In their native habitat, peperomias usually thrive in partially shaded areas that are damp and moist. You can even plant them outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11.
Most stay pretty small, and you can find species that never grow more than a few inches tall, while others climb closer to two feet tall at maturity.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Plants in this genus might flower when they’re happy with the environmental conditions, even when they are growing indoors.
The bad news is that the flowers aren’t showy or heavily scented. They look like little spikes, and lack any petals or sepals.
Many species are edible, though you should check on your specific species to be sure. They aren’t toxic to pets such as dogs or cats.
How to Grow
Peperomias are incredibly easy to grow, but there are a few things to do to keep them looking and growing their best.
Light
Direct light is no good. Peperomias need indirect light, though plenty of it won’t hurt them, so long as direct sunlight isn’t hitting them.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
Full shade isn’t ideal either. Though plants will survive in full shade, they will likely be spindly and less attractive than they could be.
Soil
Peperomias do best in water-retentive soil, which is a medium that contains some coconut coir, peat moss, vermiculite, rice husks, or some combination of these.
Tank’s-Pro Potting Mix is a good option with a mix of coco coir and compost. You can find bags available at Arbico Organics.
Water
Keep in mind that while peperomias sometimes grow in wet, tropical areas, these semi-succulents can retain water for up to several weeks.
These beauties are particularly sensitive to water-logged soil and will suffocate if you give them too much moisture.
Let the top inch of soil dry out between watering. Just stick your finger into the soil and see if it feels moist. When the top inch dries out, add more water.
When a radiator plant is stressed, it may drop its leaves. This likely means it’s receiving too little or too much sunlight, or too little or too much water.
Fertilizing
If you only repot every few years, then you’ll want to add some fertilizer in the second year after repotting.
An all-purpose houseplant fertilizer will do the job nicely. You can purchase slow-release pellets, spikes, or liquid fertilizer.
I like to set it and forget it, so I prefer something like Osmocote’s PotShots, which slowly release food for six months.
Amazon carries this handy product in 25-count packages of nuggets, or try Osmocote Plus in one-pound, two-pound, and eight-pound containers and bags of granules.
Species and Cultivars
The most common species are beetle (P. angulata), watermelon (P. argyreia), and emerald ripple peperomia (P. caperata).
These have proven over the years to be healthy, reliable growers in the average home. The baby rubber plant (P. obtusifolia) is also quite popular.
P. maculosa looks like the pepper-family plant it is, with glossy, oval-shaped leaves that end in a sharp point, and pronounced veins. They’re less common than other species, but just as lovely.
It’s a good idea to size up your container once every year or two, depending on how quickly the plant is growing.
The pot should extend a few inches wider than the diameter of the base of the stem. In other words, when the peperomia stems start to reach the edges of the pot, it’s time to go up a size.
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
The exception to this is those species that have a trailing growth habit. Let these reach the edge of the pot to contain their spread.
You can repot every few years if you desire, or just change out some of the soil to help refresh it.
Your parents and grandparents have lived full, and hopefully, fun-packed lives. Their decades have several stories in them, and these stories can connect you to their past. Delving into these memories is a great way to bring the family closer, but how do you get those stories?
Many families plan to sit down and record everything. However, formal interviews can feel stiff or awkward. The real stories never flow well when there’s a pressure of formality. This is why you need some outside-the-box tactics.
This article explores a different approach, highlighting creative ideas for capturing your parent or grandparent’s stories. These methods feel natural and fun and can turn storytelling into a joyful activity.
1. Create a family memory wall
A memory wall is a living family album. It’s a space for photos and keepsakes, and can spark stories naturally.
Choose a wall in a common area; a hallway or living room works well. Start with a few old photographs, and add small, meaningful objects over time. This could be a postcard or an old ticket. Even a handwritten recipe can have a story. A memory wall can become a conversation starter; one look and family members start to reminisce on fond memories.
You might like to keep your phone or video camera nearby. When a story begins, ask to record it, explaining that you’ want’d love to save the memory. This allows you to capture the story in their own voice.
2. Turn cooking sessions into storytime
For many families, the kitchen is where fond stories are told. Cooking together can unlock these stories. Stick around with your phone while meals are being prepared.
Even the smell of a familiar dish can stir up memories. Many of our favourite meals stem from childhood moments, and come with stories. To harvest these stories, plan a day to cook a special family recipe. Ask your parent or grandparent to guide you through the steps – the process itself will spark conversations.
Once the cooking is done, you get a great meal as well as a personal memory.
3. Use old photos to draw out stories
Old photos are great conversation starters. They’re a piece of the past frozen in time. The reason behind the photo and what happened before and after are great motivations. Looking at old photos together is a simple and profound way to connect.
If you don’t have old photos hanging around, search through attics and the backs of closets. You can also simply ask your parents or grandparents for their old pictures or albums.
Let your loved one hold the photos, and give them time to look and remember. Silence is important here. Allow memories to surface naturally before you ask questions. Watch their expression, as it’s also a part of the story.
Always have your phone close to record the conversation. Capturing video is wonderful for saving their expressions. You can also take notes of any names, dates, and places they mention. This context adds valuable detail to the stories you save.
4. Record a ‘Day in the Life’ experience
Spend a whole day with your loved one doing something simple that they enjoy. It could be gardening or visiting a park. Their true personality will shine through.
You can use your smartphone to capture the day, record short video clips of your activities, and take audio notes of interesting comments. The goal is to capture them in their element.
Everyday routines often reveal authentic stories. For example, a walk around the old neighbourhood is bound to spark tales, while a trip to their favourite shop has history.
5. Make storytelling a game
Turn the art of storytelling into a simple and fun game. This is an easier way to share memories and ensure the interviewee is relaxed. The fun removes all the pressure to perform.
One way to do this is to create a “memory jar” for your family. Fill it with simple writing prompts, using slips of paper for each question. Prompts could be things like “a favourite childhood pet.” or “the best advice you ever received.”
This activity is great for family gatherings. Everyone can take a turn drawing a prompt. It makes sharing feel comfortable and easy, and you’ll learn new things about everyone. Remember to record the answers as they are shared.
6. Capture stories through hobbies or skills
Many people express themselves best through their actions. Their hands hold as many stories as their words. Hobbies and practical skills are tied to identity. They serve as an anchor to a person’s past. You can use these hobbies or skills to learn more about your parents or grandparents.
When enjoying a hobby, the mind enters a state of comfortable focus. This is the perfect environment for natural conversation. Reflect about the skills your parents or grandparents have. It could be knitting. Maybe they enjoy woodworking in the garage. They might find peace while fishing or painting. Each of these activities has a history. The tools they use have stories. The techniques they know were learned from someone.
Sit with them while they work, and show genuine interest in their craft. Your goal is to be a curious observer. Start with simple questions about the task itself. “Where did you find this pattern?” “How long have you had that old hammer?” “Show me how you do that specific stitch.” These questions often lead to bigger memories. You might hear about the friend who taught them to paint. Or the father who showed them how to fix an engine.
The things they create are also part of the story. Asking about their motivations and reasons behind each piece can provide a window you can peer through.
It’s crucial that you allow them to reminisce when you ask questions. Don’t push them with a barrage of questions; instead, ask one or two and let them open up at their pace.
7. Build a ‘Story Time’ tradition
Saving a lifetime of memories feels like a huge project. This can stop us from ever starting. The secret is to break it down. You don’t need a single, long interview – short, consistent sessions are far more effective and easier for everyone.
Plan a simple routine that works for your family. It could be over tea every Sunday evening, or maybe the first five minutes of a weekly phone call. The key is to make it a predictable routine. This approach allows you to cover many topics over time. A simple notebook can help you track questions. and avoid repeating yourself.
You can include other family members like siblings and aunts in this story time tradition. Each family member can take a turn asking a question and recording. This can bring different memories to the surface, as what one person forgets, another might remember.
Preserve their legacy with StoryKeeper
Capturing these stories is the first step. Preserving them in a safe place is also critical. You need a permanent home for these memories so they last for future generations. Fortunately, you can ensure your children and those after them enjoy these stories.
Tools like StoryKeeper make it easy to record and store memories with their services. When you’re satisfied, you can also share them with your entire family. Everything is kept safe and private in one place. You never need to worry about privacy when you partner with StoryKeeper.
