Utah Gardening

Difference Between Heirloom and Hybrid Tomatoes

May 24, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

Welcome Gardening Friend! Glad you dropped in.

When we first started growing tomatoes several years ago, I didn’t know the difference between heirloom and hybrid tomatoes. I had heard about heirloom tomatoes and wondered what that meant. To me, an heirloom tomato sounded like some prized family possession (like great-great grandma’s china plates) or some secret family seed (like that secret family recipe for chocolate cake) that had been passed down from generation to generation. Basically, it made them sound unattainable without a special connection to someone from a family that had been growing tomatoes for countless generations. That was my impression. So, I simply went about my business of buying tomato starts at the local garden centers. I didn’t hear the term “hybrid tomato” until a few years ago. Hybrids were the kinds of tomatoes I’d been growing but didn’t know it.

As the push for more natural and organic ways of producing food has been growing, the market for heirloom tomatoes has become much more mainstream. One can buy packets of certain varieties of heirloom tomato seeds at pretty much any gardening center and starts for heirloom tomatoes can also be found in more locations.

But really,

What’s the difference between heirloom and hybrid tomatoes?

One way to define an heirloom tomato is a variety that has been passed down within a family or has been around for at least 50 years (though it seems there is some controversy about how old a variety of tomato needs to be in order to be considered an heirloom¹). Some heirlooms are recorded as having been cultivated for hundreds of years or more.

An HEIRLOOM TOMATO is one that has been selectively reproduced for certain characteristics, perhaps a certain trait that is best suited for a growing region or a certain color or flavor. It may be the best one for canning/bottlings because of its acidic content. Or maybe a variety that is huge and juicy, where one slice fills an entire sandwich! Some varieties of heirloom tomatoes include Black Beauty, Brandywine, Chocolate Stripes, Green or Red Zebra, Big Rainbow, and many more. As the names would suggest, heirloom tomatoes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors.

Many would argue that heirloom tomatoes are more flavorful. I have personally grown Brandywine for several years and can attest that they are delicious and juicy. They also can grow to be quite large, but the same vine could also produce medium or smallish fruit. They are not completely consistent in size, but always tasty!

A word of caution: Watch your heirloom tomatoes and don’t let them over-ripen on the vine. Since the colors of an heirloom can vary so much from what most people are used to, like that “tomato red” we all see on hybrid varieties we buy at the grocery store, it can be quite easy to not know an heirloom is ready for harvesting until it’s too late. Read up on the particular heirloom tomatoes you choose so you can be aware of what to watch for to assess ripeness.

Since an heirloom tomato is one that has been specifically selected over generations of plants for its traits, it is possible to take the seeds from a tomato grown in a home garden and use them to grow that same variety during the next growing season. (IMPORTANT NOTE: If your heirloom tomato cross-pollinates with some other variety of tomato in your garden, you will end up with seeds that are not true to the original plant. If you’re interested in preventing this from happening, there are guides on how to prevent cross-pollination.)

A HYBRID TOMATO is one that is the result of intentionally cross-pollinating two different varieties of tomato. This means the “child” plant will have characteristics of both of the “parent” plants. These tomatoes can be very hardy, disease resistant, and produce fruit that is consistent in size and shape. Being disease resistant is probably the biggest and most important benefit. There are few things as frustrating as growing a big beautiful plant, have lots of fruit forming, then get a plant virus that destroys your crop.

Some popular varieties of hybrid tomatoes are Big Beef, Cherry, Sweet 100, Early Girl, Better Boy, and Grape.

The biggest difference between heirloom and hybrid tomatoes…

…is what kind of 2nd generation fruit will grow from this year’s plant. You can’t be certain what kind of tomato will grow from the seed of a hybrid. Often the seeds are sterile and will not sprout at all. In the event that they do sprout, they probably won’t be the same as the plant you harvested them from. We planted a Cherry tomato two years ago and had lots of volunteer plants growing in that area of the garden the next season. We let a few of them grow and found that the plant produced fruit that was pea size, or smaller! They were delicious but a real pain to harvest.

Be sure to check your local independent garden shop, like Western Gardens in Salt Lake City, to find the most popular varieties that will do well in your climate and area. The locals will have the biggest variety and most unique varieties for you to enjoy.

Either way, the difference between heirloom and hybrid tomatoes may not matter to you. Nevertheless, whichever you chose to plant in your garden, they have one big thing in common: they are designed to be eaten and enjoyed!

