Before You Fill a Large Pot With Soil, Try the Pinecone Trick—But Know the Catch
Clean, dry pinecones can lighten a large seasonal planter and reduce the amount of potting mix it needs—but the trick has an important drainage catch.
Flowers
11 Tough Perennials That Handle Missed Watering Once Established
These 11 drought-tolerant perennials forgive an occasional missed watering once established—while delivering flowers, texture, pollinator value, and a much easier border.
When to Cut Back Iris Leaves (and How to Do It Without Losing Blooms)
Wondering when to cut back iris leaves? Learn the simple green-means-wait rule, the right fall cutting height, and how bearded, Siberian, Japanese, and Louisiana irises differ.
Why Your Hoya Isn’t Blooming: 5 Things to Get Right
A healthy hoya can grow for years without flowers. Fix these five common bloom blockers—light, maturity, watering, feeding and lost flower spurs.
The One Cut That Can Help Your Orchid Bloom Again
A healthy Phalaenopsis may rebloom from a green flower spike. Learn exactly where to cut, when to cut at the base instead, and how to care for the plant afterward.
7 Late-Summer Zinnia Care Tips for Bigger, Brighter, Longer Blooms
Keep zinnias blooming through late summer with seven practical tips for deadheading, watering, feeding, disease control, support, bouquets, and seed saving.
Before You Replace That Hydrangea That Won’t Bloom, Try These 7 Fixes
Before you replace a leafy hydrangea that refuses to bloom, check these seven fixable causes—from pruning and winter damage to sunlight, water, and fertilizer.
Should You Cut Back Peonies After They Bloom? Here’s the Answer
Should you cut back peonies after they bloom? Learn what to deadhead, what to leave alone, and when to cut peony foliage for healthier plants and better blooms next year.
11 Flower Seeds to Sow in August for a Head Start on Spring
Start planning next year’s garden now with these 11 flowers to sow or start in August. Get practical tips for pansies, foxgloves, sweet William, columbine, lupines, poppies, and more.
How to Grow Coneflowers: 15 Care Tips for More Blooms
Grow stronger coneflowers with practical advice on sun, soil, watering, pruning, pests, division, and seed heads—plus a quick troubleshooting guide.