Mild, wrinkled, and incredibly flavorful, ‘Shishito’ peppers are growing into mainstays of American cuisine. One specimen produces dozens of wrinkly chile peppers on a compact plant, making it a perfect choice for gardens big and small. Learn how to nurture this variety alongside seasoned pepper gardener Jerad Bryant. When you bite into a blistered ‘Shishito’ pepper with salt and pepper, there is a chance it surprises you with slight spiciness! Most ‘Shishito’ peppers will be very mild, from 0 to 200 Scoville units; occasionally, a fruit sprouts with the heat of a mild jalapeño. The first time I tried this variety, I didn’t believe some of the fruits could be mild, while a few contained considerable heat! After eating a dozen, though, I bit into one of the spicy ones. It filled my mouth with a warm sensation, and I quickly reached for my water glass; to my surprise, the spiciness faded quickly. Before I knew it, I was popping more ‘Shishito’ chiles in my mouth. Use them as you would any other variety—they are versatile in the kitchen. ‘Shishitos’ are one of the most flavorful specimens. They taste decadently fresh, especially when you blister them in olive oil with salt and pepper. This variety mixes well in salsa, soups, and stews; the mild flavor lends well to fermented goods. What Is It? The ‘Shishito’ variety is a descendant of Capsicum annuum species from the Americas. Portuguese traders hauled peppers to Japan, where they traded them for other goods. Growers in Japan then took them, bred them, and created unique varieties that have since spread across the globe. ‘Shishito’ is one of them. Native Area Although the Capsicum annuum species are originally native to the Americas, ‘Shishito’ first sprouted in Japan. It prefers warm, hot summers with lots of direct sunlight and airflow. Japan is a maritime country, and its proximity to the ocean leads to lots of moisture falling on the land. This excess moisture hydrates ‘Shishito’ plants while they bask in the sun. Characteristics Like other species of Capsicum annuum, ‘Shishito’ blooms white star-shaped blossoms. These are bisexual or “perfect” flowers, and they are self-pollinating. Peppers, like eggplants and tomatoes, prefer to cross-pollinate with other plants—they self-pollinate when there are no other partners to mingle with. ‘Shishito’ plants are nice and compact, reaching maximum heights of two to three feet in maturity. Although they look like cute little adults, they produce fruits as if they’re ten feet tall! One plant creates dozens of chiles during its lifetime. ‘Shishito’ fruits elongate to two to four inches long. They’re tastiest when green and have slightly wrinkled yellow-green skin that ripens red. Red fruits are edible, although they lack the satisfying crunch of the green ones. Pick both and try them yourself to see which you prefer! Planting Due to their compact nature, ‘Shishito’ plants thrive in containers and raised beds. They tuck in neatly under taller plants and flourish in most garden settings. Choose a spot in full sun with occasional airflow. They appreciate moist, fertile soil—when the ground is loose loam, their roots creep deep below the surface and anchor the plant. Amend clay or sandy soil with a healthy helping of compost or a similar organic amendment. Compost inoculates the dirt with bacteria, fungi, and critters like worms and bugs. Over time, consistent doses transform sandy or clay soil into humus-rich loam. How to Grow As garden plants, ‘Shishito’ develops similarly to eggplants; they’re upright and bushy, and they appreciate staking or caging for support. Offer them full sun, fertile loam, and ample water, and they’ll reward you with abundant harvests from summer through autumn. Maintenance ‘Shishito’ needs little maintenance. It enjoys growing up a stake, trellis, or cage, as it appreciates the extra support. This type may benefit from pruning if it is overly bushy or sprouts crowded growth. The leaves up top shade out the fruits and flowers below. Prune a few top leaves as needed to allow sunlight to reach fruits on the interior. Cut less than one-third off at any time to avoid shocking the plant. Near the end of the growing season, fall frost approaches and threatens the fruit ripening process. Cover plants on cold nights with a cold frame or similar structure, and hard-prune them. Hard pruning convinces the cultivars to redirect their energy towards fruit ripening—to do this, cut all stems above ripening fruit and remove a third of the leaves. Pinch off new growth like flowers, leaves, and sprouts.

