Garden Guides uses a knowledgeable team of editors, writers, and experts to create all our content. We dive deep into the ever-evolving conversations surrounding gardening and landscaping, striving to deliver the most current and helpful tips, strengthened by expert insight and tutorials from our talented team.
As we cover many fields of expertise, we make it a priority to ensure every beat remains fresh and comprehensive. Additional information on our editorial process available here.
How to Transplant a Blackberry Bush. Transplanting blackberry bushes is best done in fall, after fruiting has passed. Moving a bush to follow changes in sunlight or expand the size of your berry-patch is easy, so long as you protect yourself from thorns. As you transplant, you can also help your existing plant start new ones for even more blooms and berries next summer.
Read MoreBlackberries That Grow in Zone 3. Nothing says summer like the taste of sun-warmed ripe blackberries. Unfortunately, for some blackberry-lovers, moving north of the United States Department of Agriculture's Plant Hardiness Zone 5 meant giving up a favorite fruit. In recent years, however, breeders have worked to extend blackberry hardiness, and several varieties claim to be hardy into zone 3, where winter lows can run from minus 30 degrees F to minus 40 degrees F. Sun-catching strategies plus winter-weather protection allows home gardeners to try growing blackberries as far north as parts of Canada.
Read MoreHow Do I Stop My Pink Hydrangeas From Turning White?. Typically, it would appear that--as they grow older--your pink hydrangeas are showing their age by flowers fading to white. Fortunately, this is not a sign of age, but rather a change over time in the nutrients of your soil; you can restore your pink blooms by re-establishing soil balance. Experts counsel that color change in hydrangeas is directly related to their uptake of aluminum compounds in the soil. Changing the pH content of your soil (the measurement of the acid/alkaline composition) can turn fading white hydrangea blooms back to pink.
Read MoreCompanion Planting With Collards. A long-known strategy to maximize the growth of your vegetable garden is called companion planting. Revived in the 1970s as interest in organic gardening methods grew, companion planting uses the protective, attractive and chemically compatible qualities of vegetable plants to foster mutually healthy growth. In "Carrots Love Tomatoes," Louise Riotte popularized traditional planting knowledge and modern growing information to introduce new generations of gardeners to companion planting. Use old and new ways together to increase your collards crop.
Read MoreSource of Free Pine Trees. Evergreen trees, especially pine trees, contribute cooling shade, woodsy odors, wildlife habitat and handsome dark silhouettes to any landscape. To some, the winter holidays would be incomplete without pine boughs, garlands or cones. Even in the heat of summer, the scent of pine suggests forest coolness. If this is your view of trees, a surprising number of organizations and agencies agree with you and make free trees available to enhance the landscape.
Read MoreEvergreen Shrub With Yellow Spots. One of the challenges of landscaping with evergreens is preventing monotony. Variegated broadleaf evergreens like Japanese laurel offer seasonal interest throughout the year, with gold-flecked green leaves, red or purple flowers and red berries that persist through the winter. Japanese laurel cultivars are medium-size, with a rounded shape and dense foliage, making it suitable for hedging, specimen planting or inclusion in a mixed shrub border. These versatile colorful perennials can even be grown as houseplants.
Read MoreHow to Landscape a Cape Cod House. Originally designed to withstand the stormy, changeable weather of the northeast U.S. Atlantic coast, Cape Cod-style houses are ideal for a wide variety of settings. Their clean, simple lines, traditionally soft exterior colors and compact footprints are especially suited to small yards. Several landscaping styles share principles that enhance the crisp silhouette and modest formality of your Cape Cod house.
Read MoreHow to Kill Ajuga Plants. Gardeners use the word "kill" with hesitancy, trepidation--and sometimes a long and unhappy explanation. There are times, however, when a once-welcomed plant tries to overwhelm its neighbors, or a new planting scheme requires removal of the old one. Ajuga, or bugleweed, can be a very aggressive ground cover, and the only way to deter it is to kill it. Knowing what kills ajuga also helps a gardener know what keeps it alive and flourishing.
