Twenty-five years ago, in 1997, the Xerces Society’s Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count logged 1.2 million monarch butterflies overwintering in California. This past November (2021), just under 250,000 were observed. Although this represents a remarkable hundredfold increase from the previous year, the western monarch population remains more than 95% below its size in the ’80s. To help…
Hydrangeas are one of the darlings of the gardening world, adding mounds of showy, airy blossoms to the landscape. Almost no garden is complete without at least one hydrangea. Perhaps you’ve come to this conclusion and want to plant a hydrangea somewhere in your garden. But where, how, and with which other plants? The tips…
With more than 40,000 named roses in existence, learning about the different types of roses can seem a daunting task. This article breaks down rose classification into a simple, neatly organized guide based on the classification scheme of the American Rose Society, the international authority on rose classification. The American Rose Society divides all roses…
Lavender is well-loved for its light-purple buds, sage-green foliage, and sweet, calming fragrance. In fact, it’s both my favorite herb and my favorite flower. In addition to being a lovely landscaping plant, lavender has many uses, including in cooking, aromatherapy, crafting, herbal medicine, and flower arranging. It should come as little surprise, then, that the…
If you don’t have space around your home in which to garden, it might be time to look up. A flat roof, whether it tops your garage or your high-rise apartment building, can be transformed into a beautiful green space. Plant veggies, flowers, even small trees … the sky really is the limit! Plus, rooftop…
Flowers, the darlings of most gardens, tend to outshine everything else. But the often-overlooked ornamental grasses have much to offer too. These low-maintenance plants add interesting texture and movement as well as color to a garden, come in a wide range of sizes, and often tolerate drought. Add a unique touch to your outdoor space…
Vertical gardening adds height and increases the amount of growing space you have to work with, which can be especially helpful in small spaces such as patio gardens or raised bed gardens. Whether you need more room to grow or simply want to add vertical interest to your garden, here are 11 vertical garden ideas…
Whether or not you believe in fairies, you can enjoy the charming details of a fairy garden. Small plants paired with tiny doors and other miniature accessories inspire magic and wonder in gardeners and visitors of all ages. Tuck fairy gardens into hidden pockets of the yard or plant one in a dish to enjoy…
For most people in my area, “succulent garden” is an alien concept, perhaps only conjuring images of shallow containers filled with small, fleshy plants. But succulent gardens range in size from a teacup to an entire yard and vary as widely in appearance as any other type of garden. Tight spacing of colorful succulents can…