Butterfly gardening Letting all that milkweed grow around my yard has paid off and we have some monarch butterfly caterpillars in there chomping away! Though we don’t recall seeing any adult monarchs flitting through the garden, they must have visited long enough to deposit some eggs. We have seen plenty of tiger swallowtails and always …
Bees and Pollinators Insects are responsible for one out of every three bites of food. With new reports showing pollinators remain in steep decline, let’s get straight to what we can do about it. Fortunately, it’s been proven that regular homeowners can achieve a great deal! Here are 10 ideas to help pollinators from home—from simply adding wildflowers …
A late morning glory The Japanese species are my favorites with their huge flowers and unusual shapes. I mostly prefer the Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’ because of the heavenly blue color of their blooms. This species has double-sized flowers, compared to the common species Ipomoea purpurea. The first time I grew the ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glories, I started …
Soft buffalo grass While buffalo grass is relatively low-maintenance, here are simple buffalo lawn care tips you follow to ensure it stays luscious and green all-year-round. “One of the things that make it such a great family lawn is that is self-repairs rapidly, meaning less patches and dead-spots,” says Adam. “Many varieties also have excellent resistance to …
The Relax Place There are times when we all need to escape the hustle and bustle of modern living. Creating a relaxing and calming environment right outside your back door will give you a space where you can clear your thoughts and take it easy. Quiet time in a secluded space is an ideal way …
A Quiet Corner A small garden space doesn’t mean you can’t have the garden you want. Having small outdoor living space does not mean that you can’t have a dream garden. With spring and planting season just around the corner, now is the time to choose a garden design for those small spaces and get …
Front Yard Landscaping Front-yard gardens can change neighborhoods. I’ve witnessed this both as a gardener and as a landscape architect. Years ago, I mixed some annuals and perennials among the evergreen foundation shrubs in front of my family’s home. Before long, the welcoming curves I had carved out of the sod near our front door …
A Small Cottage Garden Before you venture out to the garden and harvest a bunch of flowers for the dinner table, it’s important to remember that some flowers are poisonous. Make sure you’ve made a positive identification of each variety you’re using. Obviously, you should avoid flowers that may have been sprayed with pesticides or …
Visteria Bulevard Lawn Lush green grass tends to get all the attention when it comes to lawns. If you’re short on time or just simply want something a little lower maintenance, though, a clover lawn may be just what you’re looking for. Here are 3 reasons to consider turning your lawn into a clover lawn: …