6 Great Books for New Gardeners

Cilantro (2 Pack)

If you like the aromatic flavor of salsa served in Mexican restaurants, you'll like cilantro. The leaves have an instantly recognizable fragrance that fills a room when you cut them. Sometimes called Chinese parsley, its distinctive aroma and flavor is also part of Caribbean and Asian foods, lending flavor to recaito, salsas, curries, salads, chutneys, herbed butters, and meat marinades.Cilantro looks like flat leaf Italian parsley, but the leaves are thinner. It grows in a rosette of stemmy leaves that are ready to harvest shortly after planting. Young leaves have the best flavor, so be sure to harvest often. It is a fast-growing annual except in milder climates where it will overwinter. Cilantro grows tall and blooms at the end of its life, usually after the weather gets hot. After it blooms, harvest the seeds--they are what you buy in spice jars as coriander, another common ingredient in Asian cooking. You can grind the seeds or use them whole. Some gardeners also let the seeds drop to make new plants.Fall is a great time to grow cilantro in mild climates, as the plants are frost tolerant and love the cool weather in fall, winter, and early spring.Organic varieties are only available at retailers.

Red Bell Pepper (2 Pack)

Sweet, juicy, nutritious red fruits add appetizing color to fresh salads and are superb for stuffing. Also great on the grill! The big, blocky peppers (they average around 4 to 6 Ounces) ripen from dark green to bright red. High-yielding plants are well adapted throughout the US. Grow your own and avoid premium prices at the grocery store. Organic varieties are only available at retailers.

Italian Flat Parsley (2 Pack)

This Italian flat-leafed parsley has, of course, flat leaves, which distinguish it from the better-known curly-leafed parsley. At first the foliage might be easily confused with cilantro. However, its flavor is distinctly parsley, and it is favored for its deep flavor, which some say holds up better in cooking than curly parsley. It is popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Easy to chop, the nutritious flat leaves are high in iron and in vitamins A, C, and E. A high chlorophyll content makes it a natural breath sweetener, too. This is a great plant for containers, especially for fall and winter in zone 7 and south. Of course, you can also use it in vegetable and herb beds. In a flower bed it makes a nice, green leafy companion to small flowers such as pansies. It is also more tolerant of hot weather than curly parsley (which can struggle during the peak of summer) and is frost tolerant. Organic varieties are only available at retailers.

Dill (2 Pack)

Sometimes known as the "fish herb" because it's such a delicious complement to fish, dill is used in many dishes, especially dips, soups, vinegars, and salads. Fernleaf is an improved, more compact variety of ordinary dill. A 1992 All-America Selections winner, this variety of dill continues to be a favorite for its garden performance and the fact that it offers a lot of foliage. It is also slower to set seed than ordinary dill varieties, which means that you can harvest foliage longer. As the flowers do appear, you can harvest the dill seed for making dill pickles or other dishes calling for dill seed. Dill leaves or seeds are used in the cooking of many cultures around the world.

2-pack starter plants

19.3 fl oz pot volume

AAS winner

Strawberries (2 Pack)

This everbearing strawberry produces high yields of large, very sweet fruit from late spring through fall. Large, soft, deliciously sweet fruit ideal for jam, preserves, fresh eating, or desserts. Plants are cold-hardy and send out long runners. Great for containers. Plant so that crown is just above soil level.

Sweet Mint (2 Pack)

Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow. This one has extra large leaves that most cooks really like for chopping into sauces and drinks. Our sweet mint is grown from cuttings of a variety that comes to us from Israel, where mint is used in many dishes, from lamb to yogurt sauce. We think you'll like the rich spearmint flavor of this variety. This plant can go a little crazy, though, so be careful or it can spread farther than you might like. For this reason many people grow it in a pot. The long stems can even be trained on a little wire trellis, especially in spots where a a bit of shade causes it to stretch. Keep pinched to encourage tender new leaves.Organic varieties are only available at retailers.

Green Romaine Lettuce (2 Pack)

This is the classic romaine. Its compact, dark green rosette of tall, upright leaves is slightly curly with white hearts and has a crisp, sweet flavor. Slow to bolt. Grows best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and even appreciates it in spring in hot climates. Organic varieties are only available at retailers.

