contain your ENTHUSIASM

Pots are the place to experiment, says expert designer Christina Lalwitz

Some Like It HOT

THESE 12 ROSES SAIL THROUGH STEAMY WEATHER-EVEN THAT OF SOUTH FLORIDA

HARVEST TIME!

Niki's tips for picking vegetables at their peak

PINEAPPLE LILIES!

EUCOMIS ARE A SWEET SUMMER FEAST FOR THE EYES

A TIME TO SOW

Though it may need years to take hold, the interest in gardening can be planted early

A LASTING IMPRESSION

FAVORITE LONGBLOOMING PERENNIALS FOR A CONTINUALLY COLORFUL GARDEN

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

In his new book, garden designer Benjamin Vogt explains the dynamics of plant combinations and more

11 Easy-to-Dry Flowers

Drying flowers doesn’t have to be complicated. To get beautiful colors and sturdy blooms, sometimes it’s just a matter of choosing the right ones and using simple techniques. Erin Howell-Conner, manager of Howell’s Greenhouse & Pumpkin Patch in Cumming, Iowa, knows a lot about this process. She’s been designing with flowers she has grown and dried herself all her life.

THE EVER-CHANGING GARDEN

Learn how one gardener transformed an erosion-prone landscape into a striking flower-filled oasis.

Help Drought-Proof Your Garden

If you're tired of watering to keep your garden going through a hot, dry summer, take a few tips from Denver Botanic Gardens' Panayoti Kelaidis.

Reader Tips

GREAT IDEAS FROM SMART GARDENERS

Hardy Hibiscus

These impressive blooms bring drama and a touch of the tropics.

3 Invasive Tree Pests to Watch

It is devastating when a tree loses the battle with an insect pest, leaving a hole in the landscape that can't be refilled quickly. Sadly, many trees fall prey to invasive insects-here are three destructive ones to watch.

Blast Off With Bright Color!

Peer at an individual flower from the inflorescence of Starship Scarlet lobelia, and you might be reminded of a hummingbird hovering in flight.

VEGETABLES to Plant Now for a FALL HARVEST

Extend the growing season with a second planting of fast-growing and cool-season crops!

DESIGN DILEMMAS

WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE: Struck by the unexpected beauty of a plant at the garden center, in a flurry of inspiration, we grab other beautiful companions, purchase them all, and head home full of grand plants and visions but no real plan. Sometimes it works out, and many times it doesn't because designing a garden takes attention to nuts and bolts: the hows, wheres and with-whats. What dilemmas do you face? Flip through the following pages of inspiring photos and get practical solutions to your garden woes. Improve your garden's layout, add function, color it with your personality, and find that perfect fix that boosts your garden from good to better to best. Let's get started!

Fabulous Summer Flowers

There here are two ways to keep the color going in your garden through the summer..

Small Flock Poultry

Predator Protection

Beyond Firewood

I knew the silver maple tree in my backyard was in pretty rotten shape, but hearing the decades-old tree fall was still a shock

Sheep & Goats

There are obvious benefits to raising sheep and goats. Meat is likely the first that comes to mind

BEST BEEF & PERFECT PORK

THESE BREEDS THRIVE ON SMALL-SCALE HOBBY FARMS

Insectary Strips

In addition to offering food sources to honeybees and native pollinators, insectary strips can provide your homestead with noninsect-derived benefits

Zero-Turn Mowers

If you're coming from lawn and garden tractors, you might not immediately recognize a zero-turn mower as a member of the mowing family

Homegrown Fungi

Tony Shields has been fascinated with mushrooms for as long as he can remember

When it RAINS...

Today's weather can be bust or boom, and bioswales and rain gardens help control the overflow during boom times.

Charge Tools with Solar

Ongoing improvements to batteries O have helped increasing numbers of gardeners to cut the cord- and the need for gasoline - for their string trimmers, edgers, lawn mowers and other gadgets.

THE GREAT CATTLE DEBATE

Grain-fed versus grass-fed - is one better than the other?

The Queen of Topiary

Linda Vater talks us through the transition from self-taught hobby gardening to becoming a national gardening guru.

LAMBS, AMERICAN STYLE

The Katahdin is a native sheep breed that requires only little maintenance and is easy to care for.

Grass-Fed Meat

The fastest way to increase the carbon content of a degraded soil is to establish a perennial grassland and graze it with ruminant animals in a proper manner