IMAGE SOURCES

Photo credits.

Reference photographs and contributed images are credited below. Contributor credits identify who supplied a photo. License links apply only to their named reference images. AI-generated illustrations are labeled separately and do not document real growing results. Images may be resized and cropped for the page.

Green spinach leaves in wood-chip mulch, with yellowing outer leaves.

Spinach

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “leaves and form”. Cropped for display.

Bright green basil leaves with new growth at the stem tips.

Basil

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Ocimum basilicum”. Cropped for display.

Spearmint with textured green leaves and serrated edges.

Mint

Photo: Forest-and-Kim-Starr · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Mentha spica”. Cropped for display.

A pile of harvested cherry and cocktail tomatoes.

Cherry tomato

Photo: Anh Van · Public Domain Mark 1.0. Cropped for display.

French marigold flowers with dark red petals edged in gold and yellow centers.

French marigold

Photo: Taco Witte · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Tagetes patula”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

Pink zinnia flower with layered petals and small yellow florets around the center.

Zinnia

Photo: TANAKA Juuyoh · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Zinnia elegans”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

Trailing vine with green and yellow, heart-shaped leaves.

Pothos

Photo: Sergei · CC0. Cropped for display.

Snake plants with tall, striped leaves in blue indoor pots.

Snake plant

Photo: Lucy Bradley · CC0. Cropped for display.

Bright green, loose ruffled leaves of Ashbrook lettuce growing in soil.

Leaf lettuce

Photo: DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “Lactuca sativa 'Ashbrook' form”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Small round red radishes growing at the soil surface beneath green leaves.

Radish

Photo: Rasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0. Source caption: “Whole plant”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Dense, deeply curled green leaves on a mature curly kale plant.

Kale

Photo: Rasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0. Source caption: “Form of curly kale.”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 3.0.

A green bell pepper with broad lobes hanging from a leafy garden plant.

Bell pepper

Photo: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Bell Pepper (Wake County,NC)”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

Fresh cilantro plants with bright green lobed leaves in nursery pots.

Cilantro

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display.

A clump of common chives with slender green leaves and round purple flower heads.

Chives

Photo: Pohled 111 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display.

Purple-pink funnel-shaped petunia flowers with darker veins among green leaves.

Petunia

Photo: Malcolm Manners · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Petunia flower detail”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

A yellow Henry Wilde sunflower bloom opening around a dark central disk.

Dwarf sunflower

Photo: Hope Duckworth · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “'Henry Wilde' flower opening”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

Flat, deeply divided green parsley leaves on slender stems.

Parsley

Photo: Will Lewis · CC BY 4.0. Cropped for display.

A rosemary shoot with narrow green needle-like leaves.

Rosemary

Photo: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Salvia rosmarinus. Leaves (Wake County, NC)”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

A pile of harvested slender green snap-bean pods.

Bush bean

Photo: David Adam Kess · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display.

Long green cucumbers hanging from a leafy vine in a greenhouse.

Cucumber

Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped for display.

A red nasturtium flower with a yellow center among green stems and leaves.

Nasturtium

Photo: Hope Duckworth · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Flower close up”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

A bee visits a pink-and-white cosmos flower with a yellow central disk.

Cosmos

Photo: Curt Hiller · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Bumblebee pollinator”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

A spider plant with arching green-and-white striped leaves and hanging plantlets.

Spider plant

Photo: Joanne Kollar (Pitt County) · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Chlorophytum comosum, Spider Plant, houseplant view”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

A potted ZZ plant with upright stems and glossy green leaflets.

ZZ plant

Photo: Andreas Hammerschmidt · CC BY-SA 3.0. Source caption: “Zamioculcas zamiifolia. Potted.”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 3.0.

A dill plant with upright stems and fine, feathery green foliage.

Dill

Photo: Magnus Brath · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display.

A thyme sprig with tiny narrow green leaves held against a dark gardening glove.

Thyme

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display.

Harvested orange carrots piled together with their cut stem ends facing forward.

Carrot

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0. Source caption: “ends of carrots”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

Red ripe and pale unripe strawberries hanging beneath green leaves.

Strawberry

Photo: Fomulaax · CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped for display.

Orange and yellow calendula flowers above green leaves in a garden bed.

Calendula

Photo: Roberto Verozo · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display. Source image description: Calendula officinalis. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

A mass of small white sweet-alyssum flowers with yellow-green centers.

Sweet alyssum

Photo: Carl Lewis · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display.

A potted peace lily with glossy, pointed green leaves on a white stand.

Peace lily

Photo: Sherri Barras · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Potted specimen.”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

Clusters of fleshy oval green jade-plant leaves on branching stems.

