouses
All kinds of Tagetes are useful plants for growing in greenhouses for winter and spring display. They are elegant pot plants and are also useful as cut flowers. Some seedmen offer special winter-flowering varieties that bloom freely even when days are short and light is less intense than in the summer.
One of the best of these is called Lieb’s Winter Flowering.
For winter bloom, the seeds should be sown in August or September; for spring bloom, sow them in January. The seedlings should be transplanted to flats, or individually to small pots, and later potted in larger receptacles as needed. Pots measuring 5-7 in. in diameter are satisfactory sizes in which to let the plants flower. Good results may be had by growing either one or three plants in each pot.
The soil for Tagetes grown in greenhouses should not be overrich but well-drained. When the plants have filled their final pots with roots, weekly applications of dilute liquid fertilizer will be very beneficial.
At all times these plants must be exposed to full sun and should be provided with airy, rather cool conditions. A night temperature of 50 degrees is ample; on dull days the temperature may rise about 5 degrees and on sunny days 10 or even 15 degrees.
By supplementing daylight with artificial light (either of the fluorescent or incandescent kind) earlier and more flowers can be obtained from Tagetes grown in greenhouses in winter.
Origin doubtful, possibly named after St Veronica (Scrophulariaceae). Speedwell. A genus of some 300 species ‘ of hardy perennials, annuals and sub-shrubs, mainly from northern temperate regions. Those described are hardy perennials, their flowers often borne in spikes. Dwarf kinds are suitable for the rock garden.
Species Grown Today
Veronica agrestis, procumbent speedwell, prostrate, flowers pink, annual weed, Europe including Britain.
Veronica chamaedrys, germander speedwell, 1-1.5 feet, bright blue, May onwards, Europe including Britain.
Veronica cinerea, 6 inches, leaves grey, flowers pale blue, early summer.
Veronica exaltata, 5 feet, mauve in tall spikes, late summer.
Veronica. fruticans (syn. V. saxatilis), rock speedwell, 3 inches, sub-shrub, deep blue with red eye, late summer.
Veronica geritianoides, 2 feet, pale blue in slender spikes, May—June; vars. nana, 1 foot; variegata, leaves variegated,, flowers deeper blue.
Veronica x guthrieana, 3 inches, flowers large, blue, hybrid.
Veronica hederifolia, ivy-leaved speedwell, similar to V. agrestis, Europe including Britain.
Veronica. incana, 1-2 feet, leaves grey, flowers dark blue, summer; var. rosea, pink
Veronica longifolia, 2-4 feet, lilac-blue, late summer; var. subsessilis, royal blue.
Veronica pectinata, 3 inches, mat-forming, leaves grey, flowers deep blue with white eye, May; var. rosea, pink.
Veronica virginica, 4-5 feet, light blue, late summer; var. alba, white.
Veronica whitleyi, 3-4 inches, tufted, blue with white eye, June to August.
Where to plant and how to propagate
Veronicas grow in ordinary soil and a sunny position. They are propagated by division in August or in spring or by seed sown in the open in spring in light soil and part shade.
There are few herbs and vegetables that are so gorgeous they could work solely as ornamental plantings. ‘Dark Opal’ is one such plant.
The deep purple, slightly ruffled leaves make an elegant anchor to green foliage or a surprising contrast to colorful flowers like marigolds.
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Of course, it’s not all about the looks. Yes, it’s a beautiful herb, but this sweet basil cultivar also tastes marvelous.
You’re not giving up any of the basil flavor you know and love when you grow this beauty.
Most of us grow basil as an annual, since the leaves tend to become tougher as the plant ages and because it’s only hardy in USDA Growing Zones 10 to 12.
You can learn more about how to grow basil in our guide. In this guide, we’ll set you on the path to ‘Dark Opal’ success.
Here’s what we’ll discuss:
I’m sure you can’t wait to start enjoying your plants, so let’s dig in.
Cultivation and History
‘Dark Opal’ was bred by Dr. Joseph M. Lent and Dr. John Scarchuk, professors at the University of Connecticut’s Horticulture and Plant Breeding program.
The pair identified basil varieties from Turkey that had purple and green variegated leaves and decided they wanted to refine the plants to create a cultivar that was entirely purple, from stem to flower spike.
After a few years of selective breeding, they managed to create a uniformly purple plant with a pleasing flavor. It hit the market and was an instant smash hit with growers.
‘Dark Opal’ received the All-America Selections Bronze Medal and the All-America Selections winner in the Vegetable category in 1962, the year Ferry-Morse Seed Company released the seed to the market.
It wasn’t long before home growers fell in love with this cultivar, and the plant rapidly gained popularity in home gardens.
The vibrant hue is caused by the high level of anthocyanins, which is the same pigment that turns potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes purple.
Plants develop this pigment as a way to help them resist environmental stressors like drought, pathogens, and hungry herbivores. We mostly like them because they look pretty, but purple plants can also have numerous health benefits.
The anthocyanins responsible for the purple coloration can also alter the taste. In the case of ‘Dark Opal,’ the leaves lack the bright, spicy notes of your average sweet basil (O. basilicum), though they have a broadly similar flavor.
It has a more subtle flavor that is earthier than sweet basil, a hint of lemon-lime, and an excellent crisp texture, making it perfect when you want a bit more subtlety than the licorice-heavy Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora).
It’s no slouch in the olfactory department, having a stronger scent than sweet basil. ‘Dark Opal’ is slower growing than many other basil cultivars and it takes about 90 days for the plant to mature.
Growing from seed takes the longest, but they’re cheap and readily available, and you can produce lots of plants from one seed packet. If you go this route, consider succession planting so that you have a ready supply of ‘Dark Opal’ all summer long.
Cuttings require an existing plant and take a bit more nurturing, but they mature quicker than seeds.
Dividing grocery plants is the most expensive way to get started, but you’ll be able to harvest the leaves much more quickly than the other two methods.
As with other types of basil, ‘Dark Opal’ needs full sun to grow and look its best, but intense heat in the afternoon can bleach or burn the leaves.
A little afternoon shade is helpful, particularly in very hot climates. Just try to give it as much sun as possible since full sun helps the plant develop the best color.
Whether you choose to grow your plants in containers or in the ground, the soil must be well-draining. Amend garden soil with well-rotted compost or manure.
Choose a potting mix for container-grown plants that contains components like humus, moss, perlite, rice hulls, or vermiculite to improve drainage and aid water retention.
My personal preference is FoxFarm’s Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix, which has bat guano, peat moss, earthworm castings, and fish meal. It makes all my houseplants and potted herbs happy.
