Mandevilla, known commonly as "rock trumpet," is a perennial vine in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 11. This tropical plant does not survive cold temperatures, so you must take steps to overwinter it. If you grew mandevilla in large pots for summer displays, an advantage is that, with cold temperatures on the horizon in fall, you can simply move your plant inside to protect it from the cold. Learn how to overwinter mandevilla, including two overwintering options, what to do after you have brought it indoors, and whether or not you should cut it back for winter. Your Options for Overwintering Mandevilla There are two main ways to overwinter your mandevilla plant, but both involve bringing it indoors. If you have sufficient room in your house, grow it as a houseplant over the winter. If you lack space, locate it in a storage area and allow it to go dormant. Growing Mandevilla as a Houseplant If you have been growing mandevilla outdoors in a pot, all you need to do is bring the pot indoors. If you have been growing it in the ground, you will have to pot it up. To do so, follow these steps: Select the right pot size: Select a container that is a bit larger than your Mandevilla's root ball. This will allow the roots to spread. Avoid a container that's too big: It will retain excessive water, potentially leading to root rot. Fill the pot with potting mix: Mandevilla wants good drainage. A potting mix drains better than garden soil. If the container is large, place small stones in the bottom for even better drainage. Plant your Mandevilla: Dig a hole big enough to accommodate the root ball. Place your Mandevilla in the hole, keeping its base at the same level of the soil as it was while growing outdoors. Tamp the soil down: Gently push down around your mandevilla to ensure it rests firmly in the soil. Water: Moisten the soil, but avoid overwatering. Bringing Mandevilla Indoors and Let It Go Dormant The other option to overwinter mandevilla is to bring it, container and all, indoors, or pot it up and bring it indoors. Except, here, rather than treating it as a houseplant, you are providing conditions that will allow it to "sleep" through the winter. Store it in a cool (but not cold), dark place (for example, a basement). Temperatures in the 50s (F) will be ideal. Water the plant only when the soil is completely dry. How to Care for Mandevilla After Overwintering After you have begun the overwintering process by bringing your plant indoors, your care regimen will differ depending on whether you are overwintering mandevilla as a houseplant or in a dormant state: As a Houseplant: If you're treating it as a houseplant, give it a temperature of 65° to 70°, with as much humidity as possible. Give it bright but indirect sunlight, and keep its soil evenly moist (but don't let it get soggy). Any fertilizer you apply to a mandevilla houseplant should be applied at a weaker dose than when you fertilize it outdoors. The plant won't grow as vigorously indoors, and excessive fertilizer would only harm it. As a Dormant Plant: Since you won't be showing off your mandevilla as a houseplant, prune it back to just a few inches above the soil. This will help prepare it for next summer. Make sure the temperature is above 45° to 50° Fahrenheit. Keep it in the dark and water it very sparingly. Apply no fertilizer to a mandevilla being kept dormant. Should You Cut Back Mandevilla for Winter? If you will be keeping your mandevilla in a dormant state, prune it to within a few inches of the soil surface. Even if you are growing it as a houseplant, prune it in early spring to prepare it for the new growing season. Remove some of the older stems, along with any stems that are crisscrossing. This will open up the plant (improving air circulation) and reinvigorate it.