Read MoreHow to Winterize Coral Bells. Winterizing perennials keep them in the best possible condition to survive harsh weather and ensures that they will burst forth with color in the spring. Give hardy coral bells a little help to get through the winter and to prevent damage to any surface roots. They will repay your efforts with lush foliage and their classic, nodding flower stems.
Read MoreDistance Between Maple Tree Planting. Maple trees bring beautiful color and dependable shade to yards in almost all growing zones. Relatively disease-free, with warm green leaves, small seed pods and roots that seek deep locations, spreading disruptively under pavement only when crowded, maples make good yard trees and street trees. Fall color ranging from pleasant to spectacular adds to the list of reasons to include maple trees in your landscaping. The only caution is knowing the correct planting intervals for healthy tree growth.
Read MoreShrubs & Landscaping in Ontario. Landscaping in Ontario combines several considerations: a complexity of hardiness zones, proximity to water (the Great Lakes in the south and east, Hudson's Bay in the north) and the windy, changeable weather typical of large bodies of water, relatively low elevations and flat, settled areas. A May/September warm growing season limits some plant choices, but you can choose from an array of native and acclimated shrubs, depending on your hardiness zone.
Read MoreEnglish Ivy & Cats. How entrancing an English ivy plant can be to a cat--leaves fluttering in the breeze, stems trailing like tails of some mysterious animal--and dangerously toxic. Devoted cat owners recognize English ivy as ranking high on common lists of plants toxic to both cats and dogs, along with human infants and toddlers. The active toxin in English ivy, the glycoside hederin, attacks both digestive and nervous systems and is capable of causing coma. The plant's official name, Hedera helix L., suggests the strong presence of this toxic chemical. What cat owners may not know is that there are other reasons to avoid using English ivy, either as a houseplant or in more extensive outdoor landscaping. Plant experts are becoming increasingly convinced that English ivy, at least in the U.S., is not good for cats, people or other plants.
Read MoreHow to Classify Flowers. The classification of flowers is one section of the science of taxonomy, or the classification of organisms. This hierarchy of classification is based on processes of development, methods of propagation, growth and other characteristics shared by groups of organisms. The hierarchy proceeds from the most general to the most specific: kingdom (plants distinguished from animals); phylum (methods of development, like spores or seeds); class (generally whether plant seeds contain one or two leaf sprouts); order (further development information shared by groups of plants); family (plants with even stronger similar characteristics, like bromelia and pineapple); genus (all the varieties of pineapple); and species (often named for the discoverer). While not all botanists agree on exactly where plants belong in this hierarchy, sorting them is the first step in learning about them. Of particular interest to gardeners are the last three ranks: family, genus and species. These make up the information most often displayed on plant labels and provide information for growth and care.
Read MoreSalt Water As a Weed Killer. In ancient times, it was known that heavy applications of salt to soil reduced or completely destroyed the ability of the soil to support plant growth. The impact of sea water on plants may well have formed the foundation for legends that the Romans cemented their defeat of Carthage in the Punic Wars by sowing salt on the land. Episodes of sowing salt to render land inhospitable to agriculture are found in the Bible and other ancient sources. The use of salt water as a weed killer is therefore based on old wisdom and perceptions as well as modern science.
Read MorePlant Identification for Children. Whether you have an 18-month-old struggling how to say "flower" or a 9-year-old who's fascinated by terrariums, resources are available to teach children how to identify plants. Children learn huge amounts of information by observing the natural world, so it makes sense to give them the tools to answer some of their "What's that?" questions themselves. Learning about how plants work, how they acquire their names and what they do for humans and animals gives children a sense of safety outdoors and respect for the natural world.
Read MoreCroton Plant & Cats. Cat owners are familiar with limiting their houseplant choices to blooms and leaves that do not threaten the health of their cats. Questions have arisen, however, about the potential danger of the Codiaecae family, commonly known as crotons, popular plants known for colorfully veined leaves. Their omission from more than one list of plants that are potentially harmful to cats may reflect the recent growth in their popularity and variety. It may be linked to characteristics of the croton plant's effect on humans, usually short-lived. Cat-owners, however, are advised to exercise caution in introducing croton plants into areas inhabited by cats.
