Cats chew on houseplants for a handful of reasons: curiosity, boredom, and an instinct to nibble grass-like foliage. When the plant is toxic, that innocent chew can turn into a rushed trip to the veterinarian. Most common houseplants are harmless, but a small group can cause anything from mouth pain to kidney failure, and the […]
Crabgrass is the most persistent warm-season weed in residential lawns, and it wins most of its battles by staying unnoticed. Its wide, flat blades resemble ordinary turf while the plant is young, and by the time the telltale seed heads appear in late summer, the weed has already dropped thousands of seeds into the soil.
Deer can turn a well-kept garden into a personal buffet in a single night. White-tailed deer alone number roughly 30 million across North America, and a hungry deer eats several pounds of vegetation a day, so a small herd can strip hostas, daylilies, and young trees faster than most gardeners can replant them. The good
Ficus Audrey (Ficus benghalensis) has become the houseplant of choice for people who find fiddle leaf figs too demanding. It shares the same sculptural presence and broad leaves, but it is more forgiving about light and watering mistakes, and its smooth, light-colored trunk and slightly fuzzy leaves give it a softer look. Like every member
Shade gardens get an unfair reputation as the dull corners of a yard. A bed that faces north or sits under a mature tree can hold color from late spring through late summer when you pick the right plants. The difference between a border that fades by June and one that keeps performing starts with
The lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans) is an evergreen perennial grown indoors for its vivid red, tubular flowers, which open from dark buds shaped like lipstick tubes. In its native Asian tropics it grows as an epiphyte on tree branches and in rock crevices, which explains its two hard requirements: a coarse, fast-draining mix and steady
The cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) earned its nickname by surviving the conditions that kill most houseplants: low light, dry air, missed waterings, and shifting temperatures. Its arching, deep green leaves grow slowly and hold their shape for years, which is why Victorian parlors and modern offices both rely on it. Choosing its neighbors follows
Marigolds belong to the sunflower family under the genus Tagetes. Native to Central and South America, they now grow worldwide, behaving as perennials in USDA hardiness zones 8 and above and as annuals almost everywhere else. Gardeners value them for the bright yellow, orange, and red flowers that hold from late spring until frost, and
Orchids have a reputation for being fussy, but propagating them at home is a beginner-level project that costs nothing. The key is matching the method to the plant’s growth pattern: sympodial orchids divide like irises, while monopodial orchids grow from a single stem. Four techniques cover most home situations: division, back bulbs, keikis, and aerial
Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) practically propagate themselves. Mature plants send out long stems called stolons, and each stolon ends in a cluster of baby plants known as spiderettes. With a pair of scissors and a small pot, each spiderette can become an independent plant, which makes propagation cost-free and nearly foolproof. The whole process takes