Using StoryKeeper can feel daunting. However, it’s built to match all types of pacing. With StoryKeeper, you can build your digital family archive over time.
Let small moments become big memories
Preserve your family’s history shouldn’t be a complicated or perfect affair. The best results come from those fractured tales at dinners or family gatherings. Have fun and aim to connect, and don’t try to do everything at once.
Once you get started, don’t overthink. Every story you save is a gift, helping you build a bridge between generations. These outside-the box ideas will make sharing these memories a joyful new tradition for you and your family.
In today’s globalised world, tracking different time zones is often a necessity.
Whether you’re managing international business, working with global teams, or simply love the idea of bringing a bit of the world into your home, Bsign Store offers a smart and stylish solution.
What makes Bsign world clock signs unique?
Forget the basic wall clocks you see everywhere. Bsign world clock signs combine functionality with beautiful, thoughtful design. Each sign in the Bsign store is handmade, ensuring not just accuracy, but also character.
Each piece is crafted with premium materials such as natural wood, brushed metal, or matte acrylic. You can customise the cities, font, and layout, making the sign not just useful, but truly yours. Want London, New York, Tokyo, and Dubai in one display? No problem.
Where form meets function
A Bsign world clock display is more than just a timekeeping tool – it’s a statement piece. Whether mounted in an office, co-working space, home study, or reception area, it adds an international flair that feels both modern and timeless.
Bsign use CNC precision cutting and UV printing to ensure every letter, number, and city name is clear and durable. The result is clean lines, long-lasting finishes, and a sharp visual impact.
World clock signs are ideal for:
Corporate offices: Impress clients and keep your team in sync across continents.
Remote workspaces: Easily keep track of colleagues’ working hours across time zones.
Interior design lovers: Add a sleek, worldly accent to your wall that sparks conversation.
Easy customisation options
Bsign Store makes it simple to create a time zone clock that fits your style:
Choose the number of time zones.
Pick from a variety of high-quality materials.
Select your city names and time format.
Opt for a horizontal or vertical layout.
Each order is made to suit your needs, so you get a real personalised experience.
Long-lasting quality for everyday use
It is one thing to look good on day one, but a clock sign needs to be built to last. Bsign’s mix of resilient materials and skilled manufacturing methods guarantees that your world clock sign remains bright, clear, and sturdy for many years. The UV-printed features are resistant to fading, and the surfaces are simple to clean and ideal for areas with heavy foot traffic.
Even in settings with fluctuating temperature or humidity, such as hotel lobbies or bustling office areas, their signs continue to be stable and refined. The hardware provided for wall-mounting is discreet but sturdy, allowing for a secure, flush installation that enhances the minimalist feel.
A gift with meaning
If you’re looking for a unique gift for a business partner, travel lover, or newly opened office, custom world clock signs are practical and memorable. With a design that blends simplicity and global spirit, it’s the kind of gift that stands out and will be enjoyed for many years.
Some of the last flowers to bloom as the growing season draws to a close are Halloween-ready: the headily scented trumpets of Datura are as ethereal as they are toxic. Until a neighbor began growing them in his city tree bed every summer, I paid the plants little mind. Sidewalks are very rough on any living thing, and the flourishing forms of these resilient annual shrubs won me over. Despite complete neglect—receiving no supplemental water, no food, and a lot of unwanted liquid attention from passing dogs—buds keep forming, blooms keep opening every night, and passersby keep being enchanted by the combination of perfume and near-artificial flower perfection, and, later, by the prickly seed capsules. The fact that Datura is strongly associated with toxic, hallucinogenic, and medicinal effects adds to its intrigue.
Here’s more about alluring Datura, also known as devil’s trumpet.
Above: After a slow start, the plants begin to bloom daily after midsummer.
The flowers of Datura are vespertine, unfurling at night, and lasting until the middle of the following day. The strongly scented flowers attract sphinx moths, which are their primary pollinators.
Above: Datura flowers always point upwards.
Various Datura species share a long list of common names that include devil’s trumpet, moonflower, thorn-apple, and jimsonweed. The name angel’s trumpet refers to species of Brugmansia, whose flowers are pendant rather than upright, growing on woodier, taller shrubs.
Above: The flower buds can be as long as eight inches. Above: Their night-scent develops through the evening.
Despite the flowers’ sweet scent, the crushed leaves have an unpleasant odor. While not absolutely deer-proof, Datura is not top of the list for the browsing herbivores. Cases of poisoning usually affect humans, not animals, since the animals may know better.
Toxic alkaloids are found in all parts of Datura but are concentrated in the seeds. The level of toxicity can vary very widely depending on the specific plant, which is why humans looking to experience a botanical high may instead became extremely ill, or (rarely) slightly dead.
Before anyone panics, bear in mind that we feel comfortable around highly toxic plants like yew, foxglove, hellebore and oleander; we barely consider their complex properties.
A couple of years ago we were introduced to Joan Galloway’s gorgeous garden on Sheridan Lake, in the central Cariboo region of British Columbia (Check out that submission here: Five Years in a New Garden and Climate). After decades gardening at her home on the BC coast, this new landscape brought with it many growing challenges and new gardening lessons to learn. Two years on and Joan is really getting into the groove of her Zone 3 garden, and the results this fall speak for themselves.
My name is Joan Galloway. I’ve submitted pictures of my northern garden before. My home is in Surrey BC, a suburb of Vancouver. But I spend 5 months of the year at Sheridan Lake in the beautiful Cariboo area of central BC, which is about 300 miles northeast of Vancouver and at 3600 ft elevation. The gardening is challenging for me after more than 40 years of gardening at the coast in mild Zone 7b-8. Sheridan Lake is in Zone 3 with heavy clay soil, very little summer rain, and voracious deer. I have found that many shrubs struggle; any branches that are exposed above the snow die back every winter. Perennials fare better. Under a thick mulch of wood chips plus the snow, many perennials rated at Zone 4, and sometimes even Zone 5, survive and thrive.
This year was difficult. The winter was warmer than usual and there was much less snow than usual. By February my south-facing garden was bare of snow; then it went down to -30C at night! There were quite a few casualties, even among plants I had previously considered bullet-proof. Spring was cold, wet and windy, and summer heat really didn’t get going until August, so it seemed like everything was struggling. But then it finally turned hot and sunny. Growth exploded; everything came into bloom at once and lasted a long time as September remained unseasonably warm. Fall is a short but spectacular season here; some years frosts come early and the buds on fall-blooming plants are frozen off before they even open. But this year, a glorious fall made up for the cold wet spring. So here are some pictures of my Cariboo fall.
Fall colours. Fall explodes into brilliant golds and greens. The yellows of the native quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides, Zones 1–6) are set off by the dark evergreen pines, spruce and fir.
Asters and rudbeckias are the stars of the fall garden.
Deer find the buds of the asters tasty, so I protect them with stakes soaked in Plantskydd, a potent deer repellent.
Ornamental grasses give a sense of motion to the garden as there is always a breeze. Many ornamental grasses are not hardy here, but blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens, Zones 4–8) andvariegated purple moor grass(Molinia caerulea subsp. caerulea ‘Variegata’, Zones 4–9)are very happy. ‘Zagreb’ coreopsis(Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’, Zones 3–9)is also reliable performer and is still blooming in late September.
Another aster beside a young ‘Northsky’ blueberry plant(Vaccinium corymbosum x v. angustifolium ‘Northsky’, Zones 3–7)that actually produced a handful of delicious berries its first year.
Potentilla shrubs love the north country’s cold winters and dry summers. This one is ‘Lemon Meringue’(Potentilla fruticosa ‘Bailmeringue’, Zones 2–6)that is covered in soft yellow double flowers from May until October. Another favorite variety I grow is ‘Pink Beauty’(P. fruticosa ‘Pink Beauty’, Zones 3–7).
Joan sent in so many wonderful photos of her fall garden that we will be returning to British Columbia tomorrow to see more. Keep an eye out for Garden Photo of the Day in your inbox so you don’t miss out on even more spectacular fall color.
We want to see YOUR garden!
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.
