Growing angelica in gardens is a centuries-old tradition that continues today because of the herb's amazing flavor profile and its heavenly scent. If you are not a chef and simply looking for a sweet-smelling plant that adds some height to your garden, this starburst-shaped plant is perfect. If you have an area in your yard that gets a bit too much moisture, angelica could be a great fit. Note that this herb is slightly toxic to humans.1 How to Plant Angelica When to Plant Angelica Plant angelica in the ground or in flats in the early spring. The soil should be consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.2 Selecting a Planting Site Choose a site in full sun to part shade. Make sure the site is also cool and moist. Spacing, Depth, and Support Plant angelica 12 to 24 inches apart. If planting in rows, space each row 36 inches apart. Seeds should be planted 1/4 inch deep in the soil.3 Angelica Care Light Angelica's light preference is dependent on the climate. Angelica is native to colder climates and prefers cooler, moister soils. If you live in an area that tends to be warm, it is a good idea to place your angelica in a location that receives partial shade. When grown in cooler climates, this herb will need full sun. Soil Since angelica is highly adaptable, the only strict requirement regarding soil is moisture; it must be moist. Other than that, almost any conditions will do, but it will thrive in slightly acidic soil, with a pH no higher than 7.0. You can check the soil pH easily with a simple test, then amend as needed, but your plant should not suffer unless the soil is highly alkaline. Water If your angelica patch is not located in a place that receives consistent moisture from sufficient rainfall or runoff, you must water the plant often. Your herb's soil should always be damp and cool to the touch but not drenched. Temperature and Humidity The native temperature range of angelica is, for the most part, cool. If you live in USDA Zones 4-7, your angelica should do perfectly fine. Fertilizer Like most herbs, there is no need to fertilize your angelica. You may find it beneficial to mix some compost into the site where you intend to plant, but that should be all you need to do. Types of Angelica Angelica archangelica: This is the common angelica with lime green flowerheads and pinkish stems. Angelica gigas: Also called Korean angelica, this plant is more ornamental with deep purple flowers that appear in the summer. Angelica sylvestris: This type of angelica is found in the wild and is smaller with a more subtle fragrance than other angelicas. Angelica vs. Cow Parsnip Angelica and cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum) are often mistaken for one another. Though both are in the same carrot (Apiaceae) family and look similar, cow parsnip is considered a noxious weed.4 Angelica and cow parsnip are also confused with poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), which is considered invasive.5 Harvesting Angelica Harvest angelica when its leaves and stalks are young and tender, around June. Mix into salads for a slight licorice flavor. Or make candied angelica using these tender young stems. How to Grow Angelica in Pots Angelica looks pretty in pots as a tall backdrop for other plants and spillers. Choose a pot (with drainage holes) that's large enough to accommodate the roots. Fill a 16-inch pot with sand, perlite, and a good-quality potting mix. Water the plant weekly to keep it moist but not soggy. Keep the pot in full sun or part shade. How to Grow Angelica from Seed While propagation using mature plants is possible, angelica has a very deep taproot that can become easily damaged, so starting from seed is the easiest and most successful method. To propagate angelica from seed, take these steps: Start in early fall by locating a usually moist area where the plant can grow. Place a sheet of lightproof black plastic over the area to kill any vegetation, then remove the plastic just before the first frost. Rake the area to remove any remaining grass or vegetation and break up the soil. Wet the soil before pressing your angelica seed evenly about 1/4 inch into the soil. Angelica needs to stratify or have a period of cold or warmth before germination, so let it go over the winter. As the spring thaw occurs, begin applying regular moisture to the seedbed. You should see signs of germination as soon as the soil temperature begins to warm. To sow indirectly, do this: You can stratify the seeds before planting by placing them in a plastic bag with moist peat and sand and refrigerating for 21 to 60 days. Or you can plant in peat pots in the fall and leave the pots out over the winter uncovered. Start seeds in peat pots that can be directly planted or torn away. Make your planting medium with a mix of peat moss, perlite, and sand. Keep this moist. When true leaves have formed and seedlings are sturdy, take them outside to harden off. Plant the seedlings in the pots before they reach 4 inches and begin to establish that troublesome tap root. Overwintering Angelica self-seeds when it flowers and often dies when it does this. To keep your angelica in good shape over the winter, cut off flowers before they set seed or cut the plant down to the ground in the autumn for the winter. Common Pests and Plant Diseases The plant is moderately attractive to the usual suspects in the garden, including aphids, spider mites, and leafminers. To remove these pests, use insecticidal oils or soaps, such as neem oil. Though the plant likes moist soil, crown rot and root rot can cause problems if these fungal diseases appear during very wet conditions caused by overwatering or excessive rain. The plant will turn yellow, wilt, and die. As soon as you spot this happening, remove the dying plant and dispose of it so the spread of the disease slows down. Amend heavy soils that do not have good drainage to mitigate the problem though rot is tough to eradicate.

