How to surprise someone on their birthday

I heard a rustling behind me and turned to see a huge tortoise disappearing under a shrub! That was 25 years ago in South Africa. I was thrilled to see the creature but my fellow gardeners quickly loaded it onto a wheelbarrow bound for the veld (the open grassland) beyond the garden.

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 great exercise in garden patience is in learning when to harvest sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a long-season crop and it takes months for the tubers to mature, but the anticipation grows right along with the vines and roots.This popular vegetable is not difficult to grow and a great crop for in-ground gardens, raised beds, and containers. Because sweet potatoes are root tubers that grow entirely underground, you can’t judge their harvest readiness by their color, size, or shape. When to harvest sweet potatoes depends on a number of factors, and I’ll cover those here, along with how to cure and store sweet potatoes, plus a few tips for growing the biggest sweet potatoes. What are sweet potatoes? In America, sweet potatoes are thought of as a Thanksgiving holiday-meal staple. Looking at the Thanksgi

If you live in the South, or anywhere with mild winters, and your garden looks like spring in Rotterdam every year, then you must know how to handle tulip bulbs correctly. If your fall-planted bulbs produced meager or no blooms, then it’s time to learn how to store tulip bulbs correctly.

How to Grow and Care for Lupines Lupinus spp.

It doesn't take much scrolling through interior design TikTok to feel inspiration overload.

Basil is an herb known for loving sun and warm weather conditions, so it might be alarming to suddenly see the shiny, fragrant leaves shriveling up, and beg the question: why is your basil wilting?

Found everywhere on earth, this elegant flower is one of the most coveted houseplants for beauty. But how do you get started with orchids? Producing some of the tiniest seeds ever, that too mostly dormant, growing orchid seedlings is no walk in the park!

Geranium macrorrhizum, or big root geranium, is one of my all-time favorite perennials for its ease of cultivation, attractive foliage, pretty summer blooms, and incredible vigor. It’s perfect at the front of a perennial or shrub bed, along a pathway, or as a groundcover under shrubs. Big root geranium spreads and forms a dense carpet of foliage, but it’s not so aggressive that it becomes invasive. In this article you’ll learn all about planting, growing, and caring for this stunning plant. Get to know Geranium macrorrhizum Also called big root cranesbill, Geranium macrorrhizum is a perennial plant hardy

Amy Cox remembers the first time she learned she could grow a lawn out of clover. «Where has this been all my life?» she mused. «Why is this a secret?»

For those of us who garden in small spaces, container gardening strikes an ideal balance between structure and flexibility. Potted plants can be rearranged as often as necessary, which makes it easy to accommodate new additions and to ensure that each plant gets the sunlight or shade it requires. Compared to traditional in-ground beds, container gardens also give us a bit more control over factors such as water, weeds, and pests. I’ve spent the past few decades creating designs for roof decks, balconies, courtyards, and patios in San Francisco. Through this work I have discovered that the key to container gardening success is always the same: finding a mix of appealing plants that are well suited to each garden’s specific climate and light conditions. Using my home garden as a testing ground, I’ve developed some strategies that anyone can use to create lush urban jungle and cohesive container displays that truly stand out from the crowd. 

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