Discover A-Z flowers, with their names, features, care, and more.
I used to feel guilty about fake plants. It felt like decorating with a lie. Then I killed my fourth fiddle leaf fig in two years, and my perspective changed completely. A good artificial plant is not a compromise anymore. Modern faux greenery uses real bark, weighted trunks, and UV-safe silk leaves that fool guests…
A south-facing window delivers the most intense and longest-lasting natural light of any exposure in the Northern Hemisphere. According to Oregon State University Extension, a window facing south receives the most intense sun of the day. That intensity is a gift, but only if you match it with the right plants. This guide covers 25…
If you have ever stood in a room just after sunrise and felt that soft, golden light on your face, you already know why an east-facing window is a gift to any plant lover. I have grown dozens of houseplants over the years, and I can say with confidence: east light is the most forgiving…
Gaillardia ‘Arizona Sun’ is a compact, drought-tolerant blanket flower that grows just 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, producing fiery orange-red blooms with yellow-tipped petals from May through August. It needs full sun, lean well-drained soil, and minimal water once established. Deadhead to extend bloom, avoid rich compost, divide every…
Coneflower maintenance during summer comes down to a few habits: water about one inch per week during dry spells, deadhead selectively to extend bloom, and watch for Japanese beetles, leaf spot, and aster yellows. I have grown coneflowers in three different gardens now, in three different soil types, and the plant has never once let…
If you have ever watched your once-vibrant flower bed start to look tired and patchy by mid-July, you are not alone. The single most effective habit that separates a thriving summer garden from a declining one is consistent deadheading. Deadheading — the practice of removing old, spent blooms — is one of the most straightforward…
If there is one flower that seems born for summer, it is the zinnia. Zinnias are native to the dry, hot highlands of Mexico, which means they carry heat tolerance in their very genes. They do not just survive warm weather — they perform their absolute best in it. Still, “heat-tolerant” does not mean “care-free.”…
There is something deeply satisfying about a flower bed in full summer bloom. Colour, movement, fragrance, and life — all concentrated in one carefully designed space. I have planned and planted flower beds in many different climates over the years, and the one thing that never changes is the reaction people have when they see…
If you have ever spotted a sculptural, silver-blue tree standing alone in a dry garden — its trunk wrapped in a skirt of golden straw and its crown exploding in sharp, fine-tipped leaves — you were almost certainly looking at Yucca rostrata. I remember the first time I saw one in a southwestern landscape. It…
There are flowers that demand attention, careful soil preparation, and constant vigilance. And then there is the cosmos flower — a plant that practically grows itself, asks for very little, and rewards you with months of delicate, feathery blooms that look like they belong in a painting. I have grown many flowers over the years,…