The lawn you’ve dutifully mowed, edged, fertilized, and fretted over for years wasn’t a tradition handed down through generations. It was a postwar marketing invention, and most homeowners have been maintaining it not out of love, but out of obligation. Kentucky bluegrass, the centerpiece of millions of American yards, is not American at all. It…
They might look cute at the nursery, but some trees bring more trouble than they’re worth. Weak branches, root systems that lift sidewalks, and nonstop leaf litter are just the beginning. A tree that seems perfect in a pot can quickly turn into a yard-sized problem once it matures. Some trees may look appealing when…
You don’t need to spend your upcoming spring and summer weekends elbow-deep in the dirt to have a vibrant, productive garden. You can grow a lush, thriving garden that practically takes care of itself, with just a fraction of the time and effort that most people expect. Somewhere along the way, gardening picked up a…
You don’t need a backyard, you don’t need a plot at the community garden, and you don’t even need to dedicate that much time. Truly, all you need is a pot, some potting mix, a sunny spot, and the right vegetables. Container gardening has exploded in popularity for a simple reason: it works. Whether you’re…
The annual gardening cycle is expensive, time-consuming, and, when you step back and look at it, a little absurd. You buy seeds or starts, raise them through a season, and then watch them die. Next spring, you do it all over again. Perennial food plants break that cycle entirely. As Eric Toensmeier writes in Perennial…
Did you know you can grow nutrient-packed superfoods right outside your door? You might have considered starting a garden for cost savings or fun, but what about all the nutritional benefits of growing produce in your yard? It’s no secret that homegrown produce is more nutritious than store-bought options because it’s harvested at peak ripeness….
You have beautifully landscaped your house, carefully designing and implementing the garden of your dreams. But the unsightly utility box continues to stick out, seemingly mocking you every time you step outside to enjoy your lovely garden. How can you possibly disguise the necessary eyesore? After all, it’s designed for, well, utility, not aesthetics. As…
Many moons before bags of store-bought soil and glossy seed catalogs were readily available, your great-grandparents toiled the earth with gardening wisdom that had been passed down through generations. Just a half a decade ago, gardens were places to connect with each other, where families grew nourishing food, healing herbs, and flowers that added beauty…
Spring is right around the corner, and that means hills, meadows, and green spaces will soon be bursting to life with all sorts of stunning wildflowers! From majestic bluebonnets painting the Texas countryside to golden sunflowers swaying under the California Sun, there will be beauty pretty much everywhere you look! Of course, these stunning blooms…