Read MoreErosion Control & Desert Plants. One of the joys of traveling in the American Southwest is the capacity to see for miles in all directions. First-time visitors may comment on unobstructed views or may feel they are looking at nothing. While some may describe desert plants or animals as "tough," desert areas have fragile ecological systems. It is important to know about plants that sustain these fragile environments.
Read MoreLouisiana Plant Identification. Louisiana plants display considerable diversity. While relatively low-lying, Louisiana land accommodates several kinds of plains, prairie areas and hilly pine slopes. Growing zones 8 and 9 give Louisiana mild winters (in southern parts of the state, winter temperatures never reach freezing). Brackish delta waters, where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf, encourage a wide variety of marsh grasses. A wide variety of trees, vines and ferns are among native listings.
Read MorePlant Identification in Maine. Maine is a mountainous and heavily-wooded state. Parts of Maine's great wilderness remain unexplored to this day. Identifying plants in Maine means recognizing the variety of ecosystems in the state. Smaller ecosystems include mountain meadows, wetlands and shorelines. The Maine Department of Conservation recognizes 24 different ecosystems and 198 kinds of natural communities. More than 300 plants appear on the state's rare, threatened or endangered plants lists. Whether you are a home gardener, a resident interested in sustainability and native growth, a hiker, camper, an environmentalist or just a lover of the outdoors, learning about Maine's native plants can make you a better steward of Maine's remarkable biodiversity.
Read MoreNew Jersey Plant Identification. Nicknamed the Garden State because of its hospitality to farms and orchards, New Jersey contains several distinct ecosystems. From mountains high enough to offer recreational skiing to fresh and salt water borders, New Jersey offers a receptive climate as the most northern of the Mid-Atlantic states. Plants accommodate themselves to forest conditions, wetlands, open farmland, the unique pine barrens, seashore and urban settings. Whether you are a home gardener, small farmer, hiker, birder or nature lover, New Jersey provides excellent resources for identifying plants that will flourish in your chosen setting.
Read MoreMissouri Plant Identification. As a historical stepping-off place for westward exploration, Missouri has come relatively late to addressing issues of native biodiversity. Established in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden served as the repository for plants collected by Lewis and Clark. The Garden provides plant-identification resources and responses to individual questions. Other government efforts employ a partnership strategy that broadens the audience for Missouri plant identification. One partnership addresses fill-in strategies for Missouri's varied-crop and livestock farms. Another uses the Master Gardener program as a model for training naturalists for Missouri schools, nature centers and communities.
Read MoreHolly Bushes & Deer. To foraging deer, nothing says Christmas like a mouthful of holly. Then again, hungry deer still assert their food preferences whenever they can. The Ilex, or holly, plant family serves as an excellent example of the varietal choices gardeners can made to obtain a certain landscaping look or feel without losing plants to predators. Some hollies are well-known deer favorites at all times; others are quite resistant to deer foraging.
Read MoreWhy Do Potato Plants Yellow & Wither?. Potato plants add a touch of mystery to a vegetable garden. One watches, waters and wonders about what is actually occurring underground. Only when plants have definitely died does a gardener get to dig for uncounted treasure. In this case, yellowed and withered plants are signs of success. The only caution with potatoes is early onset of yellowing leaves and withering. As members of the nightshade family, potatoes are susceptible to all the diseases that plague tomatoes and that are characterized by early yellowing and withering. Keep your potatoes healthy during the growing season and wait for plants to signal your success.
Read MoreThe Root System of English Ivy. English ivy is well known as an aggressive and attractive ground cover. It spreads by means of branching shoots and air roots that generate a sticky substance, making it easy for English ivy to climb. The rate and thickness with which it spreads has led some to regard it as an invasive vine. Understanding the root system of English ivy helps you control this useful but aggressive plant and prevent damage to other plantings.
Read MoreGood Shade Trees to Plant Near the Patio. A shade tree can serve as focal point, privacy screen and sunshade on a patio, turning a flat surface into something more than a place to work on your tan. Usually, selecting a shade tree for the patio involves considering both sun and shade, along with several other issues that will make your tree an asset, not a liability. Think in terms of sun-shade balance, privacy or screening needs, and maintenance issues when selecting a tree to grow close to the patio.
Read More
