If you’re looking for the sweetest strawberry to grow in your garden this year, look no further than 'Albion' strawberries. These day-neutral plants are easy to grow and produce tons of delicious fruit. In this article, horticulture expert Matt Dursum shows you how to plant, grow, and care for these high-yielding berries. ‘Albion’ Strawberries are wonderfully sweet and easy to grow. They produce sweet, deep red berries throughout the growing season. The large berries are super plump, juicy, and flavorful, making them ideal for desserts, jams, or for eating fresh off the plants. If you’re a first-time strawberry grower, you can grow these productive strawberries easily in containers, hanging gardens, vertical planters, or garden beds. They’re resilient to many diseases and handle high heat and humidity. Let’s dive into how to plant, grow, and care for these mouth-watering strawberries. You’ll enjoy the beginner-friendly ‘Albion’ strawberry plants with just a little maintenance and care. What Is It? ‘Albion’ is a gorgeous variety of strawberries that produces large, flavorful fruits. They have a conical shape and bright red color. The berries are flavorful and high in nutrients such as Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Because they’re day-neutral everbearing, you’ll enjoy harvesting ripe fruit throughout the season. They are excellent in desserts, salads, or eaten fresh. If you’re a beginning gardener, you’ll love these easy-to-grow plants. They thrive with very little care or attention. They’re also resilient to many pests and diseases. Characteristics These small herbaceous perennials grow radially from a central plant. They can adapt to many soil types and containers like vertical planters and hanging baskets. As they grow, they spread out by creating runners that continuously find new sources of water and soil. Each baby runner can be propagated into a brand new plant. As ground cover, these strawberries work incredibly well as a natural mulch. Their foliage protects the soil from losing moisture. Their foliage protects beneficial insects in your garden beds or containers. Before fruiting, the plants produce beautiful, tiny flowers that attract beneficial pollinators. If you want to create a magnificent edible garden, planting these large and easy-to-maintain strawberry plants is a great idea. Native Area Strawberry plants are native to the Americas. The genus has been harvested by Native Americans for millennia. In the 17th century, Europeans first documented their encounters with the delicious fruits. You can still find these wild ancestors growing in fields from the Northeast to the Northwest. When breeders got hold of the South American wild strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), they bred it with the North American Fragaria virginiana. They created the species we know and love today, Fragaria × ananassa. These modern strawberries became garden and commercial staples around the world. ‘Albion’ varieties were first cultivated in 2006. They’re a cross between the varieties Cal 94.16-1 and Diamante. From their home in California, they quickly grew in popularity and soon became one of the dominant strawberry varieties grown commercially and in home gardens. Planting Planting ‘Albion’ strawberries is super easy, even for beginning gardeners. They thrive in most growing conditions and can tolerate both warm and cold temperatures once they’re mature. Below are some helpful pointers for getting healthy and delicious berries in your garden this year.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) hails from the ginger family and is most commonly grown for its seeds, which are used as a pungent, aromatic spice. This herbaceous perennial grows from thick, knobby underground rhizomes to produce an evergreen plant with erect, 6 to 15 cane-like stems with glossy, 24-inch, lance-shaped, dark green leaves. In late spring or summer, leafless flowering stems emerge from the plant base to form 2-inch and yellowish-white flowers. The blooms are reminiscent of orchids, with lilac-purple veins and pink or yellow margins. The flowers and stems are not scented but will produce pale yellowish-green 3/4-inch fruit pods. The pods contain 15 to 20 aromatic black to reddish-brown seeds, commonly used in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Scandinavian dishes and drinks. How to Plant Cardamom When to Plant This rainforest native grows in the tropical areas of India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, typically places that receive about 150 inches of rain per year and temperatures that rarely dip below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant outdoors when temperatures reach at least 70 F, depending on your region. Bring the plant indoors when temperatures dip below 70 F. However, if you bring the plant indoors, it rarely flowers or produces seed pods. Selecting a Plant Site Plant cardamom in an edible garden with other shade-tolerant herbs, greens, or vegetables or in a rain garden where it will tolerate wet soil. The plants prefer rich, slightly acidic humus soil. Hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12, this herbaceous perennial is also suitable for growing in containers. Spacing, Depth, and Support If planting outdoors, plant your seeds 1/2 to 1 inch apart, about 1/8 inch deep, in a partially shady place. Alternatively, plant cardamom seeds in a pot to bring the plant indoors to overwinter. Staking is only needed for young plants if heavy rains or floods are expected, potentially washing the plants away. Cardamom Plant Care Light Cardamom prefers part to full shade. Avoid planting in direct sun. Consider planting under tall trees in tropical conditions akin to its native rainforests. Soil Cardamom grows best in fertile, loam-based potting compost. If planting in bright, unfiltered light with high humidity, add leaf mold or granulated bark to the soil. Because cardamom needs tropical conditions to produce the optimal amount of fruit, it can thrive exceptionally well under glass. In the garden, it prefers acidic conditions (5.1-5.5 to 6.1-6.5). Water Mist cardamom frequently with rainwater; water regularly but do not overwater. Cardamom does best in sites where conditions are stable year-round, without much change to the climate, soil moisture, or natural light exposure. Temperature and Humidity Flowers and fruits will only grow in tropical conditions, so plant cardamom, where daily temperatures rarely go below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant growth will suffer most dramatically