When the heat of summer hits, gardeners aren’t the only ones drooping due to scorching temperatures and high humidity—perennial gardens often look tired, too. With a little planning and effort, though, your garden will remain lush and lovely throughout sweltering summer conditions. Water Just like us, plants get extra thirsty when temperatures rise. Make sure […]
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If you’re like most gardeners, you dream of beds filled with perpetually blooming plants that add color and interest to your landscape all year long. Unfortunately, it’s a rare perennial that blooms from the first day of spring through first frost. But with a bit of planning and our seasonal bloom cheat sheet, it’s possible […]
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We all love to save money in the garden. After all, annuals may provide a splash of color in borders, but it’s expensive and time-consuming to create gardens based on short-lived plants. Perennials, however, offer longevity. Plant once, give them a little TLC while they settle in, and then relax and enjoy while they create […]
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Do areas of your garden prove challenging? Maybe there’s a steep slope that makes mowing hazardous. Perhaps grass refuses to grow under your favorite tree. Or maybe torrential rain causes erosion along the side of your house. When faced with a tricky garden space, often groundcovers provide a pretty, practical solution! What Is a Groundcover? […]
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When you think about drought-tolerant plants, do you envision an arid landscape filled with rocks, cacti, and succulents? Think again! Many gorgeous gardens include lush layers of colorful blooms and fabulous foliage—but also contain drought-tolerant plants to enhance the garden’s sustainability. After all, as temperatures rise and many regions experience extended droughts, choosing plants that […]
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Do you plant for wildlife? If you’re like most gardeners, you love watching hummingbirds pause for a sip of nectar, bees gathering pollen, and butterflies flitting among the flowers. Sometimes, though, adorable garden visitors turn into bullies, destroying beloved plants and wreaking havoc on your landscape. Even if you’re a wildlife advocate, what animals do […]
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Gardeners love beds filled with beautiful blooms, but many of us also adore bringing flowers inside to fill our homes with fragrance and color. While the locally-grown movement inspires fresh food raised in backyard gardens, it also led to the “garden-to-vase” trend—creating pretty, practical cutting gardens filled with seasonal blooms to fill vases throughout the […]
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After a long winter, spring’s arrival makes gardeners giddy. We’re ready to race outside, get our hands in the dirt, and create gorgeous gardens! However, for many areas, snow and freezing temperatures continue well past March 20, and the soil remains frozen. What’s an eager gardener to do? Plant a container garden! While tender annuals […]
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The joy of a garden can be easily summed up by the human senses. What good is a garden if not to enjoy it with our eyes, noses, ears, hands, and tongues? Many gardeners would agree that perhaps the most rewarding part about gardening is the gift it gives to our eyes. Simply looking at […]
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Lovely, lush, beautifully designed gardens offer a great escape to relax and unwind–but nothing adds more tranquility to a garden than watching butterflies flit from flower to flower. If you’re a fan of pollinators (and who isn’t?), try adding pollinator-friendly perennials to your garden design plan. You’ll increase your garden pleasure even more when surrounded […]
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