How to Prune and Propagate Night Blooming Jasmine (Raat ki Rani) for More Flowers Night Blooming Jasmine ( Cestrum nocturnum ) is one of those plants that can transform an ordinary balcony into a fragrant evening garden. During warm weather, its small greenish-white flowers release a powerful fragrance after sunset. However, this fast-growing shrub can become difficult to manage in a container. You may have noticed long, thin branches spreading over the balcony railing, fewer flowers than expected, or a plant that produces plenty of green leaves but very few fragrant flower clusters. Sometimes, an older Raat ki Rani looks attractive for a few weeks during its flowering season and then becomes an untidy collection of long branches. Regular pruning can help solve these problems. It encourages branching, removes damaged growth and helps maintain a compact shape. Healthy branches removed during pruning can also be used to propagate new plants through stem cuttings....
Colorado Blue Columbine: How to Grow Colorado’s State Flower (Aquilegia coerulea) The first time I saw Colorado blue columbine growing in its natural habitat, I was struck by how perfectly its colors complemented the Rocky Mountains. Imagine a subalpine meadow above Aspen, Colorado, dotted with delicate white-and-blue flowers swaying in the mountain breeze. Each flower has five white petals surrounded by five long, violet-blue sepals. Yellow stamens brighten the center, while slender spurs extend backward like the talons of an eagle. Beneath the flowers, the plant produces delicate, fern-like foliage in shades of grayish green and blue-green. This beautiful wildflower is known as Colorado blue columbine, Rocky Mountain columbine, or simply blue columbine. Its botanical name is Aquilegia coerulea , and it belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is also the official state flower of Colorado. What makes this plant particularly interesting is that its beauty ex...