Nemesia is a low-growing flowering plant that works well as a colorful filler for containers and garden beds. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn how to plant and care for this unique flower. If you’re looking for a new flowering plant for window boxes, raised beds, and ornamental gardens, check out nemesia. This plant is less common than petunias, impatiens, and other summer annuals, so it will add a new layer of interest to your garden. Nemesia plants only grow a few feet tall and become covered with flowers shortly after the weather warms. That makes them an excellent plant for adding a pop of color to late spring and early summer gardens. The plants can continue blooming throughout the summer if you choose a heat-tolerant variety and plant them in a location that’s protected from harsh afternoon sun. I’ll cover how to grow nemesia so it provides you with beautiful and long-lasting flowers. You’ll learn how to select the right growing location, choose a variety that suits your needs, and address common problems. What Is Nemesia? Nemesia is a genus of flowering plants that consists of around 70 different species. You can find various species available for sale at garden centers, but Nemesia strumosa and Nemesia caerulea are the most commonly available species. Numerous hybrids also exist and make up some of the newest cultivars. Nemesia plants are also known as cape jewels or pouch nemesia. Characteristics Some nemesia species are tender perennials, and others are annuals. Regardless, most growers treat all types of nemesia as annuals and replant them each year. The varieties commonly grown in stores typically grow between one and two feet tall. They produce multiple stems from the base of the plant, leading to a short yet bushy appearance. Each stem is covered with slender, lance-shaped leaves that appear in pairs. The top of the stems eventually becomes covered with two-lipped flowers that slightly resemble snapdragon blooms. When the plants are in full bloom, the base of the plant is almost hidden by the flowers. The flowers vary in color depending on the variety and come in colors including purple, yellow, pink, and orange. Sometimes, the upper and lower lips are the same color, and other times, they’re two different hues. Native Area All types of nemesia are native to South Africa. They often grow in well-drained soils or in sandy and rocky coastal areas. Planting You can grow nemesia from seed or transplants. Some hybrid varieties are only available as seedlings, so transplanting is your only option for these types of nemesia.

Do you have a moist garden plot with enough space for a spectacular perennial wildflower? Great blue lobelia is an eye-catching plant that appeals to gardeners, hummingbirds, and a multitude of pollinators. In this article, gardening expert Liessa Bowen will discuss the proper care and maintenance of these brilliant blue-flowering plants. Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) gets less attention than it deserves. This plant is a member of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae). This family of flowering plants contains well over two thousand species, many of which are familiar garden plants. This native species provides a dramatic splash of late-season color to your moisture-rich garden plot. While its natural habitat includes woodland stream-sides and wetland borders, you can enjoy a vibrant patch in your native plant garden, woodland garden, or naturalized rain garden. You’ll definitely want this flower if you want to attract hummingbirds and pollinators to your garden. It will also help increase curb appeal, especially in late summer as your spring and summer-blooming plants are fading, helping extend the growing season or acting as a transition between your summer and fall-blooming blooms. If you’ve got a bit of space and a moist garden plot, let’s dig right in and get to know the great blue lobelia and everything you need to successfully grow your own. Plant Natural History Great blue lobelia is a wildflower native to central and eastern North America, from Canada south to Texas and east to the Atlantic coast. It loves wet environments. You’ll find it growing along streams sides and around swampy edges. It grows near cool springs and in moist meadows. It isn’t too picky about sun or shade as long as it enjoys organically rich, consistently moist soil conditions. This wildflower inhabits not only wetland borders but can also be found in both woodlands and grasslands. It’s widespread, although not particularly common within its range. This is a valuable wildlife plant, favored by a variety of insect pollinators and hummingbirds. All parts of this plant are mildly poisonous to humans, however, and should not be consumed in any way. Characteristics This native wildflower is an herbaceous perennial. It grows up to four feet tall and up to one-and-a-half feet wide. In ideal conditions, lobelia spreads by self-seeding and root rhizomes, creating attractive colonies without becoming aggressive. These plants develop several sturdy, upright stems. Each stem is lined with alternate, finely-toothed, lance-shaped leaves of a uniformly green color. They grow vigorously during the growing season and the above-ground foliage dies back completely after the first frost. Plants begin blooming in mid-to-late summer and continue into early fall, especially in cooler climates. The flower spikes are very showy and dramatic, typically reaching