The lupine flower, also known as lupin or bluebonnet, looks like a wildflower, but it is a fast-growing legume in the pea family that has a tall, showy spire of colorful blooms that are typically purple. Flowers bloom from spring through midsummer and, while individual lupine plants do not spread, the flower pods each disperse up to a dozen seeds. Lupine is an annual and short-lived perennial flower with a lifespan of two to five years. This low-maintenance plant grows best in northern climates with cooler summers and requires a daily six hours of full sunlight, weekly watering, and soil on the acidic side. These vividly colored flowers are also deer-resistant and beneficial to pollinators like bees and butterflies. The plant is toxic to humans and animals. Lupine Care Here are the main care requirements for growing lupine: Plant lupines during cooler early spring or fall temperatures. Use loose, sandy soil for lupines, and avoid planting this flower in clay soil unless it is amended. Offer lupines more sun and minimum shade. Space smaller lupines a foot apart and larger ones two to three feet apart. Stake taller lupine varieties using grow-through grid stakes to prevent them from flopping over. Water lupine during periods of dry weather. Use an acidifying, phosphorous-heavy fertilizer when planting lupine. Deadhead lupine to encourage continuous flowering. Planting To grow lupine seedlings, dig holes 1 to 1 1/2 feet deep and start small plants about 1 foot apart, while larger plants should be grown two to three feet apart. Ideally, lupine plants are planted outdoors in cooler temperatures, either early spring or fall. Add mulch but avoid fertilizer. Light Lupines prefer full sun, at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days, to grow and bloom their best. They can grow in partial shade, but their flowering will diminish. However, some afternoon shade is ideal in hot climates. Soil These flowers thrive in organically rich soil or loose, sandy soil with sharp drainage. They prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil pH, though they also can grow in very acidic soil conditions. Lupines will typically not survive in heavy clay soil unless the dirt is loosened a few inches down and heavily amended with compost. Water While lupines don't like soggy soil, which can cause root rot, they prefer regular watering. Water at least weekly if you haven't gotten rainfall to prevent the soil from drying out. Temperature and Humidity Lupines like fairly cool summers and don't bloom well in the hot, humid climates of the southern part of the United States. Place a light layer of mulch around the lupines to retain soil moisture and keep the roots cool in hot areas. Fertilizer Lupines generally don't require fertilizer, and too much fertilizer can encourage excess foliage growth rather than blooms.4 However, an acidifying fertilizer with more phosphorous than nitrogen is useful for lowering the soil pH of alkaline soils. These fertilizers may be labeled as "bloom boosters."5 Lupine already fixes the nitrogen in the soil, so it doesn't require more. Types of Lupine The types of lupine grown in gardens are generally hybrid crosses (Lupinus × hybrida) of various native species bred to maximize flower color and vigor. Lupinus is an enormous genus of flowering plants, comprising hundreds of species. The colorful hybrid lupines most popular for gardens were primarily derived from Lupinus polyphyllus (also called large-leaved lupine), a North American native, crossed with various other species, such as Lupinus arboreus. Although rainbow hybrid lupine seed mixes are the most popular commercially available lupine, the original blue strain is the hardiest. There are several lupine varieties available that vary in appearance, including: Russell mixed colors: Bred in 1937 and naturalized in many areas, this hybrid rainbow and bicolor mixture is the foundation for all new cultivars. Gallery series: Dense flower spikes on this compact plant grow no more than 2 feet tall. For example, 'Gallery White' boasts snowy white flower spikes. 'Dwarf Lulu': These plants grow about 2 feet tall in a rainbow of hues and feature unusually dense racemes. 'Minarette': This dwarf 18-inch variety of lupine looks stunning in drifts along a border's edge or in containers. Lupinus albus (white lupine): This taller lupine can grow up to 4 feet tall with white blossoms. Lupinus albifrons (silver lupine): This taller lupine grows between 3 to 5 feet tall with silver-green leaves topped with pale blue to purple flowers. Lupinus angustifolius (blue lupine): Also called narrowleaf lupine, this taller plant grows to 5 feet tall and has blue blooms. It is used more for agricultural use than for gardens. Propagating Lupines Because lupines sprout so easily from seed, this is the normal method for growing them, though blooming takes longer. Lupines can also be propagated by carefully taking basal cuttings from established plants in the spring and simply replanting them. Basal propagation ensures an ongoing stock of the plants, and they may bloom sooner than seeds. Take these steps: Propagate lupine cuttings in the early spring before the plant has begun to actively grow and leaf out. Use a sanitized sharp knife to sever a segment of the crown and roots from the parent plant. Transplant the new segment to a new location in the ground. Propagate lupine every two to three years, as they are short-lived plants. How to Grow Lupine From Seed Lupines are easy perennials to grow from seeds but can take two years to bloom this way. Buy lupine seeds or harvest the small round tan or green seeds from the plant's pods