Bougainvillea winter damage
I recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida and we planted a pair of bougainvilleas 20 months ago. They seemed to thrive last year even through the winter and are now about 5-6 feet tall…
HortChat.com
Plant Care and Gardening Tips
Practical plant care, seasonal notes, and grower questions answered.
Start here
Find the right garden answer faster
Plant Care A-Z
Browse articles by plant name and jump into the most discussed care pages.
Problem Solver
Start with yellow leaves, pests, wilting, no blooms, deer damage, or winter care.
Seasonal Dashboard
Choose your month and zone range for a practical garden checklist.
Ask HortChat
Send a detailed plant question for review with a photo if you have one.
Reader archive
Most discussed plant problems
- Mandevilla 186 comments
- Growing Pineapple 158 comments
- Christmas Cactus 143 comments
- Winterize Mandevilla 137 comments
- Confederate Jasmine 131 comments
- Shamrock plant (Oxalis) 125 comments
Articles
Latest garden notes
Primrose care
Double primrose flower PRIMROSE- A big splash for a few bucks Common primrose (Primula vulgaris) also referred to as English primrose belongs to a large family of Primula. It is sold in…
Winter planter gardens
How to perk up your Fall containers When frost turns the contents of your outdoors planters into a blackened mushy mess; think about sprucing up your containers for the holiday/winter…
Planting Spring Bulbs
Planting Spring bulbs Fall is the ideal time to plant spring blooming bulbs. They can be planted as late as November-December before the ground freezes. Temperatures 35-50F degrees for…
Late Season Tomato Tips
Late season Tomato tips As the summer season begins to wane, thoughts of the cold weather and eminent frost comes to mind. Your tomato plants look great, loaded with all those green…
Rose Mallow hibiscus
Hibiscus moscheutos also known as Rose mallow or Swamp Mallow is a cold-hardy perennial that grows in zones 4-9. The plant can grow up to 3-8 ft tall depending on cultivar and produces…
Shooting star hydrangea
I just purchased two Shooting Star hydrangeas, also known as Fiji Waterfalls , or Fireworks . We live in zone 7. Should I plant these in a large pot outdoors and bring them inside during…
Grow Lavender
Lavendula angustifolia is a great perennial herb known for its deep blue/lavender flowers and silvery/gray foliage. Given the right conditions lavender is an easy, drought resistant, low…
Stargazer lilies
Oriental lilies such as Stargazer (red & white) or Casablanca (pure white) are easy to care for once they are established in your flower bed. Both are hardy to zone 4-9. Planting As the…
Calla lily seed pods
dried calla lily seed pod After the calla lily blooms, the flower pod seems to produce what looks like a cluster of small bulbs. Is this a seed pod? Calla lily seed pod When the flower is…
Shamrocks (Oxalis)
History of the Shamrock The earliest reference to the shamrock was in the 5th century when St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to the Druids. There is no proof of knowing…
Do not mix Daffodils
Daffodils should not be mixed with other flowers in a vase. Cut daffodils release a stem-clogging sap (slime exudate) that causes other flowers to wilt especially tulips. Cut them early in…