If you’re gardening on a hillside, you’re probably facing some unique challenges. Maybe there area some challenges that you did not totally anticipate when you purchased your beautiful sloping property.

There are several reasons why people use focal points. By creatively using statues, specimen plants, artwork, large planters or even birdhouses, gardeners can draw the eye where they want it to go; often diverting attention from a design flaw, out-of-season flowerbeds or fallow vegetable gardens.

In the language of social media, rhubarb is trending. My mamaw would be so proud, as her rhubarb patch was one of her early spring delights, and her rhubarb pie was one of her most-praised desserts.

There are many aspects of creating a wildlife habitat, but none as fun as adding color to attract our winged friends. Color plays a very important role in the pollination puzzle.

If your goal is to create a unique flowerbed, consider these three ideas: place interesting objects among the flowers; use unique containers or vessels to enhance the flowerbed; or create a unique style, pattern, or arrangement of common plants within the designated planting area.

No lemons? No problem. If you want to enjoy a homegrown lemony taste, consider growing some lemony herbs in your garden. The five most common lemony herbs are lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, lemon basil, and lemongrass.

Making a path can be as simple as mowing a swath through the high grass of a meadow. Most of our gardens, however, have more definition and less space than that, calling for more structured ways to pass through them.

When someone says “window box,” what images first pop into your mind? Old World, pretentious, charming, expensive? Perhaps you think of these gussied-up containers as high maintenance, or maybe you simply write them off as another wacky sport in the world of competitive gardening. Yet, could it be that you would really like to try them, but have no idea where to begin?

Making concrete molds for stepping-stones or miniature gardens is a fun, simple project. And they make great additions to your landscape!

In many ways we have come full circle, with nature once again governing our tastes and garden design. Adding a stumpery to your woodland garden, particularly if there are already stumps in the area, can satisfy your desire for a more naturalistic look.

Over the years, I have found the following plants are almost guaranteed to grow beautifully as long as they are planted properly and given minimal care. This list is by no means all inclusive, but these plants perform without special attention and ensure new gardeners success as they begin their journey down the garden path.

Hypertufa troughs are earthy and natural containers that look great in gardens of every style. Today’s hypertufa troughs are modeled after ancient stone vessels that were used by farmers in England and the Orient to hold water and feed for livestock. As farmers replaced stone with more modern materials, the old stone feeders became popular as planters. As they became scarce, and pricey, people began to make their own. But a hypertufa trough is a worthy container in its own right, and should not be considered a poor substitute for the real thing.