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Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Niteangel Natural Wooden Insect Hotel, Garden Insect House for Ladybugs, lacewings, Butterfly, Bee, Bug
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The insect nest box provide a safe environment where garden creatures can shelter, hibernate and lay their eggs, the insect house can also keep insects from entering your warm room. The insect hotel makes it easy to find and observe fascinating creatures. the butterfly, bees and ladybugs can use this product as habitat. Dry wood and Bamboo can be home to many insects such as ladybirds and lacewings which eat aphids and help keep your plants pest-free. the insect hotel improve the growth of plants in your yard by attracting beneficial insects. The iron design on the top can keep the insect house from rainwater. Let the insect house have a longer useful life and make the insects more comfortable. If you only have a balcony or yard, the hanging garden shelter is ideal as it provides a choice of suitable habitats in a small area.
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
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Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides.
Yours might not produce more than a fruit or two each year, but each juicy reward is far more exciting than plucking a thousand lemons off of an outdoor citrus.
But even if you don’t ever see any fruit, they’re beautiful plants in their own right. Depending on the species you choose, citrus can grow anywhere from four to 10 feet tall indoors.
You have lots of options, so choose one that you’ll actually use the fruit from when it appears. Just be sure to give them tons and tons of sun. Even better, take them out to your patio in the summer.
If you’re a fan of sweet lemons, a Meyer lemon (Citrus x meyeri) might be the way to go.
A close relative of the corn plant, dragon trees (Dracaena draco) grow to about six feet tall indoors, with attractive strappy foliage.
Give them just about any level of light – as long as it isn’t exceedingly dim, they’ll put on a show.
The leaves can have a range of colors, including pink and red or even multicolor stripes.
9. False Banana
As delightful indoors as out, the false banana tree (Ensete ventricosum) doesn’t produce edible bananas, but it does grow some pretty impressive green and red leaves. They’re huge!
Each individual leaf can be up to six feet long – that’s a lot of drama packed into one houseplant.
If you put one in your yard the plants can grow to 20 feet tall, but indoors they stay closer to six feet in height.
Make this tall plant yours by snatching a four-inch pot at Home Depot.
10. Ficus Alii
While not one of the most common houseplants, ficus alii (Ficus maclellandii) is worth hunting down.
Also known as banana leaf figs, these plants are much easier to care for than their weeping and fiddle-leaf cousins.
The long, banana-shaped leaves won’t fall as readily as those of its cousins either. Just place it in bright, indirect light, and watch it grow up to 10 feet tall.
You knew there would have to be a fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) on this list, right?
And I know I just mentioned that it can be a bit finicky.
But these plants remain a perpetual favorite because it’s hard to match those Jurassic-looking leaves when it comes to making an architectural statement in your space.
While they aren’t super fast growers, they can stretch to your ceiling – and beyond! – if they receive good light.
Despite what you may have read, they can handle some direct morning light and they’ll be better for it.
For a three- to four-foot tree in a plain or decorative pot, or a four- to five-, five- to six-, or six- to seven-foot-tree, pay Fast Growing Trees a visit.
I need to preface this by saying that I am completely in love with fishtail palms (Caryota spp.).
The leaves are so unique and elegant, it’s like having a bright green betta fish swimming around in your living room.
So this is not an unbiased description. To be totally honest, they’re a little fussy, but don’t write them off.
Fishtail palms can grow over 12 feet tall indoors and they make a huge statement with all that pretty foliage.
I’ll level with you, though – they do much better if you can put them outdoors for part of the year. At the very least, give them direct morning light but protect them from the afternoon sun.
Green is lovely, but sometimes a little color is what you need. If that’s the case, check out the Hawaiian ti (Cordyline fruticosa).
The violet, red, or pink leaves are a stand-out against all the greenery you often find in houseplants, though there are green cultivars, too.
While these tree-like shrubs can grow taller outdoors, indoors they stop at about 10 feet tall. Just be sure to give them bright, filtered light. These shouldn’t be left in a dark corner.
Lady ferns (Athyrium filix-femina) might not immediately jump to mind when you’re thinking of tall houseplants, but they can grow up to five feet tall.
Add a foot-deep container and a plant stand, and you’re stretching to the ceiling.
They thrive in low light and average humidity, so these aren’t fussy ferns.
If you’re hoping to bring a forest vibe into your space, invite this lady into your abode.
Up for the challenge of growing this persnickety palm? It’s worth the effort. Perfect Plants Nursery carries plants in 10-inch pots.
16. Money Tree
Money trees (Pachira aquatica) are popular houseplants because they don’t ask for much from you in terms of maintenance, but they offer up a lot in terms of display.
They often come with three braided stems, and they’re always topped with glossy, large, feather-shaped leaves.
Feeling adventurous? Natal mahogany trees (Trichilia emetica) are gorgeous but they’re a bit fussy. I don’t tell you that to scare you off but to prepare you.
Photo via Alamy.
The feather-shaped leaves covering a seven-foot-tall plant make a real statement in the home, so those who aren’t afraid of a gardening challenge shouldn’t hesitate.
This species needs moderate light and lots of moisture, plus warm temperatures.
18. Norfolk Pine
Outdoors, Norfolk pines (Araucaria heterophylla) can reach hundreds of feet in height, but indoors, they stay closer to 10 feet tall when mature.
These lovely miniature Christmas trees bring an evergreen forest vibe to your interior. They’re happiest in bright, direct light and are sensitive to overwatering.
If you love palms but want something easier to care for than, say, a majesty palm, parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans) are where it’s at.
They can reach up to 12 feet tall but stay smaller if you keep the roots constrained.
They aren’t demanding about humidity and if you forget to water one week it won’t turn into a crumbly mess, unlike some palms I could mention (looking at you, areca!).
Rubber trees (Ficus elastica or F. robusta) live up to their name.
While you often see them as smaller specimens, given a big pot and several hours of direct light each day, yours can grow into a 10-foot-tall tree-like plant with those characteristic, huge, fleshy leaves.
You have lots of options when choosing the perfect one for your decor, from those with solid-colored green leaves to highly variegated multicolored leaves.
‘Ruby’ is a variegated cultivar that features new growth in a bright ruby shade with magenta midribs.
As they age, the color changes – green leaves are striped with white and light pink. Be sure to give this cultivar some bright light to preserve the variegation.
Fast Growing Trees carries ‘Ruby’ in six-inch as well as one- and three-gallon nursery pots, as well as several different three-gallon decorative pot options.
For a dramatic statement, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a specimen that’s more impressive than a big, healthy tree philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, syn. Philodendron selloum and P. bipinnatifidum).
These plants can grow up to 10 feet tall with massive, elegant leaves that are unmistakable – though it’s worth noting that they can take 20 years to reach maturity.
The secret to success with this plant is to flush the soil regularly to remove any salt buildup. Tree philodendrons don’t like salt one bit.
Triangle ficuses (Ficus triangularis) are named for their triangle-shaped leaves, which come in solid and variegated types.
While good old F. benjamina and F. lyrata have a reputation for needing a bit of babying, this particular ficus isn’t going to drop its leaves whenever so much as a slight breeze moves through the room.
This slow grower reaches up to eight feet in height, but it takes some time. Keep your plant in bright, indirect light for the best growth.
24. Umbrella Tree
Umbrella trees (Schefflera actinophylla) are incredibly forgiving.
I had one that moved with me across thousands of miles, was left in my office for weeks in a dark corner before I remembered it, had a visiting cat pee in its pot, and fell off my patio.
None of these misadventures even caused it to flinch. It’s still cooking after 35 years.
They grow up to 10 feet tall indoors and all they want is some indirect light and a little water now and then. You can find them with solid or variegated foliage.
Weeping figs (Ficus benjamina) are fabulous despite their reputation for being demanding. In reality, these plants are pretty resilient and forgiving.
You just need to understand that they can and will drop their leaves at the merest breath of change.
If you even think about moving yours to another part of the room, expect this houseplant to drop those leaves in a huff. But don’t worry, they’ll come back – it’s just the tree’s coping mechanism. We all get stressed out sometimes, right?
Indoors, these figs can grow up to 10 feet tall if you let them.
Tall houseplants bring height and texture to your interior decor. Plus, they make a much bigger statement than your average pothos or African violet.
Better yet, they don’t demand more care than smaller houseplants to keep them happy and healthy. Find the right light conditions, supply the water and food they need, and you’re off to the races.
Which species is calling your name? Tell us about your favorites in the comment section below. And feel free to share your photos – we love to see what you’ve got growing indoors!
The houseplant goodness doesn’t stop here. We have a bunch of other guides to help you bring even more nature indoors, starting with these:
These can cause leaf discoloration, distortion, defoliation, and, in severe cases, stunted growth.
