A garden list written from nursery photos looks perfect until the plants start behaving like invaders. Some of the most popular ornamentals in North America are invasive: they spread beyond the bed, crowd out native species, and in some cases damage buildings, foundations, and pavement. Invasive garden plants that damage building foundations and landscape structures […]
Hydrogen peroxide is best known as a first-aid antiseptic and a laundry brightener, but gardeners have used the same 3 percent solution for decades as a low-cost tool for plant care. It kills bacteria on contact, adds oxygen to the soil, and breaks down into water and oxygen, which means it leaves no residue behind.
A thriving herb garden does not require a big budget or years of experience. One first-time gardener in New York City started with two small balconies, a bag of soil, and three herb plants, and spent under $30 total. The essentials are the same at any scale: a container that drains, decent soil, six hours
Coal ash is the powdery residue left behind after burning coal, and it has two useful lives. In the garden it works as a soil amendment that supplies nutrients and raises the pH of soil that is too acidic. In construction, refined coal ash appears in concrete and pavement mixes as a proven material. Gardeners
Strawberries reward a small amount of routine pruning with noticeably bigger harvests. The task is not complicated, but the right approach depends on the type of strawberry plant you grow, the way you grow it, and your local climate. Two tools do most of the work: a pair of sharp snips for runners and a
Part of the pleasure of a new hobby is buying the gear, and gardening is one of the easiest hobbies to overspend on. Strawberry pots are a classic example: they look charming stacked at the nursery, and the pocket design seems purpose-built for the plant. Yet strawberries have shallow roots and will grow wherever their
The “Miss Kim” lilac (Syringa patula “Miss Kim”) is a compact, deciduous shrub that fills a small yard corner with lavender-purple blooms and a sweet fragrance every spring. It stays shorter than the common lilac, shrugs off powdery mildew, and tolerates cold down to about minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Landscaping decisions shape how a house
African violets are the houseplant that keeps giving. A mature plant blooms nearly non-stop, and a single leaf cutting turns into a whole new plant in a matter of weeks. Because the plants are easy-care and look their best grouped in displays of three or more, most growers quickly want more than one. Grouping works
Spinach is a cool-season crop and often the first green ready in the spring garden. Plant seeds once the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees F, then plan on baby leaves in 25 to 30 days and standard varieties in 45 to 50 days. The plant wants cool temperatures and four to six hours of sun,
Flowering trees with white or pink blooms are everywhere, but purple blooming trees are scarcer, and that scarcity is exactly what makes them read so strongly in a front yard. A single tree in full purple bloom gives a house instant curb appeal during its flowering window. The shift from an empty lawn to a
