Tree Care Tips

Imagine stepping into your garden next summer and being greeted by towering 6–8 foot spires of satin-pink, burgundy, cream, and apricot blooms that look like they belong in a storybook cottage painting. That’s the magic of hollyhocks — and the best part? You can grow these show-stoppers from tiny, inexpensive seeds for just pennies per […]

Imagine stepping into your garden and being greeted by a living carpet of vibrant roses that blooms non-stop from May until the first hard frost… with almost zero deadheading, minimal watering, and no spraying for black spot. Sounds like a dream? It’s not. It’s exactly what a well-chosen ground cover rose plant delivers — and

You step into your backyard on a crisp November morning. Instead of facing a sea of giant maple leaves that need three weekends to clean up, you see a tidy patio, a few colorful pots, and gorgeous compact trees that look like they belong in a magazine — with barely a leaf on the ground.

Picture this: It’s a scorching July afternoon, the kind where the air shimmers above the pavement. You step into your yard and suddenly notice your beloved oak’s leaves are curling like potato chips, the edges turning crispy brown. Your heart sinks. You thought your summertime trees were fine — after all, they’re big, established, and

Imagine this: You step into your backyard dreaming of lush, towering trees… but reality hits. Your yard is shaded all day by the house, fence, or that massive oak next door. Most trees you love either scorch, stretch weakly toward the light, or just sit there looking sad and spindly. I’ve been there—both as a

Picture this: It’s a warm March morning in Central Texas. You open the back door with your coffee, and suddenly you’re standing under a living fireworks display of electric-purple blossoms. Bees are buzzing like tiny helicopters, a hummingbird zips past your ear, and your neighbor across the fence actually stops mid-dog-walk to take a photo.

Imagine this: the sun has just slipped below the horizon, the pool is glowing turquoise, and your towering palm trees suddenly ignite in a golden halo that makes your entire backyard feel like a private island resort in the Maldives. Neighbors slow their cars. Guests gasp. You smile, because you finally nailed the perfect lighting.

You step outside with your morning coffee, ready to admire your beautiful lemon tree… only to find the ground covered in yellow and green leaves. Your heart sinks. “Is my tree dying?” Don’t panic yet. Lemon tree dropping leaves is one of the most common cries for help I hear from citrus lovers worldwide —

Imagine stepping into your garden on a crisp winter morning and being stopped in your tracks by a perfectly domed, almost black-green thundercloud floating just above the snow — dramatic silvery buds glowing like frost. That living sculpture is the Thunderhead Pine tree (Pinus thunbergii ‘Thunderhead’), one of the most coveted dwarf Japanese black pine

Imagine driving down a narrow city street in late October when suddenly a towering column of pure, glowing gold stops you in your tracks. No orange, no red—just intense, buttery yellow flames reaching 40–50 feet into the sky. That, my friend, is the magic of a mature Armstrong Gold Maple tree (Acer rubrum ‘Armstrong Gold’)