Unusual Strawberry Plants to Try

May 10, 2017 by Vanessa Myers

Hello Gardener, Welcome!

Many gardeners put in a strawberry patch so they can enjoy growing their own delicious red delights. However, did you know that not all strawberries are red and not all blossoms are white? Here are a few of the more unusual strawberry plants that you might want to experiment with during this growing season.

Alpine Strawberries

Image by wheany under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution License

If you have ever tried foraging in Europe, it is likely that you came across the alpine strawberry. These delicious little fruits grow in abundance in the wild. Good news is that they are slowly starting to become more available in nurseries in the United States. You can also try starting them from seed. They are smaller than the strawberries that we are used to eating but packed with an abundance of flavor.

White Carolina Pineberries

If you like the taste of pineapple, try a pineberry for a sweet treat

Image by DaveCrosby under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

At first blush, it seems like this is simply a strawberry experiment gone wrong. After all, the outer flesh is white and the seeds are red. This, however, is merely the result of crossing together a white strawberry from South America with our familiar red strawberry. Look for a plant as the seeds will not run true to type. The flavor is said to be reminiscent of pineapple, inspiring its common name.

You would want to place these near your other strawberries to help pollination rates. Yield is not as abundant as standard strawberries, as well as being a bit more of a delicate plant, so these are best treated as a fun novelty. They do bloom in the spring and again in the late summer, almost like an ever-bearer.

Purple Wonder Strawberries

If we’re getting into technicalities, the ‘Purple Wonder’ is more of a deep rich reddish burgundy. However, the difference is indeed notable when placed next to a traditional strawberry. I usually find that the darker strawberries are sweeter, so a whole patch full of these would be heavenly! They can be grown from seed.

Red and Pink Flowering Strawberries

Choose a pink flowering strawberry as one of your varieties

Image by seelensturm under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution License

When I think of a strawberry blossom, the color white usually comes to mind. Some cultivars, however, have been developed because they produce flowers that come in hues of red or pink. One of my favorites is called ‘Tristan’ bearing deep rosy blossoms, ‘Tarpan,’ ‘Gasana,’ or ‘Frisan’ all bearing light pink blossoms. Some delightful more traditional varieties geared for our Zone 5 climate include ‘Ozark Beauty’ which is excellent for jam, ‘Eversweet’, or ‘Ft. Laramie’.

A most tasty unique strawberry that is often served in European fine restaurants is the strawberry called ‘Yellow Wonder’. Yes, it is a yellow berry. Because of it’s color, the birds are fooled into thinking the berries are not ripe; hence, no need for a bird net to protect your berries from the scavengers!

Western Gardens has most of these unusual strawberry plants for you to explore, but they won’t last long.

Have you grown any of these unusual strawberry plants? Which would you recommend?

Differences between Perennials and Annuals – What’s Best for My Garden?

May 5, 2017 by Becky

WELCOME FRIENDS, Come learn with us!

image: Pixabay

As a novice gardener, I need to know what is the difference between perennials and annuals? Whenever I went to the nursery, I was confused by the terms “annuals” and “perennials.” When choosing plants for your garden it’s important to know the difference, so I thought I would share some of what has made it easier for me to remember.

Annuals

Annuals are plants that came from seeds earlier this spring. You can plant them as seeds or you can purchase them as seedlings or starts in flats and pots. Annuals usually bloom the entire summer until frost kills them. They don’t survive the winter. I remember the plants that are annuals because I have to buy them “annually.”

However there are exceptions, some tropical plants are perennial in a tropical climate, but in Utah’s colder climate, they are annuals. They die every winter and need to be replanted as a new plant. Geranium, Impatiens, and Bougainvillea are good examples of annuals.

Image: Pixabay

Image: Pixabay

Perennials

Perennials that do well in our climate are a different story. Perennials survive our Utah winters in the growing zone 5. They bloom again year after year. The tradeoff is that perennials have a definite blooming season and don’t bloom all summer long. Usually they bloom from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. There are many varieties from evergreen, to shade tolerant, or even drought tolerant. Most die to the ground in fall or winter and spend most of winter dormant. Most perennials like well-drained soil with plenty of organic material in it.

Image: Pixabay

Image: Pixabay

So basically, that’s the difference between perennials and annuals. How long they survive in the climate zone you live in. In the Salt Lake Valley, we are usually a zone 5, and sometimes can be a zone 6, so be sure and talk to one of our expert gardeners to make sure you get the perfect plants for your soil and landscape.

