Plant Care Guides
Practical, no-nonsense growing guides for the plants and bulbs we sell — planting depth, watering, dormancy and troubleshooting, written from our own nursery notes.
Iris Winter Care and Dividing: Keep Bearded Iris Blooming for Decades
Bearded iris fail for two reasons - a buried rhizome and wet winter soil. Here is the fall and winter routine, plus how to divide crowded clumps so flowering comes back.
Peony Types Explained: Herbaceous, Tree and Itoh – Which Should You Grow?
There are three kinds of peony and they are planted at different depths. Get the type wrong and you wait years for a flower that never comes. Here is how to tell them apart.
Desert Rose Winter Care: Getting an Adenium Through the Cold Months
Cool and wet is what kills a desert rose, not cold alone. Here is the winter routine - when to stop watering, what leaf drop means, and how to catch spider mites before they strip the plant.
How to Grow Saffron Crocus: Harvest Your Own Saffron
A gram of saffron takes about 150 flowers—and they all come from one autumn-blooming crocus. Here is how to plant it, pick it and dry it at home.
Bulbs You Can Still Plant in November (And What to Do If You Are Late)
November is not too late—the ground is still workable and the bulbs still root. Here is what to plant now, what to skip, and what to do if it freezes early.
Desert Rose Not Blooming? 7 Causes and Fixes
A desert rose with no flowers is almost always missing sun, a dry rest, or both—not luck. Seven causes, in the order worth checking them.
Multi-Graft Desert Rose: Three Colours on One Caudex
Three colours, one caudex, one pot—and one branch that will try to take over. Here is how a multi-graft desert rose is made and how to keep it balanced.
Double Desert Rose: How to Get Rose-Like Layers on an Adenium
A double desert rose packs layer after layer into the flower—but only if it gets enough sun. Here is how to keep the petal count high and the stems upright.
How to Grow Dahlias: Planting Tubers, Care and More Blooms
Dahlias flower from midsummer until the first frost and come back bigger every year. Here is how to plant the tubers, pinch for more blooms, and store them over winter.
Growing Stephania in Water: A Hydroponic Caudex Setup
A Stephania caudex grows better in water than most people expect—provided the tuber never touches it. Here is the semi-hydroponic setup that actually works.