These sapsucking insects can cause leaf disfigurement, discoloration, and defoliation. In severe cases, growth may be stunted.
Aphids, mealybugs, scale, whiteflies, and spider mites can often be rinsed off with a strong spray of water. Follow up with neem oil to control any lingering pests.
Fungus gnats are attracted to consistently moist soil. Use yellow sticky traps to catch adults and apply neem oil to the soil to target larvae.
Neem oil is a home gardener’s go-to treatment for many pests and pathogens. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for application.
Bonide® Neem Oil is available from Arbico Organics in quart and gallon ready-to-spray bottles and a pint-sized concentrate.
Disease
Diseases that affect ming aralia are most often the result of excess moisture or poor airflow.
Keeping the foliage dry, watering only at the soil level, and ensuring good air circulation can go a long way toward prevention.
Alternaria
Alternaria leaf spot is a fungal infection caused by Alternaria panax. It appears as small, water-soaked spots near leaf edges or areas of previous damage.
These spots turn tan and then black, often with a yellow halo. Neem oil may help manage early infections.
Anthracnose
Fungal anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, produces semi-transparent tan lesions with yellow margins, similar in appearance to Alternaria.
Copper-based fungicides are the standard treatment.
Pythium Root Rot
Pythium root rot, often caused by Pythium splendens, an oomycete or water mold that attacks the roots. It may first present as yellowing lower leaves.
Neem oil applied as a soil soak may be useful early on.
Rhizoctonia aerial blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, results in lesions and a network of fine, web-like fungal mycelium across leaves and stems.
Neem oil may provide control if applied promptly.
Xanthomonas Leaf Spot
Xanthomonas leaf spot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. hederae, is a bacterial condition that creates corky lesions that darken to black with yellow halos. Copper fungicide is generally effective.
Keeping the foliage dry by watering at the soil level goes a long way toward inhibiting the growth of bacteria, fungi, and water molds.
Prompt removal of affected foliage, correcting environmental stressors, and using treatments like neem oil or copper fungicide can help contain or eliminate infections.
Because symptoms often resemble one another, it’s wise to consult your local university extension office for accurate diagnosis if you’re unsure.
Tropical Serenity
While pruning and pampering a potted ming aralia, you may find yourself transported to a meditative zen garden where cares seem to drift away on a tropical breeze.
With the right care, ming aralia makes a striking and long-lived addition to any indoor collection. Give it bright, indirect light, humidity above 50 percent, and temperatures between 70 and 85°F.
Do you grow ming aralia? Please share your care tips in the comments section below.
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PAUL BANNICK didn’t have to convince me to be wild about woodpeckers, because I already am—utterly so. These charismatic, hardworking birds make oversized ecological contributions to the environments they inhabit, and to the other creatures that they share them with. And the more you learn about them, the more astonishing they become.
Paul’ Bannick‘s new book is “Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers” (affiliate link) and he’s an award-winning author and wildlife photographer based in Seattle who is focused on the natural history of North America, and in particular on the conservation of birds and their habitat. He’s written several previous books about owls, a special passion of his, and now one on woodpeckers. (Above, the northern red-shafted flicker; photo from the book.)
Plus: Comment in the box near the bottom of the page for a chance to win his new book.
Read along as you listen to the Oct. 27, 2025 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Margaret Roach: Not that I like birds or anything, Paul [laughter]. The book is spectacular. I mean, it’s so information-filled, but the pictures, of course; your photography is just, wow, because I don’t know all those species. What is it; how many species are there in North America—41 North American species?
Paul Bannick: There once were 43, but we lost two of them, so now we have 41.
Margaret: And so a lot of them were unfamiliar to me, and I just was staring at some of their beautiful little selves, and not-so-little selves in some cases. So I read in the new book that it was your first bird or was it just your first woodpecker when you were a boy, it was a flicker, I think. Was that the story?
Paul: Well, it was the first bird to captivate me. Birds were…I appreciated them, I hesitate to say passively, but I appreciated them in the passing as with other animals, until that northern flicker hopped towards me in the leaves of the backyard, and I realized it wasn’t a robin as I saw it’s polka-dotted belly and its red crescent and its red malar. I was really stunned.
Margaret: Right. And you being in the Northwest, I’m in the Northeast. I have, I think what’s called the yellow-shafted flicker, the one where if you see it from beneath, you see a little bit of yellow. Is yours red, a little bit of reddish underneath, or what’s the-?
Paul: Yeah, ours is the northern red-shafted [photo, top of page]. Well, it’s interesting because of where we are geographically, we get also what are called intergrade between the red-shafted and the yellow-shafted. Because the two subspecies—they’re in fact, not different species, even though they look quite different—are separated by the eastern edge of the mountains and more importantly by the Great Plains. And in that, shall we say rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, there’s an intergrade zone. And since the Rocky Mountains move north and west, that intergrade zone goes from Texas up to central B.C., and flickers that are in snowy areas often migrate. And so those from British Columbia migrate down into Seattle and sometimes as far as Portland. So those of us in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., can see intergrades [photo of an intergrade one, below] with all different kinds of mixes, some of them quite unreal looking.
Margaret: Oh, that’s wonderful. That’s very interesting to a woodpecker nut [laughter]. So how many species, I mean, are there where you live? We said there’s 41 in North America—and what you define, I think North America as in the book is from the Arctic to the Caribbean. Is that correct?
Paul: Exactly, including the major Caribbean islands and Mexico. In the park near my house there is the northern flicker, the hairy woodpecker, the downy woodpecker, the red-breasted sapsucker, and the pileated woodpecker. But within an hour and a half, you could also add in red-naped sapsucker, Williamson’s sapsucker, black-backed woodpecker, American three-toed woodpecker, white-headed woodpecker, and Lewis’s woodpecker. So you could get 10, possibly even 11 species, within an hour of Seattle.
Margaret: Wow. See here I have six who are always here, because we don’t have the red-bellied sapsucker, we have the yellow, and they are persistent; they’re here all year round, right where I am. They don’t migrate. I think it’s one of the woodpeckers that sometimes migrates, but they stay here. So I have them in the winter, too. And I might be wrong about the migration thing. But then there’s across the river, the Hudson River, an hour away, there’s the red-headed. So that’d be the seventh one, if I wanted to travel an hour, that I could see, but not 10. Wow. Cool [laughter].
Paul: Yeah, it’s amazing.
Margaret: I know that Steven Shunk, who in 2016 wrote the book “Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America,” has called woodpeckers a keystone species, meaning like that all important middle stone in an archway, they’re an organism in an ecosystem that if you remove it stuff starts to fall apart. So can we talk about that—some of the ways that that’s true? Because I think that’s the thing: People may recognize a woodpecker in their backyard or in the park or whatever, but they may not know how important these creatures are. [Below, a Williamson’s sapsucker at work.]
Paul: Yes. I’ll go so far as to say that woodpeckers are the most important catalyst in forested systems and systems with large cactuses in North America to take systems from being new trees to being productive, complete ecosystems.
And I’ll make that bold statement, and then say it is because they are a keystone species and a keystone species being a species who changes its environment in a way that is inordinately greater than the numbers might suggest, and positive for the diversity of wildlife.
And that comes not just from the fact that a flicker in the Pacific Northwest will create a nest cavity that may serve as a nest cavity for 30 different animals, but also sapsuckers who drill wells in the spring that serve the food needs of hummingbirds throughout North America when they migrate north and little other food is available. To the fact that when they excavate cavities either for nests or roosts, they help in the process of decomposing wood and returning nutrients to the soil and keeping the soil moist, to the fact that they serve in some ecosystems as seed-dispersers and pollinators.
So they do so much. But I think it’s important when we think about ecosystems in North America to remember that every single one is ephemeral, meaning constantly changing. Almost every one starts off as an open area. Maybe it’s a meadow or a savannah, maybe it’s a wildflower lot. And it fills in with trees first, usually things like alder, birch or aspen. And then larger trees come in, and maybe it’s a conifer, like a pine tree or an oak tree. And then over time, or with increased moisture or increased elevation, that fills in with firs and other trees.
And what starts at savannah becomes a woodland, meaning 25 percent canopy to 50 percent canopy, and then becomes a forest with more than 50 percent canopy. And then that a forest, that forest is eventually disrupted by either fire or storms and opens up again and becomes an open habitat.