Jade plant

Photo: S.G.S. · CC0 1.0. Source caption: “Shape”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display.

A red Knock Out rose opening its layered petals against a blurred background.

Shrub rose

Photo: David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “Rosa Radrazz 0zz.jpg”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Purple English-lavender flowers on slender upright stems against a soft green background.

English lavender

Photo: Aneo · CC BY-SA 2.0. Source caption: “Flowers”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display. Photo adaptations remain available under CC BY-SA 2.0.

A conical cluster of creamy white Little Lime hydrangea flowers among fresh green leaves.

Panicle hydrangea

Photo: Randy Harter · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Hydrangea paniculata 'Jane' (Buncombe County, NC)”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

An open Krinkled White peony with a single cup of crinkled white petals surrounding bright yellow stamens.

Peony

Photo: David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “Paeonia lactiflora Krinkled White 0zz.jpg”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

A large open dahlia with layered peach, blush-pink and soft yellow petals in a sunny garden.

Dahlia

Photo: Jim Janke · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Dahlia flower”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

Pink sweet-pea flowers climbing through a cottage-garden border beside an old stone wall.

Sweet pea

Photo: Acabashi · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “'Lathyrus odoratus' pink Sweet pea in Walled Garden of Parham House, West Sussex, England.jpg”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

A spike of pale pink foxglove bells with deep burgundy spots inside the open flowers.

Foxglove

Photo: Parent Gery · CC BY-SA 3.0. Source caption: “Digitalis purpurea”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 3.0.

An open pink hollyhock flower with a deep rose center and pale yellow stamens.

Hollyhock

Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0. Source caption: “Flower”. Cropped for display. Re-encoded as WebP. Responsive versions are resized; layouts may crop the display. Photo adaptations remain available under CC BY-SA 3.0.

A lavender-blue Arabella clematis flower with recurved petals and pale spreading stamens.

Clematis

Photo: Wilrooij · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “Clematis integrifolia 'Arabella' 01.jpg”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coral-pink zonal geranium flowers held in rounded clusters above scalloped green leaves.

Geranium

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0. Source caption: “Flowers”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

A pink wax-begonia flower with yellow stamens above glossy bronze-green leaves.

Begonia

Photo: Dinkum · CC0 1.0. Source caption: “leaves and flower”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

Pink and red tulip flowers rising above broad, blue-green leaves in a garden bed.

Tulip

Photo: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0. Cropped for display. Resized where applicable and re-encoded as WebP.

White snapdragon flowers with small yellow throats clustered along green stems.

Snapdragon

Photo: David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “Antirrhinum majus Floral Showers White 2zz.jpg”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Violet-pink impatiens flowers above green leaves in a mulched garden bed.

Impatiens

Photo: Carole McHale · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Flowers - Craven Co., NC”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

Harvested white and purple-streaked garlic bulbs with dried roots and papery skins.

Garlic

Photo: Filo gèn' · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “garlic”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Two bunches of yellow bulb onions hang to dry with their green tops attached.

Onion

Photo: Ztaffanb · CC0. Source caption: “drying (whole plant)”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP.

Freshly dug sweet potatoes with reddish-tan skins lie on grass beside their vine.

Sweet potato

Photo: Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0. Source caption: “Sweet potatoes - out - DSCF7306.JPG”. Cropped for display. Resized and re-encoded as WebP. Image adaptation available under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pendant pink Christmas-cactus flowers hang from flattened green stems with rounded, scalloped edges.

Christmas cactus

Photo: Joe deSousa · CC0 1.0. Cropped for display. Resized where applicable and re-encoded as WebP.

A potted Monstera deliciosa with glossy green leaves split into deep lobes and natural holes.

Monstera

Photo: Maja Dumat · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display. Resized where applicable and re-encoded as WebP.

A cluster of ripe blue and unripe green blueberries beside a fresh green leaf.

Blueberry

Photo: Rob Thurman · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display. Resized where applicable and re-encoded as WebP.

White Shasta daisy flowers with yellow centers and green leaves above a pale container beside a window.

Shasta daisy

Photo: jennyzhuang. Original photograph; all rights reserved. Cultivar unspecified. This guide has a Becky garden-bed plan and a separate Snowcap container option; these photographs do not verify either named cultivar or the outcome of either plan.

Flower detail

Overhead view of white Shasta daisy flowers with yellow centers, green leaves, and unopened buds.
White petals surround yellow centers, with unopened buds among the green leaves. Photo: jennyzhuang. All rights reserved. Supplied directly by the photographer; cultivar unspecified. Converted to WebP and resized; no retouching or generated content.