A Word about Placement

Placing a plant in a good site, in a place it will thrive, is one of the most important differences that will make your flower garden successful. In my yard I have hot, sunny sites, cool shady sites, and everything in between. I am always careful not to place a plant that prefers shade, like a Hosta, Fern, or Begonia in a hot sunny spot because it will do poorly. A hosta in the sun will show it’s displeasure with burned, scorched leaves. However, planting a peony, Petunia, or Sunflower in the shade will not produce good results either. Any of our gardeners can help you identify which plants do best in sun, shade, etc.

A Word about Soils

Most soils in Utah are either clay or sand based (like my garden) and will do very well with some organic amendments. For perennials create a 50/50 mix with existing soil. For annuals simply spread a 2-3″ layer of organic amendment evenly on top of the existing soil, then dig or till it in. The hole for perennials should be about twice as wide as the container and an inch or so less in depth. Place the plant in the hole after popping it out of the container. If it’s root bound (lots of white roots wrapping around the soil ball), use a short blade utility knife to make a few shallow, vertical cuts around the root ball to stimulate new root growth. Press the root mass into the hole to make sure there are no voids under the roots and water well using a root starter (we can help you with that at Western Gardens too).

Come see us!

Our garden experts at Western Gardens have a lot of great suggestions to help you get your flower garden blooming all summer long. From root starter to organic compost, we have everything you need. Be sure to visit us on Facebook for specials and daily tips.

What do some of you expert gardeners do to keep your flowers strong and healthy. Feel free to share your experiences here too.

Post revised by Wendy P 5/2017

Plant Summer Blooming bulbs, corms and tubers

May 4, 2017 by Heather Hammerschmidt

Welcome Gardening Friends! Good to see you again.

I love to plant summer blooming flowers and I’ve been dreaming of a cut flower garden all winter. My dream started last fall when I decided to add more spring bulbs to my garden so that I’d have plenty of flowers for cut arrangements. There is something wonderful about bringing your own beautiful blooms indoors and sharing them with friends and neighbors. As I contemplated spring additions to my flower garden, I decided I also needed to add some summer and fall blooms. Specifically, I wanted to add lilies, gladiolas, and dahlias. These summer flowers are usually not available in late fall, so I patiently waited for them to arrive at the store this spring. Now it’s time to plant and I’m so excited to share with you everything you need to know about planting these beauties!

Lilies (Lilium)

Lilies are such gorgeous flowers. Their sturdy stems and large flowers make them great for cutting. There are two main varieties of lilies that we carry at Western Garden Center: Asiatic and Oriental lilies. Asiatic lilies bloom in early summer. They come in a wide range of colors and heights. Oriental lilies tend to bloom later than Asiatic varieties. Oriental lilies like Casa Blanca and Stargazer are wonderfully fragrant. Western Gardens carries lily bulbs in early spring and potted lilies later in the season.

Asiatic and Oriental lilies are cold hardy perennials in Utah and will winter over. Lilies bulbs are scale bulbs and do best if planted as soon as possible. They prefer to be planted when the soil temperature is below 60 degrees. This helps their roots establish before it gets too hot. They need a sunny location with rich organic soil. I amend my soil with Bumper Crop® Soil Builder to give them the best possible start. I plant the bulbs 6- 8 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Plant them in groups of three to make a powerful statement. Make sure they had plenty of room, they don’t like competing for resources with other plants. The picture above gives you a visual of which end should be facing up and which end should be facing down.

Gladiolas (gladiolus)

How I love gladiolas! My grandfather would bring home gladiolas for my grandmother. Gorgeous stately blooms graced her dining room table throughout the summers. I’m planting them for two reasons; first in memory of my grandparents and second because I love how long gladiolas last as cut flowers. Their flowers fade from the bottom of the stem upward. You can continue to cut off the stem as the blossoms fade leaving the fresh blossoms for continued enjoyment. Gladiola corms are available in the spring for planting.

I suggest to plant summer blooming gladiolas each weekend for three consecutive weeks so blooms will last throughout the summer. Gladiolas should be planted after the danger of frost has passed. They need a sunny location. Unlike lilies, they don’t have a problem sharing space with neighboring plants. I will plant them 3-4 inches deep and about 6 inches apart. For a greater impact, I plant them in groups of three or more. Gladiolas are not cold hardy in Utah. In the fall, dig them up and store them over the winter until planting them again next spring. The picture above indicates which direction to plant gladiola corms.

