With the unexpected extra rain we received here in Dallas, a few garden gems have popped back into flower. This Clematis 'Arabella' is back in bloom just as the garlic chives are pushing out their late-summer white flower buds!

I always plant clematis amidst other perennials and shrubs to as to shade the soil and keep their root system a little cooler - which they prefer. I love garlic chives because they are tough, heat- and drought-tolerant bulb that blooms during the hottest part of the summer, when many other plants are taking a break. The blue clematis flowers will be a beautiful mix with the white chive flowers.

The ideal temperature range for most citrus is between 70°F and 90°F (21–32°C). A temperature drop during the winter months typically triggers blooming.

Warm temperatures in summer help fruit develop a sweet flavor. Most citrus can be damaged at temperatures below 27°F (–3°C).

Gardening Under Lights Book

Most types of strawberries produce runners, or elongated stems with small plantlets that can be individually rooted. You can snip these off the elongated vines and place shallowly in potting mix, where they will take root and grow into new plants.

Keep in mind: do not overwater strawberries, especially in cooler temperatures, as crowns can rot quickly.

Gardening Under Lights Book

If you're growing orchids indoors, you might be wondering when they will bloom, or how to force them into bloom.

Most orchid plants naturally flower from about November through March, but given the right conditions flowers may appear at other times throughout the year. To keep your orchids healthy, and to encourage betting blooming and best performance, grow orchids under supplemental grow lighting with HO T5, CFL, full-spectrum LEDs.

New BOOK! Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers

Donkey tail spurge, Euphorbia myrsinites, offers beautiful ice-blue foliage and yellow flowers.

If you're looking for a plant that offers striking foliage contrast, this is a beauty! Plants can be grown indoors with supplemental lighting from grow lamps, as they require bright sunny conditions to thrive.

Gardening Under Lights Book

Ghost plant, Graptopetallum spp.,produce shimmering silver foliage that typically sports tints of lavender or blue. They are perfect for container gardeners. Plants must be grown in a bright south windowsill, or provided with supplemental light indoors from grow lamps.

Ghost plant is impressive in wide-low containers. Plants are related to Echeveria and will grow under the same bright-light conditions.

Gardening Under Lights Book

When you want to grow edibles and herbs in your kitchen, you might discover that you don't have enough light to support good plant growth. You might need to install some grow lights to keep your herbs happy. In these kitchen grow light shelves I designed, I mixed up my plant selection with fresh herbs and ornamental plants.

Place lamps within 6 to 12 inches of your plants. Leave them on for 16 to 18 hours per day if plants receive little to no light from windows. If there is partial ambient light, 12 to 14 hours are adequate. In these fixtures, I'm using HOT5 Fluorescent grow lamps.

New BOOK! Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers

Everyone is in love with succulents, but they can be difficult to grow indoors without grow lights. If you want to grow succulents indoors, look for small LED or fluorescent grow lamps or contained units to support them. Gardening under lights doesn't have to be utilitarian - there are some attractive grow units out there, if you do you research.

By employing supplemental lighting indoors, you can keep a healthy collection of better-looking succulents year-round. You can also grow succulents under lights year-round to keep them healthy, but set them out in your home in lower light conditions for short periods of time to enjoy.

Gardening Under Lights Book