And at each stage in that transformation, as the trees grow up, they don’t have as many defects in them. But what the woodpeckers do is they detect those defects, they detect the insects, they take advantage of them, and in the process make the habitat richer by providing homes, by providing food, and by with their calls and their noises and their washes of color. It’s really quite remarkable.
Margaret: Yeah, they are. You write in the book that in Spanish, in the Spanish language, they’re called pajaros carpinteros, carpenter birds [laughter]. So let’s talk about how some of their very special physiological characteristics allow them to do all that sort of high-powered woodworking without knocking themselves unconscious or worse.
Paul: Yes. This how would woodpeckers drum so hard on such solid surfaces has been investigated with different conclusions for as long as I’ve been alive. And NASA and the N.F.L. have looked into the characteristics of the woodpeckers skull and what does it do to shape the brain.
Margaret: Like the N.F.L. for helping in making better helmets—they looked at the woodpeckers for inspiration for helmet design.
Paul: Exactly. And while many of those earlier studies looked at a few things, one, that it has a spongy skull that absorbs some of the vibrations. Two, that it has a tongue that in some species quite long, that is literally wrapped around the brain to hold the brain in place so it’s not sloshing as much. And three, they have the orientation of the bill to the brain, to the skull, is such that the vibrations tend to move over and under the brain rather than directly at the brain through the way it’s fitted into the skull.
And then they have reinforced ribs.
And then finally they also have shields in their nostrils. And the more a woodpecker is involved in excavation, the more its nostrils are essentially blocked by rises in the bill that protect any materials from getting in the bill.
What’s interesting though, Margaret, is recent research has suggested that while all those things have an impact, one of the most important factors is that woodpeckers have relatively small brains. [Laughter.] I know it’s really funny. Now, all those other things probably play a role, but their smaller brain means that they get less impact from those concussive forces.
Margaret: And the other way—and you can see this just looking at their overall shape relative to many other types of birds—the way their tail is formed and the position it’s in and how they utilize it as sort of an anchor in a way. And those feet, they’re sturdy. They’re on that target, right? They’re really there.
Paul: Yes. I always get a kick out of having climbers watch woodpeckers on a tree in slow motion, because as any good climber will envy the three points of contact to the woodpecker: the stiff tail, which holds them from falling down the tree, and then two oversized feet that cling to the tree with toes for which they can change position on the tree depending on the type of activity they’re engaged with in. If they perch, they could put two toes in front and two behind. If they’re excavating, they may put three up and one behind. One of the things is when they’re clinging to that tree and they’re braced for moving down with their tail and they’re held onto the tree with their feet, they swing their head back as far as they can, and then they direct the force on the tree.
And you’ll also notice when they’re doing that, their head is shaped like a hammer, and they exert that force on the tree. But in some ways, the hallux, that last toe, is holding the bird back from going further and exerting more force.
So two of the birds that do the most excavating, the American three-toed woodpecker and the black-backed woodpecker, have actually evolved to lose that hallux and only have three toes, unless they’re called three-toed woodpeckers. And as they spend more time excavating other woodpeckers that are heavier add a fourth point, which is the heel, or you would look at it, it’s like the knee or the elbow of the legs, also make contact with the tree. So it’s fascinating to watch how each of the woodpeckers deploys these tools in climbing and working on the tree. [Below, black-backed woodpecker fledgling.]
Margaret: Yeah, the carpenter birds. So we should say that they both drill, or excavate, but they also drum with those chisel-shaped beaks or whatever. I mean, what’s the drumming about versus excavating? Because here where I am in the Northeast, it starts very early. It starts even before spring is technically here, or before the plants even seem to think it’s spring, I hear the drumming beginning. So what’s that all about?
Paul: Yeah, in the early spring, we hear birds sing, and birds are singing, including woodpeckers, to essentially advertise their presence, both to mates and to rivals. Woodpeckers do one better by singing, but also screaming. They have very loud, shrill or trilling calls, but they also drum. And the drumming, just like the singing and just bright colors, and the males especially do have bright colors, are meant to show their vitality to potential mates and their strength to potential competitors. And what’s interesting is woodpeckers over time will look around their environment for the most resonant places to drum, and they want to find a resonant surface, but also a relatively high resonant surface so they can let as many potential mates and as many potential rivals as possible know how impressive they are.
It’s not unusual for woodpeckers in cities to find metal chimneys, or utility poles, or park signs. Or even once I found in Jamaica…[laughter] it’s actually kind of a funny story. I was in Jamaica and I was looking for the Jamaican woodpecker, and a man said, well, “They’ve been ruining my clothesline poles, so I had to scare them away.” And I said, “Can you show me?” And he took me to where the clothes were hung, and he said, “See, I put these here.” And he put coffee cans on top of each of the poles. And then he laughed. He walked away chuckling to himself, and just then rat-a-tat-tat, the woodpecker jumped on the coffee cans and they loved it. It made an even louder noise.
Margaret: [Laughter.] Oh, that’ll show him. Yeah, they are when they drum, it’s amazing. It is, as you say, resonant. I mean it really, really resounds. And they have other sort of distinctive things. I mean, the flight pattern even is distinctive to my eye. They kind of swoop in a way, I don’t know; that’s probably not a good word, but do you know what I mean?
Paul: I do. Yeah.
Margaret: The way they move is different.
Paul: Most woodpeckers have an undulating flight, and it’s like they’re bouncing up and down through the air, and that is caused by alternating wing beats. They alternate between having their wings out or flapping, and holding their wings against their body. So when they’re flapping, they’re rising, and when they pull their wings in, they’re falling. And they’re doing that at more or less a continuous rate. So they look almost like musical notes going across the page, or like a flat heart rate. They’re really distinctive. And there’s only a couple of other birds that make a flight quite like that. So usually if you see that undulating flight, it’s a woodpecker.
Margaret: You write in the book, in the new book, about various other aspects of their lives. I think you mentioned, for example, that most are non-migratory species. That’s true, yes? That’s correct?
Paul: It’s really interesting. Woodpeckers are not very good dispersers, which is why in the Caribbean islands, for instance, in many cases, each highland has their own endemic woodpecker. There’s six endemics in the Caribbean islands. But it also means they’re not really great at migrating. And in fact, there are four species, or actually say there’s five or six species, that nest in the Arctic in Alaska and Canada, and all of them, but one stay on those territories year-round. The ones that don’t migrate are the hairy, the downy, the black-backed, the three-toed and the pileated. The one that migrates is the yellow-bellied sapsucker.
Because its sap freezes. So all of our sapsuckers, and we have four sapsuckers in North America, all of them migrate to one degree or another. But the only one that’s an obligate migrant is your yellow-bellied sapsucker, that migrate away in the winter from almost every location. Except there’s a few locales where they don’t. And they migrate again when the sap in anticipation of the sap freezing. And they often migrate, not only are they obligatory migrants, but they migrate a long distance down into the Caribbean and Mexico.
Flickers are facultative migrants and the flickers do a lot of ground feeding. So if there is deep, persistent snow, they will migrate during the winter. But some of the other sapsuckers are facultative migrants, and some of the northern ones migrate. Some of the southern ones don’t. Up in the Pacific Northwest our red-breasted sapsucker migrates, elevationally, longitudinally. It migrates from the mountains down into the lowlands.
And all of the other woodpeckers in North America are more or less year-round on a territory with some subtle up-and-down movements on a slope in pursuit of food, where they may move at most a thousand feet or less.
Margaret: Yeah. I’m in one of those places on the migration map for the yellow-bellied where they don’t go anywhere. It’s hilarious. It’s like it’s the exact spot where they don’t, apparently. [Laughter.]
Paul: Lucky you.
Margaret: It’s kind of nutty to see them in the winter, but at any rate, they must like it here. One of the other characteristics you talk about, you say most species are monogamous within a single season, but that the pileated [above] might even be monogamous, have the same partner, over multiple seasons. Which I thought was kind of adorable since that’s a bird that I see most days and am crazy about, and helps me with dealing with all my dead and dying trees and loves feasting on them.
And that’s one of the things we’ve done to harm woodpeckers as we sort of erase dead and dying trees from our landscape. We’re so into cleanliness, and those are trees that are really important. And it’s a shame that people take that wood away because boy, oh boy, the woodpeckers love it [laughter]. Yeah.
