Topics
Special Series
Birds
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Community Rain Gardening
A focus on community rain gardens fosters sustainability movements in local neighborhoods.
By Maureen O’Brien -
A Children’s Garden of Wildflowers
Favorite native perennials in the Discovery Garden.
By Ashley Gamell -
Migration and Hibernation in the Discovery Garden
On September 18 and 19, the Discovery Garden will host free family workshops all about migration and hibernation.
By Ashley Gamell -
Designing A Hummingbird Garden: 15 Ways to Keep Them Coming
Hummingbirds prefer openings in the forest and forest edge, and so are readily drawn to suburban and rural gardens that offer a mix of tall trees, shrubs, and patches of meadow and lawn.
By Stephen W. Kress -
Deer Deterrents That Work
Once roaming open fields and forests and controlled by natural predators, deer now must make their home near housing developments, office parks, and shopping malls, and their populations are growing. Little wonder then that they treat our gardens like buffet bars. Thoughtful plant choices, fences, dogs, and repellents help to keep deer at bay.
By Walter Chandoha -
Rain Garden Plants
The following are some native plants suitable for rain gardens, listed by region. They are also attractive to butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Be sure to choose species appropriate for the degree of sun or shade on the site.
By Janet Marinelli -
Deer-Resistant Plants: Shrubs and Trees for the Deer-Plagued Gardener
Over the past few decades, plant damage caused by deer has risen to alarming levels in North American rural and suburban gardens.
By Richard A. Larson -
Columbines—Elegant Flowers Spurred to Greatness
When folks hear the word "spur," many of them invariably think of cowpokes in the Old West and the jangling metal boot contraptions they wore to urge on their horses. For us plant lovers, however, the word can conjure up something a little more serene. We can think, for instance, of the architecture of a columbine flower, with its distinctive spurs curling outward like the necks of graceful birds in mid-flight.
By Katherine Gould -
Flora for Fauna
Transforming a garden into a wildlife refuge doesn't require a big cash prize; you can do the work gradually. Start by expanding your existing borders with flowers that butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators love.
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Zinnias—If You Plant Them, Butterflies Will Come
These cheerful annuals are enjoying renewed popularity as more and more colorful, compact, and disease-resistant varieties appear on seed racks.
By Claire Hagen Dole
