Planning and Design Archives

5 Fabulous Reasons to Grow a Diverse Garden

Why do you grow a garden? Do you love creating beautiful, homegrown bouquets to enjoy on your kitchen table? Do you savor the delicious flavor of sun-warmed tomatoes in a BLT? Do you enjoy watching hummingbirds flit through the flowers? Or maybe you eagerly await the first, brilliant bloom of daffodils after a long, gray...

Create your own staycation in your own backyard

5 Tips to Create Your Own Tropical Oasis for a Relaxing Staycation

Garden Planning & Design

Vacations soothe the soul. Leaving the stress of work behind for a week of rest and relaxation makes everyone more productive. But do you know that vacations can improve your health? In a June 2019 study published in Psychology and Health, researchers found that vacations lead to reduced blood pressure and increased energy levels. In...

The Best New Big Leaf Hydrangeas for Your Garden

Garden Planning & Design, Planning and Design, Planting Tips

Are you disappointed with the flowers you are getting – or not getting – from your big leaf (macrophylla) hydrangeas? Do you think it might be time to get some of the newer, better versions? But there are so many these days. How can a gardener cut through the hype and make the right choice?...

The Ultimate Guide to Water-Wise Gardening

Backyard Habitat, How-to, Planning and Design, Pollinator Gardening

The importance of making water-wise choices has become very apparent with the spread of climate change. It is becoming more difficult to grow certain crops, maintain landscapes, and enjoy various recreational activities as water availability wavers and heat threatens popular crop growing. Across the country, people continue to make garden choices that can help conserve...

Looking for some cool plants to add to your garden? Here are a dozen of the most interesting newly-available plants to keep an eye out for.

12 Cool Plants to Look for This Year

Garden Planning & Design, Planning and Design, Planting

Looking for some cool plants to add to your garden? Here are a dozen of the most interesting newly-available plants to keep an eye out for. 1. Monstera Esqueleto Monstera Esqueleto is a gorgeous new houseplant known for its bold, unique foliage. Introduced in 2023 by NGB member Costa Farms, it has large, fenestrated leaves...

Creating a Butterfly and Moth Garden with these tips

Creating a Butterfly & Moth Garden

Backyard Habitat, Pollinator Gardening

Nature is a soothing place where one can find peace. I feel it when I’m in my garden which I designed specifically to attract butterflies and moths. It’s very relaxing being surrounded by these beautiful insects as they flutter around my yard, going about their business as I watch in awe. I’ve always had a...

Contemplating No Mow May?

Backyard Habitat, Pollinator Gardening

Make an informed decision with the help of our experts before jumping on this social media craze! The concept behind No Mow May is to create a temporary habitat for early-season pollinators by not mowing your lawn. Founded in the UK, this trend may not be appropriate for all regions of North America in the...

Jazz Hands Loropetalum is a warm hardiness zone plant - National Garden Bureau

Get in the Zone: Two Truths (and a Lie) about Zone Maps

How-to, Planning and Design, Planting Tips

Have you ever returned from a trip, determined to recreate that tropical vacation vibe in your northern backyard? Or maybe you hope to grow lilacs, like those that filled the vase on your grandmother’s kitchen table—but aren’t sure they’ll flourish in your southern garden. While it’s easy to drool over the latest, greatest plants featured...

5 Essential gardening tips - national garden bureau

5 Essential Spring Gardening Tips

Garden Planning & Design, How-to, Planting Tips

Spring is full of new life, green grass, and sunshine! It’s also time to get back into the garden. Here are some tips to keep you and your garden on track this spring. 1. Remove Winter Protection In the fall or early winter, you may have added some winter protection, like mulch or leaves, to...

7 Benefits for Raised Bed Gardening - National Garden Bureau

7 Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening

How-to, Planning and Design

Why Grow Your Own? No matter how often we resolve to eat healthfully, it can be a challenge. From waking early to shop at the farmers’ market to managing the grocery budget as droughts and supply chain issues cause food prices to soar, finding fresh, affordable produce seems exhausting. Don’t give up. Instead, enjoy the...