Joe Butler

For those looking to increase their self-sufficiency, a fun way to improve one’s do-it-yourself-ness is by growing indigo plants from seed.Nothing says “capable” like being able

Beauty is often unfairly associated with fragility, but the kousa dogwood absolutely destroys that stereotype.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products.

Whether you’re playing with a Slip ’N Slide, filling the ultimate water balloon, or growing a calla lily, the amount of water you use is pretty darn important.We link to vendors to h

Whether you’re a master gardener or a botanical layperson, it’s easy to see that a dogwood is very attractive. Unfortunately, a plethora of pests can also find that same Cornus to be quite appealing.We link to vendors to help you find re

Whether it’s a screaming infant in the theater, a breakup gone horribly wrong, or the ‘It’s Not Your Fault’ scene from “Good Will Hunting,” weeping speaks volumes: “Don’t bring a baby to the movies.” “Let ’em down easier next time.” “Matt Damon has range.”This is true in the botanical world, as well. Plants with a weeping form

There’s a reason the classics stick around – they work. And there’s often something undeniably appealing about whatever’s worked for a long period of time. Exhibit A: the cornelian cherry.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products.

It’s no contest – green is the color most often associated with plants.And it’s easy to see why – what with green being the colo

Want a plant that makes a big statement without a big footprint? Then the heart fern is the pteridophyte for you.Taking up less than a cubic foot of space at maturity

Putting on a gorgeous display, and as rare in the wild as a precious metal, the bush anemone truly is the stuff of legend.Native to just a single small patch of California, this woo

A boxwood shrub (Buxus spp.) for a gardener is like a block of uncut wood for a whittler. In the hands of a master, it can be shaped into something functional, aesthetically pleasing, or both. It holds pure, untapped potential.However, a hunk of lumber doesn’t

As a witch hazel can attest, timing is everything.It’s the difference between a world record race

Snake plants are tough: they propagate easily, don’t need much water, and tolerate full sun and deep shade alike.However, these awesome traits present a do

Putting a bulb in the ground that may not be viable leads to disappointment more often than not.After planting, you eagerly aw

Honeysuckle plants have much to offer.With ease of care, fragrant blooms that attract pollinators, and

Just because something looks delicate doesn’t make it so. Barrenworts are proof of this.We link to vendors to help you find relevant pr

Whether or not Christmastime is just around the corner, the Christmas fern can make a festive addition to gardens both indoors and out.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you bu

As a gardener, it’s a real bummer when pesky insects come along and munch on the results of all your hard work.And when it comes to bumming out a gardener after going to town on their crops, cucumber beetles are qu

Some of the best things in life are layered: ogres and onions, cakes and parfaits, complex and well-written characters… I could go on and on.But one plant buries all those other things under its own laye

For a beautiful evergreen tree that produces amazing flowers and delicious fruits, have you ever considered loquats?We link to vendors to help you find relevant products.

We often judge living things based on how they look and the company that they keep. Case in point: the hummingbird plant.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you

For gardeners who want to add to their landscape, but aren’t sure of what they want to do, browsing species of Euonymus is usually enough to kickstart inspiration.This botanical genus is pretty much a one-stop shop

Birds of paradise look really cool – there’s no denying it. With gorgeous tropical fronds and flowers that resemble folded origami birds, they truly possess a sense of majesty. Whenever I see one, I think to myself, “that’s sick!”However, “that’s sick!” can turn from slangful admirati

Boy, howdy – the strawberry begonia is one gorgeous houseplant!I mean, slapping the word “strawberry” in front of something practicall

The thing about plant geeks is that they can find the most seemingly insignificant bit of greenery to be cool.The flora that fascinates us would make a layman’s ey

Just because two things look alike doesn’t mean they behave the same way.Take clumping and running bamboo, for instance. O

When it comes to pears, steaks, or even bits of gossip, I say the juicier, the better. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a juicier pear than ‘Bartlett.’Consistently placing high in “Best Pear” lists, ‘Bartlett’ is arguabl

Winter can be a challenging time for fauna and flora alike.In the animal kingdom, critters s

Have you ever dreamed of growing a pack of pitcher plants, a settlement of sundews, or a colony of Venus flytraps? Well, don’t let your dreams just be dreams. Turn