Plants5 min read
Air plant care: light, water and room to dry
Tillandsia does not need a pot of soil, but it still needs dependable moisture and airflow. Choose a display that lets you care for the plant.
Tillandsia species
Plants.
Good light, a suitable home, and care that makes sense for the plant. Get to know what you grow.
48 guides to exploreIndependent advice. No shopping lists.
Plants5 min read
Aloe vera care: grow a healthy plant without the miracle claims
Give this sculptural succulent a bright position, drainage and time to dry. Keep growing advice separate from homemade medical or edible preparations.
Aloe vera
Plants5 min read
Aquarium plants: choose a planting that suits your tank
Build a freshwater planting around light, growing space and the way each plant roots. A beautiful tank starts with compatible demands, not the longest plant list.
Freshwater aquatic plants
Plants5 min read
Bedroom plants: choose for light, space and the way you live
A good bedroom plant fits the window, stays clear of the bedside routine and needs care you can comfortably provide.
Houseplant selection
Plants5 min read
Bonsai Care Begins with Knowing the Tree
Choose an appropriate species and understand its light, seasonal, watering and training needs before shaping it.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Citronella plant care: grow the scented geranium for its foliage
The plant sold as mosquito geranium is a fragrant ornamental, not a dependable mosquito barrier. Identify it before borrowing advice for citronella grass.
Pelargonium scented geraniums
Plants5 min read
Devil’s ivy care: grow a fuller, healthier pothos
A trailing pothos can soften a shelf or climb a support. Keep its roots out of standing water, give it useful light and prune with the shape in mind.
Epipremnum aureum
Plants5 min read
Growing daisies: the name on the label changes the care
Shasta daisies, African daisies and gerberas share a familiar flower shape, but need different treatment. Choose the plant for the border, pot and winter you actually have.
Leucanthemum, Osteospermum, Gerbera and other daisy-flowered plants
Plants5 min read
Growing geraniums: summer pelargoniums that are worth keeping
The familiar bedding geranium is usually a pelargonium. Give it sun, drainage and a considered winter plan, whether it trails from a basket or stands in a pot by the door.
Pelargonium species and hybrids
Plants5 min read
Hibiscus care: tropical flowers, hardy shrubs and border perennials
A tropical hibiscus in a pot and a hardy rose mallow in the border need different winters. Identify the plant first, then give its flowers a realistic setting.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, H. syriacus and hardy rose mallows
Plants5 min read
How to choose and grow a magnolia that fits your garden
Match mature size, soil and flowering time to the site before choosing a flower color. A suitable magnolia needs far less correction later.
Magnolia species and cultivars
Plants5 min read
How to choose indoor plants for the rooms you actually have
Compare light, size, watering and pet safety before choosing a plant. A manageable shortlist is more useful than a universal ranking.
Houseplant selection
Plants5 min read
How to choose water plants for a pond or indoor display
Match each plant to its position, mature size and local suitability, instead of using one international list for every stretch of water.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
How to grow anemones: choose the right kind for your garden
Spring woodland carpets, jewel-colored cutting flowers and late-season borders need different anemones. Start with the growing conditions, then choose your flowers.
Anemone and related genera
Plants5 min read
How to grow azaleas: get the soil right first
Choose an azalea for your climate and its eventual size, then give its shallow roots acidic soil, drainage and steady moisture.
Rhododendron, azalea groups
Plants5 min read
How to grow bamboo without letting it take over
Choose a manageable species, plan containment before planting and keep true bamboo separate from the houseplant sold as lucky bamboo.
Bambusoideae; Dracaena is separate
Plants5 min read
How to grow chrysanthemums that suit your garden
Choose a genuinely hardy garden mum for a lasting border, or enjoy a florist plant as a seasonal display without expecting the same winter performance.
Chrysanthemum garden hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow delphiniums with strong stems and healthy crowns
Choose a manageable variety, put supports in early and protect the emerging shoots before they become a tall summer display.
Delphinium perennial garden hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow dianthus: pinks, carnations and sweet William
The fringed flowers are familiar; the plants behind them vary. Choose the right dianthus, then prioritize sun, drainage and careful deadheading.
Dianthus species and cultivars
Plants5 min read
How to grow forsythia—and prune without losing the flowers
Give this spring-flowering shrub room for its arching stems, then prune after the display rather than before it.
Forsythia species and cultivars
Plants5 min read
How to grow freesias: plan for cool growth and fragrant flowers
Plant the right corms for your season, support the stems early and keep the leaves after flowering so the corms can rebuild.
Freesia species and hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow hyacinths, indoors and in the garden
Choose ordinary bulbs for the spring border and prepared bulbs for an indoor display. Good drainage and sensible care after flowering matter more than a perfect planting photograph.
