Plants & Yard Ideas

Congratulations on making it this far and having a beautiful garden to show for it! But while the initial grunt work is done, your plants still need a little TLC to keep them looking and performing their best. Strive to spend at least one afternoon a week (or a few minutes a day) to walk among your beds, pick a few flowers, or simply sit in your garden and take it all in.

You’ve got the site and the soil dialed in, and now comes the fun part: the plants! Part of making your garden plan is deciding what types of plants you want to grow and how they’ll coexist in your space. All of the previous lessons — knowing how much sun your yard receives each day, what climate zone you’re in, and when you’re ready to plant — will aid a great deal in this process, so be sure you read them before you move on.

Want to make max impact with your plants? Try one of these beauties.

Yes, you can be a plant parent and still go on vacation. We've got the intel on how to keep your leafy fam happy while you're gone.

This weekend, we'll do that universally helpful, little-known plant care task.

Pinterest looked into all the ways users are plotting to put a little more green in their homes this winter, just by adding a little bit of liquid.

Cat parents, rejoice! You don't need to worry about your pet nibbling on these plants.

Hooray for lazy plant parents!

Move over, dahlias, mums, and sunflowers—here's how to use fall's new hot flower all over your home.

These doll heads that were refurbished as planters are creeping everyone out.

There’s one critical step you have to take to make sure you’re getting the most out of these classic pots.

Although a turkey baster is usually used to help maintain moisture when cooking, it’s also a really useful tool to save your plant from harm over time.

This is a no brainer.

Because plants make the world better.

Much like almost everything else you need for a house, turns out IKEA is a pretty good option for plant shopping.

Get excited to never kill another plant again.

With the fall season officially here, some would-be gardeners who missed their chance to flex the ol’ green thumb may be experiencing regrets. Fortunately, there’s no need to wait until next spring to try again. There are a ton of alternate gardening options, and this personalized home garden known as the Verdeat is a pretty cool one.According to its Kickstarter page, Verdeat is a “modular fully automatic gardening system” crafted from environmentally friendly materials.

Name: Rachel Andersen Type of Project: Backyard Patio Renovation Location: Tulsa, OK Type of building: Single-Family Ranch The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step-by-step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style.Rachel has tons of friends and family who happily joined her on weekends to knock this project out!

$26.99 for a fiddle leaf fig, anyone?

We talked to a few plant experts to get step-by-step instructions on how to start your own pumpkin patch—or at least one. In any case, here are some handy tips for getting the results you want:

You have a shady section of your garden that you don’t know what to do with. Or maybe your apartment or condo has a balcony that’s covered in shade all day. What plants should you put in those corners of your outdoor space?

You'll want ten.

There’s just something about a well-done window box that makes the outside of a home or building look especially polished and welcoming.

These tiny home dwellers managed to add beautiful plant life into their compact abodes in cute and clever ways!

Before you can roll around in the grass or have a picnic in the backyard this summer, you need to prep your lawn. Just like you spring clean your house, now’s the time to get your yard in shape for the season by doing all those necessary tasks like removing debris, replacing grass, or taking out weeds. These ten items will help you give it a fresh start and set the groundwork for a beautiful, lush lawn come June, or you can always bring the great outdoors inside by growing grass indoors.

Devon Else wanted her family's large patio to feel warm and inviting, so she decided to break out some paint and DIY it. Including a door, the entire project cost just over $1,000.

So sweet.

I’m in a traveling, outdoor mood, largely because I’m stuck inside an air conditioned office and longing to be outside. To soothe myself, I want to revisit a home we visited last summer — Margaret Roach’s year round retreat in upstate New York. I’ve included new pictures, and I think you’ll get a lot of vicarious pleasure out of this visit. Enjoy!

Beyond the ick-factor, fungus gnats are harmless to people and generally harmless to plants, so long as they don’t start breeding out of control because the larvae will feed on and damage plant roots.

Remember pet rocks? Yeah, it’s time to upgrade. Meet the marimo ball.

There are proven benefits to hydrating your beloved plants with coffee.

These rainbow outdoor spaces aren't afraid of vibrant hues, and will inspire you to add color to your own home's exteriors.

So you can have a hot girl summer, not swat girl summer.

