SUN Ideas, Tips & Guides

Of course, your area’s climate plays a major role in how your garden will turn out. However, that does not mean the heat can prevent you from having a beautiful one. All you need are tough and durable plants to thrive in the full sun and extreme heat. So, here are the plants to grow if you get a lot of sunny days and extreme heat.

Full-sun spots are often the most overlooked parts of gardens and homes, aren’t they? But they can easily become the most lively spaces! So, Collect your favorite full-sun-loving plants and browse through this collection of Beautiful Sun-soaked space ideas to find your ideal setup.

Hi GPODers!

If you love experiencing life through dreamy, rose-colored glasses, grow these pink-leaved outdoor plants in your garden for year-round color! Emerging in all shades of pink, your garden will look like something straight out of a fairy tale! Check it out!

Known by various names like the Silver Dust and the Silver Ragwort, the Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) is a go-to plant for gardeners as it fits into any flower garden, regardless of the color scheme.

Don’t put away your gardening tools just yet! Once the weather moderates, there’s still plenty of time to plant. In fact, fall actually is an ideal time for adding new perennials and shrubs to your garden to add beauty, privacy, andpollinator-friendly plants.

Succulents are unique, low-maintenance plants that can grow in the harshest of conditions. But along with these structural characteristics, do they also catch the eye with intriguing colors? Yes! There are Succulents for Fall and Winter Colors that display their artistic touch even in the second half of the year!

Hostas are perennials that can be planted across borders and inside containers. They are grown for their attractive foliage. But none of the varieties can tolerate full sun. They preferred shaded spots and moisture. If you want hosta like foliage in your outdoor garden, check out these full-sun hosta alternatives.

Chrysanthemums are one of the most popular flowers in the world, and they come in multiple colors. To enjoy most of them, follow these tips to boost their flowering. Each trick will help you ensure that these fall garden stars are in the best shape possible.

Hi GPODers!

Most flowering plants bloom once a year or less. Some even take decades to produce a single flower that lasts for a day before withering away. But with our selection of perennials that bloom multiple times a year, your garden will never lose its floral charm.

Decorating a windowsill might seem like a simple way to add a bit of flair and personality to your living space. After all, a well-decorated sill can act as a mini-showcase for your style, housing everything from cute trinkets to treasured mementos. But before you start lining up your favorite possessions along that sunny ledge, it's important to remember that not everything plays nice with sunlight. 

Venus fly traps (also called Venus flytraps or just a flytrap) are among the coolest plants you can grow. In their native habitat, Venus fly traps live for years. Unfortunately, they are often short-lived plants in cultivation, but this is only because most people don’t care for them properly. In this article, you’ll learn all the essential basics of Venus fly trap care. Varieties of Venus fly traps There is only one species of Venus fly trap, Dionaea muscipula, and it is native to a small

Boxwood (Buxus) are slow-growing shrubs that lend year-round evergreen symmetry and structure to a space. Popular as hedges and topiaries, poor practices like over-shearing have made it unviable and vulnerable to disease. Here are the best alternatives to the quintessential boxwood, which is likely more manageable and natural to your setting!

Perhaps your lush summer blossoms have begun wilting, and you dread a barren garden as winter approaches! However, with our list of the best flowers to plant in September, you’ll have a garden teeming with deep, warm blooms—some as early as fall and some through spring!

Some shade is essential in warmer zones, but even in the North, Virginia persicaria (P. virginiana) appreciates afternoon shade and wind protection.

Dead and forgotten? Far from it! These perennials have a life cycle that barely lasts a few years. Most of them bloom in the first few years of planting itself—and then they perish! So, what’s the point in growing such short-lived specimens? Won’t it mean more work? You have the questions, and we have the answers!

Spinach is a cool weather favorite, with leaves that sprout up and grow rapidly in both spring and fall. It has a relatively short growing season, but its yield is impressive—if it has the right companion plants by its side to help it thrive.

Potted plants can add greenery and softness to patios, porches, stoops, decks, and fire escapes. Bare or bland outdoor areas are instantly transformed with tall greenery in giant tubs and climbing vines, hanging blooms, and even smaller plants in quirky-cool pots, adding interest and whimsy. The possibilities are endless!

