Home and Garden

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Snow protects your garden beds, but trees might need some help

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 ...

Pest-free houseplants start at the nursery

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 ...

Meet the succulents that look like hearts and tails

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. ...

Herbs grown indoors require extra care

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 ...

Landfill alternatives for your Christmas tree

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. ...

Creating a simple garden sanctuary for year-round relaxation

With temperatures dropping and dusk arriving early, the firepit section of my garden has been on my mind. It's a simple setup. Eight colorful Adirondack chairs are arranged in a circle around a stacked stone hearth, surrounded, during the growing season, by easy-growing, low-maintenance button ...