The term “goth plants” isn’t one you’ll see in your average box store garden department. These plants have darker leaves and flowers, deeper and richer colors, and/or other components that are more emo than your run-of-the-mill greenery. This Reddit thread on Colocasia Black Magic led me to the Plant Goths thread, and my interest was officially piqued.

Let your home shine bright with these smart design tips.

Want to take your plant parent status to the next level? Check out these modern ways to decorate with your greens.

From wall planters to floating shelves, here are eight items that will help you create a plant wall that won’t cost you your security deposit.

The best plants for small spaces and low light, plus watering tips, and more.

Name: Rachel Andersen Type of Project: Backyard Patio Renovation Location: Tulsa, OK Type of building: Single-family Ranch The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Rachel worked 3+ jobs all throughout high school and college, because she had a big dream: to buy a little place and make it into a home.

Name: Rachel Andersen Type of Project: Backyard Patio Renovation Location: Tulsa, OK Type of building: Single-Family Ranch The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Rachel bought her first house at the young age of 21, and works hard to make it a welcoming place for family and friends.

Name: Rachel Andersen Type of Project: Backyard Patio Renovation Location: Tulsa, OK Type of building: Single-family Ranch The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. Rachel and friends have worked for weeks to pull this backyard space together, not cutting any corners, and doing it all DIY-style.

Name: Rachel Andersen Type of Project: Backyard Patio Renovation Location: Tulsa, OK Type of building: Single-Family Ranch The Renovation Diaries are a collaboration with our community in which we feature your step by step renovation progress and provide monetary support towards getting it done in style. See all of our Reno Diaries here. All projects come with lots of good intentions — filled with budgets, plans, and timelines.

When I was growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana, my family took a lot of trips to Mississippi to see my grandparents, and on the way back, I remember, there was this one lavender house, right by the interstate, that always caught my eye. This one pale, pale purple home, in a sea of beiges, seemed almost magical.

Jennifer’s backyard was overgrown and her deck had seen better days. After clearing away a good portion of the growth, she knew her backyard had major potential but she wasn’t entirely sure what to do about the deck. Enter gravel! Friend to both budget and mother nature, this alternative choice helped Jennifer build a gorgeous outdoor space. From Jennifer: Before I purchased my house in late 2007, it had lived a maintenance-free life. The yard was completely overgrown.

It was love at first sight for Elizabeth and her patio. And like any good relationship, they’ve inspired each other, supported each other and brought a little color into each others’ lives. From Elizabeth: When we took the tour of our apartment I didn’t even need to step through the front door before I realized that we we’re going to take it. Simply based on the patio.

Previously I wrote about my bare backyard when it was a wasteland of dog poop, weeds and sorrow. Today I’m showing you my new and improved outdoor space, which is now a low maintenance dream. Two thirds of the new backyard is covered with an expansive composite deck. The other section is a rectangular area of gravel with a firepit: Composite Deck: Probably the most ground-breaking — yet largely unsung — feature of the new and improved backyard is the new platform deck.

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as growing your own food—and nothing quite so frustrating as being a would-be gardener with a too-small outdoor space. I have known this pain myself, so I was particularly intrigued when Dabney, our Projects Editor, told me about Square Foot Gardening, a very efficient technique for growing things you can eat. Could this be the perfect way to grow a lot of veggies in just a little bit of space?

This Bay Area front yard had seen better days, but now it is an urban oasis worthy of major admiration—and envy, especially of their lucky friends who get invitations for sunset cocktails but didn’t have to do any of the actual work. If you happen to have a similar project to tackle, this reader submission has the most thorough process description ever seen in a Before & After post. Everything looks so lush and luxurious!

You might remember Jessica’s petite apartment, which was featured in a House Tour (and video) a couple of years ago. Off the bedroom, through that French door, is a teeny tiny balcony, which she just got around to sprucing up, and it’s so worth a look. This tiny balcony seems like it’s only large enough to hold a bistro table and chairs—or even just one chair perhaps?—but a clever makeover makes room for so much more. Absolutely amazing!

Let's unpack the tiny backyard shed phenomenon, shall we?

