Amaryllis, Christmas, Hippeastrum x ?   Family: Amaryllidaceae (am-uh-ril-id-AY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Hippeastrum (hip-ee-ASS-trum) (Info) Species: x ?   Category: Bulbs   Height: 18-24 in. (45-60 cm)   Spacing: 6-9 in. (15-22 cm)   Hardiness: USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone …

Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica   Family: Campanulaceae (kam-pan-yew-LAY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Lobelia (low-BEE-lee-a) (Info) Species: siphilitica (sigh-fy-LY-tih-kuh) (Info)     Category: Perennials   Height: 24-36 in. (60-90 cm)   Spacing: 18-24 in. (45-60 cm)   Hardiness: USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA …

It is almost Halloween in our Sunnyvale garden. The tomato, pepper and cucumber plants are just going through the motions: The tomato plant has a few flowers but there are no pollinators. The green fruit is still green. The peppers are ever so slowly turning red. The night-time lows are more often below 50 degrees than above. And it rained …

Aeonium arboreum “Schwarzkopf Black Rose” Succulent is a Latin word meaning juicy, and is descriptive of many plants and plant families that store water in their leaves, stems and roots. Succulents can survive long periods of drought, even to a year, with this storage capacity. Aeoniums have handsome rosettes of fleshy leaves, one of which bears a spectacular terminal holding …

Common Fig, Edible Fig, Higo, Mission Fig, Ficus carica   Family: Moraceae (mor-AY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Ficus (FY-kus) (Info) Species: carica (KAIR-ih-kuh) (Info)   Category: Trees   Height: 6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)   Spacing: Unknown – Tell us   Hardiness: USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 …

Dutch Hyacinth, Hyacinthus orientalis. Attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Flowers are fragrant. This plant is suitable for growing indoors. Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater. Flowers are good for cutting Severe poisoning from hyacinth or tulip poisoning is often seen when dogs dig up freshly planted bulbs or having access to a large bag of them. When …

Narcissus papyraceus (from papyrus and aceus; meaning paper-like), one of a few species known as “Paperwhite,” is a perennial bulbous plant native to the western Mediterranean region, from Greece to Portugal plus Morocco and Algeria. The species is considered naturalized in the Azores, Corsica, Texas, California and Louisiana. The white flowers are borne in bunches and are strongly fragrant. It …

Tropaeolum, commonly known as nasturtium literally “nose-twister” or “nose-tweaker”, is a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants. It was named by Carl Linnaeus and is the only genus in the family Tropaeolaceae. The nasturtiums received their common name because they produce an oil that is similar to that of watercress (Nasturtium officinale).   The …

Lemon guava (Psidium littorale (P. cattleianum lucidum), is similar to the strawberry guava except fruits are often slightly larger (1-2″). Flesh is yellow, very fragrant, with the suggestion of a lemon-guava like flavor. Guavas are tropical plants that produce sweet fruit that is high in vitamin C. Guava fruit is often made into jelly or preserves but can also be …

From fast-growing clumps of strap-shaped foliage sprouted in early March, an abundance of bud clusters appear in April, which quickly pop open in an endless succession of very fragrant, absolutely neon-bright orange blooms well into mid-summer. Siberian Wallflower harmonizes beautifully with its fellow biennial Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis), the warm orange and cool sky blue. Despite the common name, Siberian Wallflower originated …