So you talk about their monogamy, you talk about, and of course their cavity nesters, which we mentioned before. Do they use those cavities in the winter, because we said many of them stay in the winter where they’re resident.
Paul: Yeah. I mean, one of the reasons woodpeckers are such an important keystone species is not only do they make a nest cavity, but they make several nest cavities, and many starts. Some of those starts are completed in later years. Some of those starts are utilized by young, the young of the year, as roosts, or even by the adults themselves as roosts.
So every year they make several cavities, and the ones that aren’t used by woodpeckers might be used by wrens or chickadees or nuthatches or other birds or squirrels during the winter.
And the other thing is a lot of woodpeckers probe. So they’re constantly pecking and licking into holes to find food, and many of the holes that might host their food or the holes created by those woodpeckers themselves.
And back to the idea of monogamy and woodpeckers: Most woodpeckers are monogamous to some degree, with the degree in monogamy related to how much they move. So the downys, the hairys, the pileateds are probably all monogamous as long as the mate survives, but they don’t necessarily live that long. Interesting thing, as you mentioned about pileateds, is the pair, not only are they monogamous year-round, but they actually forage together year-round.
Margaret: They do indeed. I love it.
Paul: Which is unique. And then the pale-billed in Mexico, the young even forage with the parents for up to a year.
Margaret: Speaking of foraging, what do woodpeckers eat? The flickers seem to go scooting around the along like that robin you thought it was when you were a little boy, looking for ants. What do they eat? What’s the diet? Is it a wide range? [Above, the northern yellow-shafted flicker with young.]
Paul: It’s a great question. Woodpeckers eat a wide range of food. The most dominant food are ants followed by beetle larvae, followed by flying insects, with different species, particularly different genuses attracted to different families of insects. But you could say first they’re insects, then they’re fruit, and then there’s sap and there’s a little bit of carrion—meat they might find, and that’s why some woodpecker species will take to suet.
There are specialists, the flicker specializes in carpenter ants, and ants in general. And there’s three species of flickers in North America, and they all specialize in different kinds of ants. Now, pileated woodpeckers—and I should say even the specialists are flexible and opportunistic—so flickers in the fall will feed on fruit, such as dogwood fruit and cherries and apples, and they’ll feed on crane flies in people’s lawns, incredibly opportunistic when ants aren’t there. And in Cuba, they shift depending on the dry or wet season between ground ants and tree ants.
Pileated woodpeckers specialize in carpenter ants, and even manage the supply of carpenter ants to make sure they have sustenance in the winter. So during the breeding season, there’s some evidence to suggest that they tend towards other foods when available so they can maintain those colonies of carpenter ants to get them through the winter. But like the pileated, in the fall, right about now, they’re going to be feasting on dogwood fruit and sumac fruit, and anything else they can find.
Margaret: Well, Paul Bannick, the new book—I really am enjoying it. I’m so glad to speak to you, and I’m hoping seeing about all your other owl books that someday we’re going to do this and talk about owls, because they are another fascination here. So that would be really fun if you’d be willing to do that sometime.
Paul: I would love to do it, Margaret.
(All photos by Paul Bannick from “Woodpecker;” used with permission.)
Is there a favorite woodpecker in your life? Tell us where and who.
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MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 16th year in March 2025. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Oct. 27, 2025 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Flea beetles also enjoy feasting on rapini leaves. They are most recognizable by the damage they do – leaving tiny, round “shot holes” in the foliage.
Before you kill any other tiny garden beetles thinking they are flea beetles, however, make sure you have correctly identified them – there are some beneficial insects, such as spider mite destroyers, which can be mistaken for these pests.
Flea beetles don’t usually do enough damage to harm broccoli raab, In my own garden, I ignore the minimal damage caused by these pests.
Instead I focus on attracting natural flea beetle enemies such as braconid wasps, which love the umbel-shaped flowers of cilantro, dill, and yarrow.
Leaf miners leave distinctive maze-like marks in the foliage.
These pests are actually flies, but it isn’t the adults that create the damage, it is the larvae feeding as they burrow through the leaf tissue.
Leaf miner damage.
In addition to aesthetic damage, these burrows can interfere with photosynthesis.
As with flea beetles, parasitic wasps are important in keeping leaf miner populations down.
To encourage parasitic wasps, grow plants they like nearby. In addition to cilantro and dill, cosmos is another beneficial wasp favorite.
Remove any damaged foliage and give your plants a chance to recover before resorting to pesticides, which are harmful to beneficial insects.
Disease
There are a few common diseases that can affect your crop, but they are not very common if plants are grown in optimal conditions.
Alternaria Leaf Spot
Alternaria leaf spot is a fungal disease that causes brown lesions on the foliage with white or gray centers. These lesions are often surrounded by yellow halos.
The fungi that cause this disease flourish in hot, humid conditions.
To prevent infection, provide adequate spacing between plants and encourage good air circulation.
Also, rather than watering your crop with a sprinkler, water close to the surface of the soil instead.
Treatment of this disease is much the same in rapini as it is in its close relative, the turnip.
Damping off is caused by a soilborne pathogen that causes young seedlings to suddenly wither and die.
Cool, wet conditions and poorly draining soil put seedlings at risk for this disease. As a preventive measure, make sure the soil is well-draining, and don’t overwater.
In addition to being used in Italian and Chinese cuisine, this green is a staple in traditional Spanish and Galician cuisine as well, such as in the soup caldo Gallego.
Rapini can be cooked like any other leafy green – steamed, sauteed, added to an omelet or quiche, mixed with pasta, or used as a pizza topping.
Raab also combines well with beans, such as in this recipe for cheap and easy Italian style beans and greens soup, from our sister site, Foodal.
Photo by Fanny Slater.
For a light meal or appetizer, you can also use it as a topping for toast, such as in this recipe for tartines topped with broccoli rabe, chilies, and pecorino. Find it on Foodal.
The Best Bitter Buds
You now have all of the information you need to sow, grow, harvest, and even cook up a delicious batch of homegrown broccoli rabe. So, what are you waiting for?
Are you a fan of these pungent greens? Tell us about your gardening or cooking experiences with rapini – and let us know what you call it – in the comments section below.
Looking for a unique way to bring your love of the outdoors to your home? Make this pretty DIY clay leaf dish! Whether you use them for soap dishes, to hold jewellry, or as a gift for a friend, making this project is simple.
These clay leaf dishes are a project you can make anytime throughout the year. Head out to the garden and look for unique shapes to preserve.
Perhaps you have a special tree that you’d like to commemorate? I know that I can get very sentimental about my trees, and this is a nice way to preserve the leaf of a loved tree for years to come.
Thanks to air dry clay, it’s simple to do this clay project at home in a weekend. Here’s how to make these clay leaf dishes.
This post will cover…
Use craft paint to colour your clay leaf dish.
Choosing Leaves for Clay Imprints
When choosing leaves, look for those that are still supple, as dry leaves may crack and break before you get a good mold from them. Leaves that have interesting shapes like oak and maple will make bowls with deeply grooved edges, making them interesting yet impractical for holding much.
I like to use smooth-edged leaves with a fairly large size, about as big as the palm of your hand for a small pinch bowl or as large as your whole hand for a decorative jewelry dish. Hydrangea leaves make a perfect bowl shape and you can ruffle the edges for a bit more decoration. And long leaves make an interesting ring holder.
Once you’ve chosen your leaves, then it’s just a matter of using clay to mould them and paint to decorate. You can make these at home and finish them with a coat of paint or head to a local pottery studio and use a kiln to glaze them, but no matter how you decide to finish them, here is how to make these lovely leaf dishes.
I used hydrangea leaves for my clay imprint.
How to Use Air Dry Clay
Air dry clay is an easy material to work with, but it’s not as durable as kiln fired clay. Air dry clay can break easily and turn to mush if left outside in the rain without sealer. The good news is that it is really easy (and fun!) to work with so it is worth taking a bit of extra care.
Make sure that you work out the bubbles before you mold your clay. If your clay is new from the package you can cut off a slab and roll that out without too many air bubbles. If you have a ball that has been previously handled, you can work out the bubbles by kneading the air bubbles out.
Potters call this “wedging.” While this is absolutely necessary in kiln pottery, air dry clay is a bit more forgiving. See how to wedge clay in this video and use it to reshape your clay and remove air bubbles.
