The foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) anchors the landscape of countless warm-climate homes in the southern United States, and it earns that popularity with a straight trunk, a rounded canopy, and fronds that resemble a fox’s tail. Homeowners who take on kitchen remodeling for a growing family tend to look at the whole property with fresh […]
Give tomatoes and peppers their own bed a few feet away from the bee balm. Keep rosemary, lavender, and sage in well-drained, separate spots. Divide bee balm every two to three years to control its spread. Plant moisture-tolerant herbs such as chives and parsley at a safe distance. Companion Plants and Common Questions The flip
Trim on a regular schedule, roughly every three to five years for most species, so no single job becomes an emergency. Bundle several trees into one visit and ask about a volume discount. Ask whether cleanup is included, and consider hauling the brush yourself. Choose per-tree quotes over hourly billing when you know the exact
Cooler air and fewer insects make fall the most comfortable season for time outdoors, and that comfort opens a window for backyard work. Days run shorter, so lighting matters. Nights run colder, so heat and blankets matter. Winter is coming, so storage matters. A yard that gets a few weekends of attention in September and
Hydrangeas are the showpieces of many summer gardens, with dense heads of pink, blue, white, and green flowers, but a disappointing season leaves gardeners wondering what went wrong. The causes split into two groups: weather and site conditions that are hard to control, and care decisions that are entirely fixable. Sorting one from the other
The elderberry is a deciduous shrub or small tree with serrated leaves and broad clusters of white flowers in late spring. By late summer those blooms become dark purple berries that gardeners harvest for syrups, jams, and tinctures. The plant grows quickly for a woody shrub, reaching full size in two to three years, and
Roses are among the most demanding plants in a landscape, and many gardeners eventually decide the bloom is not worth the upkeep. An aging bush that no longer flowers well, a shrub with irreparable disease or damage, or a bed being converted to low-maintenance ground cover are all common reasons to remove them. The job
Philodendrons are known for versatility and hardiness indoors. Vining types like heartleaf philodendron and self-heading varieties such as pink princess grow well with indirect light, well-drained soil, and regular water, but the watering schedule trips up most owners. Vining types trail from hanging baskets and dry out a little faster than self-heading plants, whose rosettes
Fescue has long been planted as a shade grass, but the genus Festuca contains more than 300 species with uses that go far beyond dark corners of the yard. Modern cultivars bring disease tolerance, drought and heat resistance, and even insect resistance to the table. Improved fescue grasses can create attractive lawns with shade tolerance,
Spring lawn care begins earlier than most homeowners expect. The first signs of spring, from new blooms pushing through the soil to noticeably longer daylight, signal that the turf is coming out of dormancy and the preparation window has opened. What you do in the first three to four weeks shapes how the lawn handles
