

This plant is ideal for adding a tropical touch to your indoor space. It’s a climbing species that can be trained to grow up a wall or other structure using a totem or moss pole. Monstera prefers well-draining soil, medium to bright indirect light, and can grow its largest leaves when trained vertically. It’s important to let the top couple of inches of the potting mix dry before watering.
These unusual houseplants come from the Central American country of Costa Rica. The scientific name of Monstera Esqueleto is listed as Monstera sp., as there is “some mystery around the origin of this plant” (source: Costa Farms) and its exact species within the plant kingdom. It may be a Monstera epipremnoides or perhaps an unidentified species. We’ll look forward to seeing how this cool plant is classified!
Cut flower gardens are a huge gardening trend right now, and these unique blooms, in particular, are now popping up all over the place. This is the same plant often seen in vases in mid-century modern decor, so don’t forget to harvest and dry some blooms to enjoy year-round. Outdoors, it works well in stand-alone containers, garden beds, and also as a thrilling addition to combined planters.
The scientific name for Billy Buttons is Pycnosorus globosus (syn. Craspedia globosa). This species is native to eastern Australia. This tender perennial can be grown as an annual in temperate cut flower gardens.
JeanGenie™ Blue Spruce has striking, bright blue-green needles and creamy-hued new growth, providing year-long interest in the landscape. It’s a low-maintenance slow grower (3-4 inches per season) and prefers partial to full sun, with a hardiness of Zones 2-8.
Its large and sturdy leaves have pink veins, white centers, deep burgundy stems, and a glossy surface. The multicolored leaves resemble caladium, but colocasia is generally easier to grow. Waikiki produces these striking colors earlier than other variegated leaf colocasia, making this interesting plant a stand-out addition to the Royal Hawaiian® Series.
The scientific name for Colocasia is Colocasia esculenta. This species is native to warm climates in Southeast Asia. Remember to keep this plant warm in temperate climates.
These tomatoes are known just as much for their unique appearance as they are for their old-fashioned flavor. The elongated, pointed fruit has lavender stripes when immature and turns striped green/blue over a red/brown background when ripe. The interior of the fruit is green and turns to blushed red as it ripens.
As a smaller cultivar, this grape tomato has a short growing season (making it perfect for those of us in cooler climates). While we can’t all enjoy the warm temperatures of Solanum lycopersicum’s native South America, these fun fruits are a great way to introduce kids to homegrown veggies in the summertime.
Also known as Monarch of the Veldt, the Cape Daisy thrives in poor soil and hot, dry conditions. The flowers are 2-3 inches in size. They have a double layer of large outer white petals with purple and yellow inner rings and a purple-black center. Cape Daisy flowers follow the sun throughout the day.
The scientific name for Cape Daisy is Arctotis fastuosa. This species is native to Namibia and the Cape Provinces of South Africa. In your own garden, it can attract pollinators and bring a touch of whimsey to your annual display.
As a potted plant, Fignomenal™ is the perfect alternative to the Chicago fig. Fignomenal™ plants produce fruit throughout the year and require little maintenance. The plants can even bloom and produce fruit in the first year after transplanting.
The scientific name for edible fig is Ficus carica. The native range of this species is from the Eastern Mediterranean region into Central Asia.
Fairytrail Bride (‘USHYD0405’) was named Plant of the Year at the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show. It can be grown in containers, hanging baskets, or garden beds (Zones 6-9). Give the plant a minimum of 6 hours of sun for the strongest stems and the most abundant flowers, and avoid pruning except to remove any dead wood.
The scientific name for cascade hydrangea is simply Hydrangea x. This hybrid was developed in Japan by Ushio Sakazaki (source: Spring Meadow Nursery).
The plant has a bushy and upright habit, growing up to 24-36 inches tall. It can be grown successfully in full sun to full shade, making it ideal for any location in the garden. It’s heat, rain, and wind tolerant. Coleus prefers normal watering and can be grown easily in containers or pots.
This variety has a compact habit, growing under 12 inches tall with a spread of 8 inches. Lettuce is cold-tolerant and can be planted as soon as soil can be worked in the spring. It can be direct-seeded or transplanted out as baby seedlings (spaced 6-8 inches apart).
The scientific name for lettuce is Lactuca sativa. This species is native to Western Asia.
Back In Black Sedum is the perfect way to introduce natural dark purple foliage into your garden. Some of the most interesting plants in the world have black foliage or flowers (think dragon arum, raven zz plant, elephant foot yam, black bat flower), but also tend to be expensive, hard to find, and often difficult to grow. Thankfully, Back In Black Sedum is downright easy to grow in your garden.
Philodendron requires normal watering, and I keep mine a bit on the damp side. In terms of light, choose bright, indirect light to prevent sunburn of the white-variegated foliage. This tropical plant is most commonly grown indoors and requires staking to climb.
Written by: Mary Jane Duford
Gardening Blog: Home for the Harvest
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