When men took the man-caves, women may have felt like they were left with only the pantry and shopping aisles for comfort. But have you heard of a she-shed? This is a little space that women can make their own haven, and do with it whatever the goddesses of luxury whisper. The term “shed” may …
Gardening and wildlife go hand in hand, but if you like gardening and you don’t like legless, slithering reptiles, you may have a small problem. Snakes don’t care about your manicured lawn or the price of mulch. They follow food, cover, and moisture. If your garden has mice, frogs, compost, logs, shady rocks, bird baths, …
When scientists say gardening helps your heart and lifts your spirits, many seasoned gardeners give a knowing nod and carry on watering their cabbages. They’ve known this truth longer than peer-reviewed journals have existed. Still, it’s heartwarming to see research back it up: tending plants supports cardiovascular health and lightens the emotional load. Turns out, …
In 1965, produce didn’t come in shrink wrap or get trucked in from five states away. Backyards doubled as grocery aisles, with families eating whatever was ripe, ready, or canned last summer. Victory Gardens were fading, but the homegrown mindset hadn’t. Tomatoes, beans, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers weren’t used as influencer props; they were dinner. …
Garden edges are a necessity. They will tidy up a yard, hold soil in place during heavy rain, prevent creeping grass from hijacking your flower beds, and make mowing less painful. A solid border brings order and function to floods or gravel paths in a drought-prone area. The right edge also keeps mulch where it …
If you focus a lot on the news and what’s happening around you, it looks like the world was better back in the 60s. Childhood didn’t revolve around adult-led playdates, curated backyard spaces, or supervision at every turn. Kids were often outdoors from morning to dusk, improvising games, building life-threatening structures, and using whatever they …
Summer used to mean iced drinks, sandals, and pretending to care about the lawn. If you’re into gardening, it now means praying your plants don’t burst into flames by noon. With global temps stomping over previous records like a toddler in a sandbox, you need a heat-protection strategy for your flowerbed. The best strategy is …
If your backyard’s been so quiet you could hear a tomato ripen, it might be time to invite some tiny, winged drama. If you could choose any bird to visit, I hope that it’s a hummingbird. These little tweeters flap their wings up to 80 times per second, refuel every 10–15 minutes, and can fly …
Backyard trees do more than drop leaves and block the sun from your laundry line. They’re also hangouts for mushrooms. Some of these fungi are quiet cleanup crews breaking down old wood. Others are slow-motion tree assassins. And a few just camp out, looking like something from a bad sci-fi movie. Most people don’t notice …
Gardening is supposed to be fun, but when it involves bags of synthetic fertilizer, weekend-long weeding sessions, and constant watering, it just feels like a third job that pays little with a boss you hate (until they finally give you a bonus in the form of veggies). If that’s how you’ve been gardening, SageSmokeSurvival on …