Backyard Birds: Meet Some Clever and Curious Jays

After migration madness has moved on and fall leaves have fallen, the crisp air and clear skies are inherited by one of our most conspicuous winter birds: the blue jay. Often curious and bold, these bright blue

Great Design Plant: Antennaria Neglecta

Field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) is a U.S. native perennial that grows in sandy, open sites near woodlands, in old fields and in shallow soils in partial or full sun. This low-growing, herbaceous plant can

Great Golden Digger Wasp: A Beneficial Flower-Visiting Insect

In a pesticide-free garden, many types of beneficial insects help keep insect populations in balance. The great golden digger wasp is a specialized hunter of insects in the Orthoptera order, which includes katyd

Great Design Plant: Agave Ovatifolia

One glance at the leaves of whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia) and it’s easy to see where its common name comes from. The leaves of this medium-size to large agave are quite wide and form a shallow cup at t

Great Design Plant: Dalea Candida

For a beautiful, beneficial species from the wild that isn’t often used in designs, consider Dalea candida as you plan next year’s planting. Related to purple prairie clover (D. purpurea), white prairie clover

Backyard Birds: Marvel at Chickadees This Winter

The comforting sound of a chickadee’s familiar “chicka-dee” call is often heard on cold winter mornings, perhaps as you step outside to feel the chill in the air with your favorite steaming beverage in hand. Thi

Get a Head Start on Planning Your Garden, Even if It’s Snowing

Winter gardening advice always includes going through gardening catalogs and deciding what plants you want to grow in the coming year. That’s a great start, but why not take it a step further? Winter is a good t

Tree Care: 5 Ways to Keep Your Mature Trees Healthy

Mature trees are a valuable commodity in the yard because they take a long time to establish and then become gorgeous specimens that provide shade and year-round benefit to wildlife. Protecting them by keeping t

Great Design Plant: Asclepias Verticillata

If you are starting to think about what to plant in your garden next spring and are looking for plants that attract butterflies, whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) is an excellent candidate for those of y

Great Design Plant: Nyssa Sylvatica

Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is a slow-growing, medium to large tree native to mostly moist habitats in the eastern U.S. Many people are aware of black gum, also called tupelo, because of the song Tupelo Honey. T

Great Design Plant: Asclepias Subulata

Milkweed is known to be an important part in the life cycle of monarch butterflies, and the Southwest has its own native species. Rush milkweed (Asclepias subulata), also called desert milkweed, has upright succ

Tree Care: Common Tree Diseases and What to Do About Them

We live in an age of rapid progression when it comes to diseases and pests that can plague our lovely trees. Over the past few decades, the United States has lost many canopy trees due to fast-spreading diseases

Meet the Grass-Carrying Wasp, a Gentle Pollinator of Summer Flowers

Unlike most of its relatives in the thread-waisted wasp family (Sphecidae), which nest in excavated underground burrows, the grass-carrying wasp prefers to nest aboveground in a preexisting cavity. These gentle,

Great Design Plant: Cornus Racemosa

For steep slopes and property edges that require stabilization or screening, consider planting gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa). This native shrub tolerates dry, well-drained soil and partial shade. The suckering

How to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Clay Soil

I started to garden seriously at a new house in a new subdivision, where there weren’t more than a few houses on our street. I knew next to nothing, which is probably why I put shovel to soil and blindly accepte

10 Cold- and Heat-Tolerant Perennials and Shrubs for the Arid West

Many people who live in the western half of the United States experience hot, dry summers followed by cold winters. Often it can be hard to find plants that will thrive in these temperature extremes. Toss in t

How to Buy Healthy Trees and Shrubs

The spring rush in the landscape industry can put everyone in a plant-buying frenzy. Warmer weather, sunny days and spring blooms conjure dreams of a newly planted yard, which may lead to hastily purchasing plan

Your Garden Is Stirring — Here’s What to Do in February

Warming temperatures in the western U.S. are calling for delicious garden additions like artichokes, blackberries and persimmons. For those still with snow-covered gardens, enjoy some indoor planting while plann

Great Design Plant: Pseudognaphalium Obtusifolium, or Rabbit Tobacco

While many gardeners are including more native trees, shrubs and perennials in their plans, the use of native annuals is just beginning to gain traction. While they live only for a season, they produce large qu

Houzz Call: What Are Your Spring Gardening Plans?

When spring rolls around, there’s nothing we want to do more than get outside. Temperatures rise, days get longer, and reminders of renewal and rebirth are everywhere — from a delicately constructed nest perched