While ‘Dark Opal’ will tolerate a fairly wide soil pH range, slightly acidic to neutral is best, with something between 6.0 and 7.5 being ideal.
When you’re transplanting seedlings or nursery starts, space them about six inches apart to allow for adequate air circulation which can help inhibit fungal diseases.
The soil or potting medium should be kept consistently moist but not wet or soggy. Imagine the texture of a sponge that you’ve wrung out really well. That’s what you’re aiming for.
If you’re growing your ‘Dark Opal’ basil indoors, make sure the plants receive at least six hours of direct sunlight and that the container you choose has drainage holes to allow the water to run out.
Keep in mind that if you keep your home cool, growth will be slow. These plants need temperatures of between 70 and 90°F to really thrive.
For that reason, if you’ve started your seeds indoors, be sure to wait until temperatures are consistently above 50°F before planting out.
The plants should be fed regularly. A mild, balanced fertilizer applied once a month is just right, whether you are growing in the ground or in containers.
I’m a fan of Down to Earth’s products because they’re made with natural ingredients and come in compostable boxes.
Their Vegetable Garden mix has an NPK ratio of 4-4-4 and is made from fish meal, alfalfa meal, and kelp, among other ingredients. Your ‘Dark Opal’ basil will love it.
Plant in full sun, with afternoon shade in very hot regions.
Provide well-draining soil or growing medium.
Keep the soil consistently moist but not wet.
Maintenance
The only maintenance required when growing ‘Dark Opal’ is to pinch out the flowering tips. Follow the flower spike down to the first branch or set of large leaves.
Cut the spike off just above the branch or leaves.
I’ve made the mistake of pinching off a flower spike higher up, and it always comes back and brings along some friends. You really have to cut low, or it will just branch out and regrow.
If you want to allow seeds to develop, don’t cut off the flower stalk, but know that the leaves will start to become more bitter.
You can also pinch the stems back as the young plant matures to encourage bushiness, but this isn’t required.
At the end of the growing season, when it’s time to let your herb go to the big compost heap in the sky, pull the entire plant out, roots and all.
You know it’s time if there’s a freeze on the horizon or if the plant keeps putting out more flower stalks than new leaves.
Where to Buy ‘Dark Opal’ Basil
‘Dark Opal’ is exceptionally popular, and you’ll find it just about anywhere basil seeds are sold.
For example, High Mowing Seeds carries packets of organic seeds of this popular ornamental herb.
So does True Leaf Market, which has many quantity options. Bring home a one-and-a-half-gram packet or an ounce-, four-ounce, pound-, or five-pound pack.
If you want to try a bunch of different types of basil, including ‘Genovese,’ cinnamon, lemon, lime, and large leaf, visit Botanical Interests for their Six Basil Blend in either a gram or three-gram pack.
Managing Pests and Disease
I find this herb to be fairly problem-free because I generally grow it as an annual. Basil is technically a perennial, and if you grow it as such, you’ll probably encounter more issues.
Insects
Aphids, Japanese beetles, slugs, snails, and whiteflies will all feed on ‘Dark Opal.’
Aphids are oval-shaped and whiteflies are tiny fly-like insects in a white or gray hue. Both suck the sap from the plant and cause damage to the foliage.
If you notice the presence of either of these you can knock them off the plant with a strong stream of water from the hose.
Spray with some neem oil or insecticidal soap if a weekly hosedown isn’t enough.
Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica), on the other hand, aren’t so easy to address. Whether the larvae, pupae, or adults are around, they will devour herbs, vegetables, and ornamentals with equal gusto.
A few diseases will attack basil plants and unfortunately they can take hold rapidly and prove deadly.
Let’s start with the one that can kill your seedlings before they even have a chance to mature.
Damping Off
I really hate damping off. Your seedlings are coming along nicely, and you start to dream of all the dishes you’ll be whipping up topped with dramatic ‘Dark Opal’ leaves, and then tragedy strikes.
Once your plant is infected with damping off, there’s nothing you can do. Your seedling is going to die. It’s enough to have you swearing off gardening.
This soilborne disease is caused by fungal species in the Fusarium and Rhizoctonia genera, and species of water molds in the Pythium genus.
When it strikes, your plants will develop a water-soaked lesion at the base of their stems and then quickly collapse. Sometimes the tops die entirely, and sometimes they’re just incredibly stunted, but they will never develop into healthy specimens.
Downy mildew is a common disease throughout the garden. In basil, it’s caused by the oomycete Peronospora belbahrii. This pathogen is a recent immigrant to the US, arriving in Florida in 2007, but when it strikes, it’s bad news.
At first, it may seem like your plant is just a little bit sad, with some yellowing foliage, slowed growth, and maybe even some faint gray fuzz on the undersides of the leaves.
As it progresses, the entire leaf turns yellow, and the spores turn dark gray or purple as they become much more prominent.
At this point, your plant is in deep trouble.
Fortunately, ‘Dark Opal’ and other purple cultivars are less susceptible to severe infections, but you still don’t want it causing problems in your herb garden.
The best thing to do is avoid downy mildew in the first place.
Good air circulation, watering at the soil level, cleaning up any fallen plant debris, watering in the morning so plants have time to dry during the day, and purchasing seeds and starts from reputable sources are all important tactics.
If it’s too late for prevention, you’ll need to spray the leaves and stems with a fungicide.
Liquid copper, like Monterey’s 32-ounce ready-to-use spray, which is available at Arbico Organics, is a smart bet.
Use it every two or three weeks until the symptoms subside.
Fusarium Wilt
I stopped buying sweet basil plants at the grocery store because so many of them were plagued by fusarium wilt.
Plants infected with this disease, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. basilici, start to wilt once they’ve reached about their mature height.
If you look at the bottom of the stems, you’ll see brown streaks. As the disease advances, the leaves might start curling and turning yellow, and sometimes present with brown splotches.
If conditions are very humid or the soil is extremely moist, you might even see pinkish-orange spores.
Sadly, there’s no cure, and if this pathogen is present in your soil, it can stick around for over a decade. If your ‘Dark Opal’ is infected, all you can do is dispose of the plant and avoid growing basil in the same soil for at least ten years.
Harvesting
You can harvest the leaves individually or cut entire stems as you need them, but don’t take more than half at a time, to allow the plant to keep growing.
You can pull the leaves off by hand or snip them with scissors.
Preserving
Dried basil is a staple in most spice cabinets. ‘Dark Opal’ is milder than most green leaf types, so it’s worth keeping around for those dishes that just need a hint of flavor.
You can also freeze the leaves. First, rinse them well and allow them to dry. Then, lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and put this in the freezer.