Previous reference photograph: David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0. Retained reference image. Resized to 1000 × 667 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. This photo adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Aloe vera rosettes with long green succulent leaves and small pale teeth along their edges, growing in a garden bed.

Aloe vera

Photo: Mokkie · CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped for display. Outdoor botanical reference; not the indoor setup in this guide. Resized to 1000 × 563 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. This photo adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

Close-up of violet-purple flowers and dark bracts on an upright May Night salvia spike.

Salvia

Photo: David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source caption: “Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht'”. Cropped for display. Salvia × sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ (May Night), flower-spike detail. Resized to 1000 × 667 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. This photo adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

A green sugar snap pea pod hanging from its vine among broad leaves and curling tendrils.

Sugar snap pea

Photo: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0. Resized for display. A pea pod labeled ‘Sugar Snap’ by the source; a snap-pea reference, not a verified image of ‘Sugar Ann’. Resized to 696 × 1000 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. Photo reuse remains credited under CC BY 4.0.

Potato plants with compound green leaves and small white flowers growing in a garden bed.

Potato

Photo: AfroBrazilian · CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped for display. Solanum tuberosum foliage and flowers; cultivar unspecified, used as a reference for the ‘Yukon Gold’ guide. Resized to 1000 × 750 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. This photo adaptation is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

Orange, yellow, purple and pink garden pansies flowering together in a dark container.

Pansy

Photo: Cindy Christian · CC BY 4.0. Source caption: “Viola x wittrockiana, Pansy, potted plant view”. Cropped for display. Viola × wittrockiana in a mixed container display; a plant reference, not the guide’s single-plant pot. Resized to 1000 × 726 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. Photo reuse remains credited under CC BY 4.0.

Young broccoli plants growing in a New Jersey garden bed in April, with blue-green leaves.

Broccoli

Photo: Tomwsulcer · CC0 1.0. Cropped for display. Broccoli plants in a spring bed; cultivar unspecified. Resized to 1000 × 733 pixels and compressed as WebP; no crop or retouching. Display crops may be used. Released under CC0 1.0.

Zucchini foliage with large leaves in an outdoor garden.

Zucchini

Photo: GT1976 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display. Zucchini foliage reference. Resized to 1200 × 900 WebP. Display crops may be used. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 4.0.

Harvested beet roots with leafy tops in a basket.

Beet

Photo: W.carter · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display. Harvested beet roots as an identity reference. Resized to 1200 × 800 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 4.0.

Culinary sage, Salvia officinalis, with gray-green leaves.

Sage

Photo: Alina Majcen · CC0 1.0. Cropped for display. Culinary sage foliage. Resized to 1200 × 1600 WebP. Released under CC0 1.0.

A heading cabbage growing in a kitchen garden.

Cabbage

Photo: George Chernilevsky · Public domain. Cropped for display. Garden cabbage reference. Resized to 1200 × 1030 WebP. Source is marked public domain on Wikimedia Commons.

Arugula plants in flower, with small pale blooms above the leaves.

Arugula

Photo: Ariel Palmon · CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped for display. Flowering arugula reference. Resized to 1200 × 1600 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 3.0.

A harvested cauliflower curd held in a garden, with leaves around the head.

Cauliflower

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0. Cropped for display. Cauliflower curd reference. Resized to 1200 × 900 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY 2.0.

Heartleaf philodendron vines with heart-shaped green leaves.

Heartleaf philodendron

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display. Heartleaf philodendron reference. Resized to 1200 × 1600 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 4.0.

A bed of yellow daffodils in bloom in a park.

Daffodil

Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display. Daffodil bed reference. Resized to 1200 × 800 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 4.0.

Rudbeckia fulgida Goldsturm with orange-yellow petals and dark cones.

Black-eyed Susan

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped for display. Goldsturm reference. Other black-eyed Susans, including Rudbeckia hirta, can look similar. Resized to 1200 × 800 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 4.0.

Purple coneflower blooms with raised orange-brown cones.

Coneflower

Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped for display. Purple coneflower reference. Resized to 1200 × 800 WebP. Adaptation remains CC BY-SA 3.0.

AI-generated illustration of a potted cast iron plant with broad, arching dark-green leaves.

Cast iron plant

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of a potted ponytail palm with a swollen trunk base and long, arching narrow leaves.

Ponytail palm

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of a potted bay laurel with glossy green leaves and a woody stem.

Bay laurel

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of a potted dwarf pomegranate with orange-red flowers and small fruits.

Dwarf pomegranate

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of potted moss rose with narrow succulent leaves and pink and orange flowers.

