It’s time to get hooked by cacti Story and Photography by Timothy J. Malinich Cacti (singular cactus) catch the eye of many hobbyists. They are easy and rewarding to grow, fun to display, and readily available. People are often hesitant to grow them because they fear the reputation of these desert denizens. Here are a …
We all have different ways of looking at our gardens By Dan Gill Beauty is in the eye of the beholder … One man’s trash is another man’s treasure … It’s all a matter of taste. These sayings all make the same point: People look at the word in their own individual ways. Gardeners, of …
Turn your pumpkins into planters with this fun project Story and Photography by Kathleen Hennessy Nothing says fall is here quite like pumpkins. An essential accessory at this time of year, pumpkins can be arranged on the porch or popped into fall containers. With this project, the pumpkins actually become the container. This quick and …
When Life Gives You Tomatoes … Story and Photography by Kathleen Hennessy If your end-of-the-season tomato harvest is filling up your counters, it’s time to make sauce. Even if you’re a novice canner, this recipe is very easy and flexible. Best of all, it tastes amazing. You may never go back to store-bought tomato sauce. …
How to bring nature indoors by pressing botanicals into beautiful art Story and Photography by Cindy Shapton Pressing botanicals is just one more way for plant lovers to get their fix while feeding the artist within. Just pick a basketful of your favorite flowers, herbs, leaves, seedpods, or whatnot to place between papers in a …
Story and Photography by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey Eager to leave city life behind, the Quinns retired to the quiet countryside 18 years ago. They followed their dream down a long gravel drive past a scenic pond and horse pastures. They selected a site in full sun bordered by woods and selected a house plan with porches …
Growing miniature hostas in containers By Elin E. Johnson Do you have a small yard? Do you think hostas are pretty? If so, you should grow miniature hostas in containers. There are many to choose from, and as long as they are in a shady spot, they are perfectly happy in containers. When I first …
Using permeable surfaces in the garden By Helen Newling Lawson As gardeners, we know how precious water is. So when we get a good downpour, the last thing we want is to see it go down the drains. And all that runoff hitting our streams, rivers, and wetlands isn’t good for the environment either. It …
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Native spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata), one of the remarkable members of the mint family, is a beautiful short-lived perennial herb that is a must-have for the pollinator garden. Butterflies, bees, solitary wasps, and other beneficial insects flock to the gorgeous, nectar-rich flowers. It is also deer resistant and …
You may not be playing golf on your lawn, but that’s no reason it can’t look great By Jeff Wilson, Ph.D. Having a beautiful lawn is not something that happens by chance. A lot of hard work goes into having clean, manicured turf. Weeds, insects, and diseases can all wreak havoc in a short amount …