Once the leaves are frozen solid, toss them in a baggie and seal all the air out. Put this back in the freezer.
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
You can use ‘Dark Opal’ in the same way that you use other types of basil.
Purple pesto is a vibrant surprise on the kitchen table, and the leaves look fabulous with red tomatoes, in strawberry lemonade, and marinara.
Or how pretty would the purple leaves be in strawberry, lemon, and basil infused water? Sound good? You can find the recipe from our sister site, Foodal.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Plant Type:
Perennial herb, grown as an annual
Foliage Color:
Purple
Native to:
Cultivated variety
Tolerance:
Salt
Hardiness (USDA Zone):
4-9 (annual), 10-12 (perennial)
Maintenance:
Low
Season:
Summer
Soil Type:
Loose, rich, loamy
Exposure:
Full sun, afternoon shade
Soil pH:
6.0-7.5
Time to Maturity:
90 days
Soil Drainage:
Well-draining
Spacing:
6 inches
Companion Planting:
Borage, marigolds, mint, nightshades
Planting Depth:
1/4 (seed), depth of root ball (transplants)
Family:
Lamiaceae
Height:
18 inches
Genus:
Ocimum
Spread:
10 inches
Species:
Basilicum
Water Needs:
Moderate
Variety:
Basilicum
Common Pests and Disease:
Aphids, Japanese beetles, slugs and snails, whiteflies; damping off, downy mildew, fusarium wilt
Cultivar:
Dark Opal
‘Dark Opal’ is a Real Gem
It tastes incredible, is beautiful enough to grow purely as an ornamental, and is packed with antioxidants. What’s not to love about ‘Dark Opal’ basil?
How will you use your plant? Is it going to add color to the garden? Or a bit of flavor to your dishes? What’s your favorite recipe? Share with us in the comments section below.
I grew up in the north, where my mother’s garden teemed with the intoxicating aromas of lilacs, sweet peas, and lily of the valley. When I moved to Oklahoma, I left these fragrant favorites behind and began the search for new plants to delight the senses. After trying southern classics like gardenia (Gardenia spp. and cvs., Zones 8–11) and summersweet (Clethera spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) which don’t much care for the Oklahoma heat, I landed on several plants that fair well across many climates.
A rarer sight in late winter containers, nemesia has a delicate scent that is a welcome way to kick off the start of the season. Flowers come in a variety of colors, including the light pink seen here from the cultivar ‘Opal Innocence’. Photo: Mark Dwyer
Nemesia is an unexpected choice for some winter perfume
(Nemesia spp. and cvs., annual)
Though pansies are the go-to annuals for winter color, their scent is delicate and elusive. A more fragrant option for cool-season blooms is nemesia, a lesser-known winter annual native to South Africa. In northern gardens, nemesia is grown as a spring- and summer-flowering annual, but in the Desert Southwest, they make their debut in winter gardens and containers. The flowers of nemesia come in a wide range of colors. Plants tend to stay on the smaller side in hot climates, growing 12 inches tall and wide. They will suffer when the heat of summer sets in and are best treated as winter annuals only, though they are technically a tender perennial and hardy in Zones 9–11. Plant in full sun and moist, well-draining soil.
Some say it smells spicy, some say it smells sweet. Regardless, Korean spice viburnum is a must-have plant for gardens throughout the United States. Photo: Kim Toscano
Korean spice viburnum exudes a sweet, heady aroma in spring
When I design garden beds, I like to incorporate plants that bloom throughout the year. The same is true when planning for fragrance, especially in the areas of the garden where I spend the most time relaxing. In my spring garden, few plants compete with the enticing aroma of Korean spice viburnum. The heady flowers emerge in April in my Zone 7 garden, opening pale pink and fading to white. Autumn brings black berries and burgundy foliage to this captivating shrub. Plants mature to 4 to six 6 tall and wide. Grow in average, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. This shrub benefits from afternoon shade in hot gardens.
Although tuberose can be a bit finicky to grow, its bold aroma makes the effort worth it. Photo: Mark Dwyer
Tuberose puts out an intense scent in early summer
(Polianthes tuberosa and cvs., Zones 7–10)
Living in a hot climate opened the door for me to try plants that could not survive northern winters. Tuberose is one such plant. This tropical bloomer can be finicky to grow, but the blooms’ intense fragrance makes it well worth the effort. My biggest challenge with growing tuberose is my clay soil—these plants prefer a loose, organically rich, well-drained soil. As such, I’ve found container life to be preferable. Tuberoses thrive in full sun, even in warm climates, but require consistent moisture. Give plants a deep drink one to two times per week for optimal bloom. Come midsummer, plants send up spikes of funnel-shaped flowers above the grasslike leaf blades. Blooms reach a height of 30 inches atop clumps of foliage growing 18 to 24 inches high and wide. In colder regions, the tubers can be dug and stored indoors over the winter.
A native that often flies under the radar, chocolate flower smells like Willy Wonka’s factory from spring through fall. Photo: Bill Johnson
Chocolate flower provides hints of Hershey bars to the midsummer air
(Berlandiera lyrata, Zones 4–10)
In summer, the unusual aroma of native chocolate flower is quite a delight. Growing in dry, rocky plains, grasslands, and roadsides from southwestern Kansas to Arizona and south to central Mexico, this aster develops a long taproot that gives plants excellent drought tolerance. The flowers smell like chocolate—hence the common name—and are most fragrant on warm days in the morning. Provide full sun and dry to medium well-draining soils. Plants grow 2 feet tall and wide and bloom from spring through frost (year-round in frost-free areas).
Abelias can’t be beat for the second flush of fragrant flowers in autumn. Cultivars like ‘Rose Creek’ (pictured) offer a last stop of refuge for thirsty migrating pollinators as well. Photo: Kim Toscano
Abelia gives off a traditional floral fragrance in fall
Autumn brings with it a surge of abelia blossoms with their jasmine-like aroma and rich nectaries that attract scores of pollinators. The flowers of these shrubs can be white to pink and even yellow, depending on the cultivar. Blossoms cover the plants from spring to early summer with a repeat bloom in September, when they put on an especially brilliant show. The shrubs mature to 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, with many compact varieties available. Abelia is easy to grow in full sun to partial shade, flowering best with more exposure. It also thrives in any well-draining soil. Established plants are drought tolerant. Abelia is excellent for massing on slopes for erosion control or planting as a natural hedge.
Flowers produce a range of fragrances to attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. When you plant these and other sweet or spicy scented blooms in the garden, you will likely attract a variety of pollinators that add to the garden’s delights.