Lemon Thyme (2 Pack)

A favorite of all thymes, lemon thyme is great in the garden and the kitchen. Easy to grow. Although it looks like German thyme (or English thyme), it definitely tastes and smells like lemon. Use lemon thyme in any recipe that calls for lemon, including marinades. Lemon thyme grows vigorously, so you can trim back to keep neat and compact and enjoy the trimmings! The glossy green foliage is easily sheared into a tiny hedge if you are looking to create a traditional knot garden. Evergreen in zones 8 and 9. This is a really pretty thyme that our customers brag about for its vigor and size. Lemon thyme looks great in a pot.

German Thyme (2 Pack)

Thyme is an easy and practical herb to grow. Highly aromatic, it enhances meat dishes, eggs, cheeses, soups, and sauces, and it is a primary component of both Bouquet Garni and Herbes de Provence. Use it to elevate the flavor of good ole' beef stew, too. This tiny-leaved thyme is among the most aromatic, more so than larger-leafed varieties. You may also hear it called winter thyme, because it is one of the most cold hardy of all the different thymes. The leaves are evergreen to semi-evergreen, depending on the how far North it is growing. In the warm, humid climates of zones 9 and 10 it may suffer in the summer; in zone 10 it is best to lower your expectations and just consider it a cool season annual. Thyme is well suited for containers because of its size and the fact that it demands perfect drainage. Give it excellent drainage in a pot and good air circulation. Because it is low-growing and has thin stems and a wiry habit, don't crowd it because vigorous neighboring plants might choke it out. Upright-growing rosemary is a good companion.

Serrano Pepper (2 Pack)

This variety is a vigorous bearer of hot, pungent, candle-shaped fruits that mature from green to bright red. Plants do well in most climates and are especially well adapted to hot, humid areas. This pepper is growing in popularity for pickling and salsa, and is the pepper of choice for making pico de gallo.Organic varieties are only available at retailers.

Peppermint Mint (2 Pack)

Many herbs are easy to grow, and this is definitely true for peppermint. Square stems tend to run rampantly over — and under — soil. In small garden spaces, it's best to tuck peppermint into a pot to curtail its wandering ways. Peppermint thrives alongside water gardens or in damp spots in the yard, but will also survive in drier soil. Lushest growth occurs in moist soil in partial shade. Crush fresh leaves into water for a refreshing beverage, or add to iced tea. You can also dry leaves for flavoring dishes or beverages and making desserts like meringues, cookies, or cakes. Pick leaves frequently. Plants open lavender blooms in late summer. Tolerates light frost.

Buttercrunch Lettuce (2 Pack)

Developed by Cornell University, this heat-tolerant, Bibb-type lettuce has quickly become a favorite since earning All America status in 1963. Its rich green leaves, sometimes tinged with red, form a beautiful rosette in the garden that holds well under stress and has good bolt resistance. A good source of vitamin A and phytonutrients. Grows best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and even appreciates it in spring in hot climates.

2-pack starter plants

19.3 fl oz pot volume

AAS winner

Spinach (2 Pack)

This variety of dark green spinach has been a standout in many regions, including the North. It is slow to bolt and suitable for spring, summer, and fall planting. The full, upright plants produce high yields of large, triangular leaves that are rich in the phytonutrient lutein. Both frost and heat tolerant.

Greek Oregano (2 Pack)

Enjoy oregano aroma and flavor on pizza, in egg dishes, and in tomato sauces. Native to the Mediterranean region, this plant prefers climates with lower humidity, so keep the foliage and roots away from too much moisture. Give it good air circulation. For that reason, it is perfectly suited for a container. In the ground it makes a ground-cover-like mat. Harvest anytime, but especially as the stems begin to get tall and are getting ready to flower -- that is when the leaves are the most flavorful. Cut it back several times during the growing season to harvest the leaves from the stems.

Spearmint Mint (2 Pack)

Spearmint has strong flavor and fragrance that is released with simple bruising. It's the best mint variety for hot and cold drinks. Toss bruised leaves into ice water for a refreshing summer drink or add to iced tea. Spearmint is favored for flavoring beverages such as mojito. Also know as Yerba Buena. Spreading plant is great for containers. Tolerates light frost.

English Thyme (2 Pack)

English thyme is a low-growing plant with fragrant leaves. This herb goes well with just about everything. Add it (fresh or dried) to blended herb mixtures, or use in soups, sauces, beans, meat dishes, and more. It’s also a great addition to potpourri or homemade soap. But thyme isn’t just useful inside the house, as it also makes a wonderfully aromatic ground cover or border.

