More than 3,000 types of pear trees grow around the world, but only a fraction of those varieties perform well in North American yards. Narrowing the field comes down to a few criteria: winter chill hours, hardiness zone, mature size, and pollination needs. Most varieties live 50 years or more, so the choice between a […]
Broccoli has a reputation as a difficult crop because it attracts so many pests. When you find bugs on your plants, the first and most critical step is identifying them, since not every pest is treated the same way or at the same time. Knowing the species also reveals its life cycle, so you can
The white oak (Quercus alba) is one of the dominant hardwood species of Eastern North America, and a mature specimen is among the most valuable trees a property can hold. It reaches 50 to 80 feet tall with a canopy almost as wide, it can live 500 years, and it feeds more wildlife than almost
The best time to prune evergreen shrubs is mid to late spring, a window that sits near the end of dormancy and just ahead of the first flush of new growth. Cuts made in that period leave the plant with a full summer to push fresh shoots, and those shoots have weeks of warm weather
Evergreens fill empty landscape space faster than almost any other group of trees. A tree that gains 25 inches or more each year can screen a neighbor’s window, block a view of the street, or anchor a new backyard within three to five growing seasons. Because the foliage never drops, the payoff lasts through winter,
Summer borders fade, but the garden does not have to go quiet. Fall flowers bring color after the heat breaks, and the selection spans mums, pansies, asters, snapdragons, ornamental kale, and more, in shapes and sizes for every bed style. Container gardeners get the same payoff, because most of these plants grow happily in pots
Hostas anchor shady borders with broad leaves in every shade of green, from blue-gray to gold-edged, and they rank among the most dependable perennials for low-light beds. They survive winter without elaborate protection, which is why so many gardens feature them. The chore most gardeners get wrong is the fall cleanup. The timing of that
When fall arrives, the default move is to line the front steps with chrysanthemums and call it done. Mums are easy, but they peak in three to four weeks and often fail to come back in spring. Gardeners who want a border that stands out skip the predictable display and reach for plants with longer
Snakes rarely advertise their presence, but they leave evidence a careful observer can read. Gardeners who learn those signs can act before a snake settles in for the season. The usual clues are small rounded holes in the soil, shed skins near walls and sheds, droppings laced with fur, and winding trails in loose dirt.
October is a pivot month for anyone who works outdoors. In the construction trades, rental fleets turn over as projects shift indoors, a pattern documented in the equipment rental industry insights from the October-November 2016 issue of Rental Magazine. Gardeners face the same seasonal change, and it works in their favor: plant cool-season vegetables now