if temperatures reach below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In semi-tropical or temperate climates, grow cardamom in a heated indoor greenhouse or a hot, steamy bathroom. While flowers and fruit rarely grow indoors, cardamom can make a lovely houseplant. Set the plant on a dish of consistently moist pebbles. The houseplant will grow much smaller than outdoors, to a humble 2 to 4 feet tall. Fertilizer Give the plant organic, high-phosphorus fertilizer twice a month during the growing season. Apply after heavy rain, never before. Supplement with compost once a year. Pollination Bees and other flying insects commonly pollinate cardamom plants. In places where bees are scarce, hand pollination is necessary. However, timing is crucial since flowers only stay open for about one day. Farmers use a small tool or brush to transfer pollen grains from the male anther to the female stigma. Signs that fertilization was successful include the flower wilting and the ovary swelling. Types of Cardamom Cardamom comes from the ginger family but has two main genus lines: Elettaria and Amomum. Lanxangia is a less commonly cultivated genus, more closely related to the Amomum genus. Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Also called true cardamom, Siam cardamom, or white cardamom, this type is native from India to Malaysia. Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum): Also called Indian cardamom, this type is native to Nepal and China. Lanxangia tsaoko (formerly Amomum tsaoko): Also called black cardamom, this Chinese and Vietnamese native plant is commonly used in Sichuan cooking. Green Cardamom vs. Black Cardamom Green and black cardamom are used for flavoring foods, although green cardamom will also be used in sweets. Green cardamom has a sweeter, eucalyptus-type flavor, while black cardamom has a more robust, smokier flavor. With rich camphor or more menthol-like notes, black cardamom is best used in savory stews and curries. Harvesting Cardamom The best way to harvest this plant is to hand-pick each seed pod or fruit. Harvest when the seed pod is beginning to split. You also know it's ready for picking if the seed pod pulls away easily from the plant when you tug at it. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice by weight, just behind saffron and vanilla.1 There is a long history of trade and consumption for more than 1,000 years. In the early 1900s, German coffee planter Oscar Majus Kloeffer introduced cardamom to Guatemala. Until about 1980, India was the largest producer and exporter of cardamom until Guatemala took the lead. While cardamom is used around the globe, some of the main consumers are Middle Eastern countries, where the spice is often added to warm beverages, and Scandinavian countries, where it is often added as flavoring to cookies and cakes. As the primary ingredient in curry powder, cardamom can flavor rice, meat, vegetables, liquors, and ice cream. Guatemala and Mexico now use it to flavor chewing gum. In addition to culinary uses, cardamom is also used in cosmetics and perfumery. When storing cardamom, prevent air and oxygen exposure by keeping it in airtight containers, such as tight-fitting lids or vacuum-sealed bags. These methods preserve the freshness and potency of cardamom longer. Also, keep cardamom cool and dry, away from sunlight or heat sources. How to Grow Cardamom in Pots Cardamom grows well in pots. Start seeds with very moist soil. Plant them at least 1 inch apart. Each plant needs a pot at least 1 foot deep and 6 inches wide. If you plant multiple seeds in each 6-inch pot, only keep the strongest seedling and remove the others. Since this plant gets stressed during transplanting, it's best to grow it in a pot that is 12 to 14 inches wide to accommodate its full growth indoors. Ensure the container has ample drainage holes. If you live in a climate that gets wintery cold weather, bring the plant inside when temperatures drop to the 60s F. Most people grow the plant in the most humid part of the house, often the bathroom. When grown indoors, the plant rarely grows past 4 feet tall unless grown in a greenhouse. Pruning Cardamom doesn't need pruning, although removing dead or damaged leaves is fine by cutting the withered or old flower stems. Also, if the plant is growing larger than you like, trim it down to a size you prefer. Propagating Cardamom Propagate by dividing the rhizome root structure or by sowing seed. Consider dividing every three years so the rhizome does not overgrow its container or plot. To divide, here's how: Loosen the soil around the parent plant using a trowel and hand rake. Lift the rhizomatous roots from the ground. Use a sharp knife or a root saw to separate or split off a rhizome segment with at least four to five leaf shoots. Plant the segment elsewhere and replant the parent plant where it was. How to Grow Cardamom From Seed Purchase cardamom designed explicitly for planting, or if you have a mature plant that produces seeds, let the seed pods dry on the plant, then break them open to collect the seeds. Sow them as soon as you collect them from the plant. Presoak cardamom seeds overnight before planting. Plant the seeds in a warm, partially shady spot in loamy, rich soil. Expect germination to take about 30 to 40 days. Potting and Repotting Cardamom Cardamom gets stressed from transplanting, so it's best to grow cardamom in the container it will mature in. However, cardamom grows from a rhizome that can grow large and be divided after three to four years. To transplant a segment of the cardamom rhizome, get a similarly sized container and use moist, loamy soil to repot a piece of the cardamom with several leaf sheathes. Overwintering If your plant is kept outdoors during the warm summer temperatures, bring the plant indoors when the temperatures drop between 60 to 70 F. The plant gets stressed in cold temperatures and will die. Bring cardamom plants indoors during the late fall, winter, and early spring, and keep the plants in the most humid part of the house with filtered light. Bathrooms are one of the best spots for cardamom plants. In the colder months, from October to March, withhold fertilizer—also, water only when the soil is dry. The plant requires humidity, so keep the plant moist by misting, if necessary. Common Pests and Diseases While the cardamom plant is generally free from pests and disease, it may be affected by thrips or cardamom mosaic virus. Aphids spread the virus, so prevent the virus by keeping aphids away with a forceful water spray, insecticidal soap, or neem oil.