—Kim Toscano is a horticulturalist, entomologist, garden designer, writer, and graphic designer. She previously hosted Oklahoma Gardening, a weekly PBS television program produced by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
I wrote the following eight years ago and found it again yesterday. It still holds up!
Have you ever read through a gardening book and decided to do what it said… only to have everything fall apart?
Your raised beds are too dry, your carefully transplanted tomatoes are devoured by insects and your cucumbers are freakish little yellow things with bumpy green nipples.
That’s the way it goes in the real world, isn’t it? I’m almost convinced that the pictures in gardening books are completely created pixel by pixel by crack teams of graphic designers, just to mess with us.
If you press on despite your failures, however, and keep gardening from year to year, learning as you go – things will change. I’ve shared my thoughts here before on the value of experimentation… but today I’m doing it again!
I started gardening when I was six and killed most of what I planted. By the time I was a teenager, I knew pretty well what I could grow and what I couldn’t. By the time I was in my thirties, I was an expert and felt the time had come to start writing gardening books and sharing what I had learned.
Hardly a year has passed in my life where I didn’t have at least one garden. Even in college I was teased by my friends for bringing home-grown icicle radishes to class.
Yet though I’m a “good” gardener now, I still have failures in every year’s garden. Not only do I expect them – I actively encourage those failures!
No, I’m not pouring rock salt into my beds or trying to grow alpine species in a tropical climate (yet), but I do plant new things all the time just to see what happens. I also plant reliable crops in new ways to see if it will help or hinder their growth.
One year I buried slaughter wastes and raw manure into pits and planted squashes on top of them. (Success: the vines grew like crazy and needed no additional fertilizing.) Another year I tried grafting fig scions onto my mulberry tree. (Fail: though the species are related, they wouldn’t take.) At another point, I decided to mix raw manure, compost and weeds together in a barrel of water to rot for a few months, and then use that anaerobic “tea” to water my greenhouse plants. (Success: nothing was burned and their growth was rich and green.)
These experiments lead to other experiments and sometimes some amazing successes. I’ve managed to grow Key limes, coffee and black pepper vines outdoors in North Florida on the south-facing wall of my house. I’ve also successfully grafted peaches, Japanese plums and nectarines onto wild Florida Chickasaw plums and gotten great fruit.
On the other hand, I killed a few almond and sweet cherry trees I was trying to grow in the Ocala area. I burned my kale badly by side-dressing with hot chicken manure. And my attempt to grow dent corn in the front lawn without fertilizer? Nope!
The best way to become a better gardener is to… garden! Garden with exuberance, not fear. Know that God designed nature as a complex machine and we can only steer it a little bit. The sun, the rain (or lack thereof), the insects, the weeds – many of these are outside our control.
Yet if we learn a little more each year, we’ll get better and our “luck” will improve. Some plants just aren’t suited to Florida and take a lot of work (hello, beefsteaks!). Others grow like weeds, such as the amazing “yard-long bean” from Southeast Asia.
If you try planting pumpkins one year and they don’t work out, don’t give up. There’s always a new variety or species you can try. You might have planted them too early or too late. The soil may have been too sandy or filled with nematodes. That year may have been a bad one for bugs.
What I do is plant a bunch of different things and then see what does well. If a plant fails the first year, I don’t necessarily give up on it. I might try again. If it fails the next year as well, I’m putting it aside for a while. If a plant does great the first year, I’ll definitely plant it again. And I also look for relatives that might do well. If you’re having good luck with kohlrabi, why not try some cabbages too? If you get great cherry tomatoes, plant some peppers the same way!
Experiment. Watch. Learn. Try again.
You CAN have a green thumb. It might take killing a lot of plants first, but you’ll get there. Eventually you’ll be harvesting plenty for the table… and people will be asking you what to grow.
Don’t give up. If you need encouragement, stop by my website or look up “David The Good” to see my entertaining gardening videos on YouTube. I share my successes and my failures almost every day. If I can go from killing almost everything to being a garden author, you can certainly beat the odds and feed your family good produce from a backyard plot.
Every gardener wishes they had 25 acres to garden on, right? Well maybe not, but most of us do dream of a healthy amount of ground to build beds and borders to our hearts’ desire. The reality of homeowners today, however, is that land is expensive and typical suburban lots have decreased in size steadily since the 1970s. And smaller lots mean smaller gardens. That isn’t an issue though, if you select plants that are polite and “stay in their lane” as the kids say. On this episode Danielle and Carol talk about compact plants that are prefect for tighter spaces. We’ve got several perennials, one annual, and even a few well-behaved shrubs that made the list. Filling your tiny plot with these beauties will enable you to have a wide variety of colors and textures without sacrificing an enormous amount of precious square footage.
Guest: Julie Lane Gay lives and gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she previously owned a nursery specializing in climbers and perennials.
Danielle’s Plants
Creeping variegated gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides ‘Radicans Variegata’, Zones 8-11)
‘Prairie Moon’ rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium ‘Prairie Moon’, Zones 3-8)
Spicy Devil® ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘ZLENATALIE’, Zones 3-7)
‘Jack of Diamonds’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack of Diamonds’, Zones 3-8)
Carol’s Plants
Ivory Halo® dogwood,Photo: courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
Neon Burst™ dogwood,Photo: courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
Ivory Halo® dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Bailhalo’, Zones 3-7)
Are you looking to create wow factor in your hanging basket or container garden displays? This list of the best trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots has twenty fantastic varieties to help you do just that.
Low maintenance outdoor hanging plants
In this post I’ve listed lots of outdoor trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots that will give your containers oomph and help to increase their overall impact. You’ll also find tips on planting and caring for your container garden, so you can keep it looking fantastic for months.
Why trailing plants are brilliant for outdoor hanging baskets and container gardens
There are lots of good reasons why you should definitely consider trailing container plants for pots or a hanging basket arrangement.
First of all, trailing plants look great! There’s a wide range of different varieties to choose from, and you can use them to provide colour, texture, contrast, foliage and scent in your container displays – just like you would with a plant that doesn’t trail.
Another good reason to grow trailing container plants is all about volume. Because they spill over the sides, they allow you to ‘green up’ a larger area than the surface of the soil alone. This means you can create a bigger impact in a smaller space, which is great for small space gardening or compact pots and baskets.
Cascading plants are also brilliant when it comes to disguising a less-than-lovely basket or pot. You can use them to cover up a multitude of sins!
Many trailing plants for containers are ideal for helping you garden for wildlife too. You can use them to boost the amount of food and shelter available to local wildlife without taking up lots of room.
What plants go together in a hanging basket?
Before we get onto the best trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots, I want to share a super-simple but seriously clever trick for wow factor containers.
