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Four backyard planting layouts for sun, shade and manageable upkeep
Choose a backyard layout for sun, shade, moisture and maintenance, with practical planting arrangements and source-linked checks before buying.
5 min read ·Gardening guidance
Read the plant, place and season.
Gardening guides that separate hardiness, frost timing and local conditions so the next step makes sense.
Use the right climate clue
The garden notebook
Plant advice with context.
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Identify your baobab before deciding where it can grow
Identify African baobab trees, distinguish young plants from adults, and decide whether your climate supports outdoor planting or protected container growing.
3 min read ·Feature
Choose St. Augustine fertilizer by soil needs—not the brand name
Choose fertilizer for an established St. Augustine lawn using soil tests, slow-release nitrogen, the right application rate and local growing conditions.
4 min read ·Feature
Christmas cactus care: what to change when it won’t flower
Keep an established Christmas cactus healthy, check why it missed flowering, and use cool temperatures and uninterrupted nights to encourage buds.
4 min read ·Feature
How to water dracaena—and read its leaf problems
Find the right light and watering cues for indoor dracaena, then check brown tips, yellow leaves and sudden leaf loss before changing care.
4 min read ·Feature
Fiddle-leaf fig care: check the pot before treating the leaves
Care for an indoor fiddle-leaf fig with a soil-led watering routine, sensible light placement and checks for brown leaves, yellowing and leaf drop.
4 min read ·Feature
Which moonflower do you have? Identification, siting and care
Tell moonflower vine from Datura, assess a safe growing site, and care for established plants with guidance on water, support and flowering.
4 min read ·Feature
How to care for established peonies through the seasons
When to support, water, deadhead and cut back established peonies—and what to check when a mature plant stops flowering.
4 min read ·Feature
Thistle in the garden: identify it before you keep or remove it
Use stems, leaves and spreading habits to identify common garden thistles, decide which to retain, and match control to roots or seeds.
4 min read ·Feature
Types of flowers: identify nine garden favorites and choose what fits
Recognize nine common garden flowers and compare annuals, perennials and bulbs by appearance, bloom season, light and maintenance.
5 min read ·Feature
Hardiness zone versus frost date: which one should guide planting?
Use hardiness zones for perennial winter survival and local frost dates for seasonal planting—then adjust for your site.
2 min read ·Gardener Tips
Know what the map means.
Then check your local date.
Gardener Tips explains the signals behind planting advice and links changing climate guidance to its source.
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