With sufficient watering and fertile soil, Lemon Verbena grows an abundance of narrow, richly scented leaves. It produces clusters of small, attractive flowers, often in summer or late summer in colder California areas.

How would you describe the ideal garden plant? Some may value plants that are easy to grow, tolerate neglect and need minimal maintenance to be highly productive.

Drying fresh herbs and certain fresh flowers is a traditional and effective way to preserve garden harvests for later use.

Cooks who like to use parsley in cooking can save money--not to mention trips to the grocery store--by growing parsley in their home gardens. Growing parsley is easy, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

African Blue Basil is both an excellent source of garden color and an excellent plant for attracting an array of beneficial insects. Its green leaves transition to dark purple and its stems sprout long lavender blossoms. Gardeners can cut several stems to make a lovely small bouquet. Getting Started. African Blue Basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum x […]

If you planted softneck garlic during the appropriate cool season, in well-drained soil with sufficient fertility and nitrogen, you may find that it has sprouted vigorously and has become an easy garden companion. See Growing Garlic in the California Home Garden. Garlic needs full sun during cool-to-warm weather. It grows and yields best at daytime […]

Plant garlic cloves under at least 1.5 inches of soil. Large cloves produce larger bulbs, and can be planted under 2 inches of soil. Sprouts normally emerge from soil within about 7-14 days, and first leaves normally appear within about 2-3 weeks (or longer during cold weather). For vigorous softneck varieties, space plants at least […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Garlic performs best in fertile soil with good drainage. Overwatering and underwatering garlic both result in stressed plants, poor bulb formation, and increased pest-and-disease problems. Water may pool below the soil surface or in compacted areas underground, with poor drainage sometimes becoming problematic even […]

Basil is an ideal plant for container gardening, whether on the patio or the kitchen windowsill. Growing basil in containers allows you to move basil to follow seasonal changes in sun, to shaded areas during hot summers, warmer areas during spring, and to protected areas when necessary in response to winds or other environmental factors. […]