The “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” approach is loved by gardening professionals, and for good reason. Trailing container plants play a key role in this easy plant hack that creates show-stopping hanging baskets and containers.
Here’s how you can copy the pros and design amazing hanging displays.
1. Start with a Thriller plant. This is the main attraction in your container, so it tends to be bigger or taller than the other plants. Positioning your Thriller plant in the centre of your hanging basket or pot works well.
2. Next, you need some Filler plants to – you’ve guessed it – fill up your container. The aim with these is to deliver a splash of colour and interest closer to the soil. We’re not trying to compete with the Thriller plant here; instead think of your fillers as providing an interesting backdrop with colour, texture and shape.
3. Your Spiller plants are your trailing plants. These should be planted close to the edge of the container, so they can cascade over the sides easily. As well as increasing the size of your plant display, spillers are excellent for balancing out the height of other plants in your container.
How many plants do you put in a hanging basket?
If you’re hanging trailing plants outdoors, the ideal quantity you need depends on the size of your container.
It’s tempting to really pack the plants in for a big impact, but don’t forget that those plants will get bigger. Remember also that each plant relies on a limited amount of compost for nutrients, so the more plants you squeeze in, the quicker that compost will become exhausted and stop supporting the plants as well.
A sensible approach is to allow a little bit of room around each plant when you plant up your container. It’s also a very good idea to feed your plants regularly – more on that later.
The best low maintenance trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots
Ready to dive into the world of cascading plants for hanging baskets and pots? Here are my favourite trailing plants for container gardens. I’ve included flowering hanging plants, foliage plants and edible plants, so it’s a one-stop shop for trailing plant inspiration.
Flowering trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots
When it comes to flowering trailing plants for window boxes, baskets and pots, you’ve got lots of fantastic options. Here’s my selection of the best trailing flowers for hanging baskets and container displays.
Trailing Fuchsia
A favourite with many gardeners, fuchsia plants have beautiful bell-shaped, showy flowers that nod from the stems and last all summer. A trailing variety of this flowering plant will add froth and lots of colour to a hanging basket or pot. The flowers will dance in the breeze too, so you’ll also be able to enjoy a bit of movement.
Trailing Lobelia
I love using trailing lobelia in containers; I think it’s one of the best hanging basket plants you can choose. The tiny flowers are perfect for softening edges, and the plant will bloom for months. You don’t need to deadhead it either. It works well as a contrast to plants with larger flowers, or mixed in with trailing foliage plants.
Make sure you buy the trailing variety of lobelia, as it’s also available as an upright plant.
Trailing petunia (Calibrachoa)
If you want an easy to grow plant that produces lots of flowers, go for trailing petunias (also known as Calibrachoa or million bells). You can get months of interest from these easy-going annuals, and there are some fabulous patterned and double varieties available if you like the idea of mixing things up a bit.
Bacopa
Another candidate for small flowers, Bacopa is covered in dainty blooms and will put on a show from late spring right through to autumn.
Trailing pelargoniums
Geraniums (or pelargoniums) are a much-loved plant for pots and baskets, but did you know you can buy trailing varieties?
These are often referred to as ivy-leafed trailing geraniums, and are available in shades of pink, red, white and purple flowers. Use them to add a pop of colour to a mixed display, or combine them with standard geraniums for a more contemporary look.
Trailing Begonias
Begonias are another firm favourite for pots, and the trailing varieties are extra-useful for turning up the volume on your displays. There are loads of colours to choose from too.
Black-eyed Susan vine
Black eyed Susan vine, or Thunbergia alata, is a less well-known trailing plant for hanging baskets and pots, but well worth considering. It’s a climber, but will be happy spilling over the edge of containers too. The flowers are quite big, so it works well in larger containers. Black-eyed Susans are native to east Africa so will enjoy warm conditions and a sheltered spot in the garden, or you can grow it in a conservatory.
Trailing Verbena
These popular bedding plants are reliable and unfussy, producing an abundance of flowers on dense foliage. Trailing Verbena is great for bulking out your pots and will happily fill in any gaps.
Trailing Pansies
Pansies are a go-to plant for winter and spring containers, and by including a trailing pansy variety you can get all the benefits of these hardy, colourful plants with the added cascade factor. ‘Cool Wave’ is a popular mix of trailing pansies which includes yellows, purples and white tones.
Outdoor trailing plants for foliage in hanging baskets and pots
It’s a good idea to include foliage plants in any container display. They’re fantastic for adding texture and colour contrast, and work hard to showcase their flower neighbours.
If you’re wondering what to put in hanging baskets besides flowers, here are some great trailing hanging basket plants for foliage.
Creeping jenny
Creeping jenny is also known as Lysimachia. It’s an evergreen trailing plant, so it’s good for container displays at any time of year. Grow it for the lovely lime green foliage, but it also produces small yellow flowers. A great backdrop plant to showcase your flowers.
Calocephalus
I don’t know whether this is strictly a trailing plant, but I often use Calocephalus as a spiller in my containers. It has lovely delicate silver stems that tumble over edges as the plant grows bigger. Combine this one with shades of purple and pink flowers for a cool, modern look.
Ivy
Ivies are cheap, readily available evergreen trailing plants for hanging baskets. English ivy is also a fabulous source of shelter and food for garden wildlife. And trailing ivy is an extremely tough plant, so if you tend to neglect your containers it’s definitely one to consider.
You could go for a variegated variety to add interest, or an all-green variety for a subtle backdrop to your other plants.
Vinca
If you grow trailing Vinca (also called trailing periwinkle) in the ground, it will scramble all over the place, and it’s this urge to spread that makes it a good trailing plant for hanging baskets and pots. You can avoid it taking over the garden too!
Helichrysum petiolare
Another great evergreen plant for pots, Helichrysum petiolare (or liquorice plant) has pale stems and grey-green leaves. The leaves have a felt-like texture, so this is also a great plant for a tactile display.
Tradescantia Zebrina
The leaves on Tradescantia (which is also known as inch plant) are a thing of beauty. They’re striped on top and purple underneath, so you get an abundance of colour and interest. This foliage plant is often grown indoors, but you can get away with a warm, sheltered spot outside.
Trailing ferns
If you think of ferns as being solely upright plants, think again. Some types have a trailing habit and are well-suited to hanging baskets and pots. Popular varieties include Boston fern, maidenhair fern and lady fern.
Silver Falls Dichondra
If you’d like some silver-grey in the mix, Dichondra argentea, or silver nickel vine, is a brilliant tender perennial trailing foliage plant (take a look at my guide to annual vs. perennial plants if you’re not sure what perennials are). The unusually shaped leaves will complement shades of pink and purple, and work beautifully in white plant arrangements too.