in the fall. Start lupines from seed in the early to late spring or late fall for the following spring season. Take these steps: Before sowing in the ground, nick the tough seed coat or soak it in water overnight to ensure a better germination rate. Plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep outdoors in a permanent area that receives full sun. Lupines do not transplant easily due to their long taproots. Expect germination in 14 to 30 days. Potting and Repotting Lupine Plant lupine in pots in the springtime. Choose a large, deep, and heavy container to comfortably handle the plant's long taproots and top-heavy, upright growth. Use well-draining soil, space lupine plants a minimum of a foot apart, and put the container in full sun. Cut the plant back and shelter the pot over the winter to help lupines survive. Overwintering During the winter, lupines die back to the ground and go dormant. Cut the lupine stalks down to the ground, leaving 1 to 2 inches above ground. Mulch to protect the below-ground plant from freezing temperatures as it overwinters. Common Pests & Plant Diseases Lupine is vulnerable to aphids are common in spring.6 Control pests with horticultural oils or pesticides. Lupine is susceptible to lupine anthracnose which causes leaf blight and brown spots.7 Remove and destroy affected plants and avoid using the area to grow lupines for several years so the spores have time to die off. Powdery mildew from poor air circulation can impact lupines with white, powdery patches on foliage.8 Cut away the foliage and wait for regrowth or treat it with organic methods. How to Get Lupine to Bloom Bloom Months Lupine blooms from late spring into July. If they do rebloom after their first flush, they may produce smaller flowers. What Do Lupine Flowers Look and Smell Like? Hybrid lupines have a telltale look of tall, showy spires of flowers that can come in a multitude of colors. The foliage resembles palm leaves with seven to 10 leaflet segments each. Lupines have sweet scents but various types smell different. How to Encourage More Blooms Lupines planted in deep shade typically won't flower. Remedy this by trimming back neighboring shrubs and trees for more sun. A second bloom in the summer may occur but with smaller flowers. Cut back in spring after the first flowering to encourage summer blooms. What to Do With Lupine After It Blooms Deadheading lupine after it blooms and fades may result in a second flush. By the fall, cut the plants down to the ground. Common Problems With Lupine Lupine is easy to grow but there may be a couple of problems. Here's what to look for. Not Blooming Your lupines may not be blossoming because they are not getting enough sunlight, the flowers are underwatered, there's a pest infestation, or the soil does not have enough phosphorous in it. Brown Leaf Tips Lupines are susceptible to a fungus called lupine anthracnose. The leaf tips of younger lupine plants turn brown and bend. As the disease develops, more brown spots and cankers appear on the leaves. Remove and discard all infected plants. To protect surrounding plants from the fungus, use a fungicide for outdoor ornamental plants or one for Colletotrichum diseases. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides cause Lupine anthracnose.

Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is not an actual pine tree, despite the name. Rather, these plants are a relative of the monkey puzzle tree. It is often cultivated as a landscape tree in subtropical climates in North America (USDA zones 10 to 11) and grown indoors elsewhere as a manageable indoor tree, where they grow around three to eight feet tall or can be trained as a bonsai or miniature tree. Outdoors the Norfolk Island pine can grow up to 200 feet tall outdoors. Whether grown inside or outdoors, the Norfolk pine requires copious amounts of light to survive. In other regions, the slow-growing Norfolk Island pine is often grown as a living Christmas tree, frequently decorated with ribbons or ornaments. All too often, the tree is discarded after the holiday season, but it can easily be kept as a permanent foliage plant indoors or planted outdoors when it warms up in the spring. Norfolk Island Pine Care The main care requirements for a Norfolk Island Pine are fairly straightforward. Plant in a location that gets full sun. Locate your tree in an area with temperatures above 35°F. Water your Norfolk Pine at least every two weeks indoors. Mist your plant daily if it is potted indoors. Test your tree's soil pH and amend for acidic soil. Norfolk Island pines are capable of growing both indoors and outdoors. While they have preferred growing conditions, they are quite forgiving and can thrive in various settings. Light A Norfolk Island pine needs sun, preferring full sun whenever possible. A south-facing window is ideal. Norfolk Island pines can also handle relatively long periods (months at a time) in dimmer conditions. You can keep your potted plant indoors during the winter and then move it to a sunny spot outdoors when the summer comes around. If your plant begins to stretch while growing inside, the odds are that the combination of low light and heavy fertilizer is causing leggy growth. In that case, cut back on the fertilizer until the plant has more access to sunlight. It's helpful to turn it frequently, so every side gets equal light. Soil If growing Norfolk Island pine indoors, use a potting mix that is porous, sandy, and slightly acidic. Adding extra peat moss and sand to a standard potting mix will improve acidity and porosity. Grown outside, it prefers soil that is rich, sandy, and acidic. These are