Ask the Experts

Get started on spring gardening and bird feeding with pro tips

The Art of Houseplants

10 tips from a designer about styling your indoor green spaces

NIGHT BLOOMING BEAUTIES

Readers share dramatic photos of flowers that emerge when the sun goes down

THE BOLD AND THE BRAINY

With abilities that range from REMEMBERING FACES to PLAYING TRICKS ON PEOPLE, jays, crows and other members of the corvid family are considered some of THE SMARTEST BIRDS ON THE PLANET

Strike a Pose

Birds model their most dramatic looks for the camera

Quite the Arrangement

Grow these easy-care, long-lasting flowers for DIY bouquets

Heralds of Spring

Attract mountain bluebirds with nest boxes, mealworms and more

How do you serve peanut butter to birds?

Readers share their favorite ways to offer the high-protein snack to backyard visitors.

Music in the Dark

When the sun sets, a night symphony begins-meet a few of the insect players.

OUT & ABOUT OWLS

LUCKY READERS PHOTOGRAPHED THESE MAJESTIC AND USUALLY NOCTURNAL-BIRDS DURING THE DAY.

flowing into FALL

PLAN A LANDSCAPE THAT FLOURISHES BEYOND JUST SPRING AND SUMMER FOR A SPACE BOTH YOU AND THE VISITING WILDLIFE WILL LOVE

BLACK BEAUTIES

BRIGHT, COLORFUL BIRDS get all the glory, but these captivating coal-colored creatures are fun to encounter, even if some of them are a bit spooky looking.

Wade into Nature

Experience autumn hues through readers' camera lenses.

Bulb Basics

How to plant tulips in fall for a bounty of spring colors.

Best-in-Show Hydrangeas

These champs offer up the classic shrub's most impressive attributes.

Invest in Next Spring

Plant these bulbs in fall for carpets of color the following year.

Sap Tappers

Listen for drumming as the yellow-bellied sapsucker looks for sweet treats in the trees.

A woodpecker's world

From tree-climbing downies to ground foraging flickers to sap-loving sapsuckers, woodpeckers delight and entertain us with their unique markings, fascinating flight patterns and distinctive drumming sounds. Here are fun facts to enrich your viewing of these dashing birds.

Zoom in on - Butterflies

Photographing the fast fliers requires patience, but these snapshots from readers prove it's worth the wait.

Easy Breezy Gardening

Seven tips for a beautiful low-maintenance yard with minimal fuss and effort.

Light Up the Night

Discover what makes lightning bugs so eaptivating.

Ask the Experts

Summer plants that monarchs love, hummingbird habits and more!

Golden Moments

The haze of summer offers prime conditions for bird-watching.

Succulents for Pollinators

Discover drought tolerant plants that provide nectar for bees, butterflies and birds.

Best New Dahlias

One-of-a-kind introductions that offer a variety of blooms and sizes.

Scrub, Rinse, Repeat

What you should use to clean feeders and how often to do it to keep birds healthy.

oops! COMMON TOMATO MISTAKES

Vine-ripe tomatoes are some of summer’s great joys —here’s how to avoid 11 missteps and harvest a bumper crop.

Hummingbird tales

EACH EVENING during our family vacation in Ridgedale, Missouri, a female ruby-throated hummingbird passed through the branches of a tree just off our porch. I brought my camera out one night in anticipation of her arrival and, sure enough, there she was. I hung over the railing to grab a series of images. The light and the lovely bird were amazing and the blooms looked like fireworks. It's a great memory from a wonderful trip with family.

Defending Their Turf

Why hummingbirds guard their territories so fiercely.

Hummingbird Magnets

Attract these busy fliers with nectar-packed salvias.