Expert Advice on Home Improvement

I’m a little embarrassed to tell this story, but here it is. This is an African violet, one of a trio of violets that I’ve grown rather unsuccessfully for years. African Violets are known to be a little fussy, but I thought I was doing everything right, yet they sat there stubbornly, season after season, refusing to bloom. Read in full.

If you’re looking to add color and life to your garden, perennials are a great long term investment that won’t break your budget. A well planned perennial garden offers a constantly changing variety of flowers for years to come, making it well worth the initial time and work involved. Read more to find out how to plan, plant, and care for perennials in your garden. Read in full.

Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs that transform from bare winter stalks into lush, green branches dripping with blooms in summer. Hydrangeas make a great addition to landscape borders, and the blossoms are gorgeous as cut or dried flowers. Here are some tips for growing this eye-catching plant in your yard. Read in full.

Last summer, I planted a yellow Lady Banks Rose to grow up the column of my side porch. Lady Banks is a thornless climbing rose that explodes in clusters of miniature white or yellow blossoms in the spring, and it’s what we gardeners call a “vigorous climber.” That means that the thing is on the fast track to taking over my porch and possibly my entire house. Here are a few quick facts for growing this luscious rose. Read in full.

One of the biggest worries of gardeners is the threat of freezing weather and frosts that can harm or kill plants and damage crops. Here’s what you need to know to protect tender plants when the mercury drops. Read in full.

Beverly asks, “When is the best time to plant gladiolus? And should I order them online or buy locally?”

Gladioli can be planted in the spring around your last frost date. Here are some tips for planting gladiolus in your garden. Read in full.

As a foundation shrub, or a specimen plant, camellias offer striking green foliage, elegant shaping, and brightly-colored blooms that make them one of the mainstays of the year-round garden. Here’s what you need to know to grow this nearly carefree shrub. Read in full.

I have an old pickup truck that I use for gardening and hauling stuff. It’s a rusty little 1985 Toyota with 250,000 miles on it. It’s been in my family since . . . well, since well before I could drive. I LOVE my pickup, but I use it sparingly, out of respect for its age, and keep it parked most of the winter. Last fall, I used the truck to haul around some daylilies, and when I pulled out the truck this spring, I found quite a surprise. Read in full.

Shelley asks, “I’ve heard those yellow spring bulbs referred to as daffodils, jonquils, narcissus, and buttercups. Is there a difference, or are they all names for the same plant?”

All four terms are often used to refer to the happy yellow flowers that lead the way for spring, but there are some differences. Read on to find out more. Read in full.

Beginning gardeners often feel intimidated by the process of pruning roses, but for those who are growing roses just for their own enjoyment, the process is not that difficult. There’s little you can do while pruning your rose that you can’t correct next time, and the plants really do benefit from some attention to promote healthy and vigorous growth and blooms. Read in full.