The houseplants most often recommended to beginners are frequently the most frustrating in a dark room. Succulents, prayer plants, and other easy-care favorites demand strong light, so they stretch, pale, and drop leaves when a home gives them little sun. The nine plants below are different. They tolerate low light, keep growing slowly through winter, […]
A newly purchased rose often looks nothing like the flowering shrub you pictured. Bare-root roses in particular arrive as a bundle of thorny canes that resembles a dead stick. The change from stick to blooming bush starts in the first few weeks after planting, and it depends less on luck than on site selection, timing,
Air plants are the houseplants that broke the soil habit. Tillandsia species grow anchored to trees, rocks, and other supports, pulling the moisture and nutrients they need out of the air instead of out of a pot of mix. Strap-shaped leaves, silvery scales, and occasional neon blooms make them easy to pick out of any
Orange trees (Citrus sinensis) are among the most recognizable fruit trees in warm-climate landscapes, with full, leafy canopies, fragrant white blossoms, and fruit that ripens over several months. A standard orange tree can reach 30 feet tall and nearly as wide, while dwarf varieties stay close to 12 feet, which is why they work equally
Dinner plate dahlias earn their name honestly. The flower heads open wider than a dinner plate, regularly reaching 10 to 12 inches across, and the largest cultivars push past that mark. They are the showstoppers of the late-summer border, blooming from midsummer until the first hard frost on plants that can stand 4 to 6
Garden centers display spring stock while snow is still on the ground, and the early displays make it tempting to buy everything at once. The pros take a different approach: they time purchases to the retail cycle, buy durable goods in the off-season, and hold off on perishables until the local planting window opens. The
French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is easy to recognize once you know what to look for. Its leaves have ruffled, serrated edges that set it apart from the smooth, narrow foliage of English lavender, and its purple flower spikes rise above the mound on slender stems. Gardeners in warm, frost-free climates keep it blooming most of
Coffee has a devoted following, from the small towns in Hawaii’s coffee country to kitchen counters in every state, so it is no surprise that gardeners keep looking for new uses for spent grounds. One popular claim says scattering coffee grounds in the lawn drives moles away. Pest control professionals interviewed on the topic are
Hummingbird feeders bring fast, colorful birds to the yard, but the sweet nectar that attracts them also draws ants, bees, and wasps. Ants clog the feeding ports, contaminate the nectar, and drive hummingbirds away from the food source. The solutions are simple: wash the feeder often, fill it carefully to avoid spills, keep it in
Satin pothos, the name most growers use for Scindapsus pictus and its cultivars such as Argyraeus, Exotica, and Jade Satin, is loved for thick, silver-marked leaves and long trailing vines. Curling leaves are the most common problem owners report, and in almost every case the plant can be brought back to normal. The pattern is
