Sep 14 2026
Violas are small flowers with an impressive ability to brighten the garden when many other plants are taking a break. Their cheerful blooms appear in shades of purple, violet, blue, yellow, white, orange, burgundy, and nearly black, with many varieties displaying delicate markings or contrasting centers. They are especially valuable during the cooler parts of …
Sep 01 2026
September is one of the most interesting transition months in the garden. In northern parts of the United States, the first frost may be only weeks away, while gardeners in the South are finally getting relief from intense summer heat. In warm regions such as Florida, southern California, and the low deserts of Arizona, September …
Aug 31 2026
Calibrachoa Care Guide: Sun, Watering, Fertilizer, Pruning & More Few annual flowers make a container look abundant quite as quickly as calibrachoa. Covered in dozens—sometimes hundreds—of petite trumpet-shaped flowers, these cheerful trailing plants spill beautifully over hanging baskets, window boxes, patio pots, and the edges of mixed containers from late spring well into fall. Often …
Aug 25 2026
Few flowering shrubs can transform a spring garden quite like azaleas. Covered in masses of pink, white, coral, red, purple, or peach-colored blooms, a mature azalea can become one of the most spectacular plants in the landscape. Fortunately, keeping azaleas looking their best doesn’t require complicated gardening techniques. The secret is understanding what these shallow-rooted …
Aug 24 2026
There is something wonderfully satisfying about a garden in early fall. The air turns cooler, late-blooming flowers glow against deepening autumn colors, and the frantic pace of summer gardening begins to ease. Yet this quieter season is far from the end of the gardening year. In many ways, autumn is one of the most important …
Aug 23 2026
Vanilla may be one of the most familiar flavors in the world, but the plant behind it is surprisingly exotic. Those fragrant brown vanilla beans tucked into jars in the pantry begin as the fruit of a tropical climbing orchid—a plant that requires warmth, humidity, patience, and, in most gardens, a little help from its …
Jul 03 2026
Starting a vegetable garden can feel surprisingly ambitious when you are staring at an empty patch of ground. There are seeds to choose, soil to prepare, planting dates to understand, and seemingly endless opinions about the “right” way to garden. Fortunately, growing vegetables does not have to be complicated. A successful first garden starts with …
Jul 03 2026
A raised garden bed gives you something every gardener wishes they had more control over: the soil. Instead of trying to coax vegetables from compacted clay, extremely sandy ground, rocky soil, or a patch of lawn that has never seen a garden fork, you can build the growing environment almost from scratch. That makes raised …
Jul 03 2026
Organic vegetable gardening is about much more than simply avoiding synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. At its best, it is a way of creating a healthy garden system in which fertile soil, thriving plants, beneficial insects, water, organic matter, and careful observation all work together. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong and reaching immediately …
Jun 29 2026
Coneflowers are the kind of perennial that can make a summer garden feel instantly more alive. Their bold daisy-like flowers rise above sturdy stems in shades of purple, pink, white, yellow, orange, red, and peach, while their distinctive spiky centers provide texture long after the petals begin to fade. Also known by their botanical name, …
