A vegetable garden does not need an elaborate pergola, pricey greenhouse kit, or backyard construction project to get a break from brutal summer sun. A few inexpensive materials, some strategic positioning, and a little garden ingenuity can create useful shade when heat starts stressing lettuce, spinach, young seedlings, and other vegetables that prefer cooler conditions….
garden tips
Poison Ivy Isn’t the Only Plant Gardeners Should Learn to Recognize
Poison ivy gets the celebrity treatment when it comes to plants gardeners should avoid, and for good reason. Its three leaflets have inspired generations of cautious yard work, but several other plants can cause much more serious problems, from painful skin burns to severe poisoning if someone mistakes them for an ordinary weed. That does…
A Closer Look at Garden Supplies Worth Buying at End-of-Season Clearance
End-of-season garden clearance can turn a routine trip past the garden center into a surprisingly productive treasure hunt. As retailers make room for fall merchandise, gardeners can find useful tools, containers, trellises, soil amendments, and other supplies marked down simply because the calendar changed. That does not mean every lonely bag or battered package deserves…
Don’t Burn This Plant After Pulling It From Your Yard
Poison ivy may look like just another annoying weed once it comes out of the ground, but there is one thing it absolutely should not become: firewood. Burning poison ivy can send urushiol, the oily compound that causes its infamous rash, into the smoke and straight into the air around anyone nearby. That turns a…
7 Late-Summer Garden Checks That Can Prevent Winter Damage
Winter damage often starts long before the first snowflake falls, which makes late summer a surprisingly important time to inspect the garden. A cracked branch, dry root zone, loose stake, or forgotten hose can turn into a much bigger headache once freezing temperatures arrive. A little detective work now can spare plants from unnecessary stress…
Where Can Gardeners Find Free Mulch in Late Summer?
Late summer can make a garden look a little parched around the edges, and fresh mulch can help without making the garden budget groan. Fortunately, gardeners do not always need to visit a garden center and pay for a stack of neatly bagged material. Tree crews, municipalities, neighbors, compost sites, and even the lawn mower…
Why Are Gardeners Experimenting With In-and-Out Plants?
The old gardening rulebook says outdoor plants belong outside and houseplants belong inside, but plenty of gardeners now enjoy bending that rule. An “in-and-out plant” can spend part of the year outdoors soaking up natural light and fresh air, then move indoors when temperatures, frost, or harsh weather create trouble. This approach gives gardeners another…
5 Ways to Turn an Unused Corner Into a Perennial Food Patch
That awkward corner of the yard does not need to remain the place where forgotten pots, a hose, and one suspiciously rusty shovel go to retire. With the right perennial edibles, even a small, overlooked patch can become a dependable source of food that returns year after year with far less replanting than an annual…
This Invasive Plant Can Cause Severe Skin Burns — Here’s How to Recognize It
Giant hogweed looks like the sort of enormous, dramatic plant that belongs in a fantasy garden, but getting too close can turn a pleasant walk or weekend yard project into a medical problem. Its clear, watery sap contains compounds that can make skin extremely sensitive to ultraviolet light, leading to painful burns and blisters after…
Is a Fire-Safe Garden Possible Without Removing Every Shrub?
A fire-safe garden does not require turning the yard into a gravel parking lot or sending every beloved shrub to the chipper. Smart landscaping can reduce wildfire risk while keeping flowers, greenery, shade, privacy, and plenty of garden personality. The trick involves changing how plants sit, how much dead material they carry, and how close…