Air dry clay dries out very quickly. To avoid cracks, keep your clay moist and smooth out any cracks with a wet sponge before allowing it to dry. Dry air dry clay slowly in a cool room. Check it often to make sure the shape is holding as the edges can curl up.
When the clay is completely dry, paint it and use a clay sealer to protect the finished piece. With these tips, air dry clay is an easy way to start sculpting!
Air dry clay dries out quickly, so make sure to keep it moist with a wet sponge.
How to Make a DIY Clay Leaf Dish
Making these dishes are simple, and will be enjoyed for years to come!
Materials
This project takes two days, as the clay needs to be fully dry before you paint it.
Make it!
Start by removing a section of clay from the block using string or dental floss. Wrap the string around your 2 index fingers, the width of the block apart and use it to pull through the clay to cut off a chunk. Start at the back and pull towards you.
Store any clay not in use in an airtight bag or container to avoid it from drying out.
Roll out the clay to 1/2 inch thickness and place the leaf, with veins facing down, on the clay. Use the rolling pin to gently imprint the leaf’s details and shape into the clay.
Place the leaf with veins facing down to get the best imprint.
Use a sharp edge of a knife to cut out the shape of the leaf and pull the leaf off.
Cut the remaining clay off with a sharp knife.
Cup the finished clay leaf in your hands and gently work it into a bowl shape by curling up the edges.
To ruffle the edges, use both hands to curve the edges back and forth, creating a wave pattern.
I made my edges more curled and whimsical than the actual leaf.
You can set the leaf in a shallow bowl to dry and take on the shape, or roll up some newspaper to set under the edges of the bowl. This will make sure it keeps the curved shape as it dries.
Use a bowl or planter to help you create the proper shape.
Paint the Clay Leaf
After the clay is completely dry, you can paint it any way you like! From simple white to multicoloured, a set of craft paints will transform it. Try painting geometric shapes, splatter painting it Pollock style, or adding your own touch.
Use a gloss or matte sealer to protect the finish and set it out to enjoy.
Where to Use the Clay Leaves
Note: these clay leaf dishes are decorative and not meant for food. It is not possible to wash them or submerge them in water. It’s best that they are used to show off pretty collections or other small items you want to display.
If you want to have food-safe dishes, join a pottery studio and make this simple project there! You don’t need much experience and you can make beautiful designs with the glazes. Here are some that I made in a pottery studio with the hydrangea leaves.
Pottery studios will create a different finish by using a glaze.
I use these as soap dishes for my handmade soap at home and as gifts.
More Crafty Garden Clay Projects
How to Make a Clay Leaf Dish
Looking for a unique way to bring your love of the outdoors to your home? Make this pretty DIY clay leaf dish! Whether you use them for soap dishes, to hold jewelry, or as a gift for a friend, making this project is simple.
Wrap the dental floss around your fingers and use it to break off a chunk of the clay.
Then roll the clay to 1/2″ thick, and lay your leaf with the veins facing down on the clay.
Use the rolling pin to transfer the imprint of the veins to the clay.
With the craft knife, trace out the leaf’s shape in the clay.
Cup the clay leaf in your hands and gently form the bowl shape by curling the edges upwards.
Let the clay dry completely.
Paint the dried clay leaf with craft paint. Then protect the finish with a sealer.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Of course we are entitled to have strong opinions about plants, but it doesn’t hurt to have our minds changed once in a while. In this episode, Danielle, Carol, and their expert guest will discuss the redeeming qualities of plants that have won them over after some initial resistance. If there are particular plants you have ruled out for one reason or another, this might be the encouragement you need to look at them in a new light.
Expert: Jason Reeves is the curator of the University of Tennessee Gardens, located at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson.
Artisan™ Yellow Ombre coneflowerPeegee hydrangea in Carol’s gardenEl Niño® desert orchid Photo courtesy of Proven Winners‘Super Hero Spry’ French marigold
Expert Jason Reeves’s Plant Picks
‘Slender Silhouette’ sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’, Zones 5–9)
Augusta® Lavender heliotrope (Heliotropium ‘WNHPAULAV’, Zones 7b–11)
Aromagica® Purple heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens ‘INHELAROPU’, Zones 9–11)
Feathered Friends™ series ajuga (Ajuga reptens and cvs., Zones 4–9)
‘Flashy Flamingo’
‘Parrot Paradise’
‘Slender Silhouette’ sweet gum trees Photo courtesy of Mark DwyerAugusta® Lavender heliotrope Photo courtesy of Proven WinnersAromagica® Purple heliotrope Photo courtesy of Proven Winners‘Flashy Flamingo’ ajuga Photo courtesy of Chris Hansen‘Parrot Paradise’ ajuga Photo courtesy of Chris Hansen
All photos from the contributors unless noted otherwise.
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
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MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point – no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.
Welcome to The Editors’ Cut, our monthly column dedicated to beautiful and useful finds for all over the house. In this installment: We’ve always considered moss-y, olive-y green to be an honorary neutral. Even our most color-shy editors are drawn to the hue, incorporating it into our homes, our wardrobes, and, in one case, a wedding. Lucky for us, we’re noticing this particular shade everywhere of late: not drab, not muddy, but a little bit chartreuse, a little bit avocado, and perfect for fall. Here are 12 finds. — The Remodelista and Gardenista Editors
Calla Table Lamp
Above: Found: the most beautiful table lamp. Made in collaboration with artist Sophie Lou Jacobsen using traditional Venetian glassmaking techniques, it comes in an appealing pistachio shade. Shop now.
Cisco and the Sun Stoneware Butter Box
Above: You’ll want to linger over breakfast with this pretty butter dish (designed in Australia and made in Cambodia) on the table. Shop now.
Laney Floral Quilt and Shams
Above: Our ideal autumn bed features this hand-quilted coverlet in rich shades of olive. (Bonus: It’s reversible.) Shop now.
Green Glassware
Above L: This verdant glass vessel, hand-blown in Tuscany, makes an elegant decanter for wine or water. Shop now. Above R: We like a stemless glass for all uses. These squat versions are inspired by traditional clay mezcal vessels and made from 100 percent recycled glass. Shop now.
Nina Square Velvet Cushion
Above: An instant upgrade for the sofa, courtesy of Danish pillow maker Christina Lundsteen. Shop now.
Easy Gardening Clog
Above: Waterproof, lightweight, vegan, and chic enough to wear beyond the garden. Shop now.
Ella Wool Rug
Above: A rare find: a hand-tufted, OEKO-Tex-certified wool-cotton rug that is also incredibly affordable. Shop now.
We’re wrapping up the week in Northern California as we head to the San Francisco Bay Area for another stunning submission from Adriana Porter Felt. In her previous submissions Adriana has highlighted two plants signature to her garden’s design (check out those submissions here: Adriana’s Pride of Madeira in Spring and Drifts of Pink Heuchera Blooms), but today she is giving us a full tour of one container-filled section of her landscape.
We bought a house with a large, fenced pool-deck area that was almost entirely hardscaped. For safety reasons, we had to keep the fence, which blocked the sight of the surrounding gardens. I brought in greenery and flowers with a large container garden.
We used three kinds of containers: large metal planters for our primary planting beds, blue ceramic pots, and large raised planters that added height. We continually add to the collection. It brings light and charm to our back deck.
These photos were taken in late summer, when our dahlias, passion vines, and Japanese anemones(Anemone hupehensis var. japonica, Zones 5–7) are in bloom. I also caught the tail end of our Russell lupine(Lupinus polyphyllus ‘Russell hybrids’, Zones 4–8) in bloom. Earlier in the year we have blooms from purple Jerusalem sage(Phlomis purpurea, Zones 8–10 or as an annual), clematis, and scabiosa.
We live in the Berkeley Hills, California, where frost isn’t a concern but dry summers are our way of life. I water deeply by hand every three days.
Upon entering the pool patio from Adriana’s backdoor, you’re immediately immersed in a plant paradise. An arbor covered in passion flower welcomes you with the colorful group of blue ceramic containers Adriana mentioned in her introduction.
Dahlias and lupine are gorgeous additions to these artful pots, which would make a statement even if nothing was planted inside. I really appreciate that while all of the pots are blue, none are exactly the same; this makes for an interesting group of pots that also doesn’t steal too much attention from her beautiful flowers.
