While grass lawns certainly have their place, such as play spaces for children and pets, they also require upkeep that drains our time and negatively affects the natural environment. How many hours and gallons of gas are spent mowing unused spaces? These low-traffic sections of the yard can be replaced with grass alternatives for lawns …
Serena Manickam
My attempts at growing brassicas, or members of the cabbage family, have been all but thwarted by pests like cabbage loopers, cabbageworms, and harlequin beetles. And when the ravaged plants have finally had time to recover and begin producing, they bolt instead, because the summer heat has set in. While any of a slew of …
While all lavender is edible, you probably don’t want to throw just any lavender buds into your cookies — they might come out of the oven tasting like soap! Of course, everyone will have a different favorite lavender variety to cook with, and some may even have varying preferences based on the type of recipe …
If you’re at all familiar with companion planting, you have likely heard that carrots love tomatoes. But why is that? And what other plants do carrots love? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions in our list of the best companion plants for carrots. Because not all plants get along well together, this …
Peppers are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, flavor, and depending on the variety, heat. But they can be difficult to grow in the vegetable garden. One excellent way to help pepper plants along is to grow companion plants alongside them. Some will provide benefits to the peppers, while others will receive benefits from the peppers. Not …
Landscaping around trees can be a difficult task, and cedar trees come with their own set of challenges. These dense evergreens cast thick shade and significantly reduce the amount of rain that reaches the ground directly beneath their canopy. Plus, their fallen, decomposing leaves increase the acidity of the soil. The trick, then, is to …
I often find that I feel most connected to God when I am outside, completely engrossed in the wonders of creation. Since our passion (gardening) is so closely tied to the earth, I imagine most gardeners have a similar experience. While simply resting or meditating in the garden can be a spiritual practice in itself, …
If you have fallen in love with the unique grouping of plants called succulents, you know that they come in a wide variety of forms, from sharp spikes to elegant rosettes. Most come in shades of green, but quite a few have dusky blue leaves or even pink hues. These pretty pink succulent plants make …
As gardeners, we know that plants hold immeasurable value, from intrinsic beauty to life-saving medicine. Yet an alarming number of plants have gone extinct, and one in five existing plants is in danger of disappearing as well. More than four thousand of these endangered plants grow in the US, and you can help save them …
It has the body of a mouse, the snout of an anteater, and the poor vision of a mole, and it’s creating tunnels and holes in your lawn. I’m talking, of course, about the shrew. This tiny mammal doesn’t actually cause nearly as much damage as the rodents it resembles (and eats!), but if you’d …