"large" yards, pictures, and ideas...
Annuals: A Cure for Spring Fever
Before you go out on your annual spring trek to the garden center this season, be sure to make a list of the sites in your garden you want to brighten up by adding annuals. Without a plan, you may find yourself tempted by the many varieties offered, seemingly everywhere you go....
Ornamental Grasses to the Rescue
Ornamental grasses are multi-task plants: they offer attractive foliage, flowers and seedpods; their beauty is heightened by sunlight and they dance with the wind; they require little maintenance; they provide almost year-round interest in the garden—and—they are problem solvers for less-than-ideal sites in the yard....
The Many Uses of Roses
Gertrude Stein famously wrote, “A rose is a rose is a rose.” You can't really argue with that, unless you want to split hairs. However, her implication seems to be that a rose is just a beautiful flower and that's all, end of story....
How To Grow Exotic Air Plants
All they need is the air they breathe, bright light—but no direct sun—and a bath two to three times a week. Do not add soil; they’ll just hang out wherever you plop them down and in whatever container you plop them in....
“Grandmother’s Garden” Hydrangeas: Today’s Fashion Flower
Hydrangeas are enjoying a renaissance in gardens throughout parts of the US. Although some of the old-fashioned varieties are not “zone friendly,” many can be successfully grown to zone 5, and a few even to zone 3....
Peering Into The Void – Landscaping Large Spaces
Questions about how to make the most of a small space are pretty common. But it can be just as hard - and much more expensive - to landscape a large yard. If you are staring out at a great, yawning expanse of lawn, here are some ways to fill in the blanks....
Color Your Garden
Do you remember the “color wheel” you were introduced to back in your school art classes? If so, it will come in handy this spring when you’re designing a new, colorful garden spot or revamping a tired-looking border. If your memory needs a little prodding, here’s a short refresher course......
Pool Landscaping with Shapes and Colors
“Oasis”, “tropical resort”, “paradise” - pool owners tend to get a little carried away in describing their backyard. But some folks really do manage to create a poolside Shangri-La. How do they do it?...
Springtime Yard Spruce-Up
Spring is just around the corner. How far around the corner depends on countless celestial and meteorological factors, plus, of course, whatever a certain furry resident of Punxsutawney, PA had to say about it this year. (Fun fact: Phil has predicted correctly only about 39% of the time since 1887. So you may not want to take him to the track and let him pick the ponies for you. Just sayin’.) Large rodent shadows notwithstanding, spring is, in fact, coming. I know you’re ready. But is your landscape?...
The Thrill of the Grill
“Ah, spring. When a YardShare member’s fancy turns to thoughts of grilling.” (With sincere apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson.) Nothing stokes a case of spring fever like a column of fragrant smoke wafting over the fence from your neighbor’s BBQ. If this is the year you’re planning up to upgrade your grill, you’ve got plenty to think about....
