15 Grass Alternatives For Your Yard

In certain parts of the United States, people have been affected by wildfires and the resulting smoke for years, dealing with air quality warnings and orange, dusty skies on a semi-regular basis. But this year, wildfires burning in Canada have put other regions at risk, and apocalyptic-looking skies have prompted fresh questions for those unfamiliar with wildfires and their effects: Should I wear a mask outside? Can I leave my windows open? Do I need to clean my air filters?

Most likely native to Southeast Asia, colocasia (Colocasia esculenta, Zones 7b–12) is used by many gardeners for its large, tropical-looking foliage. This plant also has a long history of being used in cooking. Visitors to Hawaii are often treated to poi, a starchy Polynesian edible food paste made from its rootlike corm. Common names of colocasias include taro, eddo, dasheen, and elephant’s ear. Elephant’s ear is the most commonly used common name, but that can be confusing because plants called elephant’s ear come from several different genera, including Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma, all of which are members of the arum family (Araceae). While there are several different species of colocasia, cultivars and hybrids of Colocasia esculenta are the main ones you will find being sold in garden centers to home gardeners.

Summer is here! Vegetable gardens have yielded the first tomatoes of the season, perennial borders are overflowing with colorful blooms, fruit is ripening in the orchards, and rose bushes are flushing out with their second round of flowers. On the surface, it might appear that summer brings nothing but a profusion of delightful blooms, lush greenery, and a cornucopia of delicious summer veggies, but alongside all this flowery and fruitful abundance are the insects, birds, rodents, and larger critters that are the bane of any gardener’s existence: European earwigs.

Elm trees are some of the most majestic and resilient plants in nature. Their iconic features make them stand out amongst other species as a symbol of strength and fortitude.We link to vendors to help you find releva

Planting and maintaining a thriving garden isn’t all knowledge and natural instincts—there can be an element of luck, too. Sometimes, what affects your plants’ success is totally out of your control, such as rainfall, wind, and other weather events. That’s just a byproduct of working with nature.

I have a dorky habit to confess. Whenever my to-go iced coffee is finished, I dump the ice from my reusable cup into the dirt of a street tree. It’s probably like half a cup of water, and I am sure it doesn’t make a difference, but I can’t not do it.

Q: I have an infestation of (see picture) in numerous parts of my lawn. It seems resistant to lawn weed killer. Any suggestions?

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

We live and learn as gardeners. It is unlikely that those who fell in love with Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) when it was imported to the United States a century ago had any idea that the gorgeous ornamental, with its showy pink flowers, would be a threat to native ecosystems today. Yet it clearly is, and responsible homeowners should find an alternative to Spirea.

Though they are not widely known, elderberries are one of the most versatile and productive plants in the garden world.Native to many parts of the United States, they h

What’s a garden without the sound of birdsong?I know I’m not alone in selecting plants and gardening prac

We may not think much about the trees outside our homes, but if we heed the words of FDR, who famously said, “Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people,” it’s time we should. After all, urban forests—the ecosystems that make up our communities, including the trees planted on our residential properties, in parks, and along streets—are vital to our health and the health of the environment.