Garden Articles
Buddleia: Our Beloved Butterfly Bush or Not?
Buddleia, commonly known as the butterfly bush, has won gardeners' hearts for its vibrant summer blooms and ability to attract butterflies. However, B. davidii is invasive, spreading rapidly and outcompeting natives.
Selecting the Right Plant for the Right Place
Creating a thriving landscape isn't just about pretty plants—it's about matching plant selection to your garden's unique conditions. This "right plant, right place" principle ensures healthier plants, less maintenance, and greater garden longevity.
The Heat is On: Heat Stress and The Veggie Garden
Heat stress in plants occurs when temperatures exceed their optimal range for growth. This typically happens during hot spells when temperatures soar above 90°F for extended periods, affecting plant health.
Deer-Resistant Annuals
Gardeners in deer-prone areas can enjoy vibrant annual flowers that deer typically avoid due to pungent scents or unappealing textures. While no plant is deer-proof, smart selections create beautiful, resilient gardens.
Combining Mulch & Stone in Your Landscape
Transform your landscape by artfully combining mulch and decorative stone. This dynamic duo creates stunning contrast and texture while providing practical benefits like moisture retention, weed suppression, and reduced maintenance.
Zinnias for a Riot of Summer Color
With their bright, cheerful flowers, long bloom period, and easy-going nature, Zinnias are an old-fashioned favorite in the summer garden. These vibrant annuals come in a riot of colors and sizes for sunny settings.
Top Ten Vegetable Garden Mistakes (and how to correct them)
Starting a vegetable garden is exciting but challenging for new gardeners. Here are ten common mistakes beginners make and tips to avoid them: choosing wrong locations, ignoring soil health, overcrowding plants.
A Guide to Home-Grown Blackberries
Transform your garden into a sanctuary of sweetness with home-grown blackberries. Picture plucking ripe, juicy berries straight from the vine, indulging in their unmatched flavor while reaping their nutritional benefits. With minimal maintenance, these resilient plants provide a convenient, sustainable source of delicious fruit.
Beat the Bolt: Keeping Lettuce Lush and Leafy
In the busy, beautiful, and bountiful universe of vegetable gardening, there’s a particular plant that always holds a special place in our hearts: lettuce. No wonder we love lettuce; it is early planted, quick and easy to grow, available in almost unlimited varieties, tasty, and loaded with numerous nutritional benefits. Absolutely! We love growing lettuce! […]
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses can reduce your watering costs, lessen your mowing time and increase the interest level of your garden. No matter what your garden’s needs, there’s a grass to solve it. From short ground covers to tall bamboo, there’s something for every site.
Let Me Out! Moving Houseplants Outside for the Season
Are your plants looking a little peaked after a long winter of being cooped-up inside? Getting g out for some fresh air during the warm months is healthy for all living things.
Yellowjackets: Good Guys or Bad?
Sometimes it's difficult to tell good from bad. Take the yellowjacket for example. When you hear yellowjacket, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A buzzing, stinging insect ruining your outdoor meal or a treasured pollinator of many plants?
Begonias for the Home
Begonias are a beautiful and diverse group of plants, with more than 1,500 species. Some are suitable for use as bedding plants or in container gardens, some for hanging baskets and others for indoor cultivation. Begonias are treasured not only for their colorful flowers but also for their unique foliage, and many varieties make spectacular […]
Worrisome Weeds
Gardeners spend hours carefully cultivating their favorite plants, whether they are delicious veggies, flavorful herbs, sweet fruits, stunning flowers or luxurious grasses. It hardly seems fair that unwanted weeds barge in and take advantage of all that work, and seem to sprout up without any effort. Fortunately, there are many ways to control weeds without […]
Best Fruits for the Urban Garden
With the right plant picks, you can grow a bountiful feast of fruit in your urban garden. From your favorite fruit trees to succulent vines to bushes bursting with berry goodness, your urban garden can be highly productive, supplying delicious fruit for your nourishment and enjoyment. What Fruits Need Fruit-bearing plants need well-drained, loamy soil, […]
