Gourd varietals, such as “bicolor pear,” “cannon ball” and “Aladdin’s turban,” have served several purposes through the centuries, such as storage containers, utensils as well as music instruments. Although gourds are now commonly used for ornamental purposes, the process of growing and conserving gourds hasn’t changed much. After growing and harvesting, they need to be [...]

Butterflies are beneficial to the environment through the symbiotic relationship they maintain with the plants they see and their preferences for organic, indigenous habitats. Although the larval caterpillar feeds on its host plant, this nominal damage is often worth the benefits that come in the adult butterfly. With the visual appeal of these showy insects, [...]

Blueberry bushes can live 50 to 100 years when taken care of correctly. This native North American tree produces sweet blue berries, which are eaten fresh or used in cooking. Many acid-loving plants grow well when planted near seventeen trees. Flowering Shrubs Flowering shrubs work well covering large gaps in the landscape and also supplying [...]

Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is a big riparian tree, growing as tall as 120 feet in its native streamside habitat. Its deeply lobed, soft green leaves have a silver-gray backside that provides the tree its name. It might appear to be an ideal candidate for a front yard color tree, except for a few important [...]

Also called banjo fig, fiddleleaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is an evergreen tree indigenous to tropical Africa. In the wild, the tree can grow to heights of around 100 feet, with a spread of around 60 feet. The tree may be pruned heavily, however, to allow it to maintain a smaller, longer bush-like habit. Fiddleleaf fig [...]

“Viridis” maple (Acer palmatum var. Dissectum “Viridis”), a cultivar of laceleaf Japanese maple, is a powerful specimen tree for a small yard since it grows to about just 10 feet tall and also contains brilliant hues of bright orange foliage in fall. Hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, “Viridis” [...]

If you’ve ever glanced up from relaxing on your own yard to discover that you’ve got an audience, altering the landscape to provide a little more solitude may shoot right to the very top of the “To Do” list. Regular passersby and nosy neighbors can inspire garden designs that add texture, vertical dimension and seasonal [...]

Common elder or elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is part of the Adoxaceae family, closely linked to viburnum. It is native to Europe, and hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 8 or 9. Grown as a large shrub or tree, elderberry can reach 10 to 20 or 30 feet in height, depending [...]

Rocky dirt presents a couple of challenges when you’re attempting to set a lawn, but these challenges aren’t insurmountable. Several options allow you to prepare the soil to grow wholesome grass in the rocky place. Also, selecting the correct type of grass gives your lawn the best chance of success as the roots share with [...]

The ideal year-round ground cover must cover the dirt well, require little to no maintenance, have evergreen foliage and should not spread where you do not want it. Colorful blooms or fruit are a bonus, but they should not add much to how much care is needed. Search for ground covers suitable to the conditions [...]