Which Plant Do You Recommend Every Gardener Try Growing at Least Once?

[ducks4you]

Do you purchase ginger to grow, or to the grocery store thing?

 

[digitS']

The ginger rhizomes come home from the store and a couple of go into large pots each Spring.

They seem happiest in the greenhouse through the growing season.

I can't imagine them surviving a Winter in the soil and was somewhat disappointed by their production the first Summer when the pots were left outdoors. We make good use of the roots in the kitchen.

 

[Phaedra]

A good choice of a bouquet companions are snapdragons. They need a little earlier start than annual asters so suitable indoor conditions have to be met. White and all shades of pink, yellow, orange, red.  Snappy shape and open-face. There you go: simple, beautiful bouquets with a multitude of colors from only 2 flowers. Add 1 or 2 stems of some other flower and/or greens, and folks will be absolutely floored by your artistry!

snapdragons+1


In my area, they can be taken as perennials, even in pots. As long as I cut them back short, with or without mulch are both fine. Besides, they self-seed, too. I love snapdragon and pansy - sow once, and basically they will stay for years.

For some bulbs or tubers - if cleaning up or storage is an issue, many people here in Europe treat them as annuals. If they vanish, they vanish.

Garden MUMs are also nice options - I bought the ready plants from discounters once, propagated and transplanted them. Now they adapt the environment well, low maintenance - all I have to do is to chop it at least once (Chelsea chop) in May with other flowering plants in Asteraceae family to control the height and to create more flowers (with more side shoots).