Dahlias

Dahlias are my favorite cut flower. There are so many wonderful varieties in many heights and colors. Some of the shorter varieties bloom from spring until frost. The larger varieties start blooming in late summer and continue blooming into the fall. Western Garden Center carries dahlias in seeds, tubers, and in plant form. This year I’ve chosen to plant some Dinnerplate Dahlias from tubers. They have amazingly large blossoms, hence their name.Dahlias should be planted in rich organic soil, in a sunny spot, and after the last frost. I am planting mine in pots early so I can get them started. I use Gardener’s Gold Organic Potting Soil. They will remain in pots outdoors for awhile so that when I see that temperatures are going to drop I can bring them inside. After the last frost, I will plant them outside. When planting it is important to give them plenty of room. I make sure each tuberous root has space between itself and its neighbors and then I’ll cover them with soil. Last year’s stem (the eye) should just be barely below the surface. Like the gladiolas, dahlias are not cold hardy in Utah. I will dig up the tubers in the fall and store them indoors over the winter until I plant them again next spring. The picture above identifies the eye of the dahlia and its tuberous roots.

Once they’ve all been planted, I’ll feed them regularly with a Gardner & Bloom’s Bud and Bloom Fertilizer. This helps these summer bloomers develop strong roots and beautiful blossoms.

I can’t wait for my first bouquets! What are your favorite cut flowers? Please share in comments below.

May Gardening To-Do List

May 2, 2017 by Western Gardens

Hello Gardening Friends, thanks for stopping by!

If you’re excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure where to begin, then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve put together a list of things to do throughout the month.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have bare patches to reseed or Spring bulb foliage to cut back, skip over those items on the list. Just pick what applies to your home and yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

May Gardening To-Do List

➺Train your Lawn – Turn Sprinklers On only when needed – Let the lawn tell you when it needs watering. Click here for more details.

➺Lawn Watering – Use a “moisture meter” probe to determine adequate moisture.

➺Water Conservation – Conserve water by watering before 10:00 am or after 6:00 pm.

➺Lawn Aeration – Its not too late if you haven’t already.

➺Set Lawnmower Height to 2½-3 inches. This allows the lawn to “shade” its soil making for a healthier lawn.

➺Lawn Broadleaf Weed Control (Liquid application) – for Dandelions, violets, etc. Weed-A-Lawn is a great product. Spot treat or apply to big areas of lawn where needed. Follow manufacturer’s instructions.

➺Lawn Crabgrass and Spurge – Second application of pre-emergent granular (6 weeks after the first application).

➺Fertilize Lawn with a weed-killing post-emergent granular fertilizer —do NOT water in—apply it to a moist lawn and let it sit for a day

➺Seed Bare Patches in Your Lawn unless you’ve already used a pre-emergent, in which case, wait until September to seed bare patches. Click here for more.

➺Weed, Thin Out & Mulch newly planted seedlings

➺Plant Your Favorite Annuals for beautiful color—most can be safely planted after frost danger has passed (some are hardy enough to be planted earlier, check with your local nursery)

➺Spring Bulbs – Remove Spent Flower Heads (aka dead-heading) and AFTER foliage fades and turns brown, cut back leaves.

➺Summer Blooming Bulbs – Plant dahlias, day lilies, and gladiolus. Click here for instructions.

➺Plant Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials – Early spring or late fall are great times to do this. Click here for tips.

➺Divide and/or Transplant Perennials – Summer bloomers: early in the month. Spring bloomers: after blooming is done.

➺Flowering Shrubs – Prune after they finish blooming.

➺Pest Control – Boxelder bugs are a nuisance. Grasshoppers are best controlled when they first hatch. Watch for Leaf roller on boxelder trees. Try to stay ahead of those slimy slugs and snails. Closely follow directions on labels when using insecticides as not to harm bees.

➺Plant Outside
Kohlrabi, parsley, parsnips, potatoes,
Until May 15th: onions & peas
After last frost until June 1st: dry beans, snap beans, eggplant, peppers
After last frost until June 10th: watermelon & winter squash
Until July 1st: cauliflower, parsley, swiss chard
Until July 15th: beets & broccoli
After last frost until July 20th: cucumbers and summer squash
Until Sept 1st: radishes

and so much more….

If you liked learning these tips from the experts, here is another good tip – come in and visit us!

Be sure to check out our June Gardening To-Do List too!

*This is not an exhaustive list. If we’ve overlooked something, feel free to let us know in a comment below!

