Photos Ideas, Tips & Guides

Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt must be doing something right—they are one of the few success stories from The Bachelor franchise, now happily married and living together in New York City.

Warmth on the skin feels good physically, but a warmly decorated home? A treat for the eyes and soul. 

My name is Alana and I garden in Columbus, Ohio. My current garden is about 7 years old and I’m constantly tweaking it. One of my favorite parts of gardening is being surprised by the unexpected. I love self seeders and biennials or not-quite-hardy plants that survive over several years. The current layout takes up most of my 1/4 acre property and there is not much grass left. Looking back at last year there were some nice moments.

Today we’re visiting with Max Cannon who gardens in south San Francisco, California:

Today we’re visiting with Fran Cohen who gardens in Rhode Island:

On October 9, 2023, Travis Gienger from Anoka, Minnesota, set the world record for the heaviest pumpkin, weighing 2749 pounds. The record was previously held by Stefano Cutrupi with a pumpkin weighing 2708.8 lbs. Gienger had already established the U.S. record in the previous year with a 2560-pounder and in 2020 with one weighing 2350 pounds.

We’re in Northridge, California today, visiting with Terry Sanders:

Add houseplants to your home to chase away the winter blahs! ~Part 2~

Eric Sternfels sent in these photos today, of a beautiful community-created garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania called Ned Wolf Park. We’ve visited this garden a couple of times before (Revisiting Ned Wolf Park) and it is always a pleasure. This garden is special because it is created and maintained by volunteers in the community, so everyone can enjoy this beautiful space.

How to Start a Garden Journal If you've wanted to start a garden journal (or get back to using one!), check out these tips from artist and teacher, Carrie Carlson. Connect with nature with a garden journal

Move over, awkwardly placed windows. If you're dealing with windows that are positioned a bit strangely throughout your house or are oddly shaped, we're here to help.

Left: The Citizenry; Right: Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

Today’s photos are from Nicki Snoblin in Lake Bluff, Illinois. We’ve visited their garden before (Nicki’s New Garden Project and Fall in Nicki’s Garden ) and today Nicki is sharing some foliage plants that they love.

Even if you’re growing on a small scale, rotating your crops is important. Grow the same crop in the same soil over and over again and you’re inviting problems, like a build-up of pests and diseases, or nutritional deficiencies in the soil. Another advantage of moving crops around your plot is that you can follow one crop with another that likes growing in the conditions the previous crop left behind: a win-win situation.

Many gardeners dread fruit pruning for fear it is complicated but there are a couple of simple rules that make things easier. Arm yourself with sharp bypass secateurs, and some sturdy gloves if you’re pruning gooseberries, to protect your hands from their spines.

Wisteria pruning is done twice a year, first in July or August and then in January or February. During summer, the pruning involves shortening the long, whippy tendrils this fast-growing climber flings out, cutting them back to five or six leaves.

I am Maria and I live in the southwest of the province of Quebec, Canada, Zone 5. I want to add that my husband is in charge of the grass and tree part of the gardens so by keeping it all neat and clipped weekly my gardens are always looking at their best.

‘Marvels of Monmouthshire’ takes in the lovely scenery of this part of the world and a selection of special gardens, chosen by Sisley Garden Tours to be in their full summer glory. Many of the gardens have been featured in The English Garden magazine.

We visited Gail’s beautiful North Carolina garden yesterday, and today we’re back to see some of her favorite pictures from the past year:

Add houseplants to your home to chase away the winter blahs! ~Part 1~

Today we’re visiting Gail Bromer’s beautiful garden at the top of the continental divide in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina:

For some homeowners and renters, standard-height ceilings offer a cozy and intimate atmosphere. But for others, they can often make spaces seem smaller and at times darker. If you fall in the latter group, don’t worry.

I have no idea what has caused this ‘flame’ in the garden, but perhaps it really does symbolise the heart of it. I was not aware of the flame while I was working in the garden today, removing and cleaning the bricks from the low retaining wall at the back of one of the bold borders, and it only became evident when I looked at the photos later. Looking at the wider picture, when there was about a third of the wall left to remove and clean, you can see that there is a glass sculpture in the border but, at the time the picture was taken, the sun (and it was a sunny day) was behind me and to my right, so it wasn’t shining through the glass. Curiously, as I perched on my makeshift stool, chipping away at the bricks with my lump hammer and chisel, I found myself thinking of earlier civilisations, chipping away with bones and stones to make their artefacts – so could I perhaps have been joined by ghosts from the distant past, huddled round their fire for warmth…?

When you think of the best ways to revamp your bedroom, your mind probably goes to the softer elements—lush bedding, crisp sheets, and maybe even a muted, calming tone on your walls.

Joseph here, in northern Indiana, where normally December and January is an indoor-only gardening season, with lots of snow, frigid temperatures, and ground frozen solid.

Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Walk into any home organization store and you’re bound to see endless rows of plastic totes and storage bins. However, did you know that certain items shouldn’t be stored in plastic long term? 

Yellow is a polarizing color for flowers. Some people think it is brassy and loud and unpleasant. Others find it sunny and cheerful. The sunny warmth of yellow can cheer up a dark garden, and looks great when combined with darker colors. Today we’re sharing some favorite yellow blooms – what are yours?

Here are incredible indoor plants that have been around for 100 years! From a grand 108-year-old Jade Plant filled with love to a fancy rhododendron, each one tells a beautiful story. That's not all! A 100-year-old Monstera and a generational Christmas Cactus passed down for three generations. And More!

Enjoy a Virtual Christmas Tour of the Biltmore House. Happy Holidays from the HGIC Staff.

During the Christmas season, the Biltmore Conservatory is filled with poinsettias, orchids, and other exotic plants.

The Robert Mills House in Historic Columbia was built in 1823 for Anisley and Sarah Hall. It was designed by the first American-trained architect, Robert Mills.

Visit the Hampton-Preston House and Garden in Historic Columbia. It was built for Anisley and Sarah Hall in 1818. They lived here until 1823, when the house was sold to Wade Hampton Sr and his wife, Mary Couter Hampton.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Home and Garden Information Staff!

Enjoy a virtual tour of the interior of the Biltmore House. The house has 250 rooms and approximately 135,000 square feet. Construction started in 1889, and it took 1,000 men six years to build the house. It was formally opened in 1895 in time for Christmas.

Collaborative post