Houseplants bring so much life and beauty to our homes, but keeping them healthy can be trickier than many gardeners expect. Even experienced plant lovers sometimes make simple mistakes that lead to yellowing leaves, stunted growth, or worse. The good news is that most houseplant problems are completely fixable once you know what to look...
Late summer can fool you into thinking the garden season is slowing down, but there is still plenty of beauty left to coax from your plants. Deadheading, or removing spent blooms, is one of the simplest ways to encourage another round of flowers before fall truly sets in. By trimming away fading blooms, you’re redirecting...
When it comes to increasing your home’s value, most people think of remodeling kitchens or adding square footage. But one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make is in your landscaping. A well-planned garden can add curb appeal, make a property feel more inviting, and even raise a home’s selling price by $5,000 or...
September is one of the most rewarding months for perennial gardeners. The summer blooms may be winding down, but the soil is still warm, and cooler air temperatures mean plants can adjust to changes without the stress of scorching sun. This makes it the perfect time to divide and transplant your perennials! If you’ve ever...
Indoor air can be surprisingly polluted, even in homes that feel fresh and clean. Dust, pet dander, chemicals from cleaning products, and even toxins from furniture can linger in the air, making it less healthy to breathe. Luckily, plants can come to the rescue! Certain houseplants have been scientifically shown to absorb harmful compounds while...
One of the quiet joys of gardening is when next year’s plants seem to appear as if by magic, without any extra work on your part. Self-seeding flowers can be a gift that keeps on giving, filling your beds with color while saving you time and money. But to let this happen, you have to...
I love fruit trees. In my yard, I have an apple tree and a pomegranate tree growing. As I write this, my apple tree is preparing for a bumper crop. I can’t wait to share extra fruit with my family and neighbors and make all sorts of things, like pies and fresh apple cider vinegar....
Mint oil has a number of uses––it can be used to add a minty flavor to drinks, add mint flavor to food such as chocolates and icing. In this article, we will cover how to make peppermint oil from a peppermint plant that you’ve grown at home. What You’ll Need To Make Peppermint Oil Dried...
When people plant their first vegetable gardens, they tend to start with herbs, tomatoes, and similarly easy crops. Since carrots grow below ground, they seem more complicated to grow, but this is not the case. With proper guidance, anyone could be growing a crop of delicious carrots without fuss. For a successful harvest, check out...
It’s happened to me many times: I go out to do a little work in my garden only to find that ants have moved into one of my beds and aren’t too pleased that I’m rooting around out there. Ants in the garden can be distressing if you aren’t a fan of bugs, but they...
Bamboo is a popular plant in gardens because of how quickly a few bamboo shoots can become big, beautiful bamboo plants. Bamboo likes full sun and plenty of water, usually several waterings each week once established. It’s important to know your USDA hardiness zone before planting. And a word to the wise: most bamboo spreads,...
It’s not every day you come across one of these mesmerizing flowers resembling candy floss. When I first saw photos of this flower, known as creeping avens, I knew I had to grow it. After growing it, I knew I had to write about it! Their flowers are yellow, but as they die, they turn...
