Gardening

I live in a one bedroom “garden” apartment, which means that I get to have my own front door, porch, and small strip of flower bed. The only downside? The flower bed is under the porch roof, which means it’s constantly damp and shady, and also an ideal mosquito habitat. So this year, after frantically trying to squash a few rogue mosquitoes that snuck indoors while I was carrying in groceries, I’ve decided to get myself some mosquito-repelling plants.

Though it certainly feels like it when you watch people with the gift of making every plant under their care flourish, no one is born with a green thumb: There are only black thumbs who become green thumbs, and black thumbs who haven’t yet. If you’re in the second category, knowing these dirty little secrets hidden in the closets of your green thumb friends will speed you on your own path to that enviable star plant-parent status.

Do you dream of fragrant green herbs sprouting on your kitchen windowsill? Cherry tomatoes ripening on the vine just outside your door? If you’ve got a least a little patch of sun on a porch or balcony, you can grow a container garden. But before you head out to buy seeds, you might want to check with your local library to see if you can “check out” a pack or two. Yep, libraries aren’t just for books and movies anymore.

Have you ever peeled back the leaves on a bunch of homegrown kale to discover hundreds of scaly little bugs? Those are aphids and the sight of them will make you throw away your kale and order pizza instead. And anyone who’s had a houseplant infested with spider mites will have been tempted to chuck said plant, pot and all, straight out the window. The damage they cause can eventually kill the plant, and the mites spread quickly.

Adding a few houseplants is a foolproof way to brighten up your decor while adding a aura of serenity to your space. Unfortunately, houseplants can get pricey, especially for big showstoppers or unusual varieties. Let’s be honest: it’s tough to pull out your credit card when you’re not sure a plant will actually survive your apartment’s environment, or the blunderings of your black thumb. But that doesn’t mean you have to live without indoor greenery.

Houseplants have gone from an accessory to a lifestyle, and having a wall full of plants is becoming more “millennial” than millennial pink. The only thing that could make it more trendy? If there was a subscription box associated with it. Well, wonder no further when such a thing will exist—The Sill has launched a Plant Parent Club.

Whether you’re dyeing eggs for Easter, or you’re just really into packing hard-boiled eggs with your lunch lately, here’s a smart tip you can use soon: Save your egg water for your plants. Plants love calcium. When it’s present in a plant’s soil, calcium helps to keep the pH in check—a neutral soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 provides plants with the ideal environment to soak up all the nutrients they need. You know what naturally contains calcium? Eggshells.

Great news, plant parents: the Instagram favorite fiddle leaf fig tree appears to be back in stock at select Costco locations across the country. You might remember how excited we got to spot them at a Michigan location last year (Auburn Hills) where they were around six feet tall and under $50 ($46.99 to be exact). Our plant sleuth Kaitlin Flannery just let us know that the leafy tree is back at Auburn Hills, though they are smaller in size and in price.

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and the saying holds true for homes. When your house is on the market, you want potential buyers to fall in love at first sight—and that means having major curb appeal. While the house itself is the focus of curb appeal, keep in mind that landscaping is an important factor to consider as well. Thoughtful use of plants can create visual interest and enhance the overall look of your property.

Plants and macramé go together like white fur blankets and Scandinavian homes. With the reemergence of Boho and trending #plantlady tags, it’s only natural that macramé plant hangers are popping up everywhere. They were big in 2018 and we predict they aren’t go away anytime soon. Macramé is such a beautiful craft that can be the perfect finishing detail to a room and we’ll kickstart your hunt with some of our favorite DIYs and buys.

We all have been swooning hard for a while now on cacti. Not only have we been loving the image of the iconic desert plant on interior wall murals and bedspread prints, but we love the cactus itself, too. Robust and relatively easy to care for, these wonderful additions to the home bring a lovely southwestern vibe into any space. Luckily for all of us, most cactus dealers—online and off—are responsible. They grow their plants from seeds and wouldn’t dream of poaching.

Ready for your next weekend project? With summer slowly winding down, all I can think about is spending my evenings outdoor, whether in a friend’s backyard, a restaurant patio, or a city park. Patrick Davis, consultant by day, DIY carpenter by nights and weekends, has just the project to get your outdoor space ready for those early fall hangs. The best part? It only takes up a few square feet!

IKEA hacks are often inspiring, but there are so many I’ve never tried myself because they take too long and require tools that I don’t have–and they’re often furniture pieces that I just don’t need. So when I found myself wandering the floors of IKEA recently, and the TOPPIG lantern presented itself as a possible hanging planter, I knew it was a hack I was willing to try because I could do it quickly and with minimal supplies.

There's ALWAYS room for another one of these.