Get all the basics on how to grow cauliflower, including planting, sunlight, watering, and more. Some gardeners find cauliflower challenging to grow because it requires a lot of maintenance. Cauliflower requires cool temperatures for growing, consistent watering, and ongoing attention due to its susceptibility to pests. Credit:Marty Baldwin Cauliflower grows best in soil enriched with compost. Dont sow seeds directly outdoors in spring because cauliflower is sensitive to frost. Plant cauliflower seedlings about 18 inches apart in rows 23 feet apart....

Crisp celery shines as a cool-season vegetable in spring or fallbut you have to be patient. Just-picked crisp celery from your garden is as close to fresh as you could get. Homegrown celery is often darker in color and slightly smaller than the commercial varieties available at the grocery store. Credit:Dean Schoeppner Heres how to grow celery in your garden. Celery grows best in well-draining soil with a lot of compost or aged manure added....

This showy annual adds striking colors to gardens and cut flower arrangements. Few flowers are as showy as celosias. The blooms are somewhat stiff and waxy, making them agreat option for bouquets. Credit:BHG / Kerri Jo The abundant, colorful flowers last for a long time. Celosia leaves are generally light green with a colored mid-rib that matches the bloom on the plant. Some varieties have attractive burgundy foliage that deepens in color when exposed to full summer sun....

This genus of annual and perennial plants adds color to the late spring and summer garden. A charming perennial centaurea is mountain bluet (Centaurea montana). These fast-growing, vivacious late-spring and early-summer bloomers have the casual growth habit of wildflowers. Credit: Denny Schrock Being prolific nectar producers, they are great for attracting butterflies. With their erect, unbranched stems, the thistle-like blooms also make good cut flowers. Centaurea looks best when planted in groups or drifts, either in mixed color combinations or single color blocks....

German chamomile is grown for tea and perennial Roman chamomile is mostly a groundcover. There are two similar plants that go by the common name chamomile. It has white flowers but with showy yellow centers. Credit: Dean Schoeppner Where to Plant Chamomile A location withfull sunis best. The soil should bewell-drainedwith a slightly acidic to neutral pH. The low-growing Roman chamomile makes a fragrant perennial groundcover. Credit: Dean Schoeppner Plant it in arock gardenwhere it will soften hard edges and slowly spread to cover large swaths of soil....

This vining plant grows quite large and needs between 120 and 150 frost-free days to reach full maturity. Adding a cattle panel trellis or other support can help keep your vines from sprawling. Choose a spot in your garden that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of bright sun. Credit:Igaguri 1 / Getty Images Like other members of the Cucurbit family, chayote squash grows best inrich, well-draining soilthat holds water well....

Straightforward advice for planting and growing easy-care, evergreen cherry laurel as a tree or shrub. Cherry laurel(Prunus laurocerasus)welcomes spring with boldly fragrant blossoms. The 4- to 6-inch-long flower spikes are popular with pollinators. Credit:Robert Cardillo After the flowers fade, cherry laurel produces purple-black fruit that is a food source for songbirds. It also can be grown as a small tree. The leaves, seeds, fruits, and stems of cherry laurel are toxic to humans and pets....

This showy annual is a favorite for cut flower arrangements. This cool-weather plant comes in an array of colors and heights. The oval medium-sized green leaves have slightly serrated edges. Where to Plant China Aster Plant china aster in garden beds, cutting gardens, or containers. It grows best in moist, loamy, well-draining soil but tolerates other soil conditions. Situate the plants infull sun to partial shade. Cover the seeds with 1/8 inch of soil and keep the soil moist....

Avoid planting where you’ve grown brassica crops in previous years. Avoid planting any punch in of cabbage near tomatoes, peppers, beans, or strawberries. Wait until after the last frost date to direct-seed Chinese cabbage or plant transplants. For fall harvest, plant seeds directly in the garden in late summer. Consistently moist and nutrient-rich soil are key to growing Chinese cabbage. Enrich the area prior to planting by incorporating a 3-inch layer ofwell-decomposed compostinto the soil....

(Beginners: This one’s for you!) It rarely flowers when grown inside, though. A slow-growing houseplant, it will happily reside on a desktop for many months before outgrowing the space. Large Chinese evergreen plants are perfect accent pieces for empty corners or for pairing with big furniture pieces. In warm climates (zone 10 and 11) is can also be grown as an outdoor plant. Chinese evergreen is toxic to humans and pets....

This showy shrub delivers colorful, spidery flowers in spring. Remove the mulch in early spring. Chinese fringe flower is useful throughout the landscape. Denny Schrock. Large varieties block views of neighboring landscapes or mask a wall or compost pile. Plant a row as an ever-changing, always-interesting hedge along a patio or outdoor room. Plant it alongsideheavenly bamboo,lilyturf,pittosporum,juniper, orcamelliafor aneasy-care shrub border. Remove the shrub from the container and loosen the roots using your hands....

Wider than tall, this small tree shows off magnificent clusters of fragrant, fringe-like blooms in spring. Its slow growthusually 6 to 10 inches per yearmakes it suitable forsmall landscapesand urban options. Fortunately, the flowers of both male and female Chinese fringe trees are attractive. The tree is especially appealing when placed in front of a backdrop ofevergreen trees or shrubs. Another option is to plant it as an accent tree surrounded by perennials....

A deer-resistant woodland beauty, Chinese ground orchid has small pinkish-purple flowers for weeks in the spring. The petite flowers grow along thin stems that stand 18 inches tall. The orchids spread slowly to form a carpet of foliage. Chinese orchid is easier to grow thanorchidsthat are air plants. It is a great plant for rock gardens or the front of part-shade borders. Chinese orchid does best in rich and moderately moist, well-drained soil....