Moss rose

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of a potted baby rubber plant with thick glossy oval green leaves.

Baby rubber plant

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of white-stemmed Swiss chard growing directly in soil in a vegetable garden.

Swiss chard

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

AI-generated illustration of a potted common oregano plant with small opposite green leaves.

Oregano

AI-generated illustration · Plant Care Steps. Not a photograph.

PHOTO NOTES

Daisies in a garden border.

White daisies in two garden settings. The pictured cultivars are unconfirmed; this guide distinguishes a Becky garden-bed plan from a separate Snowcap container option.

View the plant guide

White daisies with yellow centers and leafy stems growing in a mulched bed beside a sidewalk.
Flower stems and foliage beside a garden path.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
A broad planting of white daisies beside a raised stone border in front of a house.
White daisies in a broad garden border.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

PHOTO NOTES

Flower spikes in the garden.

Look at the upright flower spikes and the lower leafy clump before reading the pruning steps. These are separate garden views, not before-and-after pruning photos. The pictured varieties are unconfirmed; this guide uses ‘May Night’.

View the plant guide

A clump of pink-purple flower spikes above green leaves in a mulched bed beside a wooden fence.
Flower spikes rise above a lower leafy clump. Use the pruning diagram to locate the foliage you keep; this photo does not mark a cut point.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Purple and white flower spikes with pink roses and white daisies in a mixed garden bed.
A mixed border shows different flower heights and colors. The pictured plants’ spacing and varieties are unknown, so use the named plant’s own planting plan.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

PHOTO NOTES

A closer look at the flowers.

Compare the flower markings and plant shapes in these garden photos. The pictured types are unconfirmed; check the nursery label for an upright garden pansy before following the single-plant pot recipe. These photos do not show a dated growing sequence.

View the plant guide

Pale purple flowers with dark purple veins and yellow centers above green leaves in a mulched bed.
A close view of petal veins, yellow centers and foliage. Flower color alone does not identify a cultivar or tell you its mature spread.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Clusters of pink-and-white flowers with yellow centers above green foliage in a garden bed.
Small pink-and-white flowers grouped in a bed. The type and plant count are unconfirmed; do not copy the planting density for the guide’s 12-inch pot.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

PHOTO NOTES

Flower clusters, up close.

White and pink-purple flower clusters, with a closer look at trailing growth. The pictured cultivars are unconfirmed; this guide uses compact ‘Carpet of Snow’.

View the plant guide

Dense clusters of tiny white flowers cascade over a plant shelf, with leafy climbing stems behind.
White flower clusters cascading over the edge of a plant shelf.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Small white four-petaled flowers with pale yellow-green centers clustered above narrow green leaves.
White flowers and narrow leaves seen up close.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Clusters of small pink and purple flowers with pale centers above narrow green leaves.
Pink and purple flower clusters among narrow leaves.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

PHOTO NOTES

Stems, supports, and green fruit.

Tomato stems, supports, and green fruit. The variety is unconfirmed; this guide uses one compact cherry tomato in a 10-gallon pot.

View the plant guide

Tomato stems tied to tall green stakes in a rectangular planter, with cut foliage and scissors on the floor.
A rectangular planter and tall supports, with cut foliage and scissors visible in front. The cut foliage is a visible detail, not a pruning recommendation.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Several clusters of small green tomatoes hang among leafy stems beside a green support stake.
Developing fruit clusters along supported tomato stems.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

PHOTO NOTES

A trailing vine and a pair of scissors.

Scissors beside a trailing vine. The cutting point is unclear in this photo; follow our propagation guide’s node diagram when taking a cutting.

View the plant guide

Scissors positioned beside a trailing leafy vine in a wooden planter on a black metal stand.
Scissors beside a trailing vine.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

PHOTO NOTES

Tulips in pots: photo notes.

Bulbs, flower buds, blooms, and green foliage in containers. Photos supplied by jennyzhuang; cultivars, pot sizes, and dates are unconfirmed. The Apeldoorn garden-bed plan above is a separate project.

View the plant guide

Nine pale tulip bulbs arranged on dark potting mix inside a black pot.
Nine bulbs arranged on potting mix; the visible layout does not establish the final planting depth.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Closed tulip buds with red tips above broad green leaves in a ribbed gray pot.
Closed buds with color visible at their tips, above green leaves.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Pale pink tulips and broad green leaves in a black pot beside a dark balcony railing.
Pale pink tulips in a container beside a balcony railing.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Pots of pink and pink-orange tulip flowers with broad green leaves beside a pale wall.
Flowering tulips grouped in several containers. The pictured cultivars are unconfirmed.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Short cut flower stems among broad green tulip leaves in a black pot.
Green leaves remain after flower stems are shortened. Keep healthy foliage until it naturally browns and dies back.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
A hand tilts a gray watering can toward the potting mix among green tulip leaves in a black pot.
Watering around green leaves. Check the potting mix; water when it starts to dry, then let excess drain.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.
Red-pink tulip flowers and green leaves in a ribbed gray pot against a blue sky.
Red-pink flowers above green leaves, viewed against the sky.Photo supplied by jennyzhuang.

