Veronica is a robust genus of flowering plants that includes more than 500 species, and one of the most popular members is the easy-growing perennial Veronica spicata, known as spiked speedwell or simply speedwell. Gardeners grow it for showy spikes of long-lasting flowers that open in late spring or early summer above dense mounds of […]
Fresh holes in a lawn can appear overnight, and by morning the damage is easy to spot but hard to explain. Animals dig for three basic reasons: food, shelter, and travel. Each species leaves a signature in the soil, and identifying that signature is the first step to stopping the damage. Reading the evidence properly
The front yard landscape is the first thing visitors see, and well-chosen plants anchor the architecture, frame the entry, and cut down on weekend maintenance. Selection starts with a simple rule: match each plant to the conditions it will live in. Light, soil, drainage, and hardiness zone decide whether a shrub thrives. Where low, spreading
Watermelon is a summer crop that rewards planning. The plants need a long, warm season, full sun, and loose, well-drained soil, and the variety choice decides whether the harvest lands before the first frost. Varieties range from large picnic melons that feed a crowd to compact icebox sizes and personal minis that fit one or
Night-blooming cereus is a name shared by several cactus species that open fragrant flowers after dark, usually for a single evening. Most bloom white or lightly colored, and a few, including dragon fruit, the Peruvian apple cactus, and Cereus jamacaru, follow the flower with edible fruit. Gardeners grow them outdoors in tropical climates and indoors
Whether the season is just starting or the garden has been running since winter, a few proven tricks separate big harvests from disappointment. Advice about plants multiplies every spring, and for every method that works, another is pure myth. The methods below come from growers who rely on them year after year, and most are
Rosemary is one of the most forgiving herbs to grow, and harvesting your own changes how the herb tastes in the kitchen. Fresh sprigs carry more aroma than anything from a jar, and the plant keeps producing all season when cuts are made the right way. It grows in garden beds, raised planters, and patio
Elderberry shrubs earn a place in residential landscapes through foliage that stays interesting from spring to fall. The deeply lobed leaves of many cultivars read as almost black from a few feet away, and the plant pairs that dark texture with flat-topped clusters of light pink flowers carrying a lemon scent. By autumn the flowers
Epsom salt is one of the most repeated remedies in home gardening. Sprinkle it on tomatoes, the advice says, and you will get greener leaves and bigger fruit. The reality is narrower: Epsom salt, which is magnesium sulfate, helps plants only when the soil is deficient in magnesium, and most garden soils are not. The
Container gardening brings vegetables, herbs, and flowers to balconies, patios, and front steps, but the same pots that make the garden portable also make it fragile. When summer temperatures climb, container plants dry out faster than almost anything else in the landscape. The soil volume is small, the walls of the pot heat up in
