Small round holes in bare soil, each with a little mound beside it, usually mean digger bees have moved into the yard. Most people never notice them until they stumble on a cluster of holes, but the insects have been working the same soil for generations. Around 4,000 bee species are native to the United […]
Buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) is a warm-season grass native to the North American prairie, where it evolved to survive on very little rainfall. For homeowners tired of weekly mowing and heavy irrigation, it offers a genuine alternative to conventional turf: it can go weeks without water, needs little or no fertilizer, and looks presentable even
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a low, spreading perennial in the mint family, native to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa but naturalized across North America for centuries. It grows upright stems 6 to 12 inches tall, whorls of pale purple flowers in mid to late summer, and small oval leaves that smell like spearmint when
Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is a highly invasive, aromatic perennial from the daisy family. It grows dark green, fern-like foliage and golden button-like flower clusters on stems up to 5 feet tall. Colonists brought the plant from Europe to the New World as a medicinal herb and ornamental, and it has since naturalized across North
Turtlehead plants (Chelone obliqua) are perennial wildflowers whose hooded blooms look like a turtle poking its head out of its shell. Native to eastern North America, they thrive in moist, bog-like conditions and still perform in shaded garden beds with as little as four hours of sunlight, rich soil, and temperatures typical of USDA hardiness
Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) earns its place in the garden with softly scalloped leaves that bead water after rain and airy chartreuse flower clusters in early summer. It grows as a mounding perennial ground cover that fills the awkward spots under trees and along shaded borders where many plants struggle. A mass planting is eye-catching
Crepe myrtles put on one of the strongest summer flower shows of any shrub, so brown leaves in July feel like a setback. Before reaching for a spray or a shovel, check the calendar. Late summer heat alone can brown crepe myrtle foliage at the edges, and the same symptom also comes from watering mistakes,
Shade gardens do not have to end when summer does, and few perennials prove that point better than the toad lily. While canna lily care centers on heat, sun, and tropical drama, the toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) asks for the opposite: cool shade, steady moisture, and rich soil. Its small, orchid-like flowers, white to light
Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa) is a flowering shrub that works hard in warm-climate gardens: it screens, blooms, and produces small fruits that taste like cranberries. The plant grows at a moderate-to-fast rate and earns its keep with glossy foliage, white star-shaped flowers, and red fruit. For households taking on kitchen remodeling for a growing family,
A pomegranate tree (Punica granatum) brings glossy leaves, scarlet flowers, and fruit that splits open to reveal jewel-like seeds, all from a plant that asks for surprisingly little. It takes three to six years to mature and begin fruiting, so the planting decision deserves the same forward planning a household puts into a remodel. Homeowners
