SWEET ALYSSUM 'Royal Carpet'

Botanical name: Lobularia maritima
Other name: Alyssum, Sweet Alison

Description
Sweet Alyssum is a low-growing flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia. It is an annual plant growing to 10-30 cm tall. The leaves are 1-4 cm long and 3-5 mm broad, oval to lanceolate, with an entire margin. The flowers are sweet-smelling white, with four petals; they are produced throughout the growing season, or year-round in areas free of frost. Its flowers are very fragrant and attract insects like butterflies and bees.

How to grow
This is a great plant for rockery and edging. It is Wonderful plants for borders and ground-covers. It can be used to be basket hanging plant too.

Germination: 8-15 days. Do not cover as the seeds need light to germinate. Sow seeds on soil surface at 80F and water.
Requirements: Likes full sun and partial sun with moist to dry soils.
Spacing: 12 to 15 in
USDA Zone: 3a-9b

White Sweet Alyssum

Botanical name: Lobularia maritima
Other name: Alyssum, Sweet Alison

Description
Sweet Alyssum is a low-growing flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and Macaronesia. It is an annual plant growing to 10-30 cm tall. The leaves are 1-4 cm long and 3-5 mm broad, oval to lanceolate, with an entire margin. The flowers are sweet-smelling white, with four petals; they are produced throughout the growing season, or year-round in areas free of frost. Its flowers are very fragrant and attract insects like butterflies and bees.

How to grow
This is a great plant for rockery and edging. It is Wonderful plants for borders and ground-covers. It can be used to be basket hanging plant too.

Germination: 8-15 days. Do not cover as the seeds need light to germinate. Sow seeds on soil surface at 80F and water.
Requirements: Likes full sun and partial sun with moist to dry soils.
Spacing: 12 to 15 in
USDA Zone: 3a-9b

Siberian Wallflower

Botanical name: Cheiranthus Allionii
Other name: Heart's Ease, Yealowe Violet, Bee-flower, Chevisaunce, and Yellow Stock Gilloflowe

Description
The Siberian Wallflower is a flower native to Europe that releases an appealing fragrance. It will act as a biennial flower when planted in colder climate areas, and as a perennial in warmer climate areas. The flowers seem to hold up real well under winter conditions without any protection (in dry areas). The sweet scent of the blossoms are reason enough to grow Wallflowers, especially in containers or along a path. The low, mounding perrenials have upright or creeping stems and narrow leaves. They give off thick clusters of fragrent, four-petaled, orange to slightly yellow flowers. Although the Siberian Wallflower is a spring bloomer, in cooler summer climates, these will bloom well into the summer.

How to grow
Siberian Wallflower prefers full to partial sun, and thrives in considerably drought tolerant. This hardy and easy to grow perennial is ideal for border accent, rock gardens, mass planting, and looks amazing planted in harmony with the lively and vibrant orange of English Wallflower.

Height in inches: 12-24"
Spread: 8-12"
Germination: 15-30 days
Soil Temp. for Germination: 65-75F
Sowing Depth: 1/16"
Blooming Season: Spring
Requirements: Likes full sun to partial shade in well drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Perfect for rock gardens or stone "walls". USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.

Green bean with brown seed

Thai Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.)

Thai Basil is also know as Sweet Basil or Asian Basil and the Thai name is bai horapa Theses tropical varieties of basil are referred to as "Thai Basil" are slightly sweeter in flavor and are more stable when cooked than the Mediterranean basil. The leaves of Thai basil are deep green, smaller than those of Western basil, and arranged on purple-hued stems. The flowers, which are edible as well, are red-purple and licorice flavored. The flowers of Thai basil form in a cluster, not on a spike, unlike those of common basil. The flowers make an attractive plate garnish or colorful addition to green salads.

Growing Tips
Thai basil likes well-drained soil. It is sensitive to frost and should not be planted outside until both day- and nighttime temperatures are fixed above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). Although it will grow happily in full sun, it requires only 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day, and will do fine in filtered or indirect light. It forms a leafy little bush, approximately 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) both tall and wide. Keep the flower buds nipped off to keep the plant putting energy into the leaves and not the flowers. Thai Sweet Basil is popular among home gardeners, can be started from seed, and does very well as a container plant. Indoors, place it in or near a sunny window, make sure its soil is moist but not soggy, and provide a pot large enough so that the plant does not become root-bound.

Harvest
When harvesting Thai basil, don’t remove single leaves as you need them. Pinch off the top section of a stem, stopping just at the intersection where two leaves emerge. This will prompt the plant to produce new growth branching off from the place where you removed the stem. Removing leaves individually will not achieve the same result. Rinse the leaves in cool water to remove dirt or grit and pat dry between paper towels before use.

Uses
Thai basil is considerably stronger in flavor than Mediterranean basil, so make adjustments to the amount used if substituting one for the other. Use Thai basil for Thai, Indian, and Italian recipes. Fresh, it can be added to salads, and either the fresh or dried forms can be used to flavor soups, pasta, and vegetable dishes.

White Egg-shaped Eggplant

Asparagus fern

Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri', or Sprenger's Asparagus Fern, a native of South Africa is not really a fern at all. Even though it may appear fern-like to the inexperienced eye, it has flowers and berries, so is clearly an angiosperm. It is highly modified. The needle-like leaves are actually short branches called cladodes. The true leaves are initially green, but remain on the plant as inconspicuous dry scales. The plant will reach from 2 feet (60 cm) to 6 feet (2 m) tall. Taller stems will weep and make the plant a good basket subject. It is hardy in USDA zones 9-11. When it escapes in the right climate, it is hardy enough to be very weedy and invasive. The berries and sap from the stems are considered poisonous.

Blooming Time: Summer: Flowers are pinkish white and very inconspicuous and are followed by clusters of red berries.

Culture: Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' need full sun to partial shade. The color of the plant seems to be best under 25% shade. The plant tends to yellow if grown in dense shade. A suitable soil mix consists of 2 parts peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sand or perlite. Even though they have very fleshy roots and can withstand a fair amount of drought, they grow better if kept on the moist side during the growing season. During the winter months, it is best to grow them on the dry side, but being careful not to let them dry completely or they tend to have a lot of leaf drop. Fertilize in the spring with a balanced fertilizer and trim out old growth to make way for new lush growth. Repotting should be done in the spring before new growth begins.

Propagation: Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' are propagated by division and by seed. Seeds usually germinate in 21-30 days at 60-70° F (16-21°C).