Catnip (2 Pack)

Your favorite feline will purr-fectly adore fresh catnip. Add it to your garden bed or plant it in a container for inside kitties, and watch them go wild! A member of the mint family, catnip creates a comical response in most cats, with lots of purring, rubbing, and rolling on the plant. This easy-to-grow, hardy herb produces pretty clusters of white flowers with purple dots in the summer, adding beauty to your garden. And, if your feline friend will share, catnip leaves make a lovely tea for humans. Dry the leaves to create homemade cat toys stuffed with catnip for more cat antics! Plant in full sun to part shade. Perennial (zones 4 to 10).

Curled Parsley (2 Pack)

Curled parsley has beautiful, dark green leaves well known as the classic garnish for deviled eggs and an ingredient in tabbouleh (parsley salad) or white clam sauce for pasta. However, it has many more uses. Hardy through zones 7 and warmer, it is a great winter garden plant and looks beautiful in containers with pansies or other winter color. The nutritious leaves are high in iron and in vitamins A, C, and E. The high chlorophyll content makes it a natural breath sweetener, too. Frost tolerant. Great in containers.

Red Romaine Lettuce (2 Pack)

This eye-catching romaine deserves a spot in both the vegetable and the flower garden. Colorful leaves start out green, then fade to a deep red-bronze as they mature. Red Romaine leaves bring a sweet, flavorful crunch to salads and sandwiches. The heads (if allowed to form) are thick enough to grill. Plants are slow to bolt and grow best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and even appreciate it in spring in hot climates. Resistant to mosaic virus.

Swiss Chard (2 Pack)

Called "Bright Lights," this variety of Swiss chard is as pretty as it is tasty. Large leaves with a prominent, flat wide mid-rib grow in an upright rosette that is beautiful in a bed or container. Grows best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and even appreciates it in spring in hot climates. Highly nutritious, the leaves taste a lot like spinach, but this plant is a member of the beet family. Frost tolerant. Harvested chard freezes well.

2-pack starter plants

19.3 fl oz pot volume

AAS winner

Pet Grass (2 Pack)

This grass is attractive to dogs and cats. They need a little grass in their diets, especially if they do not spend a lot of time outdoors, where they will often chew on whatever grass is available. This easy-to-grow grass is also called intermediate wheatgrass, but it is not the wheat from which bread flour is made. This is originally an Asian pasture grass that was introduced to the US many years ago for pasture and fodder. You can grow it in pots for your indoor pets, or plant it in beds outdoors for animals that spend time outside.

Lacinato Kale

Heirloom. Good looks and great taste combine in Lacinato kale, which makes a striking addition to any garden setting. Dark blue-green to black leaves often have a heavily crinkled texture, which inspires one of its many common names, dinosaur kale. The flattened leaves are perfect for making kale chips. This kale dates to 18th-century Italy, which is why it's also called Tuscan kale. Thomas Jefferson grew it in his garden at Monticello. Kale is a super food, and Lacinato leaves extend excellent health benefits, lowering cholesterol, fighting cancer, and decreasing inflammation. Prepare leaves steamed, sautéed, or roasted. Kale is a classic fall flavor and combines nicely with garlic, peppers, chickpeas, sausage, squash, and apples. A cold-hardy vegetable, kale leaves sweeten after frost. In northern regions, leave a few plants in the garden to harvest after the snow flies.

Lavender

If you're looking for the perfect multi-purpose herb, you'll love growing Bonnie Plants® Lavender. With its beautiful blooms, fabulous fragrance, and fantastic flavor, lavender makes the perfect addition to your garden. Not only do the fragrant flowers attract pollinators, they also make a lovely addition to homegrown bouquets, sachets, and meals. One of the ingredients in the traditional blend Herbes de Provence, lavender tastes delicious on roasts, in lemonade, in herbal tea, or desserts. It's terrific for aromatherapy, too. The delicate purple flowers contrast beautifully with the silvery foliage and look gorgeous growing in containers, raised beds, or in-ground gardens. Sprinkle the edible flowers on cakes or salads for tasty, pretty culinary creations. An easy-to-grow, heat-tolerant herb, lavender should be grown in full sun and well-drained soil (on the dry side). Lavender grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Be sure to water your plant when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch, and feed it regularly with Miracle-Gro® Plant Food. With more than 100 years of experience, Bonnie Plants® offers high-quality live plant varieties designed for your gardening success.