THE PLANT LIBRARY

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Browse all 77 guides, or search by name.

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

Spinach

Leaf spinach

Four plants. One pot. Fresh greens.

SeedsCool weather
See the growing steps
Bright green basil leaves with new growth at the stem tips.Herbs

Basil

Sweet or Genovese basil

A sunny pot, a handful for dinner.

Nursery startWarm weather
See the growing steps
Spearmint with textured green leaves and serrated edges.Herbs

Mint

Spearmint

Fresh leaves, kept happily in their own pot.

Nursery startOutdoor herb
See the growing steps
A pile of harvested cherry and cocktail tomatoes.Vegetables

Cherry tomato

Compact patio cherry tomato

One roomy pot. Tomatoes within reach.

Nursery startWarm weather
See the growing steps
French marigold flowers with dark red petals edged in gold and yellow centers.Flowers

French marigold

Compact French marigold

A bright spot on the front steps.

Nursery startAfter frost
See the growing steps
Pink zinnia flower with layered petals and small yellow florets around the center.Flowers

Zinnia

Dwarf Zinnia elegans

A small pot of summer color.

Nursery startWarm weather
See the growing steps
Trailing vine with green and yellow, heart-shaped leaves.Houseplants

Pothos

Epipremnum aureum

A little green for your bookshelf.

Small plantIndoor plant
See the growing steps
Snake plants with tall, striped leaves in blue indoor pots.Houseplants

Snake plant

Dracaena trifasciata

For the gardener who sometimes forgets.

Small plantIndoor plant
See the growing steps
Bright green, loose ruffled leaves of Ashbrook lettuce growing in soil.Vegetables

Leaf lettuce

Loose-leaf lettuce picked young; not four mature heads

Four small plants. Pick a few leaves for lunch.

SeedsCool weather
See the growing steps
Small round red radishes growing at the soil surface beneath green leaves.Vegetables

Radish

Small round salad radish; not long-rooted daikon

Nine little roots. A satisfying first harvest.

SeedsCool weather
See the growing steps
Dense, deeply curled green leaves on a mature curly kale plant.Vegetables

Kale

Compact edible curly kale; one plant

One leafy plant. Pick from the outside in.

Nursery startCool weather
See the growing steps
A green bell pepper with broad lobes hanging from a leafy garden plant.Vegetables

Bell pepper

Sweet bell pepper

One sunny pot. Sweet peppers to pick.

Nursery startWarm weather
See the growing steps
Fresh cilantro plants with bright green lobed leaves in nursery pots.Herbs

Cilantro

Slow-bolting leaf cilantro

A fresh handful for tacos, from your own pot.

SeedsCool weather
See the growing steps
A clump of common chives with slender green leaves and round purple flower heads.Herbs

Chives

Common onion chives

Snip a few leaves. Finish dinner.

Nursery clumpPerennial herb
See the growing steps
Purple-pink funnel-shaped petunia flowers with darker veins among green leaves.Flowers

Petunia

Compact multiflora petunia

A pot of color for the front steps.

Nursery startAfter frost
See the growing steps
A yellow Henry Wilde sunflower bloom opening around a dark central disk.Flowers

Dwarf sunflower

Junior dwarf sunflower

A little sunflower, right outside your door.

SeedsWarm weather
See the growing steps
Flat, deeply divided green parsley leaves on slender stems.Herbs

Parsley

Culinary flat-leaf parsley

Fresh leaves for dinner, a few stems at a time.

Nursery plantMild outdoor weather
See the growing steps
A rosemary shoot with narrow green needle-like leaves.Herbs

Rosemary

Culinary rosemary

One sunny pot, with fragrant sprigs for the kitchen.

Nursery plantWarm outdoor growing
See the growing steps
A pile of harvested slender green snap-bean pods.Vegetables

Bush bean

Blue Lake 274 bush snap bean

A few crisp green beans, without a tall trellis.

SeedsWarm weather
See the growing steps
Long green cucumbers hanging from a leafy vine in a greenhouse.Vegetables

Cucumber

Bush Champion cucumber

One sunny pot, with crisp cucumbers to slice.

SeedsWarm weather
See the growing steps
A red nasturtium flower with a yellow center among green stems and leaves.Flowers

Nasturtium

Empress of India nasturtium

Two seeds, one pot, and a bright little splash of red.