The arrival of autumn is the perfect time to get plants in the ground. Early-season rainstorms and cooling temperatures can help plants establish roots, meaning your outdoor fall to-do list isn't limited to just raking leaves.

While a guest bedroom is by no means a top-tier hotel, you can make it feel like one by equipping it with all of the essential features that will impress your guests and ensure that they feel right at home during their stay with you.

You don’t need a big backyard or orchard to enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your gardening labor! For an abundant fall and winter harvest, you just need pots and some empty space open to the sun, like a balcony, patio, or rooftop!

Perhaps you have gone without washing your dishes or left them in the sink while traveling and returned home to find them covered with mold.

Clueless about what to do with your orchids after they bloom? Don’t let the anticipation of the next set of blooms overwhelm you. Instead, prepare! We share steps to keep your orchids healthy and ripe for recurring blooms in the coming season.

Garden furniture can be a big investment – with sofas, tables, umbrellas and the like often taking up a large chunk of your overall garden budget.

When it comes to perennial vines, it’s hard to top the beauty of blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea, Zones 7–11). This South American native plant is well-suited for the heat and humidity of the southeastern United States. One of the hardiest passion vines, it will reliably overwinter in Zone 7, or even Zone 6 when provided with extra winter protection. Learn more about choosing the right passion flower vine for your garden here.

What’s a snake plant without its bright, glossy green leaves and bold yellow stripes? But sometimes, with neglect and unsuitable conditions, even this hardy succulent may succumb to dullness. We share simple tricks that help you unlock its full aesthetic potential and nurse it back to glory! Check it out.

A few strategically chosen plants can turn any boring concrete pool area into a lush tropical retreat.

Be it ferns, trailers, vines, or any other kind, plants in hanging baskets take home decor to the next level! But watering them the wrong way could quickly lead them to wilt, dry up, or perish entirely. To water plants in hanging baskets, it’s essential to consider various factors.

It seems like the majority of the most popular native garden perennials are sun-loving meadow denizens. It can be difficult to find native flowering plants to brighten shadier spots. The following selection of perennials are not only vigorous shade growers, but also appeal to both people and pollinators alike, and look good while doing it.

With fresh yellow petals and near-black centers, Rudbeckia hirta is a pioneer plant that blooms profusely from early summer to late fall. So, adding flowers that look like black-eyed Susans means you can enjoy golden abundance and a seamless line-up of cheery blossoms through the seasons.

Autumn is a magical time in the landscape. Leaves sparkle on tree limbs like gemstones and flowering plants gear up for their season finale. The cool nights and crisp clear days of fall rejuvenate flowering annuals and perennials that may have languished in the heat of summer. The result is a riot of blooms that gives the trees a run for their money. Among the spectacle are gorgeous annuals for the fall garden that bloom well into autumn.

The physical structure of these flowers closely resembles an artistic representation of a heart and, hence, will be a unique addition to your plant collection. The best part is that along with their peculiar beauty, they are also easy to grow! So let these flowers be the “heart” of your garden!

Mowing may be time consuming but is a critical part of maintaining a vigorous lawn. Healthy, well-managed grass not only looks better, but is more resilient to drought and other stresses. Proper mowing practices promote lush, dense turf by stimulating shoot and root growth. Lawn mowing encourages lateral shoot growth, resulting in a thicker lawn that is better able to combat weeds. These benefits are impacted by how often you mow the lawn. Mowing at regular intervals based on plant growth makes your ongoing maintenance faster and easier and ensures your lawn remains healthy and vibrant.

Scent is powerful, triggering memories from long ago and transporting us to faraway places. In the garden, fragrant perennials often connect us to childhood walks through our grandparents’ gardens or summer days spent gathering bouquets. Aromatic flowers and foliage also play upon our emotions. Some scents are soothing and can be used to enhance outdoor seating areas to help us unwind after a long day. When planted near the front door, fragrant perennials make an alluring first impression. Fragrant blooms also attract a diversity of pollinators to the garden.

Just like how a little cortisol keeps us on our toes, a little stress can bring out the best hues in your succulents! We share varieties that respond to changes in their habitat by changing colors. If you want rainbow foliage in your home with the least effort, these are perfect!