Trailing sedums (trailing succulents)
Love your succulents? Go for a trailing variety of sedum such as ‘Redhead’, “Bluebubbles” or “Moss sedum’ in your containers. These hanging succulent plants provide foliage at soil level, and will happily creep over the edges of a pot too.
Edible trailing plants for hanging baskets
Your trailing pot plants can taste good as well as look good! Here are three great edible trailing plants for containers.
Strawberries
Strawberry plants work really well in hanging baskets and pots. By raising them off the ground you can protect the fruit from slugs and snails, plus it’s easier to pick the fruit. They look great too! Grow your plants in direct sunlight for best results – they love a sunny spot.
Tomatoes
You don’t need a grow bag to grow tomatoes; they will be perfectly content in a pot or hanging basket. You need to go for a bush variety rather than a cordon variety; *Tumbling Tom and Balconi Red are both an excellent choice for cherry tomatoes.
Nasturtiums
This trailing plant could also sit very well in the flowering category. The bright orange flowers are great for making a statement, but they’re also edible, so you can pick them for salads and garnishes. Trailing nasturtiums are tough plants that grow quickly, and they will tolerate poor soil and a bit of neglect. Definitely a great contender for a low maintenance container garden.
The best tools for planting hanging basket and outdoor pots
Gardening in pots and hanging baskets is very straightforward, and you won’t need lots of fancy equipment and tools. Having said that, having a few basic pieces of kit will definitely make things easier.
Top of my list is a good *hand trowel. You’ll use this all the time to fill your containers with compost, and top up gaps around your plants. Go for a size that’s well-suited to your hanging basket or pot; you might find that child-sized tools work best if your containers are on the small side.
Next up is a decent pair of *gardening gloves to protect your hands. This is very much an area where personal preference is important, but don’t be too distracted by pretty designs! You need a pair that fit well and allow you to move your hands easily when you’re wearing them.
I also think a pair of *secateurs or *snips are a must-have to help you maintain your plants. In my experience snips are particularly good for small spaces and hanging baskets.
Finally, make sure you’ve got a *watering can. I use a *mini watering can for my hanging baskets; you can lift these up high more easily, plus they don’t provide a deluge of water that floods your basket too quickly.
Trailing flowers for pots: choosing hanging baskets and containers
You’re spoilt for choice with the range of hanging baskets and pots available for outdoor plant displays. Whatever style you’re after, you can probably find it. Just make sure you think about these key areas before you buy:
Your hanging basket or pot needs drainage holes. Without them, your plants will sit in a puddle of water, and that can quickly kill them. Don’t buy anything that doesn’t already have holes, or an easy way to make some yourself.
You may need to also buy a liner for hanging baskets. Check the size, and if in doubt buy one that’s larger than your basket so you can trim it down.
Pay attention to the hook on a hanging basket. It needs to be strong and sturdy; once the basket is full of compost, plants and water it will be surprisingly heavy.
Go for a basket that can comfortably hold the number of plants you want to grow. Always allow a bit of room for them to fill as they get bigger.
You can also upcycle household objects to make unique plant containers. Here are a few ideas for things that work well:
An old colander with a hanging basket liner, hung up with string
A broken watering can – hang it up by the handle, or stand it on the ground
A large teacup and saucer
Tin cans – hang them up with string, or display on a wall or windowsill
An old tyre
Old wellies – colourful kids wellies work really well
A teapot – hang it up by the handle, or put it on the ground
Whatever you go for, don’t forget those all-important drainage holes.
What is the best soil for hanging baskets and pots?
The compost you use is a really important part of gardening in hanging baskets and pots.
Plants grown in containers only have access to a limited amount of nutrients, because the compost itself is limited. This means at some point the plants will use up all the nutrients, and when this happens they start to struggle. We all tend to pack lots of plants into pots and hanging baskets, so your plants can reach this point quite quickly.
The best way to keep your plants happy is to choose a good quality *peat-free compost. A general-purpose compost will be fine for most container plants, but do check your plant labels as some are a bit fussier and need a particular type of compost. We’ve got a guide to the best compost for pots to help you choose the right product.
If you’re a bit nervous about looking after your plants, or want to be more hands-off with the maintenance, you could go for a compost which is specifically designed for hanging baskets and pots. This will usually contain some slow-release fertiliser plus water-retaining crystals to take care of your plants with minimum effort. You can of course make your own version of this by adding *slow-release fertiliser and *water-retaining granules to standard compost.
How do you plant a trailing hanging basket?
Here’s a quick guide to planting up a hanging basket.
Most hanging baskets don’t have a flat base, and this can make it hard to keep them steady while you plant them up. If you sit your basket on top of an empty plant pot this will help to make planting easier.
If your basket needs a liner, add that first. Make sure you trim it to size for a neat finish.
If you’re using a plastic hanging basket, or a hanging basket with a plastic liner, use a knife or scissors to poke some drainage holes in the plastic.
If you’re adding slow-release fertiliser or water-retaining granules to the compost, mix these in before filling up your hanging basket.
Add compost to the basket, until it’s nearly full.
Remove your plant from its pot carefully, to protect the roots. A good way to do this is to slide your fingers around the base of the plant, then tip the whole thing upside down and ease the pot off with your other hand.
Arrange your plants on the surface of the compost. Remember the Thriller-Filler-Spiller trick!
When you’re happy with your arrangement, fill in any gaps around the plants with a bit more compost.
Water your hanging basket really thoroughly, then allow it to drain for a few minutes before hanging it up.
How do you make a hanging basket look fuller?
We all want our hanging baskets and container displays to look lush and amazing straight away, don’t we? But this is one of those times when you need a little bit of patience!
Don’t be tempted to overfill your container for instant impact. Doing this gives the plants no room to grow, and is only a short-term gain.
Instead, give your plants a bit of space and wait for them to grow and fill out. If you take good care of them this won’t take long. You can help to speed things up by feeding and watering regularly.
If you’re using a wire hanging basket, you can also add plants around the sides to create fuller basket displays. To do this simply poke a hole in the liner, then carefully push your plant into the compost. Keep the hole small to minimise compost leakage.
Care tips for trailing plants in hanging baskets and pots
So you’ve planted up your hanging basket or pot, and now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the results of your hard work, right? Sort of.
Container displays don’t need lots of maintenance, but there are a few things you can do to keep them looking good and get the maximum impact from your plants.
Right plant, right place
The most important of these is to position your container in the ideal spot for the plants inside it. This is known as ‘right plant, right place’ in the gardening world, and it’s a great way to make hanging flowers look good.