REFERENCE PHOTOS

A closer look at pothos cuttings

These reference photographs show different plants, not a continuous growing record. Look closely at the stem nodes and roots.

View the guide

A pothos stem cutting with three leaves, visible stem nodes, and a root extending from a lower node.
A pothos stem cutting with leaves, visible nodes, and a root extending from a lower node.Epipremnum Aureum (Devil's Ivy) cutting.png by Ddra5202. CC BY-SA 4.0. PNG extracted from the original PDF by Marbletan. Resized and re-encoded; full frame preserved.
Pothos stem cuttings and roots below the waterline in a clear glass container.
Pothos stem cuttings and roots below the waterline in a clear glass container.Radice su talea di pothos (Epipremnum) 01.jpg by Threecharlie. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and re-encoded; full frame preserved.

REFERENCE PHOTOS

A closer look at basil roots

Look closely at the roots on these basil stem cuttings.

View the guide

Five basil stem cuttings laid on a dark surface, with pale roots growing from their lower stems.
Five basil stem cuttings with pale roots exposed below the leaves.Basilikum (Ocimum basilicum) Stecklinge -- Josef Schlaghecken by Schlaghecken Josef. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and re-encoded; full frame preserved.

REFERENCE PHOTOS

What crowded roots look like

This spider plant root ball shows dense root crowding around its sides and base.

View the guide

A spider plant root ball removed from its pot, with thick pale roots densely circling its sides and base.
Thick pale roots densely circle the sides and base of a spider plant root ball.Root-bound Chlorophytum comosum by Keith Williamson. CC BY 2.0. Commons source crop by Akira Kouchiyama. Resized and re-encoded; full frame preserved.

Spider plant propagation · supplied photographs

Photos supplied to Plant Care Steps. Overlaid captions removed with AI; covered areas reconstructed. No capture dates or separate reuse license are supplied for this set.

View these photos in the guide

A spider plant on a stand with leafy plantlets hanging from long runners.
1. Find the plantletsA mature spider plant with plantlets hanging from long runners.
A gloved hand holds a spider plant plantlet with striped leaves and a visible base.
2. Check the plantlet baseA close look at the baby rosettes and their bases.
Pruning shears beside the runner connecting a spider plant plantlet.
3. Cut the runnerCut the connecting runner, keeping the plantlet base intact.
A gloved hand holds a dark plastic plant pot.
4. Choose a potThe pot selected for this planting example.
Potting mix and clay pebbles inside a dark plastic pot.
5. Fill with potting mixClay balls are shown here, but a bottom layer is not needed for drainage.
Small planting holes in potting mix inside a plastic pot.
6. Make planting holesSmall planting holes prepared in the potting mix.
Several small spider plant plantlets in one pot with a granular surface dressing.
7. Set the plantletsSeveral plantlets potted together; the granular top dressing is optional.

Pothos propagation · supplied photographs

Photos supplied to Plant Care Steps; resized for the web. The sequence shows stages, not dated growth measurements. No capture dates or separate reuse license are supplied for this set.

View these photos in the guide

A trailing pothos vine beside scissors near the edge of a planter.
1. Select a vineA trailing pothos vine selected for cuttings.
Scissors beside a pothos stem, with the leaf stalk and node visible.
2. Keep the nodeCut beside the node, keeping the node on the cutting.
Leafy pothos cuttings arranged in two clear glass jars.
3. Root in waterKeep the lower nodes in water and the leaves above it.
A group of leafy pothos cuttings with intertwined roots laid on a tabletop.
4. Check the rootsRooted cuttings laid out for a closer look; root length is not measured here.

Growing-basics illustrations

Created with AI for Plant Care Steps on October 6, 2026. These images explain the setting or an action; they are not photographs, diagnosis records or growing-trial evidence.

Fruit-seed water-growing illustrations

Three original AI-generated illustrations created October 20, 2026 for this fruit-seed guide. They depict avocado, pomelo and rose apple young plants supported over water, with visible roots. These are illustrative scenes, not photographs or records of our own growing trials.

Read the guide

Seasonal plant-care illustrations

Three original AI-generated illustrations created for these seasonal guides. They illustrate care situations and are not photographs or records of our own growing trials.