Oleander (Nerium oleander) is an evergreen shrub from the Mediterranean that delivers fast growth, dense foliage, and months of trumpet-shaped blooms in warm climates. It thrives on heat and neglect, which makes it a staple of highway plantings, coastal gardens, and desert landscapes. The plant fills space quickly, and the same planning that goes into […]
Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is a deciduous shrub that stays popular in North American landscaping for one reason: its medium-green elliptical leaves turn brilliant red every fall. The common name describes that color show, not fire, and it has nothing to do with kiln burning and clamp burning processes used to produce construction materials such
Raccoons are nocturnal, so the damage they cause usually shows up in the morning: sod flipped in strips, corn stalks knocked over, fruit torn from the vine, and fish missing from a backyard pond. Wildlife damage rarely has a single cause, and keeping deer out of your garden with fencing, plants, and repellents covers many
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is a Mediterranean shrub that earns attention in every season. Bell-shaped white or pink flowers open in fall at the same time the previous year’s round, red-orange fruits ripen, so bloom and harvest share one branch. Shiny dark leaves 2 to 4 inches long, multicolored peeling bark, and twisting branches
Scabiosa, better known as the pincushion flower, earns its common name from blooms that look like round cushions stuck full of pins. The button-shaped heads sit on slender stems and carry petals in white, pink, yellow, blue, red, and purple, and they flutter in the breeze. Under good conditions the plants flower from spring until
Tomatoes outgrow their containers quickly, and a pot that looks generous in spring turns into a straitjacket by midsummer. A healthy plant can push roots through the drainage holes, slow its upward growth, and drop flowers when its root system runs out of room. Repotting at the right moment fixes all of that in about
Tomato plants are among the thirstiest vegetables in the garden, and also among the most sensitive to watering mistakes. Give them too little and the fruit stays small and hard; give them too much and roots rot and fruit cracks. The target is simple: about 1 to 2 inches of water per week, delivered steadily.
Every tomato season ends the same way for gardeners in cool climates: a vine full of green fruit, a frost date on the calendar, and a decision to make. You can fry the green ones, pickle them, or bring them inside and let them finish ripening. Indoor ripening works because a mature green tomato does
Exposed tree roots along a lawn, walkway, or patio edge are one of the most common sights in older landscapes, and one of the most misunderstood. Many homeowners assume the fix is to pile soil over the roots or hide them under turf, mulch, or paving. Arborists take the opposite view. Covering tree roots above
Deer treat a well-kept yard like an open buffet, and the damage shows up fast. An adult white-tail eats up to ten pounds of vegetation every day, which explains how a flowerbed can disappear overnight. Pressure is heaviest in spring and autumn, when natural forage thins and new growth is tender. Urban and suburban deer