A bubblegum pink dahlia is a lovely complement to the blue pottery as well as the bright greenery behind.
Even more blue pots add so much to this corner that would otherwise be devoid of color. The color theme continues with some funky chairs at an outdoor dining table, and all of that blue is paired with the most wonderful palette of pink and purple blooms.
To break up all that blue, metal raised beds allow for bigger planting possibilities but still connect to the rest of the design. The tall, arching Japanese anemones in the background are perfectly mirrored by the much shorter ‘Butterfly Blue’ pincushion flower (Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’, Zones 4–8) in the foreground.
Another seating area, right outside the back door, is equally lush. A beautiful mix of green and purple plants, including purple Jerusalem sage, gives this area a calm and cool vibe.
A close-up of the purple passion flower (Passiflora incarnata, Zones 5–9) growing over Adriana’s entryway arbor
This must be Adriana’s back patio before the addition of most of her plants. A couple of very stylish raised planters add a little bit of color, but overall it’s a pretty blank slate.
And the impressive entryway in all its glory, today: While the “before” is still an attractive back patio that many would dream of, the “after” takes the space to the next level and transforms blank hardscaping into a garden oasis.
Thank you so much for introducing us to more of your amazing garden, Adriana! What we’ve seen before was dazzling, but this submission really shed light on your incredible designs and the fantastic landscape you have crafted.
When I think we’ve seen it all from our fabulous contributors, they always have a way of surprising me with hidden gems and never-before-seen aspects of their gardens that absolutely blow me away. If you have any secret treasures in your garden that you haven’t gotten around to sharing yet, please make 2025 the year that you show them off. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
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.
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Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Lee Valley Mini Garden Shear Set
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
These shears have a distinctive finger rest that not only aids grip but allows greater freedom of movement than a conventional handle design. They have a durable powder-coat finish to resist rust and wear, and a simple clasp that locks the spring-action stainless-steel blades closed. The set includes one pair of round-nose shears measuring 5 1/2″ overall with 1″ blades for cutting stems up to 3/8″ in diameter, and one pair of 6 1/2″ needle-nose shears with 2″ fine-tip blades for precise work.
ARS Telescoping Long Reach Pruner
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Telescopes from 4 to 7′. Cut and Hold (160) Blades. Drop forged blades for unsurpassed long lasting sharpness. Lightweight, 2.3 lbs., for continued use. Perfectly balanced for easy pruning.
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
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Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
This is a fun Halloween project for gardeners! It’s silly and quirky, and it puts a smile on everyone’s face. Turn your Jack-o-Lantern into a Jack-o-PLANTern this year for a fun garden therapy project using these simple DIY instructions.
I love decorating with pumpkins. I get giddy when I start to see them available at the farmer’s markets and grocery store. I applaud those who even go through the effort of growing one themselves to carve and decorate with later.
These jack-o-planterns are a fun gardeners take on the classic jack-o-lantern. You can use up the last of the plants remaining from your summer and fall planters, or get some on discount from the garden centre.
This quick project is also fun to do with the kiddos. Let me show you!
How to Make a Jack-o-Plantern
Making your own is a really simple project. Heading out to a garden centre will be the most time consuming and, might I add, dangerous. You will have to show some restraint if you don’t want to come home with a carload of colourful grasses, kale, and other fall beauties.
For a budget-friendly option, upcycle plants from your summer planters.
Make It!
Cut the top off your pumpkin to make a hole in the top. If it is fairly empty, then you don’t need to spend a bunch of time scooping it out. I removed the seeds and roasted them and left the rest of the junk in there. It will all compost together in the end anyhow.
Use you marker to draw a face on the best side of the pumpkin and use the knife to carve out the holes.
Don’t worry about cleaning your pumpkin guts out completely.
Now add some soil to the bottom of the pumpkin. You can use a container mix soil, although I found that my plants had quite a bit of container soil in them and I didn’t really need to add much more in the way of peat moss or perlite.
Contrary to typical container planting instructions, you really want to pack the soil down at the bottom to create some firm areas where the plants can sit. These planters will not last long enough for the roots to struggle and will have lots of moisture and organic matter from the pumpkin itself.
I also don’t think drainage holes are necessary but add them if you choose.
Pack in the soil tight.
Now for the fun part (it is even more fun than carving a jack-o-lantern)! Plant some ‘hair’ with grasses…
Grasses are the perfect hair, as well as trailing plants.
…and ‘hats’ with cabbage.
Cabbage “hat”
Fill soil around the roots of the plants (remove the plastic pots) and pack it in through the eyes and mouth. Leave space for sedum and ornamental kale as eyes and teeth.
Ornamental kale as eyes.
Use succulents as “teeth”
I tried swapping out the kale and sedum in different jack-o-lantern eyes until I got the look that I liked.
Set your pumpkin out in the cool fall air and water periodically. After Halloween, remove the plants and make a pretty fall planter or use them to pretty up the garden. Compost the whole pumpkin and the soil and you will be well on your way to a greener garden next year.
Jack-o-Plantern FAQ
How long do pumpkin planters last before they begin to rot?
It depends entirely on the weather conditions. The cooler the pumpkin, the longer it will last. If possible, keep it from sitting in the sun. If it’s warm, your pumpkin may last only a few days. Cooler temperatures and it could last a couple of weeks.
How can I make my pumpkin planter last longer?
The most important aspect is picking a good pumpkin. Avoid any with soft spots or visible damage or browning.
Sun will accelerate decomposition, while rain will promote rot. Snow can help preserve the pumpkin if it sticks around, but freezing and then thawing will end up with a pumpkin puddle. Your best bet is to place it in a shady, covered area, and wait for the cool weather to kick in.
I have found that those tips and hacks like adding petroleum jelly or bleach actually don’t work, and means you can’t compost your pumpkin after. Read more about that here.
More Fun Pumpkin Ideas
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
For those familiar with Los Angeles, the words “Santa Monica” will likely conjure up a very Californian version of the all-American idyll: an iconic pier and long stretches of boutiques surrounded by tree-lined streets and quaint homes with tidy lawns and the occasional shrub or agave. The scene is so picturesque that you can’t blame most homeowners for choosing to simply cut and paste these same elements onto their own landscapes.
So when Molly Sedlacek, the founder of ORCA, was contacted by two prospective clients seeking a Mediterranean-inspired garden for their Santa Monica property, she was intrigued. And when they mentioned the idea of ripping up the existing driveway and replacing it with more garden, she knew immediately she would accept the job. In the world of landscape design, it’s typically the designer finding, and sometimes fighting for, more green space—not the other way around.
What proved problematic was the site itself. A relatively small footprint meant that every square inch, including the aforementioned old driveway, had to be put to good use, especially since a new outdoor kitchen would also be required. So Sedlacek went about designing programmatic areas that would blur the lines between each other and the home’s interior. “The client needed a garden that is connected to their everyday lives: an art room that spills into the entry courtyard, a living room that opens up onto the dining patio, and a dining room that overlooks the pool.” To better define these areas, Sedlacek leaned heavily on the home’s existing white stucco and Spanish-influenced exterior to select hardscaping elements that would feel “naturally weathered” and right at home on a Balearic island.
Her inspiration: Potter’s House Mallorca, the retreat made instagram-famous by European garden designer Luciano Guibbelei. “We studied it for plants colliding with the water’s edge, groundcovers feeling very effortless, and also the use of fruit trees, bees blossom, and Ligularia dentata.” But while the resulting garden may look just like an arid landscape pulled from the coast of Gibraltar, it is primarily composed of U.S. natives and nativars, with a sprinkling of Mediterranean species for effect. Sedlacek and team brought in deep-green species like Ceonathus ‘Snow Flurry’, Frangula californica and Dryopetris arguta to contrast with the lighter palette, while Oenothera lindheimeri and Carex pansa create languorous drifts in sunnier areas.
The whole effect is of something wild and slightly forgotten. Sedlacek’s favorite element is tucked in the back corner of the garden, next to the site of a brand new pool, where the native Rosa californica clambers up a brick wall from the early 20th century to form a near-perfect simulacrum of an old European villa. “Seeing something built in 2025 that highlights something that has [already] lived here for a century is very special.”
Above: Sedlacek carved out new beds and added permeable paving in what used to be the entry driveway. The new space functions as a courtyard where kids can play, and still has enough hard surfaces to squeeze in a car if necessary.