acid-loving plants, preferring a pH in the 4.5 to 5.5 range. You can check your soil pH with an easy-to-do test, which will help keep your tree happy and healthy for a long time. Water Water your Norfolk Island pine regularly, keeping the soil damp but not soggy. Indoors, it should be watered every one to two weeks, until excess moisture starts draining out of the bottom of the pot. Outdoor Norfolk pine trees prefer the soil to remain somewhat moist. Once established, it will tolerate somewhat dry conditions. Temperature and Humidity Because they are native to the South Pacific, Norfolk Island pines prefer warmer, wetter climates between 65°F and 70°F. They can briefly survive cooler and warmer temperatures but may perish if they experience temperatures below 35°F. If you want to give your Norfolk pine some extra love, use a humidifier to help increase the humidify around the plant. Fertilizer Feed your Norfolk Island pine with a weak liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season, although it is best to suspend fertilizing in low-light periods. A 20-20-20 NPK formulation will work fine, but to add the acidity that the Norfolk Island pine loves so much, you can look for proprietary fertilizers specially formulated for conifers or azaleas. Norfolk Island pines—especially younger trees—have notoriously weak root systems. To strengthen their roots, make sure you're supplying regular fertilizer, and don't hesitate to stake your tree up if it needs support. Potting and Repotting Norfolk Island Pines A potted Norfolk Island pine only needs to be repotted when it's root-bound or the roots are beginning to come out of the drainage hole. Young Norfolk Island pines are not very fast growers, so you'll likely only need to repot it every few years. Repot your Norfolk Island pine in the springtime. If your plant has attained a larger size, choose a heavy pot to help keep the tree from falling over. Make sure the pot is only a couple of inches larger than the one the plant is coming from, with plenty of drainage holes. Types of Norfolk Island Pines There is only one variety of Norfolk Island pine on the market: Araucaria heterophylla. This plant does not have cultivars or named varieties. A few other species from this family sometimes show up in the trade, mislabeled as the original plant. These include A. columnaris, A. araucana, and A. bidwillii. It's unlikely you'll see these, but if you happen to acquire one, the cultural requirements are similar. Pruning Remove lower branches that have died—a common issue with indoor specimens. It is usually not recommended to trim the top of the tree, but if a potted tree gets too large for its space, cut off the central leader. This will cause the tree to branch out from that point, and while the plant will lose the classic evergreen look, such trimming usually does not affect the health of the tree. Remove dead and diseased branches from trees grown outdoors, but other than this, no routine pruning is necessary. How to Grow Norfolk Island Pine From Seed Norfolk Island pine best propagates by seed. Collect the seeds. Break apart the spherical cones after they fall from the tree to remove the seeds. Plant them soon after. Place seeds on soil. Place seeds flat on the soil surface in a container at least 12 inches deep. The ideal soil mix is a moist, peaty, sandy mix. Don't cover the seeds with soil. Mist and wait. Mist the seeds to encourage germination, which should occur in 10 to 15 days. Set pot in bright, indirect light. Place the pot in a spot that gets bright, indirect light. If growing outdoors, choose a location that gets partial sun, with only three to four hours of direct sun. Care for as usual after germination. A tap root and top growth are signs the seed has germinated. Once the seedlings have a tap root and growth, keep the soil moist and care for as usual. Tip Do not attempt to propagate a Norfolk Island pine by taking a cutting; it is not recommended since new growth does not grow back in its place like other plants.12 Overwintering Norfolk pines love the warm weather and can't tolerate temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is faced with frost, the plant will begin to yellow and die. Bring a potted tree indoors if it's not already, and keep it away from drafts. Place it in a room with high humidity (difficult to do in a dry home during the winter) and full, bright sunlight. Water only when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch. Common Pests & Plant Diseases Norfolk Island Pines are vulnerable to pests including aphids, mealybugs, scale, mites, and whiteflies.3 If possible, identify the infestation as early as possible and treat it with the least toxic option. A Norfolk pine may also develop a fungal disease from overwatering, such as anthracnose, which can turn entire sections of the tree yellow, brown, and then cause the plant to die. Common Problems With Norfolk Island Pines This easy-going tree may encounter a few challenges in its life. The needles will turn different colors to alert you to a problem. Needles Turning Brown The tree can't tolerate cold, but it also can't tolerate extreme heat. Wide temperature fluctuations can cause the needles to brown. Brown needles may also indicate that the plant is being overwatered or underwatered, too. Needles Turning Yellow If the needles turn yellow, the tree may not be getting enough sunlight. Or, it could be getting too much sunlight. Extreme changes in temperature may also be the culprit turning the needles yellow. Needles Dropping Needles will drop for two reasons: Your tree is either being overwatered or it's not given enough light.