SeedsFrost-free weather
See the growing steps
A bee visits a pink-and-white cosmos flower with a yellow central disk.Flowers

Cosmos

Renee’s Garden Sonata Mix cosmos

Feathery leaves and flowers to cut for a little vase.

SeedsWarm, frost-free weather
See the growing steps
A spider plant with arching green-and-white striped leaves and hanging plantlets.Houseplants

Spider plant

Chlorophytum comosum

A fountain of leaves, with little plants to share.

Small plantIndoor plant
See the growing steps
A potted ZZ plant with upright stems and glossy green leaflets.Houseplants

ZZ plant

Zamioculcas zamiifolia

Glossy leaves, with a longer wait between waterings.

Small plantIndoor plant
See the growing steps
A dill plant with upright stems and fine, feathery green foliage.Herbs

Dill

Fernleaf dill

A few feathery sprigs for potatoes, fish, or pickles.

SeedsMild, frost-free weather
See the growing steps
A thyme sprig with tiny narrow green leaves held against a dark gardening glove.Herbs

Thyme

Common or German thyme

Tiny fragrant leaves from one small, sunny pot.

Nursery plantOutdoor herb
See the growing steps
Harvested orange carrots piled together with their cut stem ends facing forward.Vegetables

Carrot

Short ’n Sweet carrot; direct-sown short roots

Nine little carrots, grown right where you sow them.

SeedsCool spring or fall weather
See the growing steps
Red ripe and pale unripe strawberries hanging beneath green leaves.Fruit

Strawberry

Seascape day-neutral strawberry

A sunny pot and a few ripe berries to pick yourself.

Nursery plantOutdoor seasonal crop
See the growing steps
Orange and yellow calendula flowers above green leaves in a garden bed.Flowers

Calendula

Bon Bon calendula

One compact plant, with cheerful flowers to keep picking.

Nursery plantMild-weather flowers
See the growing steps
A mass of small white sweet-alyssum flowers with yellow-green centers.Flowers

Sweet alyssum

Carpet of Snow sweet alyssum

A small pot of tiny, honey-scented flowers.

Nursery plantMild-weather flowers
See the growing steps
A potted peace lily with glossy, pointed green leaves on a white stand.Houseplants

Peace lily

Compact Spathiphyllum hybrid

Peace lily care starts with soft window light and a soil check before watering.

Small plantIndoor plant
See the growing steps
Clusters of fleshy oval green jade-plant leaves on branching stems.Houseplants

Jade plant

Crassula ovata

Jade plant care: a sunny window, a draining pot, and time to dry between drinks.

Small plantIndoor succulent
See the growing steps
A red Knock Out rose opening its layered petals against a blurred background.Flowers

Shrub rose

Original Knock Out (‘Radrazz’; not Petite or climbing roses)

A flowering shrub to build a garden around.

Nursery shrubSpring through frost
See the growing steps
Purple English-lavender flowers on slender upright stems against a soft green background.Flowers

English lavender

Hidcote English lavender

Purple flowers, sunshine, and a lighter watering hand.

Nursery plantEarly to midsummer flowers
See the growing steps
A conical cluster of creamy white Little Lime hydrangea flowers among fresh green leaves.Flowers

Panicle hydrangea

Little Lime panicle hydrangea

Big summer flower heads on one compact shrub.

Nursery shrubSummer into fall
See the growing steps
An open Krinkled White peony with a single cup of crinkled white petals surrounding bright yellow stamens.Flowers

Peony

Krinkled White herbaceous peony (not tree peony)

White spring flowers worth leaving a place for.

Bare-root divisionLate spring to early summer
See the growing steps
A large open dahlia with layered peach, blush-pink and soft yellow petals in a sunny garden.Flowers

Dahlia

Gallery Pablo dahlia

A generous pot of summer color.

Nursery plantSummer through fall
See the growing steps
Pink sweet-pea flowers climbing through a cottage-garden border beside an old stone wall.Flowers

Sweet pea

Mammoth Choice Mix sweet pea

Fragrant flowers climbing beside your door.

SeedsCool-season flowers
See the growing steps
A spike of pale pink foxglove bells with deep burgundy spots inside the open flowers.Flowers

Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Tall flower bells for a little garden drama.

Nursery plantsUsually flowers in year two
See the growing steps
An open pink hollyhock flower with a deep rose center and pale yellow stamens.Flowers

Hollyhock

Indian Spring hollyhock

Old-fashioned flowers reaching above the fence.

