Silver lace vine (Fallopia baldschuanica) is one of my favorite climbers for quickly transforming a plain fence into a flowery tapestry. Native to the mountainous regions of China and Central Asia, this vigorous vine produces clouds of fragrant, white to pale-pink blooms from late summer into fall. While it’s praised for its rapid coverage, it...

Cosmos flowers are one of my favorite summer delights—their daisy-like blooms in shades of pink, white, and fiery orange seem to dance on graceful, ferny foliage! Native to the highlands of Mexico, Cosmos bipinnatus (and its cousin C. sulphureus) have naturalized in gardens around the world. While not typically invasive, they’ll happily self-seed if you...

Zinnias are one of the most joyful flowers you can grow—those brilliant, daisy-like blooms in every hue imaginable truly brighten a summer garden! Native to Mexico and Central America, Zinnia elegans and its relatives have been delighting gardeners since pre-Columbian times. While they aren’t considered invasive in most regions, they can self-seed vigorously if spent...

Bee quince bushes are simply enchanting when they burst into bloom—those vivid coral, pink, or white flowers create a picture-perfect spring display! Native to eastern Asia, particularly China and Japan, Chaenomeles species have long graced temple gardens and cottage borders alike. As a gardener, I’m always amazed at how these hardy shrubs can transform a...

Bee balm is one of my favorite perennials to grow—its vibrant red, pink, or purple blooms instantly light up any garden bed! Native to eastern North America, Monarda species have long attracted hummingbirds, butterflies, and a buzzing brigade of native bees that sometimes nest right among their sturdy stems. It’s such a bummer, though, when...

I’m so excited you’re exploring vining plants to grace your indoor spaces! Vines bring a lush, dynamic feel—trailing tendrils softening shelves, spilling from hanging baskets, or climbing up a moss pole. These adaptable climbers hail from diverse corners of the world—tropical rainforests, arid scrublands, and steamy mountaintops—and many have naturalized beyond their native ranges, though...

English ivy (Hedera helix) hails from the woodlands of Europe and western Asia, where it thrives under a forest canopy with dappled light and well-drained soils. In its native range, ivy provides nectar-rich flowers in late autumn that are a magnet for pollinators, and its dense foliage offers nesting sites for small birds and beneficial...

I’m so excited to dive into the surprising ways a humble box of baking soda can be your secret weapon in the garden! Sodium bicarbonate isn’t just for baking cookies—it’s a gentle fungicide that helps control powdery mildew, a soil amendment that can nudge pH upward for certain acid-sensitive blooms, and even a slug-repellent barrier...

Rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.) are a gardener’s dream, offering spectacular trusses of bell-shaped flowers that range from pure white to deep magenta. Native to the temperate woodlands of Asia, North America, and Europe, these evergreen shrubs thrive in acidic, well-draining soils that mirror their forest-floor origins. Though they’re rarely invasive when planted in the right conditions,...

I’m so excited to share companion ideas that will make your daylily beds burst with color and brimming with beneficial wildlife! Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) hail from Asia—China, Korea, and Japan—and have naturalized across many temperate regions, where they form clumps of arching foliage and trumpet-like blooms. While some gardeners worry about invasiveness, most garden cultivars...

I’m thrilled you’re diving into the world of spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) care! These adaptable houseplants hail from the forests and grasslands of South Africa, where they’ve evolved to handle both bright shade and sporadic rainfall. While they’re not considered invasive in most regions—though they can naturalize if discarded outdoors in frost-free areas—their lush, arching...

The charming Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides), native to the Yunnan province of southern China, has won hearts worldwide with its pancake-shaped leaves and easy-going nature. While it isn’t considered invasive, its prolific production of baby “pup” offsets makes it feel like it could take over a shelf or two! I remember the first time...