Fittonia albivenis, sold and loved as the nerve plant, is a compact tropical evergreen whose deep green leaves carry striking vein patterns in silver-white, pink, red, or green depending on the cultivar. Plants stay low, usually under 6 inches tall, which makes them naturals for terrariums, dish gardens, and desktop pots. Native to the rainforests […]
Long stretches without rain stress every garden, and when municipalities tighten watering rules, the sprinkler is often the first thing to go. Plants that depended on daily irrigation suddenly have to fend for themselves, and beds that looked fine in a wet spring show crispy edges by midsummer. The way out is a bundle of
Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) is one of the most persistent invasive shrubs in North America. Native to East Asia, it arrived in the United States in the 1800s as rootstock for ornamental roses and was later promoted for erosion control and living fences. The plant does that job too well: it forms dense, impenetrable thickets
A spring garden starts in the fall. The perennials that light up a yard in April and May are often the ones planted the previous October, when the soil is still warm and the air has cooled off. Planting then gives roots a head start that no amount of spring fertilizer can match. The seasonal
A garden announces its condition in a single glance. Weeds in the beds, path edges that have lost their line, bare patches of soil, and plants left to flop all send the same message: nobody is tending this space. The opposite is also true. Neat gardens read as cared for, and that impression comes from
Hydrangeas rank among the most planted flowering shrubs in North America, and the large flower clusters that hold color for weeks explain why. Success starts before the first shovel of soil moves: measure the space, check the light, and plan for the shrub mature size. Gardeners who plan ahead get the same payoff as homeowners
Anthuriums, often called flamingo flowers, are tropical perennials native to Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. Roughly 1,000 species exist, and most adapt well to life indoors when their basic needs are met. Placement matters as much as the plant itself, the same principle that drives gardeners to choose companion plants for strawberries
Lithodora is a low evergreen ground cover that earns its place with a long spring display of deep blue flowers. It grows at a steady, contained pace rather than racing across a bed, which makes it a dependable choice for rock gardens, slopes, and the front edge of borders. Anyone who has fought fast-growing plants
Roses come in nearly every color a garden can hold, from classic red to striped bicolor, which gives you a palette large enough to design an entire landscape. The choice matters because rose blooms carry the strongest visual weight of almost any plant, and the color you pick either harmonizes with the house and hardscape
French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are compact annuals that bloom in shades of red, orange, yellow, and mixed bicolor patterns from early summer through autumn. The plants grow 6 to 12 inches tall and carry 1- to 3-inch flowers above aromatic, fern-like foliage. They are among the easiest flowers to start from seed, which makes them
