Bean leaf beetles (Cerotoma trifurcata) rank among the most common pests in the home vegetable patch, and they earn the name honestly: adults chew ragged holes through bean leaves from the moment seedlings emerge. Gardeners who grow green beans, lima beans, wax beans, or dry beans will eventually see the signature damage, small round holes […]
Geraniums (Pelargonium) are South African natives that have become one of the most reliable container plants for balconies, patios, and windowsills. In USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11 they can stay outdoors year-round; everywhere else they live in pots that move indoors for winter. Containers suit them because they bloom better when slightly root-bound, and
Pumpkin season arrives when the weather turns chilly and the days get short, and the harvest window runs from late August through October for most varieties. Most pumpkins mature about 90 to 120 days after sowing, but not every pumpkin turns orange at harvest time, and some varieties mature faster than others. Instead of trusting
One simple trick can move a fruit or vegetable garden from good to noticeably more productive next year: let the fruits grow larger and longer on the plant, then save their seeds. Bigger fruits carry better-developed seeds that germinate more reliably and grow into healthier, more resilient plants. Plant them next spring and the genetic
After weeks of weeding, feeding, and harvesting, most gardeners are tired, and the last thing on the list is cleaning out the beds after the plants are spent. Experts say the work is worth doing anyway. When to clean a vegetable garden, flower bed, or landscape planting depends on where you live, how you manage
In northern climates, garden beds and borders turn bare by December. Deciduous shrubs have dropped their leaves, herbaceous perennials have died back to the ground, and the landscape reads as gray and empty until spring. A planting plan built around hardy evergreen plants changes that picture, because plenty of species hold foliage, berries, or flower
For years, industrially made weed killer has been part of nearly every lawn care routine. Pre-emergent crabgrass control, weed-and-feed fertilizer combinations, broadleaf killers built around 2,4-D, and the ubiquitous glyphosate products became so common that entire neighborhoods could smell of 2,4-D after a spring treatment. A growing number of homeowners are switching to environmentally friendly
When nights grow cooler and you walk into the garden one morning to find newly planted mums mowed to the ground, a deer raid is the likely culprit. Deer are opportunistic feeders that eat whatever is available, and a bed of bright chrysanthemums is an easy target as the growing season winds down. The plants
Fan flower, also called fairy fan flower or by its genus name Scaevola, is a warm-weather herbaceous perennial that most gardeners grow as an annual. It earns its keep in hot climates by powering through the dog days of summer without dropping a single blossom, and it asks for little in return. The plant thrives
The yew genus, Taxus, covers dozens of evergreen trees and shrubs that tolerate a wide range of conditions and ask for little in return. Yews grow slowly, accept heavy pruning, and thrive in sun or shade, which makes them one of the most useful plants for hedges, borders, and mass plantings. The plants are conifers,
