Green Thumbs and Fun Times: Exploring Gardenista’s Top Picks for Joyful Gardening!

Gardenista serves as a verdant oasis in the digital world for gardening enthusiasts, landscape designers, and anyone in between who appreciates the beauty of the outdoors. It’s a comprehensive resource that offers design ideas, DIY projects, and a curated selection of products to enhance any garden or outdoor space. With its rich content and beautiful imagery, Gardenista inspires its readers to create their own green havens, whether it’s through tending to a balcony garden or landscaping a sprawling backyard.

As an independent editorial team with a shared passion for gardening and design, we’ve taken a deep dive into Gardenista’s extensive product offerings. Our aim? To handpick a selection of items that not only resonate with our gardening philosophies but also stand out for their quality, aesthetics, and functionality. We believe that the right gardening tools and plants can transform your outdoor space into a sanctuary that reflects your personal style and love for nature.

In our selection process, we’ve leaned heavily on our collective experience and expertise in gardening. We understand that each plant, tool, and accessory we choose has the potential to impact your gardening journey, and we take that responsibility seriously. Our selections are made with a keen eye for detail, considering how each item can contribute to the success and enjoyment of gardening activities.

Featured Products Deep Dive

Rubber Tree ($249.00 from Easyplant)

Description: The Rubber Tree, known scientifically as Ficus elastica, is not only visually striking with its glossy, dark green leaves but also remarkably adaptable, making it a favorite among both novice and seasoned plant enthusiasts. Easyplant’s offering is a robust specimen, standing proud at an impressive height, ready to bring a touch of elegance to any indoor space.

Why We Love It: Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Rubber Tree is celebrated for its air-purifying qualities, making it a functional addition to your home or office. It’s relatively easy to care for, requiring just the right balance of sunlight and water, embodying the perfect blend of beauty and low maintenance.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the sap of the Rubber Tree was once used to make rubber? Though it’s not the primary source for commercial rubber production today, this fun historical tidbit adds to the plant’s allure.

Variegated Pink Lemon Tree ($79.00 from Bloomscape)

Description: This delightful citrus plant not only offers fragrant flowers but also produces edible fruits. The Variegated Pink Lemon Tree is a true gem, with its striking green and yellow leaves and the unique pink flesh of its lemons. Offered by Bloomscape, it’s a plant that brings both beauty and utility to your space.

Why We Love It: It’s not every day you find a plant that’s both ornamental and fruitful. This lemon tree can elevate the aesthetics of your space and your culinary creations. Plus, it’s a conversation starter, thanks to its unusual pink lemons.

Fun Fact: The pink lemonade lemon, aside from its distinctive color, tastes slightly sweeter than its yellow counterpart. Imagine the joy of making pink lemonade from lemons you’ve grown yourself!

Black ZZ Plant ($99.00 from Easyplant)

Description: The Black ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia ‘Raven’) stands out with its striking, dark foliage that almost appears black. This plant is not only a visual stunner but also famously resilient, thriving in low light conditions and requiring minimal water.

Why We Love It: Its resilience makes it the ideal plant for those who love greenery but lack a green thumb. The Black ZZ Plant adds a modern touch to any decor, proving that plants can be both beautiful and nearly indestructible.

Fun Fact: The ZZ Plant is sometimes called the “eternity plant” because of its ability to tolerate neglect and still look fresh.

Philodendron Pink Princess Plant ($74.99 from 1800 Flowers)

Description: The Philodendron Pink Princess is a rare beauty in the plant world, boasting dark green leaves beautifully variegated with splashes of hot pink. This plant is a climber, making it a perfect statement piece that adds a pop of color to any indoor garden collection.

Why We Love It: Its unique variegation means no two leaves are exactly alike, creating a living piece of art in your home. The Pink Princess is relatively easy to care for, thriving in bright, indirect light and moist soil, making it as resilient as it is striking.

Fun Fact: The vibrant pink coloration in the leaves is due to a lack of chlorophyll, which, rather than hindering the plant, actually adds to its allure and value among collectors.

Dahlia Bulbs (Waterlily) – Apricot Desire ($26.29 from Eden Brothers)

Description: The ‘Apricot Desire’ Dahlia offers stunning, waterlily-like blooms that feature a mesmerizing blend of apricot and peach hues. Perfect for both gardens and cut flower arrangements, these bulbs promise a dazzling display from mid-summer through the first frost.

Why We Love It: Dahlias like ‘Apricot Desire’ are beloved for their long blooming period and the dramatic flair they add to any setting. They are also relatively easy to grow, requiring sunny spots and well-drained soil, making them accessible to a wide range of gardeners.

Fun Fact: Dahlias were named after Swedish 18th-century botanist Anders Dahl and are known as Mexico’s national flower.

Yuzu – 1 Pound ($20.00 from Pearson Ranch)

Description: Yuzu is a unique citrus fruit that has gained international fame for its distinctive flavor, which combines hints of lime, lemon, and grapefruit. This fruit is highly prized in culinary circles, especially in Japanese and Korean cuisine, for its aromatic zest and juice.

Why We Love It: Beyond its culinary uses, the Yuzu tree can be a delightful addition to your garden, offering not only its fragrant fruit but also beautiful, aromatic blossoms. Growing Yuzu introduces an exotic touch to your edible garden and can withstand cooler temperatures better than most citrus.

Fun Fact: Yuzu is celebrated for its health benefits, including high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. It’s also a central ingredient in yuzu kosho, a spicy Japanese condiment.

Woodwardia fimbriata ($11.99 from Brians Botanicals)

Description: The Giant Chain Fern is a true spectacle for any shade garden, capable of reaching impressive sizes with its lush, green fronds. This native fern adds a prehistoric ambiance to garden spaces, thriving in moist, shaded areas where other plants might struggle.

Why We Love It: Its ability to grow in challenging garden spots and its minimal care requirements make the Giant Chain Fern a valuable asset for creating lush, green landscapes in shaded areas.

Fun Fact: The ‘chain’ in its name refers to the distinctive pattern of spores on the underside of its fronds, resembling a chain-like formation.

Our Thoughts on the Overall Selection

Reflecting on our selections, we’re reminded of the endless possibilities that gardening presents. Each product, with its unique story and set of care requirements, invites us into a deeper conversation with nature. We’ve chosen these items not just for their visual appeal or popularity but for the way they resonate with the core principles of gardening—growth, resilience, and beauty.

Gardening is a journey, one that is deeply personal yet universally understood among those who partake in it. It’s about connection—to the earth, to the cycles of life, and to each other. Our selection from Gardenista is meant to enrich this journey, offering pathways to new experiences and discoveries.

But what do you think? Have these picks inspired you to introduce a new plant friend into your home or perhaps to try your hand at growing Yuzu for a taste of something different? Could the Giant Chain Fern be the missing piece in your shade garden puzzle?