How to Grow and Care for Birchleaf Spirea Shrubs

The world of home decor is vast, and we’re constantly amazed by the designers, creators, and creatives who cross our paths. In an effort to learn more about the innovative eyes behind the scenes, we’ve launched a series that explores the sanity-saving tools, products, and services that keep our favorite designers and decorators focused on the job at hand. Welcome to Tools of the Trade.

How to Grow and Care for Lithops Living Stone Plants Lithops spp.

Gulf Stream Nandina – a captivating plant whose fiery red foliage and lush, compact form create a spectacle in any landscape. What’s more? It also makes for a cute indoor plant!

How to Grow and Care for Mugo Pines Pinus mugo

One of nature's most unique plants, the monkey puzzle tree (also known as araucaria araucana) is a bit of a mystery. Due to their unusual, thorny branches, it's a great option for plant lovers looking to add a dose of flair to their space. «There isn't a tree out there like the monkey puzzle, especially compared to native choices within the United States,» says Tamara Hogan, resident plant expert at Fast Growing Trees, an online nursery. «Its blade-like leaves and branch structure are unlike any other conifer trees. It's also an evergreen that can handle some cooler, humid environments since the southern areas of Chile is where this tree comes from.» Another benefit of growing one? You can live with a monkey puzzle tree for a long time. It can grow up to 90 feet tall and survive for thousands of years if it isn't cut down. However, since a monkey puzzle tree is so rare, many people aren't sure how to make one thrive indoors or outdoors. To help you out, we've consulted with experts at Fast Growing Trees to share everything you need to know about caring for a monkey puzzle tree.

When Philip Miller, chief gardener of the Chelsea Physic Garden, collected a sample of Lavandula x intermedia subsp. intermedia in the summer of 1731, he could scarcely have imagined it would still be in a collection some 300 years later. Yet today, pressed and labelled, Miller’s specimen is the oldest entry in the herbarium collection at RHS Wisley. What’s more, Lavandula x intermedia is widely grown, being especially good for oil extraction. In this lies the brilliance of pressed flowers and herbaria specifically: they provide a window on the past and a view of what the future might look like. 

Angel’s trumpet plants are easier to care for than most people think, and they grow very quickly too.

The dream for most garden owners is not to have a boundary at all – given a choice we’d probably all prefer an unbroken ‘borrowed’ view, preferably of idyllic countryside or suitably breath-taking scenery. The reality for many of us is that some sort of boundary at the border of our gardens or between us and our neighbours is essential. So, given that most of us aren’t gazing at our estate over a hidden ha-ha, how best can we treat our boundaries for maximum aesthetic appeal? 

How to Grow and Care for Japanese Spirea Spiraea japonica

How to Grow and Care for Hicks Yews Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’

Check out some of the most stunningFall Flowers for Containers that will help you to make a beautiful autumn landscape full of vivid colors!

How to Grow and Care for American Bittersweet Vines Celastrus scandens