Every plant has a specific set of conditions that it prefers. That could be full sun, a sheltered spot, part shade, good drainage, or a specific type of compost. If you provide your plant with these conditions, it will do well. If you don’t, it will struggle.
As well as helping your plants grow strong, positioning them in the right place can also cut down on maintenance and make them less vulnerable to plant pests.
You can usually find the ideal conditions for a plant on the care label it comes with when you buy it. If this is missing or there’s not much information, you can look the plant up online, or use a plant identification app.
Once you’re armed with the best conditions for your plants, you can work out the ideal location for your hanging basket or pot. This works the other way around too; you can start with where you want to put your container, then buy plants that do well in the conditions provided there. This second approach is particularly useful if you’ve already installed your hanging basket bracket!
Feeding trailing plants in hanging baskets and pots
As I’ve already mentioned, plants grown in containers have limited access to nutrients. To stop them going hungry, you need to feed them regularly.
What is the best fertiliser for hanging baskets and containers?
A general-purpose plant food is fine for most container grown plants, and you can buy this in a variety of formats.
A *concentrated liquid feed must be diluted before use, while *ready-to-pour liquid feed can be added to your container straight from the bottle. Plant food is also available as *granules, which need to be mixed with the compost before you start planting. The easiest option is ready-to-pour feed, but bear in mind it won’t be the cheapest; it also involves more packaging, so if you want to garden sustainably it’s not ideal.
Can you overfeed hanging baskets?
It’s possible to overfeed any plant. Overfeeding can kill plants, so stick to the recommended intervals between feeds – check the packaging for this info.
Watering trailing plants in hanging baskets and pots
Watering is really important when you’re growing foliage and flowering plants in pots and hanging baskets.
Plants grown in containers usually dry out much quicker than plants grown in the ground. This is because the compost can only retain a finite amount of water, but also because the sides of a container are exposed to warmer temperatures which speeds up evaporation.
To avoid a parched hanging planter full of crispy plants, you need to check them on a regular basis. If the top of the compost feels dry to the touch, your plants need a drink.
Should I water my hanging baskets every day?
The answer to this question depends on the weather. In very warm conditions you may need to water every day, or even twice a day. Be guided by the weather where you live, and how dry the soil feels.
Watering hanging baskets can be a bit tricky, as they tend to overflow before the compost and roots can absorb the water. Try to water them as gradually as possible; you can even water them lightly, then come back in ten minutes and repeat the process.
Another good trick is to place a small plant saucer in the bottom of the basket before you plant it up. Doing this creates a little water reservoir and helps reduce leakage.
If you make sure the soil doesn’t really dry out between waterings this will help with water retention too. Water tends to simply pour over very dry soil, rather than soaking in.
What time of day should you water hanging baskets?
Early morning is the best time of day to water any plants. Watering before the hottest time of the day minimises evaporation and gives plants a better chance of absorbing the water. The next best option is to water in the early evening, but don’t leave it too late; damp leaves overnight can lead to problems with mould and mildew.
How do you keep hanging baskets blooming?
As well as feeding and watering your hanging baskets and pots, there’s another quick and easy way to keep them looking good for as long as possible. Welcome to the world of deadheading!
Deadheading sounds like a serious business, but it’s actually super-simple. All you do is remove any drooping or dead flower heads, plus any seed heads that the plant has formed. When you do this, you stop the plant setting seed, which in turn stimulates it to make more lovely flowers.
You can use your fingers or a pair of *snips to deadhead your plants. Try to do it on a regular basis; as well as keeping the time required to a minimum, this will help to keep your containers looking neat and tidy.
I hope this guide to the most popular trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots helps you to create some amazing container displays. If you’ve got any top tips for container gardening please do share them in the comments 🙂
More container gardening resources
Here are some more container gardening blog resources that you might find useful.
Just when we were learning to live with box blight, the box tree caterpillar is laying waste to the remains. On the Royal Horticultural Society’s web page ‘Box: Problems’ it is clear that there are many other sap-sucking insects queuing up to destroy anyone’s dream of an English country garden.
The solution, unsurprisingly, is to plant something else. There is no consensus on what this should be: Ilex crenata, a boxwood lookalike, is often put forward, though it is less easygoing about soil conditions. Other common suggestions for small-leaved, easy to clip shrubs include Lonicera nitida, Teuchrium chamaedrys, and Euonymus japonicus. We visited the RHS headquarters at Wisley, Surrey (an hour from London) and found a few surprises. Let’s take a closer look:
Ed. note: These suggestions are meant for UK gardens–some of these plants are categorized as invasive in the USA, so use caution.
Dwarf Yew
Above: Above: The most surprising discovery was that a walled garden, divided into beds of low hedging, could be so lively and colorful in winter.
Waves of shrubs interweave into informal knots, yet every plant is sign-posted and on trial. The most interesting boxwood alternatives in this trial are not imitations, like a vegetarian burger; instead they bring a new perspective altogether.
All of the parterre beds in the garden are edged with the dwarf yew Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’. Already carrying an RHS Award of Garden Merit, it is moderate in size compared with regular yew, with a shorter growth rate. “I think it has great potential,” says Matthew Pottage, the young curator at Wisley.
Berberis
Above: Red, orange and purple berberis are a standout in autumn and early winter.
Of the deciduous varieties, orange Berberis thunbergii ‘Erecta’ is shown here, mid-drop, while its red counterpart Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’ competes for attention. An evergreen type is Berberis thunbergii ‘Compacta’, which the trial manager Sean McDill is very happy with. “I like this berberis,” he says. “It has a nice, compact habit and after a couple of clips it has a dense, dark green surface.”
Ahead, our roundup of 10 exclusive offers for Remodelista and Gardenista readers this Presidents’ Day weekend… At Bloomist, use code VALENISTA20 for 20 percent off sitewide (excluding gift cards), now through Feb. 18. Ode to Things is offering15 percent off with code REMODELISTA15 Over at Annie Selke, use code REMODEL20 for 20 percent off sitewide […]
We’re visiting Paula Brown’s beautiful garden today.
My garden, in Ottawa, Ontario, is under a lot of snow right now, so I decided to talk about the creative wreaths that tie my garden together with color through each season. When my garden is waking in the spring, I am busily planning my color chart as to what annuals I will plant alongside my perennials. This dictates how I will build my wreath and what hues I will incorporate in it. I use as many natural products as I can, but as the wreath can be on my front door for months of southern exposure, I am limited in my use of living plants. I have been doing this since 2000, and each year seems to “grow” bigger, as it seems my creativity knows no bounds.
The front garden in June is full of flowers, with all the colors echoed in the wreath on the front door.