Plant Peas – Our Favorite Varieties

April 26, 2017 by Marjorie Carter

Our favorite garden varieties of peas from the garden Each year as we get to the last few weeks of winter, my husband and I watch for the first day when it is warm enough for us to work outside in our garden for a few hours so we can plant peas. We can’t wait to get them in the ground! Though along the Wasatch front, we typically don’t plant until March, we’ve planted them as early as mid-February (straight in the ground; no greenhouse) and still had great success. Peas are a cool weather plant that needs little attention beyond watering and harvesting. They tolerate snow and light frost so don’t be afraid to plant peas early.

KIDS & PEAS … Planting peas is a great activity to do with young children. The seeds are a real bonus to work with:

They are large enough that they are easy for small fingers to pick up.
They are also easy to find after the inevitable spill.
Planting is as simple as sticking your finger in to the ground, dropping in a seed, and covering with soil.

Again, the size of the seed made this something I could do with my 18 month old. She has helped plant every year since and even gets upset if she thinks she’s being left out of the planting process for the peas.
little girl planting peas with her mother

Peas and carrots on dinner plate - photo by CongerDesign - Pixabay CC0 license

Fun idea to see and eat the peas the children grow. That is if you can get any that far into the house from the garden!

FRESH PEAS IN THE GARDEN… My husband will only eat shelled peas that are freshly picked from the garden. If they’ve been cooked, frozen, canned, or otherwise tampered with, he will not touch them. (He’ll eat snap peas in stir fry). When our daughter was very young, we’d go out in the garden to pick peas and she’d eat as many as we’d give her. Her preferred method was eating them straight out of our hands. She will still eat as many as she can get her hands on, but she’s big enough to do the picking and shelling on her own now.

plant peas to eat by the handful

OUR FAVORITE VARIETIES…We’ve tried lots of varieties of peas over the past several years (Green Arrow, Alaska, Snap Peas, Little Marvel, Blue, and more) and have found that our favorites for flavor and abundance on the vine are Little Marvel (a shelling pea) and Snap Peas (edible pods, no shelling required). We also grow Blue shelling peas because their flower is so beautiful. If you’ve never seen a blue pea, the flowers are purple and white and the pea pods are a dark purple/blue color, making them easy to find on the vine. Buy quality seeds from your local garden center like Western Garden Centers in Salt Lake City and West Valley, Utah.

Find quality seeds of peas to plant at Western Garden Centers, garden shop in Utah

DID YOU KNOW… Peas are one of the oldest known vegetables. Archaeologists have found them in ancient tombs at Troy and Thebes. Dried peas keep indefinitely. This allowed them to survive the ocean voyage to become one of the first crops grown by English colonists coming to North America.

DID YOU KNOW… Peas are “nitrogen fixers”, meaning they take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it to ammonia (which is chemically comprised of nitrogen and hydrogen), thereby making the nitrogen available to other plants and organisms in the soil. This means peas are a great spring crop because they naturally help fertilize your soil prior to planting other garden fruits and vegetables that need nitrogen in order to thrive (think tomatoes!).

TIP: To maximize this benefit, at the end of the peas’ growing season, trim the plant off at the soil line instead of pulling them out, leaving the roots behind.

GROWING TIP … A friend suggested presoaking the peas prior to placing them in the soil. This will soften the seeds and allow them to germinate more quickly. Soak for around 12 hours, no more than 24, before planting. We tried it this year because we wish our peas would sprout sooner. It worked! Our peas were sprouted and broken through the soil less than 10 days after planting them, instead of 2 weeks or more. We look forward to eating our peas that much sooner this year!

Rows of planted peas coming up in the vegetable garden

FALL PLANTING … After the summer heat is gone (about Labor Day), plant peas again for a fall crop. Read the package of which variety will produce according to the time you have.

Hmm… Sounds like something new to try with our garden this fall.

Eat peas straight out of the garden

utah gardening to-do list in April

April 2, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Feeling overwhelmed with so much to do in your yard? Wondering where to start? lawn? vegetable garden? flower beds? Check out our helpful Utah Gardening To-Do List in April for the Wasatch Front in Utah. If you live in a similar growing season, this list can work for you too.

Realize that you may not need to do everything on this list; skip over those that do not apply to your yard.

Take the entire month to do the list. None of us can do it all in one day off. Enjoy the process of being out in your yard and digging in the soil. In other words, stop to smell the roses or other blooms this month.

If you need some inspiration, stop by your local independent garden center like Western Gardens in West Valley or Salt Lake City. We would love to show you our #1 quality material, expert knowledge, and friendly personal service to inspire and help you be a satisfied and successful gardener. Your success is our success.