‘Tis the season for partying outdoors. But what to do when you don’t have a proper backyard in which to throw an al fresco bash? Fret not, my patio-deprived friends. There are still plenty of ways to host a stellar summer soiree without an actual backyard. It just takes a little planning and creativity. From picnics at the park to old-school pub-crawls, here are seven ways to throw a stellar summer fete—no backyard necessary.

It went "from shabby storage shed to chic guest suite."

Even if you don't have a rooftop to use, you'll find garden inspiration from all the ways this couple and their neighbors made use of their shared outdoor space.

Each time a tiny seed transforms into a rainbow of flowers, I feel renewed with hope not just for my garden, but for the world. It’s a reminder that there is a possibility of beauty everywhere.

Most plant parents know that a regular watering schedule is key to keeping your leaf babies thriving. Perhaps you already pump the jams while tackling this important task, but now there’s a soundtrack made specifically for giving your thirsty stems a drink.Created by artist Past Palms, the eponymous EP “is a sonic reflection of yearning for nature in a nature-less place.

There are so many different types of summer solstice traditions around the globe that we could never possibly list them all, but this flower-focused one from Sweden is especially lovely for the occasion. On the night of Friday, June 21, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is gifting travelers flying from the US to Scandinavia a bouquet of seven gorgeous fresh flowers, which they are to put underneath their pillows.

These windowsills use more than just flowers to decorate.

We’ve been enviously reading posts from the Northern Hemisphere about the lead up to summer and meanwhile down here in Australia, we’ve just entered winter. It’s getting really cold and frosty so not much is happening in our garden at the moment.

Indoor plants have seen their fair share of sunken living rooms, mall food courts, and midcentury modern. Let’s take a tour through the houseplant bubbles of yore.

Here’s how to grow your own.

Do you know what a mandrake is? If you’re a botany enthusiast, you probably do. However, if your plant knowledge ends right around “dandelion” and “ivy,” you may not know. It’s a hearty root, but it’s also different from other growing thingamajigs in that it…kind of looks like a human. And if you’re a fan of Harry Potter franchise, you know this more than anyone as to how alive they can seem.

These unusual plants are shooting to the top of our “must-have” list and gaining traction among collectors and plant parents.

This is the perfect time to bring your houseplants outside to promote new growth and overall health.

Sometimes staring out of a window isn’t enough to soothe the senses and clear the mind, which is explains why there’s a sitting on the roof trope we often see played out in our favorite TV shows and films. It appears to be quite peaceful up there, but unfortunately not all homes are equipped with such easy rooftop access. However, window manufacturer Velux has made it so that your skylights can do double duty.

These blooming beauties bring color to your indoor space.

Fresh flowers or a new plant can transform a home as easily as the weather. But personally, I find both of them to be a giant pain in the neck.

If you’ve been looking through our outdoor area-maximizing guides this summer and feeling bummed because you don’t have a big area to yourself to clean or decorate, fear not! There are still plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors in whatever home you’ve got. Here are some ideas. First of all, do you really not have any outdoor space? Or is it just super tiny? Because let me tell you, you can do a lot with a little. As these inspiring small spaces prove.

If you’re reading this story, there’s a good chance you’re a brand new plant parent. Congratulations! After sifting through countless species and asking yourself some serious questions to make sure you’re up for the task, you’ve finally found a plant that you will have to hold, love in sickness and in health, until (plant) death do you part.The only question that remains is how you’ll use your plant.

Red Fox We’re probably not the first to tell you that bees have been disappearing from their hives, never to return, at alarming rates. Colony Collapse Disorder has been an issue here in the US since the 1990s and it’s now occurring all around the world. Among the super-bummer factors believed to be causing CCD is habitat loss. While this is a really large scale issue, there are a few things the average gardener can do to help out.

During the month of March, we’re gathering some of our best problem solvers together into master “Home Remedies” posts to help you make your home healthier, solving one problem at a time. Today, help for all the indoor gardeners out there that struggle with keeping house plants healthy.

Of the many things that have to be in place before you can throw a successful garage sale (like decluttering your house to have enough stuff to sale and picking a good location), you also need to make sure your garage sale is playing by the rules and playing nice. Here are three things to consider before throwing your next garage sale. 1.

These gorgeous blooms are perfect for a container-sized cutting garden.