SeedsAllow until the second summer
See the growing steps
A lavender-blue Arabella clematis flower with recurved petals and pale spreading stamens.Flowers

Clematis

Arabella · non-clinging clematis

Blue-purple flowers with one simple spring cut.

Nursery plantSummer to early fall
See the growing steps
Coral-pink zonal geranium flowers held in rounded clusters above scalloped green leaves.Flowers

Geranium

Compact zonal geranium

Classic patio flowers in one easy pot.

Nursery plantWarm-season flowers
See the growing steps
A pink wax-begonia flower with yellow stamens above glossy bronze-green leaves.Flowers

Begonia

Compact wax begonia

Small flowers for a sheltered, partly shaded corner.

Nursery plantFlowers until cold weather
See the growing steps
Pink and red tulip flowers rising above broad, blue-green leaves in a garden bed.Flowers

Tulip

Apeldoorn Darwin hybrid tulip

Nine bulbs for a small patch of spring.

BulbsFall bulbs → spring flowers
See the growing steps
White snapdragon flowers with small yellow throats clustered along green stems.Flowers

Snapdragon

Snapshot Rose dwarf snapdragon

Little flower spikes for the cooler part of the year.

Nursery plantBest in cool spring or fall
See the growing steps
Violet-pink impatiens flowers above green leaves in a mulched garden bed.Flowers

Impatiens

Beacon Lipstick Impatiens walleriana

A bright little flower pot for the shade.

Nursery plantWarm, frost-free weather
See the growing steps
Harvested white and purple-streaked garlic bulbs with dried roots and papery skins.Vegetables

Garlic

Bulb garlic (Allium sativum; not elephant garlic)

Four fall-planted cloves in one wide pot—then a small summer bulb harvest.

Planting clovesFall to summer outdoors
See the growing steps
Two bunches of yellow bulb onions hang to dry with their green tops attached.Vegetables

Onion

Bulb onion (Allium cepa; locally suitable day-length type)

Six onion starts in one wide pot—matched to your day-length zone.

Young onion transplantsCool start, sunny growing season
See the growing steps
Freshly dug sweet potatoes with reddish-tan skins lie on grass beside their vine.Vegetables

Sweet potato

Vardaman Bush edible sweet potato

One slip in a big warm-season pot—then dig for storage roots before frost.

A sweet potato slipWarm and frost-free
See the growing steps
Pendant pink Christmas-cactus flowers hang from flattened green stems with rounded, scalloped edges.Houseplants

Christmas cactus

Schlumbergera × buckleyi

Gentle light, a draining pot, and a moisture check—then cool, dark fall nights when you want blooms again.

Nursery plantIndoor flowering plant
See the growing steps
A potted Monstera deliciosa with glossy green leaves split into deep lobes and natural holes.Houseplants

Monstera

Green Monstera deliciosa

Settle the nursery pot, check the mix before you water, and give the climbing stem something to lean on.

Nursery plantIndoor climbing plant
See the growing steps
A cluster of ripe blue and unripe green blueberries beside a fresh green leaf.Fruit

Blueberry

Peach Sorbet compact blueberry

One compact acidic-soil bush for patio berries and colorful fall leaves.

Nursery shrubOutdoor fruit shrub
See the growing steps
White Shasta daisy flowers with yellow centers and green leaves above a pale container beside a window.Flowers

Shasta daisy

Becky Shasta daisy in a garden bed

White summer daisies from one easy garden plant.

Nursery plantSummer flowers, returns yearly
Photo cultivar unspecified.See the growing steps
Aloe vera rosettes with long green succulent leaves and small pale teeth along their edges, growing in a garden bed.Houseplants

Aloe vera

True Aloe vera grown indoors

Bright light, a draining pot, and dry mix between drinks—aloe is a drought-tolerant beginner succulent.

Nursery plantIndoor succulent
See the growing steps
Close-up of violet-purple flowers and dark bracts on an upright May Night salvia spike.Flowers

Salvia

May Night perennial salvia in a garden bed

Purple flower spikes with a simple cut after bloom.

Nursery plantEarly-summer perennial color
See the growing steps
A green sugar snap pea pod hanging from its vine among broad leaves and curling tendrils.Vegetables

Sugar snap pea

Dwarf edible Sugar Ann snap pea

Crisp edible pods from one pot of dwarf Sugar Ann peas.