over six inches long. Numerous purplish-blue flowers line the flowering stems, opening from the bottom to the top. Each tubular flower has three prominent lower lobes and two upper lobes that are significantly less pronounced. Propagation Propagate by seed or division of mature clusters. If you’re just getting started, you might be able to find great blue lobelia at a nursery specializing in native plants. If you can’t find potted plants, starting from seed is a good way to introduce these plants to your landscape. If you already have lobelia growing in your yard, division is a great way to quickly start new patches of vegetation. Seed Direct sow seeds in the fall and allow them to overwinter on site. You won’t need to bury the seeds because they need light to germinate, but don’t expect to see any tiny seedlings until after your seeds have overwintered. It’s important to sow the seeds in a location where they will stay fairly moist, particularly in late winter and early spring. Not all the seeds you sow will germinate, but all you need are a few successful seedlings to start a beautiful colony of lobelia plants. After your seeds germinate in the spring, keep them consistently moist because the young plants are especially sensitive to drying out. Once the seedlings are several inches tall and have developed a few sets of true leaves, you can thin them to one plant per 12 inches or dig and transplant them to the desired location. Division The quickest and most direct method of propagation is division. The best times to divide your perennials are spring and fall when the weather is a bit cooler, and your plants aren’t in the middle of their peak growing season. All you need is a spade for digging and some comfortable garden gloves to protect your hands. Either dig out the entire cluster of plants you want to divide or dig around half of the cluster of plants you wish to divide. Using the garden spade, make a clean cut through the center of the cluster so that each half contains both healthy roots and stems. Re-plant half of the cluster in the same location (if desired) and transplant the other half into a new location. After getting each half settled and surrounded with fresh soil, water each cluster of plants well to help them overcome transplant shock. Transplanting Before transplanting to a new location, first prepare the site. Remove any weeds and other competing vegetation to remove competition. Next, enrich your soil and add any soil amendments, as needed, to ensure that your plants have excellent quality soil in which to grow. Do your transplanting on a cool day during the spring or fall, avoiding days that are hot, dry, and sunny. Dig a hole slightly larger than the root cluster of your plant. If you are transplanting a potted plant, carefully remove your plant from its pot and immediately place it in the prepared hole. Fill in around the roots with fresh soil and tamp it down. Finally, water your plant well and keep it well-watered for the first week or so after transplanting to help it settle into its new home. How to Grow If you can provide the right growing conditions, this native species is a joy to have in your garden. The most important thing to provide for these plants is rich, moist soil. They are less picky about sunlight; you can grow them in full or partial sun conditions. With ideal growing conditions, you’ll find this lobelia to be easy to grow and virtually trouble-free. Sunlight This wildflower performs well in full sun, dappled sun, and fairly heavy shade. In hotter climates, it prefers some afternoon shade, although in cooler climates, it performs very well in full sun. Water Lobelia siphilitica is a plant that loves constant soil moisture. Ideally, you’ll want to grow it in a location that is either very close to water, such as at the edge of a wetland, or in a low spot that stays moist throughout the year. Be prepared to offer some regular supplemental watering if the soil dries out. Soil Plant in a location with organically rich, moist soil. If your soil is naturally sandy, gritty, or other poor quality, add plenty of organic compost to help enrich the soil before planting. Climate and Temperature These plants are well adapted to the warm summers and cool winters of the eastern United States and Canada. The species is hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 – 9. Plants go dormant for the winter months and perform well during humid summers. This is not a desert plant and it would not perform well in arid climates. Fertilizing If you have plenty of organic matter in your soil, you shouldn’t need to worry about supplemental fertilizing. If, however, your plants appear weak and the leaves are starting to turn yellow, this may be a sign that your plants need a nutrient boost. Ideally, add a side dressing or organic compost during the growing season to help improve the overall soil quality. In a pinch, you can add a balanced flower fertilizer. If you use prepared fertilizer products, always follow the instructions on the product label for application and usage. Maintenance This is a low-maintenance plant. At the end of the growing season, cut back the dead growth and mulch around your plants to protect the roots for the winter. During the growing season, keep the weeds pulled around your plants to minimize competition. Any time your plants become overcrowded and outgrow their allotted space, you can divide larger clumps and transplant the divisions to new areas.

