A drought-tolerant garden doesn’t have to sacrifice beauty; many stunning flowers will thrive with little to no supplemental water. Native wildflowers and plants from the Mediterranean region often do well in dry conditions. To help you get started, here are 10 beautiful and hardy drought-tolerant flowers. 1. Giant hyssop (Agastache spp.) Giant hyssop, or hummingbird …
Serena Manickam
While lavender essential oil is difficult to make at home on a small scale, homemade lavender-infused oil is easy and accessible. With just four simple steps and materials you likely already have in your kitchen, you can make your own soothing lavender oil to use as-is or to make salve, lip balm, soap, and more. …
Last year, I bought a few broccoli starts at a local greenhouse on a whim, excited to add another of my favorite vegetables to the garden. My excitement soon turned to disappointment, however, when something(s) began devouring the little plants. Each day, new holes appeared in the foliage, and entire leaves disappeared almost overnight. I …
Blueberry bushes not only provide delicious berries but are also an attractive shrub to include in an edible landscape. Whether you are interested in boosting berry production through permaculture or interplanting with compatible plants for a beautiful garden, knowing some of the best companion plants for blueberries will help you determine where and how to …
Add striking color to your garden with stunning annual bicolor flowers. While many flowering plants produce single-color blooms, others feature a contrasting eye, striped petals, petals that fade from one hue to another, or petals or bracts of differing colors. Whatever they look like, annual multicolored flowers provide vibrancy all summer long. 1. Petunia (Petunia …
Planting a garden in a shady yard can be a frustrating experience. As we walk through a nursery or garden center looking for shade-loving plants, many of the showy flowers we gravitate toward require a sunny location. But there are plenty of beautiful flowers for shade, too! Add some bright, cheerful color to your shade …
Beets are a wonderful crop to grow for many reasons. These vegetables are packed with nutrients, and you can harvest some of the leafy greens while you wait for the vibrant, fleshy roots to fully mature. To ensure healthy plants both above and below the soil, grow one or two companion plants for beets nearby. …
With its vibrant colors and remarkable height, pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is hard to miss, and you might even think it beautiful. This striking native of eastern North America also serves as an important food source for songbirds and other wildlife. However, pokeweed is toxic to both people and pets, and in some western states, it …
What are those brightly colored, shield-shaped insects in the vegetable garden? Are they friends or foes? Looking something like a fancy stinkbug, harlequin bugs suck the nutrients out of plant leaves and can devastate an entire crop if not controlled. This invasive pest spread to the United States from Mexico soon after the Civil War and …
An aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) makes an excellent companion plant in both the herb and vegetable garden. It deters several common garden pests, and its lovely flowers attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. Sage gets along better with some plants than others, though, so keep reading to learn …