Tree Care Tips

Imagine biting into a crisp, juicy pepper that’s 8–12 inches long, with thick walls and a sweetness that rivals candy—straight from your own backyard. Last season, from just six Giant Marconi sweet pepper plants, I harvested over 200 pounds of these Italian beauties, grilling them fresh and freezing dozens for winter. If you’re tired of […]

Imagine walking into your garden on a crisp spring morning and being stopped dead in your tracks by a plant that looks like molten silver spilled across the landscape, crowned with electric chartreuse-yellow fireworks. That’s the magic of the Euphorbia gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida), commonly known as silver spurge or upright myrtle spurge. In the

Imagine walking into your garden on a chilly February morning… then again in April, July, and October… and every single time being hit by waves of the sweetest, most intoxicating lily-of-the-valley fragrance you’ve ever smelled. That’s not a dream. That’s the everyday reality of growing Eternal Fragrance Daphne (Daphne × transatlantica ‘Blafra’ PPAF). Most gardeners

Imagine stepping out of your back door on a soft summer morning, barefoot on cool grass, surrounded by billowing roses, clouds of lavender, and foxgloves swaying like bells in the breeze… while knowing you’ve spent less than 15 hours all year looking after them. That, my friend, is the magic of a true English cottage

Have you ever stared at that dusty, root-choked patch of dirt beneath your mature oak tree or along the north side of your house and thought, “Nothing will ever grows here”? You’re not alone. Dry shade is the single most frustrating garden condition I hear about from readers, clients, and fellow horticulturists. The soil is

Imagine slicing into a thick, sword-like leaf and watching deep crimson sap ooze out like something out of Game of Thrones. That’s exactly what happens when you wound a real dragon’s blood plant — the legendary Dracaena draco, native to the Canary Islands and immortalized in ancient mythology. For centuries, this slow-growing giant has captivated

Imagine walking up to your aquarium and seeing carpet-like glossy green plants, crystal-clear water, happy fish darting through stems, and zero algae on the glass — all for under $100 in substrate costs. That’s the magic of a dirtanks planted with real dirt (also called a dirted tank, Walstad tank, or soil-substrate aquarium). Thousands of

You walked past your favorite corner of the living room this morning and froze. Those gorgeous, ruffled, wavy leaves that made you fall head-over-heels for your curly leaf plant… are now a heartbreaking shade of lemon yellow. 😱 Your stomach drops. “Is it dying? Did I kill it? WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!” Take a

Imagine slicing open a football-sized pod in your own garden and being hit with an intoxicating aroma of dark chocolate mixed with fresh pineapple. That’s the magic of the cupuaçu plant (Theobroma grandiflorum) – the Amazonian superfruit that’s quietly stealing the spotlight from its more famous cousin, cacao. In 2025, cupuaçu butter is in every

Your gorgeous Monstera deliciosa, the one you’ve babied for three years, is covered in tiny white dots. Your Calathea’s perfect pinstripes now look like they’ve been dusted with flour. Your heart sinks. Is it bugs? Is it dying? Do you have to throw the whole plant away? Take a deep breath. In my 15 years