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Easy to Grow Herbs in Coastal Georgia and South Carolina
I love to cook, but I can’t stand paying $5 for a tiny bundle of “organic” herbs at the grocery store. I’ll happily spend $400 on a dress, yet $20 on herbs feels outrageous—completely irrational, I know, but that’s how it is. My solution is simple: I grow my own. I rely on five tried-and-true…
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When Should I Water My Plants, Morning or Night, and Does Timing Really Matter?
Short answer: yes. One of the most common questions I get after installing a garden is when to water it. In general, early morning is ideal. During the summer months, it’s best to run drip irrigation or sprinklers between roughly 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. This timing allows water to soak into the soil and…
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Top Dressing: Can Covering Your Lawn in Sand Help Your Grass?
After spending enough time around plants and gardens, people tend to fall into one of two camps: those who love lawns, and those who slowly move from indifference to mild irritation—and eventually outright dislike. I’d place myself in the second group. That said, one of my close friends runs a lawn care company, so I…
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Why I Love Zinnias: A Complete Guide to Their History, Best Varieties, and Care Tips
Nothing says summer quite like their cheerful, colorful blooms swaying in the garden. They bring so much life and joy to outdoor spaces, and the best part is that they’re incredibly easy to grow. With a little care and a few basic gardening tips, almost anyone can enjoy a season filled with nonstop flowers. What…
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Is It Too Late to Prune? A Quick Guide to Cutting Back Leggy Flowers in May and June
It’s tempting to break out the pruning shears at the first sign of spring, but missing that early-season window is not always a bad thing. In fact, many spring-blooming plants are best left untouched until late spring or even early summer because they form their flower buds well before blooming begins. Pruning too early can…
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Pergolas: Should I bother?
Summer sunshine is one of life’s simple pleasures—it brings warmth, light, vitamin D, and a reason to spend more time outside. But when there’s too much of it, your outdoor space can quickly become uncomfortable and underused. That’s where a pergola comes in. A well-designed pergola can turn an overly exposed area into a comfortable,…
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Is pollen attacking you? Here’s how to fight back.
While I’m lucky enough not to deal with allergies myself, my son absolutely does—and living through childhood allergy seasons with him has been eye-opening in more ways than one. One of the biggest takeaways? Allergies are incredibly regional. You can feel perfectly fine in one part of the country and then move somewhere new—only to…
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War of the Roses: Taming Knockout Roses & Rosemary
Rosemary and roses provide mesmerizing scent and structure to a garden, but they must be properly pruned or they become unwieldy. Scent is powerful—often even more so than sight—especially when it comes to memory. A fragrance can linger in your mind long after a visual fades. Think about the comforting smell of a loved one,…
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Destressing in a Stressful World: How a Water Feature Can Help Calm You Down
Our hectic lifestyles take a toll on our health—and we feel it. So, what can we do? Surround yourself with flowing water with a water feature. Stress is widespread: 77% of working professionals report feeling stressed on the job, and 48% of parents say their stress feels overwhelming most days, compared with just 26% of…
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Deer treating your garden as an all you can eat salad bar? Fight back with deer-resistant plants in the right place.
Let’s face it—if you live in a gated community with strict HOA guidelines and hunting restrictions, the deer usually win. It’s not if they’ll snack on your prized azaleas, but when. Deer can jump up to eight feet from a standstill, so most HOA-approved fences won’t keep them out. So, what’s the solution? Honestly, choose deer-resistant plants… and…