Add gorgeous, frost-hardy ornamental brassicas to your landscape for striking color all winter long. Join garden expert Logan Hailey to learn how to grow the stunning 'Osaka Pink' ornamental cabbage. It’s difficult to find cool-weather flowers that can shine during the frigid months. ‘Osaka Pink’ ornamental cabbage offers the gorgeous aesthetic of a ruffly bloom, but with the extraordinary frost tolerance of kale-family plants. Intriguingly, the specimen isn’t just a flower—it is a compact floret of leaves with rounded purple foliage on the outside, deep green margins, and bright pink leaves on the inside, yielding a frilly, psychedelic display. This attractive plant adds a touch of color and vibrancy to fall containers and ornamental beds. Its color intensifies with cold weather and lasts throughout the winter. In intense cold weather, the leaves may die back, but they reliably return in the spring for more pretty flower-shaped growth. Let’s dig into how you can grow ‘Osaka Pink’ in your autumn garden! History and Cultivation With origins in Mediterranean Europe, cabbage has been cultivated for thousands of years as both a food and ornamental crop. The humble brassica plants come in a tremendous variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, ranging from the rounded edible heads we recognize in grocery stores to the unique, frilly florets of ornamental leaves. The cool-weather plants are exceptionally resilient to frost, making them popular for fall and winter containers or beds where gardeners desire attractive flowers that can withstand harsh weather. What is It? ‘Osaka’ Pink ornamental cabbage is a compact ornamental brassica with creamy pink centers, rounded purple outer foliage, and bright to dark green margins. The low-growing rosettes include tightly overlapping foliage with ruffled edges that turn brighter pink as the weather gets frostier. This rose-like cabbage offers changing color hues throughout the season, while withstanding harsh winter temperatures with very little maintenance. The ornamental heads are best for mass planting, low border landscaping, and fall container planting. Can You Eat It? Although you can technically eat ornamental kales and cabbages, ‘Osaka Pink’ won’t taste very good. This variety is bred for its color and aesthetic rather than flavor or tenderness. If you want to eat crisp cool-weather brassicas that still look pretty, try ‘Copenhagen Market’ or ‘Red Acre.’ Propagation ‘Osaka Pink’ is primarily available as a nursery seedling. Seeds are not readily available. It’s easiest to buy this ornamental in 6-packs or cell trays from a local nursery. If you wish to do a mass planting, be sure to buy enough plants to fill your area. The specimens grow to 6” tall and 12” wide at maturity, and are best planted 10-12” apart for full coverage. Planting Putting these brassicas in the ground is as straightforward as any other vegetable. First, make sure your plants are hardened off. If the seedlings were outside at the nursery, they are likely already acclimated to nighttime temperatures. But if they were inside a greenhouse, it’s best to help them gradually adapt to outside extremes by keeping them on a sheltered porch for a few days before transplanting. Prepare beds or containers with a small amendment of compost or potting mix so the soil is loose and workable. Use a hori hori knife, trowel, or small shovel to dig a hole about 1.5 times the size of the root ball. Gently massage the roots and grasp each cabbage from the base as you pull it out of the cell tray. Place the seedling in the hole and backfill with soil, ensuring that the dirt stays at the same level as it was in the container. Avoid burying the leaves or planting too deep, as this can cause the foliage to rot or get dirty and unattractive. Tuck the remaining soil under the outer leaves and water nicely until the soil is moist and the plants sit solidly in place. The ideal spacing is 10-12” apart. Ornamental cabbages and kale look best when planted densely so they grow to cover any bare soil between them. However, avoid planting too closely, or the plants may fail to proliferate. How to Grow If you’ve ever grown kale, then you can easily grow ‘Osaka Pink’ cabbage. Loamy soil, partial to full sun, and moderate moisture are key. Maintenance Unsightly leaf removal is the only maintenance needed for this species. If lower foliage turns yellow or dies back, prune it off to keep your beds looking tidy.

Agertum’s easy-going nature and unique blooms make it an excellent addition to cut flower gardens, flower boxes, and planters. If you want to grow it at home, join flower farmer Briana Yablonski to learn planting and care tips. If you’re looking for a flower that serves a supporting role in the garden and floral studio, ageratum is one of your best choices. These easy-to-care-for annuals produce clusters of blooms topped with tufts of silk-like ray flowers that give a unique and soft look. While they won’t steal the spotlight in the garden, they add a soft texture and subtle pop of color. Most of the flowers are blue, but you can also find varieties in shades of pink, purple, and white. The plants continue to pump out new blooms for multiple months, providing long-lasting color. Plus, the blooms hold up well when cut and attract pollinators of all kinds. What Is It? Ageratum goes by several names, including floss flower, blue mist flower, and bluemink. It’s an annual plant that’s native to Central America but widely grown throughout the world as an ornamental. In some locations, it’s escaped cultivation and become a nuisance plant. You can find multiple varieties of Ageratum houstonianum that vary in height and flower color. Some of these cultivars work well as short bedding plants, and others produce long stems that make them suitable options for filler flowers in arrangements. Characteristics Ageratum is a flowering annual that grows best in summer. It has a mounding growth habit with densely packed, branching stems covered with slightly fuzzy, ovate leaves. Some varieties rarely grow more than six inches tall, while others send out two-foot-long stems. Clusters of small, round flowers appear on the top of the stems. Blue is the most common flower color, but you can also find varieties with white, purple, or pink blooms. All of the flowers have elongated ray florets that look like tufts of silky floss. Some people confuse ageratum with blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum). While both of these plants produce similar flowers, the latter is a cold-tolerant perennial that’s native to the eastern half of the United States. Native Range Ageratum is native to portions of Central America and Mexico. Although it can complete its life cycle in a few months, it often remains living for multiple years in these frost-free areas. Planting Whether you want to tuck a few ageratum plants into a planter or front yard garden bed, or add taller varieties to your cutting garden, starting with healthy plants is key. Since ageratum is an annual, you’ll need to replant these flowers each year. Starting with seeds or transplants are both viable options, so choose the one that works best for you.