SeedsCool-season crop
See the growing steps
Potato plants with compound green leaves and small white flowers growing in a garden bed.Vegetables

Potato

Yukon Gold potato from certified seed tubers

Two seed potatoes in a deep pot—hill the stems and keep new tubers covered.

Certified seed potatoesCool to mild growing season
See the growing steps
Orange, yellow, purple and pink garden pansies flowering together in a dark container.Flowers

Pansy

Upright garden pansy in a cool-season pot

A small pot of color for the cool part of the year.

Nursery plantCool-season flowers
See the growing steps
Young broccoli plants growing in a New Jersey garden bed in April, with blue-green leaves.Vegetables

Broccoli

Heading broccoli (Brassica oleracea Italica Group) from transplants or seed

Cool-season heading broccoli in one wide pot: two plants, even moisture, and a tight green crown before the yellow flowers open.

Transplants or seedCool growing season
See the growing steps
Zucchini foliage with large leaves in an outdoor garden.Vegetables

Zucchini

Compact bush zucchini (Cucurbita pepo)

One bush plant in a large pot: steady water, open flowers, and fruit picked before it becomes a club.

Seed or one transplantWarm season
See the growing steps
Harvested beet roots with leafy tops in a basket.Vegetables

Beet

Garden beet grown for the root

A cool-season root crop: sow a cluster, thin the seedlings, and pull roots before they turn woody.

SeedCool season
See the growing steps
Culinary sage, Salvia officinalis, with gray-green leaves.Herbs

Sage

Culinary Salvia officinalis

Common culinary sage in its own sunny pot: sharp drainage, light harvests, and a dry crown in winter.

Nursery plantPerennial herb; protect from winter wet
See the growing steps
A heading cabbage growing in a kitchen garden.Vegetables

Cabbage

Compact heading cabbage

One compact heading cabbage in a wide pot, timed for cool weather and a firm head.

Transplant or seedCool season
See the growing steps
Arugula plants in flower, with small pale blooms above the leaves.Vegetables

Arugula

Annual salad arugula (rocket)

A quick cool-season leaf crop: sow thickly, cut young, and resow when it bolts.

SeedCool season
See the growing steps
A harvested cauliflower curd held in a garden, with leaves around the head.Vegetables

Cauliflower

Heading cauliflower, one plant

One cauliflower in a large pot: cool weather, even water, and a tight curd cut on time.

Transplant preferredCool, long season
See the growing steps
Heartleaf philodendron vines with heart-shaped green leaves.Houseplants

Heartleaf philodendron

Philodendron hederaceum

A vining houseplant for bright indirect light, with waterings based on the mix and cuttings that include a node.

Nursery plantIndoor vine
See the growing steps
A bed of yellow daffodils in bloom in a park.Flowers

Daffodil

Outdoor garden daffodil bulbs

Fall-planted outdoor bulbs: deep enough to root, left alone after bloom until the leaves fade.

Fall-planted bulbsWinter chill, then spring bloom
See the growing steps
Rudbeckia fulgida Goldsturm with orange-yellow petals and dark cones.Flowers

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia fulgida, including Goldsturm

Orange coneflower for a sunny bed: Rudbeckia fulgida, not every plant sold as a black-eyed Susan.

Nursery plantsPerennial in a wide range of temperate gardens
See the growing steps
Purple coneflower blooms with raised orange-brown cones.Flowers

Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Purple coneflower for a sunny, well-drained bed: Echinacea purpurea, flowers in summer.

Nursery plantsPrairie perennial where drainage and winter suit it
See the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of a potted cast iron plant with broad, arching dark-green leaves.Houseplants

Cast iron plant

Aspidistra elatior indoors

A leafy, forgiving choice for a room with softer light.

Nursery plantIndoor foliage plant
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of a potted ponytail palm with a swollen trunk base and long, arching narrow leaves.Houseplants

Ponytail palm

Beaucarnea recurvata indoors

A sunny-window plant that prefers time between drinks.

Nursery plantIndoor succulent
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of a potted bay laurel with glossy green leaves and a woody stem.Herbs

Bay laurel

True bay laurel in a movable pot

A leafy little tree with fragrant leaves for the kitchen.