Hyacinthus orientalis
Plants5 min read
How to grow hydrangeas—and know what to prune
Identify the species before cutting. Flowering wood, sun tolerance and color response vary far more than a single hydrangea routine suggests.
Hydrangea species and cultivars
Plants5 min read
How to grow lilies: choose the group, then the planting depth
True lilies offer striking summer flowers, but soil preferences, root habits and planting depths differ. Start with the name—and consider cats before planting.
Lilium species and hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow peonies: choose the type and plant at the right depth
Herbaceous, intersectional and tree peonies need different treatment. Start with sun, room and the correct planting level.
Paeonia species and hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow Persian buttercups: a cool-season ranunculus guide
The layered florist flowers belong to Ranunculus asiaticus. Give them a cool growing season, excellent drainage and protection appropriate to your climate.
Ranunculus asiaticus hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow petunias for a longer, fuller display
Choose a growth habit that fits the container, then keep light, moisture and feeding working together through summer.
Petunia garden hybrids
Plants5 min read
How to grow yarrow without giving it the whole border
Flat flowerheads and finely cut leaves make achilleas useful partners for grasses and upright perennials. Give them drainage, choose the right type and leave room for their spread.
Achillea species and cultivars
Plants5 min read
How to make a planted jarrarium without turning a jar into a fish tank
Build an open aquatic plant display with suitable materials, realistic water care and no promise of a sealed animal ecosystem.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
How to make a terrarium: glass, planting and the right balance of moisture
Build a small garden around compatible plants and a vessel you can reach, then adjust water and ventilation through observation.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
How to start a wildflower garden that suits your site
Choose an annual display or a lasting meadow, prepare properly and plan for the care that keeps flowers in the picture.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Indoor gardening ideas that work with your home
Find the right light, choose a manageable collection and make living plants part of a room without making care awkward.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Lavender care: choose the right plant and keep its roots dry
The scent is the attraction; sunshine and drainage do the practical work. Match the lavender to your winter conditions, then keep a compact shape with considered pruning.
Lavandula species and hybrids
Plants5 min read
Mini aquascaping: build a small planted scene without crowding it
Keep the composition simple, choose appropriately scaled plants and plan maintenance before filling a nano aquarium.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Monstera care: give the leaves light and the stems support
Choose the right species, allow for its mature size and use the root zone to guide watering. Large leaves are a growing habit, not a purchase guarantee.
Monstera deliciosa and M. adansonii
Plants5 min read
Mother's Day flowers: choose a gift that fits her home
Thoughtful bouquets and living plants, chosen around the recipient, her space and the care she actually wants to give.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Orchid care starts with the name on the label
Use this practical Phalaenopsis routine for moth orchids, and recognize when another orchid needs different treatment.
Orchidaceae; Phalaenopsis care focus
Plants5 min read
Perennial flowers for sun, shade and a longer season
Choose returning plants by growing conditions first, then combine their flowers, foliage and mature size.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Plants toxic to cats: check the name before bringing one home
Recognize important plant hazards, distinguish misleading common names and know when suspected exposure needs immediate veterinary advice.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Setting up a freshwater aquarium: begin with the fish, not the decor
Plan adult fish needs, mature the filter before stocking and establish a routine for testing and maintenance.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Shade plants: choose for the soil as well as the light
A dry patch beneath a tree and a sheltered, moist border need different plants. Match the kind of shade first, then build a planting with useful texture and seasonal interest.
Shade-tolerant garden plants
Plants5 min read
Spider plant care: a better place, a lighter watering hand
Give Chlorophytum bright indirect light, drainage and room for its arching leaves. Brown tips and a lack of plantlets are clues to investigate, not reasons to start over.
Chlorophytum comosum
Plants5 min read
Succulent care: drainage, useful light and watering that fits
Start with the plant’s identity, then give its roots air and time to dry. Succulents share water-storing tissues, not one universal care routine.
Succulent plant care
Plants5 min read
Terrarium plants: choose for humidity, growth and room to breathe
Select a small compatible collection for a closed humid terrarium or an open display, using mature habits rather than nursery-pot size.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Types of Succulents: Choose the Plant for Its Conditions
Understand rosettes, trailing plants, desert cacti and forest cacti before putting them together in a container.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Types of trees: understand the groups before choosing one
Evergreen, deciduous, conifer, flowering and fruiting describe different things. Use those distinctions to identify trees and choose one for your garden.
Tree identification and selection
Plants5 min read
Yellow Flowering Shrubs: Choose for the Site and the Season
Find a yellow-flowered shrub that fits your soil, available space and the time of year you want color.
A little knowledge. A better garden.
Plants5 min read
Yucca care: choose an indoor plant or a hardy garden species
A bright room and a dry border need different yuccas. Identify yours before deciding how much sun, water or winter protection it needs.
Yucca species
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