Practical guides to help you grow a better garden.
These long-blooming and reblooming perennials flower for 8 weeks or more, giving you the most color for the least effort.
Memorial Day is the practical end of the spring planting window in most of the country. The annuals you put in the ground this weekend will hit their stride by mid-June. Here are the ones worth your money.
Most gardens peak in June and crash by August. Here's how to layer early, mid, and late summer bloomers so something is always flowering.
May is peak bloom season across the US. Peonies, iris, roses, lilacs, and late spring bulbs take the stage. Here is exactly what is flowering in your zone right now, zone by zone.
Summer is here. Here's what to plant now for midsummer and fall color, plus how to keep the momentum going when the heat arrives.
Not sure what to plant this spring? Here are the most foolproof spring bloomers organized by USDA hardiness zone so you can skip the guesswork.
Spring bulbs like tulips and daffodils get all the attention, but summer bulbs are the secret to July and August color. Plant them now for a second wave.
Every spring, a warm week fools your garden into waking up, then a frost moves in and threatens everything. Here is exactly what to cover, what to skip, and how to do it.
Hummingbird feeders are fine. A garden full of tubular red flowers is better. Here are the plants that bring them in and keep them coming back all season.
A garden without fragrance is only doing half its job. Here are the best-smelling flowers for every month of the year, from February daphne to October roses.
Deadheading is the single most impactful garden chore. It doubles bloom on most plants, and skipping it turns summer borders into August mush. Here is how to do it right.
April is the busiest planting month of the year. Bare-root perennials, summer bulbs, seed sowing, and transplants all compete for your attention. Here is exactly what to put in the ground in your zone.
Why a perfectly clean fall garden is actually a mistake and how to prep for winter while supporting local wildlife.
March is when the garden wakes up. Snowdrops, crocuses, and witch hazels lead the way while daffodils and forsythia wait in the wings. Here is what is blooming in your zone right now.
September is the fall garden's opening act. Asters, goldenrod, and Japanese anemones take center stage while dahlias hit their peak. Here is what is blooming in your zone right now.
October is the garden's grand finale. Chrysanthemums, ornamental grasses, and late asters carry the show while the first frost approaches. Here is what is blooming in your zone right now.
September is when smart gardeners plant. Warm soil, cool air, and fall rain make it the ideal window for perennials, shrubs, and spring bulbs.
October is your final window for spring bulbs, fall tree planting, and getting perennials in the ground before winter. Do not waste it.
Tulips fade and the garden goes blank for three weeks before summer perennials kick in. These plants fill that gap with color from late April through May.
Maximize your small space by choosing the varieties that actually enjoy the restricted root zones of pots.
Use plant partnerships to naturally deter pests, improve soil health, and create a more beautiful garden.
July is peak summer. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and bee balm are at full power. Here is what is blooming in your zone and how to keep the garden thriving through the heat.
August is summer's last stand and fall's opening act. Dahlias peak, asters start, and the smart gardener is already planning ahead. Here is what is blooming in your zone right now.
Learn how to accurately track the light in your yard to avoid the most common mistake in gardening.
The northern temperate zones cover much of the Midwest, Northeast, and Mountain West. These 14 plants laugh at cold winters and reward first-time gardeners with reliable spring color.
The mild-winter South, mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest. Spring starts early here, and these 15 plants make the most of it without demanding much in return.
South Florida, the Desert Southwest, and coastal California. Forget everything northern gardeners told you. Spring plays by different rules here, and these plants thrive in the heat.
A guide to the most ecologically beneficial and resilient plants for six major United States regions.
A backyard cutting garden means fresh bouquets from spring through fall. Here's how to plan one, which flowers to grow, and how to make them last in the vase.
June is when summer arrives in the garden. Roses peak, perennials explode, and annuals hit their stride. Here is what is flowering in your zone right now.
Chaos gardening lets plants self-seed, mingle, and find their own spots. Less work, more surprises. Here is how to do it without ending up with an actual weed patch.
Some of the prettiest garden flowers are also delicious. Here are the best edible blooms to grow, how to harvest them, and which ones to never eat.
Gravel gardens use less water, need almost no maintenance, and look stunning year-round. Here is how to build one with the right drought-tolerant plants.
If you have a history of botanical homicide, these resilient survivors are designed to thrive on your neglect.
Stop choosing between a beautiful garden and a buffet for the local deer population by planting varieties they naturally find repulsive.
That dark corner under the trees isn't a problem. It's an opportunity. These shade-loving plants thrive with less than 2 hours of direct sun.
These plants are close to unkillable. If you're new to gardening or just want something that works without fussing, start here.
Most gardens peak in June and look bare by October. With the right plant mix, you can have color in every month of the year. Here's the framework.
Zones aren't about summer heat, snowfall, or rainfall. They measure one thing: how cold does it get in winter? Here's what that means for your garden.
March is the beginning of the gardening year for most of the US. Here's what's blooming, what to plant, and what to plan for.
For gardeners who like to stay ahead.