Nursery plantProtect the pot from freezing
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of a potted dwarf pomegranate with orange-red flowers and small fruits.Fruit

Dwarf pomegranate

Nana dwarf pomegranate in a container

Orange-red flowers and little fruits on a compact shrub.

Nursery plantFrost-free winter shelter
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of potted moss rose with narrow succulent leaves and pink and orange flowers.Flowers

Moss rose

Ornamental moss rose in a sunny pot

Bright summer flowers for a hot, sunny spot.

Nursery plantFrost-tender annual
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of a potted baby rubber plant with thick glossy oval green leaves.Houseplants

Baby rubber plant

Peperomia obtusifolia indoors

Glossy, rounded leaves for a bright indoor shelf.

Nursery plantWarm indoor plant
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of white-stemmed Swiss chard growing directly in soil in a vegetable garden.Vegetables

Swiss chard

Swiss chard in a vegetable-garden row

Pick a few outer leaves and let the center keep growing.

Young transplantsCool-season leaf crop
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps
AI-generated illustration of a potted common oregano plant with small opposite green leaves.Herbs

Oregano

Culinary Origanum vulgare in a pot

A sunny herb pot for small, fragrant kitchen harvests.

Nursery plantProtect from winter wet
AI-generated illustrationSee the growing steps

Osmanthus in autumn

Enjoy the autumn scent, keep roots evenly moist and check winter hardiness before planting out.

Plant bags explained

Choose the purpose first: rooting humidity, cold protection and fruit protection need different covers.

Acid-loving plants

Azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries and several other favourites need acidic conditions. Test first, then choose the plant.

Growing basics

Dahlia winter storage

Lift carefully, dry the surfaces, and balance moisture in a cool place that stays above freezing.

Keep autumn mums

Check what you bought and how much growing time remains before choosing the garden or a protected pot.

Save zinnia seeds

Let selected healthy flowers mature, collect dry seedheads, and store the seeds only after they are thoroughly dry.

Fall peony division

Divide only when you have a reason, keep buds attached to sound roots, and prepare the new site first.

Plant garlic in fall

Choose your local planting window first, then give each clove a sunny, well-drained place for the winter.

Christmas cactus bud drop

When unopened buds drop, check recent changes and the potting mix before changing the feeding routine.

Amaryllis reblooming

A healthy bulb needs stored energy; a planned cool rest can help schedule flowering but does not guarantee a holiday bloom.

Indoor plant light

Find a useful spot, measure at leaf level, and try the steady-light DLI calculator.

Raised-bed soil calculator

Measure a rectangular raised bed, calculate the soil volume, and turn an optional purchase allowance into a practical bag count.

Watering & blossom-end rot

Check moisture, drainage and root disturbance when tomatoes or peppers develop blossom-end damage. Start with the growing conditions before adding amendments.

Compost browns and greens

Choose useful browns and greens, check moisture and airflow, and recognize when a home compost pile needs an adjustment or more curing time.

Watering calculator

Decide whether to water today or wait. Plant type, pot size, light, and season return a check interval in days, a next check date, and a finger-test reminder.

USDA zone finder

Look up a US ZIP code on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. See the half-zone and the average annual extreme low in °F, then open frost dates for the planting calendar.

Frost dates

Enter a US ZIP code for the median last and first 32°F freeze, freeze-free days, and an indoor-start tip. Dates come from the nearest listed NOAA station, not from the USDA zone alone.

Plant problem quiz

Tick what you see on a yellowing plant. The quiz returns the most likely cause and three next actions, starting with wet mix, dry mix, or low light.

Organic matter

Organic matter is the living and decomposing fraction of soil. See the 2% and 5–10% targets by weight, and decide whether to add compost or maintain what you have.

Prune roses

Choose a rose pruning window from the rose type and your USDA zone. Hybrid teas, shrubs, climbers, and a light fall tidy are different jobs.

Perennials after frost

Decide which perennials to cut after frost and which stems to leave until spring, including a short note on whether mums tolerate frost.

Winterize sprinklers

Shut off the water, drain the backflow preventer and pump, and blow out sprinkler lines before a hard freeze. Includes the safety limit: no unregulated compressor.

How to dry herbs

Harvest before flowering, air-dry, and store leaves that crumble.

ONE GOOD PLACE TO START

Not sure what to grow?

A herb for dinner, flowers by the door, or green on a shelf. Start with the space you already have.

Something I can eat →A little more color →Something for indoors →