Fragrant, flavorful thyme is a staple in the kitchen for everything from roasting chicken to flavoring sauces and salad dressings. This hardy perennial herb is also quite easy to propagate via stem cuttings or by planting seeds. Here's how to propagate thyme via stem cuttings or seeds, according to a professional herb farmer. Meet the Expert Linda Shanahan is an herbalist and the co-owner of Bluestem Botanicals, a certified organic herb farm and herbal product manufacturer in southeast Pennsylvania. How to Propagate Thyme in Soil While it's technically possible to propagate thyme plants via stem cuttings in soil, herbalist Linda Shanahan steers gardeners away from this method. "I do not recommend soil or vermiculite for stem propagation, as I have found it less reliable in a home setting," she says. Instead, Shanahan recommends layering, a method of propagating new plants from a still-living thyme specimen. Here's how to do it. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! How to Propagate Thyme by Layering Begin with a living thyme plant still growing in soil. Choose a healthy stem on the mother plant and bend it toward the soil surface. Using a floral pin or a paperclip, tack down the stem so that it maintains contact with the soil. You can also cover the stem with soil and small rock or other weight. After a few weeks, check for roots growing from the portion of stem that was in contact with the soil. When roots have formed, you can cut away the new plant and pot it up on its own. How to Propagate Thyme in Water You'll have best results propagating freshly cut stems. It is possible to use store-bought thyme stems, but they'll be less reliable. "Thyme is a mint family plant, and many plants in this family are easily propagated by cuttings in water," Shanahan says. Examine a healthy, living thyme plant and choose a couple of non-woody stems to remove. Use clean, sharp scissors or pruners to take cuttings that are at least 4 inches long. Strip any leaves from the lower third of the stem. Place the stems in a clean, clear glass or jar with fresh water, ensuring that the leafless portions of the stems are submerged. Put the jar of cuttings in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Change the water every three days or so. You can expect roots to grow within about a month. Once roots have emerged, plant the cuttings in a standard houseplant potting mix. Water every few days to keep the growing medium evenly moist. When to Propagate Thyme You'll have the best success propagating thyme via stem cuttings in water in the spring or summer. Growing new thyme plants via layering is best done in summer for fastest results, but you can also layer plants in fall to remove and replant the following spring. If starting thyme from seed, Shanahan recommends starting indoors in midwinter, around eight weeks before your region's last frost date. Thyme Propagation Tips After planting rooted cuttings or thyme seedlings outdoors, Shanahan recommends waiting for significant harvests until after the first growing season. "I like to make sure that there is plenty of leafy growth on the plants, especially in their first year, going into winter so the plant will have plenty of energy to survive the cold season," she says. If starting thyme from seed indoors, Shanahan recommends seeding in flats or takeout containers with drainage holes to save space and maintain even moisture. Use grow lights and keep the space around 70°F for best results. Plan to pot up thyme seedlings two or three times before planting them outdoors. The growing plants will benefit from the nutrients in the fresh potting mix. Whether harvesting thyme for use in the kitchen or as cuttings for propagation, avoid removing too much of the mother plant. "Thyme is easy to grow, but can easily die if overharvested," Shanahan says. "Always leave enough green growth at the base for the plant to recover."

Would you like a beautiful low-growing wildflower for your woodland garden? Wood anemone is a spring-blooming perennial that will brighten a shaded plot with its delicate flowers. Join gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen as we introduce the wood anemone and everything you need to know to grow your own. More than one species of plant is known as the wood anemone. They are also sometimes called thimbleweed, windflower, or smell fox. Anemonoides quinquefolia, the American wood anemone, is a native wildflower found in eastern North American woodlands. Anemone nemorosa, the European wood anemone, is very similar in appearance but comes from Europe. Both are easy-to-grow members of the buttercup family (Ranunculeaceae). While there are wood anemones from different regions, they look fairly similar and share similar growing requirements. If you can provide their favored conditions, these vigorous plants are easy to grow and don’t require much extra effort. They are also hardy, deer-resistant, and don’t suffer from any notable pests or diseases. Wood anemones are low-growing, clump-forming perennials that make a beautiful addition to your shade garden. Allow them to naturalize for a gorgeous spring display but consider growing them with a variety of shade-loving neighbors to keep your shady garden plot green from spring through fall. Now, let’s dig right into the wonderful world of wood anemone flowers and learn how to grow them and help them thrive. Plant Natural History Wood anemones are woodland wildflowers. They inhabit moist hardwood forests, forest edges, thickets, and clearings. In their natural habitat, they form large colonies like a lush early spring carpet of green dotted with white flowers. They are often found interspersed with other spring woodland ephemeral wildflowers. There are several species of wood anemones from different regions. Anemonoides quinquefolia is native to central and eastern North America. Anemonoides oregana, also known as Oregon anemone, is native to the Pacific Northwest. Anemone occidentalis, also known as the western pasqueflower, is native to western North America. Anemone nemorosa is native to temperate regions of Europe and the Middle East. Characteristics Wood anemones are herbaceous perennials. They are also spring ephemeral flowers. Spring ephemerals are some of the first plants to emerge each year. They bloom early in the springtime and then go dormant again before summer’s end. Wood anemones start to develop leaves in late winter, typically before the surrounding trees are fully leafed out. The first warming days and rising ground temperatures trigger these plants to start growing. The leaves are deeply divided into three to five leaflets with coarsely toothed edges. The leaves are either solid dark green or edged with maroon, depending on the species or cultivar. Plants spread by vigorous root rhizomes to form attractive colonies on the forest floor. These are low-growing plants that make a good ground cover when allowed to spread for a while. As the weather warms into summer, however, the leaves die back into dormancy and remain dormant until the following winter and spring. Soon after the leaves emerge, wood anemones bloom with their delicate yet showy flowers. These flowers come in shades of white, pink, purple, and pale blue, depending on the species. The petals are simple and rounded, arranged in a radial pattern. Some species have as few as five petals, while others have considerably more. Cultivars with double flowers have many more petals, sometimes in varying sizes, arranged in multiple rows.