Gardening How-to Articles

Create a habitat for pollinators as well as the amazing array of less beloved, but still important, insects out there. Read › Make Your Garden a Haven for Insect Diversity

Plants and animals evolved together, so they have complex relationships. Among them: plant/herbivore, plant/pollinator, plant/disperser, and other examples of mutualism. Read › Plant/Animal Relationships

These placid, plodding reptiles are gradually disappearing from landscapes across eastern North America. Gardeners can help ease their plight. Read › Box Turtles in the Garden

Learn how to create a simple, low-maintenance design that will lure monarchs, swallowtails, skippers, and other beneficial insects throughout autumn. Read › Butterfly Gardening in Fall

Wild bird populations are threatened by habitat loss, global warming, collisions with buildings, and much more. You can help ease their plight by turning your city garden, or a portion of it, into a pesticide-free bird sanctuary. Read › A Bird Habitat Garden—Plant Choices and Design Tips

Honey bees are from Europe. The bee species native to North America are very different. They can be black, brown, or green, and the vast majority are solitary creatures that nest in cavities or soil. They are also important pollinators and could use your help! Read › Native Bees

Urban beekeeping is on the rise in the U.S., powered by such trends as the local food movement and the spread of inner-city community gardens. Read › Urban Beekeeping

In the United States, managed honey bees pollinate more than 100 commercial crops, including cherries, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, coffee, and almonds. And these bees are dying. Read › Give Bees a Chance—The Mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder

Hummingbirds prefer openings in the forest and forest edge, and so are readily drawn to suburban and rural gardens that offer a mix of tall trees, shrubs, and patches of meadow and lawn. Read › Designing A Hummingbird Garden: 15 Ways to Keep Them Coming

Once roaming open fields and forests and controlled by natural predators, deer now must make their home near housing developments, office parks, and shopping malls, and their populations are growing. Little wonder then that they treat our gardens like buffet bars. Thoughtful plant choices, fences, dogs, and repellents help to keep deer at bay. Read › Deer Deterrents That Work