Press HERE for the April Gardening To Do List.

Here are a few blooms at Western this last week.

Drop in and see more!

Red, White & Blue Patriotic Flower Pot

July 2, 2016 by Jenn Crookston

Hi friends, thanks for stopping by!

Do you love unique, patriotic outdoor decor? Especially when flowers are involved? Me too!

When I started my flower pots this year I knew I wanted a red, white & blue patriotic flower pot. I love how all the colors look together and I love how this variety of flowers blend in this container. The colors, the flower sizes & styles, and the greenery all just work perfectly.
I’m so happy with how my pots are doing this year! I know that learning the proper steps from the Garden Solution Experts at Western Gardens has really increased my success, and because of how well my plants are doing, I keep wanting to plant more and more!

For a perfect flower pot in Red, White and Blue, start with your choice of pot (make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom). Fill your pot 1/3 full with packing peanuts (this helps with drainage and takes up space without adding weight to the pot) and then fill another 1/3 full of fresh potting soil (I use Gardener’s Gold). Lay your plants out how you want them to look in the pot before removing them from their plastic containers and filling the rest of the way with potting soil.

Red, White & Blue Patriotic Flower Pot:

Red – Verbena Voodoo Red Star, Verbena Obsession Red, Zonal Geranium
Blue – Lobelia Dark Blue
White – Petuna and Bacopa Snowtopia White
Green – Cordyline Indivisa Spikes

Both the Cordyline Spikes and the Zonal Geranium are the thrillers for this pot. My spillers are the Bacopa Snowtopia White and the Lobelia Dark Blue. The fillers for this pot are White Petunia and Verbena Voodoo Red Star and Verbena Obsession Red.

I planted the Spikes and Geranium in the middle of the pot and then laid my other flowers out in a red/white/blue pattern around the outside. It has all filled in so perfectly, I just love it!

I’m excited to create a smaller table top version of this pot for my 4th of July decor. It’s hard not to create 20 of these pots to line the whole front of my house, they’re just perfect for the summer!

For more 4th of July fun check out these projects!
Hand Print Flag Shirt – United States of America Wood Sign – Patriotic Star String Art

Warm Weather Plants for Porch Pots

June 14, 2016 by Jenn Crookston

Hi there, I’m so glad you stopped by!

Did you start your porch pot or window boxes early in the Spring? Are you ready to refresh your plants that may look a little past their prime, and get some warm-weather flowers in there? Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m sharing some of my favorites flowers to freshen up my pots.

This year I started my flower pots and window boxes early (you can see how my window boxes started here and how my pots started here). I loved finding plants and flowers that brightened up my porch while we still had unpredictable weather with snow and cold snaps.

Now that we’re in to summer, it’s time to add warm-weather plants to my pots and window boxes…plants that will do well in the heat of Utah summers.

I’m sharing 10 gorgeous flowers that do well in the heat and will really make your pots and window boxes stand out this summer!

Warm-Weather Plants for Porch Pots:

Petunias
Hawaiian Mahalo
Bacopa Snowtopia White
Pentas
Lantana
Million Bells
Sweet Potato Vine (gorgeous for spilling over pots)
Lobelia
Bidens (usually just comes in yellow, this year Western Gardens has it in red and orange too!)
Portulaca

Click NEXT for photos of each of these flowers, so you can see what they look like before you go to the nursery!

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7 Plants A Black Thumb Can Keep Alive

May 24, 2016 by Sydney Anderson

Hi there, I’m so glad you stopped by!

Are you prone to killing innocent plants? Are you a self-proclaimed black thumb? Well, take a deep breath, I’m here to help!

I’m sharing 7 beautiful plants that will change your luck and grow your confidence (along with your plants!). Take it from a former black thumb, these plants are a breeze to take care of!

I’ve always admired beautiful gardens and flowers. Trying to have them in my home was another story. Part of the problem was forgetting to water them, and then overwatering when I did remember. The other part was buying the wrong plants and flowers for my area.

No matter what I did for years, every thing I planted died within a month. But not anymore! I am happy to say I have now kept three (four including the wine glass succulent in my office) houseplants alive for 2 months and a garden full of beautiful plants and flowers (that survived last month’s crazy warm/cold weather mix!).

House plants are easier to keep alive since you don’t have to worry about climate changes. If you’re a little nervous about keeping your plant babies alive, start here.

Click NEXT to see my favorite houseplants!

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