Looking to add some berry bushes to your edible garden? ‘Fall Gold’ raspberry bushes have small, golden fruits that are sweet and just a little bit tart. You could plant one shrub, start an entire berry patch, or even use these perennials as a fruit-filled privacy fence. Plant biologist Emily Estep has rounded up all the information you need to keep these shrubs healthy, happy, and covered in berries. There’s just something special about raspberries. They’re sweet and tart at the same time, and they’re healthy, too, packed with antioxidants and fiber. The only problem is that they’re small and expensive, lasting only a few days in the fridge. Thankfully, it’s easy to grow your own. ‘Fall Gold’ raspberry bushes are just like regular raspberries, except the fruits are a beautiful shade of golden yellow. Their sweet flavor is somewhat reminiscent of honey, or perhaps that’s just the placebo effect of their color. Either way, they add unexpected color and flavor to the garden. This everbearing cultivar fruits twice per year, leading to multiple harvests. With a little bit of strategic pruning, these perennial shrubs will provide delicious fruit for years, spreading into berry patches with suckers. These perennials thrive in much of the United States. If you’ve seen wild raspberries on nearby hikes, chances are this cultivar will flourish in your backyard. Here’s everything you need to know about how to plant, grow, and care for ‘Fall Gold’ raspberry bushes. What Is It? ‘Fall Gold’ raspberry bushes standout among other cultivars of the popular fruit-bearing bramble bush for two reasons. One, their “berries” ripen to a dark yellow or gold instead of red. Two, these shrubs are everbearing, which means that each cane will produce two crops, one in fall followed by a second in the upcoming early summer. While many raspberry varieties only offer fruit once, usually in late summer or early fall, ‘Fall Gold’ gives you the chance to harvest at multiple times during the year. The fall fruits will emerge from the top third of the canes, and then in the following year around June, more fruits will emerge from the bottom two thirds of the canes. It’s crucial that you do not remove these canes entirely after their fall fruiting. They will produce more fruit in the next growing season on the bottom of the canes. Characteristics ‘Fall Gold’ raspberry bushes are perennial shrubs, though the thorny canes are biennial, surviving for two years before dying off. This cultivar is known for its delicious fruits, which are not actually berries. Botanically speaking, they are aggregate fruits made of many small drupes. In addition to fruit, this Rubus species has a lot to offer to local wildlife. The flowers attract all sorts of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, while the fruit and habitat benefit both small mammals and birds. These medium-sized shrubs also make a great barrier or privacy fence. This cultivar is self-fruiting, meaning you do not need a second plant to assist the first in pollination. That said, you will probably want to plant multiple shrubs to maximize your harvests. Native Area R. idaeus raspberries fall into two categories: those that are native to Eurasia and those that are native to North America. Over time, growers have cultivated and hybridized various subspecies of raspberries to make many types of berries, including ‘Fall Gold,’ making its “native area” blurry at best. Broadly, raspberries are native to mild, temperate areas with four distinct seasons, moderate rainfall, and average humidity levels. This makes ‘Fall Gold’ among other subspecies and cultivars perennial in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8. They can survive winters that dip down to temperatures around -20°F (-29°C). They can survive hot summers, too, but temperatures consistently above 95°F (35°C) will seriously stunt growth. The summer weather in zone 9 and in even hotter regions is usually too much for raspberries. Planting ‘Fall Gold’ shrubs will perform best directly in the ground since they get fairly large. If you want a lot of fruit, you’ll need to plant a lot of shrubs. One mature shrub may produce a few pounds of fruit, but the “berries” are very small. If you want a lot of them, you’ll need to plant at least a few individuals. You can also try growing a few plants in a large container, or you can try starting a young shrub in a container and ultimately transplanting it into the ground. In areas with particularly heavy clay soil, you can also grow these raspberries in raised beds. Just consider that they mature to about 2 feet in width and 5 feet in height when planning. The best time to transplant is in late winter or in early spring, once the soil is workable and when the plant is just coming out of dormancy and starting to grow. Note that you may not get a June crop the first year, but a successful transplant should fruit in fall.