Grow Perennials from Seed: A Complete Guide

Starting perennials from seed is a rewarding, cost-effective way to fill your garden with lasting beauty. While some perennials are finicky, many bloom in their first year if given an early indoor start. This guide cover

How to Plant and Grow Lilacs

Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) are beloved for their fragrant, showy spring blooms and easy-care nature. With proper planting and a little maintenance, these deciduous shrubs will reward you with decades of color and scent. C

Growing Herbs in Pots and Planters: Two Designs for Flavor and Fragrance

Elevated Gardens for Easy Access Raised beds and standing planters bring herbs to a comfortable height, perfect for kitchen-door harvesting. Two themed designs showcase the versatility of container herb gardening. Herba

DIY Patio Projects: Transform Your Outdoor Space in a Day

Find inspiration for updating your patio, adding curb appeal, drought-proofing your landscape, and other do-it-yourself projects. Our step-by-step videos and slideshows offer creative, easy, and affordable ways to transf

Beating the Midsummer Garden Slump: Expert Tips to Revive Your Garden

Oriental lilies are one of my favorite midsummer garden center splurges. By midsummer, the dewy-eyed optimism of spring often fades. Gardens may be producing bumper crops of zucchini and beans, but they rarely match the

How to Grow Cannas: A Complete Guide to Planting and Care

Flowers on a green-leaved variety of canna called Panache. Cannas are among the showiest summer bulbs you can grow, bringing bold foliage and exotic flowers to gardens and containers with minimal effort. Native to the W

Growing Succulents in Containers: Easy, Artful, and Drought-Smart

Succulents (sempervivums, sedums, aloes, kalanchoes, echeverias) thrive in hot sun, poor soil, and shallow containers—perfect for modern, low-water gardening. Use stone, terracotta, concrete, or hypertufa troughs. Hypert

Be Bold With Tulips: Mass Planting for Maximum Impact

Tulips need mass planting—think dozens, not handfuls—for a stunning display. The author plants 500+ every fall in a small garden, then removes them for summer annuals. Tulips are best the first year; subsequent years dim

Rain Barrel How-To: Harvest Roof Runoff with a Calculator

A guide to building a rain barrel system to capture roof runoff. Includes an interactive Rainfall Harvest Calculator: enter roof length, width (draining section only), and rainfall in inches to estimate gallons collected

The New USDA Hardiness Zone Map: Useful But Not Foolproof

The 2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map uses 5°F increments (zone 1a -60 to -55°F to 13b 65-70°F). Many gardeners find themselves a half-zone warmer due to better data, longer averaging period, more stations—not necessarily cli

Late-Summer Flowers: Annuals Extend the Bloom Season

Perennial borders often peak in May-July and fade by late July. Annuals are the key to color through early fall. Choose vase-shaped, old-fashioned annuals that weave among perennials: verbena, nicotiana, salvia, diascia,

Beyond Hostas: 10 Great Plants for Shady Gardens

Easy‑Care Perennials That Thrive in Shade Heucheras make fine plants for shady sites. This variety is called Chocolate Ruffles. At our Vermont garden center’s perennial sale, the most common question is: “My yard gets

Create a Garden That Glows at Night

Solar Lights, Fragrance, and Foliage for Evening Enchantment Hanging from the trees, these wire spheres have battery‑operated LED lights. Add whimsy or beauty with garden accents that glow or light up. This dragonfly i

Attracting Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and Other Pollinators

5 Techniques for a Pollinator‑Friendly Backyard A honeybee pollinates a raspberry flower. Liatris is one of many perennials that attract butterflies. See chart at end for more. 1. Plant Nectar‑ and Pollen‑Rich Flowers

How to Grow Gladiolus: A Complete Guide

Growing Gladiolus for Spectacular Cut Flowers Gladiolus (often called “glads”) are classic summer‑blooming corms that produce tall, elegant spikes of orchid‑like flowers in a dazzling array of colors. They’re easy to gro

Lawn, Be Gone! Front Yard Makeover for Drought Resilience

In drought-stricken Los Angeles, a family replaced their front lawn with a bocce court surrounded by native, pollinator-friendly plants. LAs Phase 2 restrictions (8 min sprinklers 3x/week, no car washing) and drought sha

Jazz Up Your Garden with Spring‑Planted Bulbs

Dahlias, Gladiolus, and Lilies: Hot Color and Fragrance for Late Summer Sierra Nevada is a fragrant Oriental variety. Spring‑planted bulbs are powerhouses of stored energy, blooming just months after planting. They hit

Drought‑Tolerant Perennials for Water‑Wise Gardens

Beautiful Plants That Thrive in Dry Conditions Drought tolerance varies by region—consult local gardeners or your Cooperative Extension office for the best picks. Here are some of our favorite perennials that handle dry

Gather Gifts from the Garden: Dried Flowers, Herbs, and More

Turn Your Summer Harvest into Heartfelt Homemade Gifts Freshly cut ageratum, amaranth, hydrangea, ornamental oregano, and yarrow, ready to be dried. Photos: Suzanne DeJohn Flowers for drying The garden offers riches

Overwintering Hardy Water Lilies and Lotuses

Keep Tub‑Grown Aquatic Plants Alive Through Winter Many water plants survive winter in a pond, but plants in raised tubs, pools, or vessels won’t make it if you have prolonged freezing temperatures. This technique works