Knowing how to propagate basil means always having a fresh supply for your kitchen all year long, no matter where you live. Basil is one of the easiest plants to propagate. Dozens of varieties of this highly aromatic and versatile culinary herb (Ocimum basilicum) exist, so it's not difficult to keep your favorite going even during the off-season. Now that you know how to grow this delicious plant, here's how to propagate basil. Ways to Propagate Basil There are three ways to propagate basil: from cuttings placed in water, soil, or grown from seed. Basil is a warm-season herb most often started from seed in early spring or planted directly into the garden once the soil has warmed to between 50°F and 70°F, but it can also be grown indoors. It grows from seed outdoors when the stems have gone to flower. But to keep a basil plant going throughout the cool season, you'll need to propagate with cuttings from your mature, summer-grown basil. Tip Propagating basil from seeds is common but not always the favored method. Basil seeds are problematic because they may not have high germination rates, grow slowly, and produce plants with inconsistent flavor. Propagation from cuttings is a much more reliable method.1 How to Propagate Basil in Water The best method to propagate basil from cuttings is in water. If you've ever kept freshly cut basil stems in water for use in cooking, as needed, you may have noticed that after a week or so, the stems begin to put out new roots. Essentially, this is propagating the basil cuttings in water. Propagating basil in water is easy and requires little more than refreshing and topping up the water regularly. To grow new basil plants this way, you need a sharp, sterile snipper, clean water, and a clear glass, vase, or container. Take several 4-inch cuttings from a mature basil plant, avoiding any stems with flowers at the top. Make your cuts below a set of leaves or leaf nodes. Remove all but the top two sets of leaves from the cutting. Fill a clear glass with water. Water that has not been chemically treated (i.e., distilled water or rainwater) works best. Submerge the stems, keeping the top leaves above water level. Place the glass on or close to a sunny windowsill where it receives plenty of bright, indirect light and warm temperatures. Change the water weekly or more often if it begins to get cloudy. You should see roots begin to form in 12 to 18 days. Tip Basil rooted in water will continue to grow out for extended periods of time. Eventually, though, the herbs need additional nutrients. Adding specialized fertilizers to the water is a practice called hydroponics. Alternatively, you can pot the rooted basil into a soil-based medium, and it can get nutrients that way. How to Propagate Basil in Soil Propagating basil cuttings in soil is similar to propagating in water. Both methods are simple and usually successful. Gather together a sharp, sterile snipper, deep pots with drainage holes, potting soil, and plastic covering. Growth or rooting hormone is optional. Fill a pot or pots with slightly moistened planting medium. High-quality potting soil works well. You can start several cuttings in a large 6-inch pot or plant individual cuttings in smaller 4-inch pots. Using the snipper, take 4-inch cuttings from a mature basil plant, avoiding any stems that have flowers on them. Make your cuts below a set of leaves or leaf nodes. Remove all but the top two sets of leaves. Dip the bottoms of the cuttings in growth hormone. This step is optional since most cuttings root easily without it. Use your index finger to poke narrow, deep holes in the potting soil. Insert a cutting into each hole, making sure to keep the top leaves well above the soil surface. Tamp soil down around each cutting to keep it upright. Water thoroughly. Cover the pot loosely with plastic and use a small stake or pencil to keep the plastic from touching the cutting. Place pot(s) in a location that receives plenty of bright, indirect light and warm temperatures. Keep soil moist but not soggy. Remove plastic for an hour or so daily to allow air circulation and prevent mold. As soon as new leaves emerge, remove the plastic and check to see if the cutting has rooted. If a gentle tug results in a little resistance, your basil cutting has roots. This usually occurs in two to four weeks.