With record cold gripping much of North America this winter, many who find themselves with an abundance of fireplace ashes are wondering whether they can use them in the garden. Wood ashes from burned untreated wood can be beneficial for your plants — but with a few caveats. Ashes contain ...

Shoveling in single-digit temperatures after the colossal winter storm this weekend, I dumped mounds of snow onto my garden beds, knowing it would protect my trees, shrubs and dormant perennials. When the ground repeatedly freezes and thaws, as it does over winter in cold climates, that can ...

If you grow houseplants, you probably know that sinking feeling you get when you notice the almost imperceivable movement of a dot, fine webbing between a leaf and its stem, or a leaf that just looks off. You thought (hoped!) the moment would never come, but the pests have moved in, and here ...

People grow houseplants for all kinds of reasons. They provide a connection to nature and can make a room feel more inviting. They're also pretty. And if pretty is what you're after, I've got some lookers for you. Some of the most striking houseplants are succulents with unusual leaves. ...

I've been growing herbs in the garden long enough to know they don't require much. Just water, sunlight and my best intentions. In the garden, herbs are forgiving plants. They aren't fussy about soil pH, almost never need fertilizer, and can power through if you occasionally forget to water ...

What to buy, what to serve, which events to attend — December is typically full of decisions. Here's one more for you to contemplate: What are you going to do with your Christmas tree? According to the Nature Conservancy, some 10 million live Christmas trees end up in landfills every year. ...