9 Common Balcony Gardening Problems and Tips to Solve Them

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!

Everybody knows that Crotons are woody, broadleaf shrubs that make perfect indoor plants. However, they can also be grown outdoors, especially in frost-free Southern climates. Even though you live in a colder region, you can keep them outside in warmer months.

Nothing spoils “blissfully lost in the garden” feels like rodents! Be it your fresh lettuce, juicy strawberries, or even cardboard boxes and electrical wires—rats spare none! They are easily the scourge of all your prized garden staples, but we show you how to keep a rat-free garden without hurting them as much as possible!

How to Grow and Care for Weigela Shrubs Weigela spp.

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Header image: Cilantro seedlings grown in 100% recycled glass material. Image credit: Andrea Quezada

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.

There is no way to sugarcoat the challenges many of us in the Mid-Atlantic region have faced this summer. The inconsistency of rainfall and the extreme high temperatures have greatly impacted our efforts to garden successfully. Even with valiant efforts to apply supplemental irrigation, I have witnessed a wide range of plant material showing signs of drought stress that I have rarely witnessed in my 15-plus years of gardening in this region. To say it is cause for concern would be an understatement. As a result, in the last few months I have been repeatedly asked how we can prepare our beloved gardens to reduce heat and moisture stress for future growing seasons. One answer to this conundrum is to add organic matter to the soil in the form of compost.

Growing in the harshest and most hostile conditions, cactus is the undisputed metaphor for resilience, inner strength, and endurance. From its tough, thorny exteriors to its rich and treasure-filled pads, discover what does a cactus symbolize and more behind its meaning!

One of the secrets to producing big, bushy basil plants is trimming. Many gardeners are shy about harvesting from their herbs and don’t want to cut them back in case it damages the plants or reduces yield. I’m the opposite, constantly trimming herbs like basil to use fresh, or preserve by drying or freezing. Not only does it promote bushier growth it also increases stem and leaf production. Are you ready to learn how to trim your basil plants for maximum yield? When it comes to pruning basil, it doesn’t matter if you’re growing basil in containers or garden beds. It doesn’t matter if you’

Acers are beautiful ornamental trees that come in an array of colours and sizes. To properly care for your Acer, there are some common issues that can arise such as leaf scorch, fungal diseases, and pests. Here are our guides for combatting these Acer issues.

A conversation with Sarah Price about how she designs her planting schemes is fascinating. She works in an unfettered way, with no specific planting plans but an intuitive sense of the plants that will work well together to form the nature-inspired compositions she is known for. Her gardens are like exquisite paintings, comprising layers of detail with a gentle succession of plants that provide interest for most of the year. This summer combination comes from Sarah’s own garden on the edge of Abergavenny. Here, she has created different areas and habitats, including a dry garden in the old walled kitchen garden.