Plant Care & Maintenance

Stinkhorn Mushrooms in the Lawn

The first time I met a stinkhorn in a lawn, I found it with my nose before my eyes. A sharp, rotten smell that did not belong in a tidy patch of grass. If you are here because you have the same experience, take a breath through your mouth and let me reassure you: stinkhorn mushrooms look alarming...

Mole Crickets vs. Moles in the Lawn

I have a soft spot for lawn mysteries, mostly because they look dramatic and feel personal. You walk out with your coffee, and overnight your grass has turned into a weird, bumpy quilt. The temptation is to declare, “Moles!” and start swinging at the problem with whatever remedy you remember...

Iris Borers: Notched Fans, Frass, and Rhizome Damage

The first time I met an iris borer, I did what any optimistic gardener does. I assumed my bearded iris was being dramatic. A fan looked “creased” and a little chewed, so I watered, fussed, whispered encouragement. Then I tugged on a leaf and it slid out with that awful, soft resistance that tells...

Is a Bromeliad Supposed to Die After It Flowers?

The first time one of my bromeliads bloomed, I celebrated like it had just won a tiny tropical trophy. Then a few weeks later the leaves started looking tired and a little sad. If you are in that exact emotional roller coaster, breathe. For many bromeliads, that slow fade after flowering is not...

Lilac Suckers: What to Cut and What to Leave

The first time I met a truly enthusiastic lilac, I thought it was being helpful. So many fresh green shoots at the base. So much vigor. It felt like the shrub was cheering me on. Then bloom season arrived, and the flowers were fine, not fabulous. The base had turned into a thicket, and the older...

Mandevilla vs. Dipladenia: How to Tell Them Apart

The first time I brought one of these home, I did what any reasonable plant person does. I set it on the porch, admired the glossy leaves, and immediately started talking to it like it could confirm its own identity. Was it a mandevilla or a dipladenia? The tag was vague, the flowers were equally...

Why Bearded Irises Are Not Blooming

The first time my bearded irises refused to bloom, I took it personally. I had babied them like houseguests: extra compost, extra water, extra everything. Turns out that was the problem. Bearded irises are a little like my fussier ferns: they do best when you love them, then back away slowly. If...

Smooth Hydrangea (Annabelle) Care for Shade Gardens

I have a soft spot for smooth hydrangea, especially the classic Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’. It is one of those shrubs that makes a shade garden feel intentional, like you meant for that quiet corner under the maple to look lush. And unlike some hydrangeas that keep gardeners guessing, smooth...

Why Your Rose of Sharon Is Not Blooming

The first summer I grew Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) on purpose, I was certain I’d found a “set it and forget it” shrub. It was green, tough, and completely unbothered by my busy weeks. Then July rolled around, my neighbor’s shrub turned into a confetti cannon of blooms, and mine did...

Spanish Lavender Care

The first time I grew Spanish lavender, I kept walking past it like it was wearing a tiny hat. Those perky little “rabbit ears” on top of each bloom look almost too whimsical to be real. If you have one on a sunny porch or tucked into a dry border, you already know the charm. You might also know...

Coleus Downy Mildew: Sudden Leaf Drop and What to Do

I have seen plenty of coleus drama over the years. A little midday sun and they sulk. Miss a watering and they flop like fainting goats. But when a coleus goes from lush to nearly bare in a blink, and you flip a leaf to find a smoky gray to purple fuzz underneath, that is a different story. That is...

Are Lawn Mushrooms Poisonous to Dogs and Cats?

If you have a dog that hoovers up “mystery snacks” or a cat that samples anything new, lawn mushrooms are one of those backyard surprises that can turn your stomach in a second. The honest answer is this: some lawn mushrooms are poisonous to dogs and cats, and it is not possible to reliably tell...

Hardy Hibiscus Care and Spring Cutback

The first time I grew a dinner-plate hardy hibiscus, I thought it had died. It was late spring, my garden was waking up, and this plant was still a bundle of brittle sticks that looked, frankly, offended to be there. I almost dug it up. Then, right when I had given up, little red-green nubs...

Orchid Spike or Root? How to Tell

The day you notice a tiny green nub on your Phalaenopsis orchid is the day your brain turns into a detective board. Spike? Root? Surprise baby? I have absolutely hovered over new growth with my morning coffee like it was a breaking news event. The good news is you usually do not have to wait weeks...

Lilac Borer: Wilted Canes, Sawdust, and What to Do

The first time I met lilac borer in my own yard, I blamed myself. One cane on an otherwise healthy lilac suddenly wilted like it had been unplugged from the plant. The leaves went limp, then crispy, while everything around it looked perfectly fine. When I finally snapped the cane, there it was: a...

Canna Leaf Roller Caterpillars: Rolled Leaves and Control

The first time I saw it, I thought my canna had decided to try origami. One leaf was rolled into a tight little green cigar, and the next one was halfway there. Cannas are dramatic plants, but this kind of neat, deliberate rolling is not the plant being quirky. It is usually a hungry caterpillar...

Remove Skunk Smell from Pets and the Yard

Skunk spray is the kind of smell that makes you question every life choice that led to this moment. I have been there, standing on my back step in gardening clothes that already had a faint compost perfume, now topped with a full-strength skunk bouquet. The good news is that skunk odor is...

Hydrangea Lace Bugs: Stippled Leaves and What to Do

The first time I met hydrangea lace bugs, I blamed the sun. My bigleaf hydrangea had that washed out, speckled look, like it had been lightly sanded, and I assumed I had misjudged the afternoon heat. Then I flipped a leaf over and there it was: peppery dark specks and tiny, flat insects that looked...

Dog Vomit Slime Mold in the Lawn

The first time I saw it, I honestly thought a neighborhood dog had been having a rough morning in my yard. Overnight, a weirdly bright yellow, foamy looking patch appeared like someone spilled scrambled eggs on the grass. If you are staring at something similar right now, take a breath. You are...

Transplanting an Established Hydrangea

I have moved more than one “perfectly placed” hydrangea after realizing it was only perfect for the first season. Maybe the afternoon sun got harsher, maybe a downspout changed, maybe the shrub simply grew up and started swallowing a path. The good news is that established hydrangeas transplant...