Perennials

Learn how to grow succulents as outdoor and indoor plants to add color and texture. Listen to Podcast: With the darker days of November upon us, this gardener's attention turns to indoor houseplants. One of the hottest trends in gardening is growing succulents. Succulents have thick leaves, stems or roots for water storage. There is a wide variety of succulents to grow and most are virtually indestructible! But don't get confused. While all cacti are succulents, not all succulents are cacti. True cactus have what's called an areole. It...

Listen to this podcast about how to grow and care for tree peonies in the flower garden. One of my favorite spring perennial flowers is the peony. They're getting ready to burst with big gaudy, red, white and pink colored flowers. While many of us grow the herbaceous peonies that die back the the ground each winter, there is another type that's gaining popularity. Tree peonies are just what they sound like. They have woody stems that survive the winter. Though they may never grow into “trees” in our climate, they do have a shrubby...

Listen to this podcast on how to grow Verbascum and care for this perennial flowers.   This European native wildflower is in the snapdragon family, but you'd never know from its shape and size. This plant has a flower spike that reaches 8 feet tall. It was used medicinally to treat respiratory problems, as a poultice for bruises and as a yellow plant dye. Plant breeders have created newer, more showy hybrids and call it by its botanical name, verbascum. We also know it as mullein. We often see mullein blooming in open woodlands and on...