By Tamara Galbraith

This leopard doesn't have teeth, but it will inspire awe from its space in a moist, shady, jungle-like atmosphere.

Ligularia dentata, commonly known as the Leopard Plant or Golden Groundsel, is known as much for its huge, heart-shaped leathery leaves as its flowers. Many Ligularia cultivars like 'Britt-Marie Crawford' and 'Dark Beauty' feature stunning deep purple foliage and bright golden daisy-ish flowers that appear in mid- to late-summer. (There is actually a spotted variety: Ligularia tussilaginea.)

Slugs and dry soil are really the only threats to this gorgeous Japanese perennial, which can reach heights of 3 feet or more.

Afternoon heat can cause leopard plants to wilt, especially in the South, but they will usually bounce back if sufficiently damp. Keep your ligularia wet (even boggy - it makes a great water garden plant, too) and in the shade, and this cool cat will reward you with years of carefree beauty.

By Tamara Galbraith

Want a quick and easy method of repotting your container plants...that doesn't even require a new pot? It's a technique I call "lifting," simply because that's all it entails.

Over time, potting soil tends to break down in containers, causing the plant's rootball to shrink and sink. In many cases, all you have to do to revive it is to remove the plant and soil, add some new potting soil and a little compost in the bottom of the pot, tease the plant roots gently and put the plant back into the same pot. Add soil around the edges as necessary.

Because most containers angle outward toward the top, the act of "lifting" gives your plant more space all around its perimeter. Of course, if you pull the plant out and there are roots circling the bottom and packed in quite tight, it's time not just for repotting, but for a bigger pot. Don't go too much bigger, though; just go to the next size up, not from little to huge.

Be sure to leave about an inch of space between the top of the plant's root ball and the top of the pot's rim when potting up, however, so that water sinks in during irrigation instead of just running off and over the top, taking the soil with it.