The garden in late September is still full of flowers and color, though the rose is finished.
The garden at Christmas time, covered in snow, still has some color from the wreath on the front door.
I create a hanger each winter from gathered twigs, berries, conifer tips, and water that I allow to freeze. This hanger was inspired by music notes.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Any good rich soil is suitable. Plant the perennials in the autumn or spring, choosing a sunny position where the plants can climb over a trellis, wall or other support. These plants need a lot of water in the growing season and they should be fed during the summer with liquid manure or a balanced 2 fertilizer. In the autumn cut down the stems and top-dress with manure in the spring. The perennial species are propagated by seeds or by division of the roots in the spring.
From the Greek di, two, kentron, a spur, referring to the two spurs on the petals (Fumariaceae). Hardy herbaceous perennials formerly known as Dielytra. Fibrous and tuberous rooted, they generally transplant badly because the roots are as brittle as glass. The flowers are pendant from arching stems, like lanterns hung along a cord.
Species Grown Today
Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman’s breeches, 6 inches, very divided pale green foliage, flowers pearl white, tipped yellow, May and June.
Dicentra eximia, 1-2 feet, reddish-purple flowers, May and September and intermittently between; var. alba, white flowers.
Dicentra formosa, 1-2 feet, pink or light red, long flowering period; ‘Bountiful’ is a larger-flowered cultivar, with deep pink flowers.
Dicentra oregana, 6 inches, flowers creamy-pink, tipped purple, May and June.
Dicentra peregrina (syn. D. pusilla), 3 inches, rose-pink flowers in June and July, a good plant for a screen in the rock garden.
Dicentra spectabilis, Chinaman’s breeches, bleeding-heart, lyre flower, 1-2 feet, flowers rose-red, May and June; var. alba, white, a garden hybrid (D. eximia x D. formosa), 9-12 inches has deep red flowers.
Where to plant and how to propagate
Dicentras will grow in light shade or full sun provided the soil does not dry out the roots. A rich loam is best with shelter from ‘cold winds. Some protection may be needed in winter. Propagation is by root cuttings in March or April raised in a temperature of about 55°F (13°C). Division of plants is possible in spring, but difficult because the roots are very brittle.
D. spectabilis is sometimes grown in pots and forced in a compost of equal parts of loam, peat and sand. The plants are kept frost free all winter and taken into a temperature of 55-65°F (13-18°C) during February and started into growth. Water, and feed moderately with a liquid feed once the buds begin to show. Forced plants should be planted out in the open ground after they have flowered
A group of tender perennial plants, only one of which is commonly grown. This is Strelitzia Reginae, which has large ornamental leaves on long strong petioles (leafstalks), and bears brilliant orange and purple flowers, several together within a large bract, on stems 3 ft. or more high in spring. It is a native of South Africa and belongs to the Banana family, Musaceae. The name commemorates Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
This is one of the most remarkable exotic flowering plants and is magnificent in full bloom. It thrives in a greenhouse where a minimum temperature of 50-55 degrees is maintained and may either be grown in large flowerpots or in a prepared bed of soil on the greenhouse floor. The plants must be exposed to the sunshine and free ventilation is needed during warm summer weather. At that season, the plants require a good deal of water, and the soil must be kept moist; in winter, the soil should be watered only when it is fairly dry.
Planting may be done in autumn or early spring. The most suitable soil consists of loam, two-thirds, with one-third of peat and leaf mold and a free scattering of sand. If Strelitzia is grown in a bed of soil, care must be taken that it is well drained. If the plants are grown in pots, those 7, 8 or 9 inches wide are suitable. Early spring is the best time to repot those plants which need this attention.
Outdoor Culture
In climates with little or no frost, as in California and Florida, Strelitzias may be grown outdoors. They thrive in any good soil and need liberal amounts of water during their active growth season. Established plants benefit from an annual application of fertilizer. Mulch from compost or other organic material is of benefit.
Propagation and Kinds
The simplest way of increasing the stock of Strelitzia is to detach the small side shoots or offsets when the plants are repotted. If seeds can be obtained, they should be sown in a warm greenhouse in pots of sandy soil in February or March.
In addition to
Strelitzia Reginae the following kinds are sometimes cultivated: Strelitzia augusta, which has a distinct trunk and attains a height of 18 ft., flowers white;
Strelitzia kewensis, a hybrid between Strelitzia Reginae and Strelitzia augusta that is intermediate in appearance between its parents and has pale yellow flowers with lilac-pink markings at the bottoms of its petals;
Strelitzia Nicolai, similar to Strelitzia augusta but usually larger and with the inner segments of the flowers blue instead of white;
Strelitzia parvifolia, like Strelitzia Reginae a trunkless kind, 3-4 ft. tall, flowers purple and yellow. All, except the artificially produced hybrid, Strelitzia kewensis, are natives of South Africa.
One of the exciting stages of garden construction is the marking out of beds. The sites for the flower displays are marked out in the garden in the form of beds or borders. These may be of various shapes and sizes and much will depend on the character of the garden as to the exact shape which is used. Formal beds are those which have straight, defined edges whereas the informal types have irregular or natural edges. It is a good idea to draw up scale plans on paper before any marking out is begun. This will enable the gardener to design and measure the beds accurately especially where it is necessary to accommodate collections of plants such as shrubs and herbaceous plants.
Marking out formal beds
Square or rectangular designs require right-angled corners. A permanent marker can be made up from three pieces of scrap wood if a triangle is made having sides measuring on the outside 1, 1.3 and 1.6m (3, 4 and 5ft) respectively. Placed at each corner of a bed, accurate marking is assured. A circular bed is easily drawn out if a peg is driven into the approximate center of the bed and a line attached, half the diameter of the required bed. A sharp stick fastened to the other end will mark out an accurate circle if the line is kept taut as the stick is drawn through the soil, using the peg as a pivot.
To mark out an oval bed two pegs are inserted a short distance apart (the closer together the more circular the bed will be drawn out) and a line is measured out three times longer than the measurement between the two pegs. The line is fastened into a loop and placed around the two pegs. A marking stick is used to describe the oval in the soil as it is pulled so that the slack is taken up in the looped cord.
Marking out informal beds
The irregular outline is first marked out in the soil with a pointed stick and a semi-permanent outline is achieved if a light trickle of lime or sand is used to cover the original marks afterwards. Another useful method is to use a length of hosepipe to define the edge of the irregular bed. This is easily moved about until a satisfactory result is achieved.
Gentle sweeps and curves should be made especially if a bed is to be alongside a lawn so that the mower can be guided around the edges easily. If beds are to be made in an existing lawn, the outlines can be nicked out with a spade or edging iron.
