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No matter where you garden, you can turn your outdoor space into a year-round haven for birds, butterflies, and a host of other creatures. Armed with our short list of must-have plants for wildlife, any gardener can create a backyard that’s as inviti

Video | Fri, 14 Nov 2008|More from Home & Garden
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of bees and butterflies. And speaking of butterflies, if you have a butterfly garden, then Joe-pye weed is for you. Joe-pye weed is a Native American perennial that can be divided every 2 years. Be sure to pinch back the plants in early summer for a bushier plant that will plump over. But beware, some varieties can grow over 10 feet tall and don't be surprised if you see humming birds. Our next plant is a shrub that's a true butterfly magnet. With the name like butterfly bush, it's no surprise that bees and butterflies flock to these honey-scented blossoms. But this easy-to-grow shrub can be an invasive rascal.

Time to Go Solar

If you’re thinking about investing in solar pathway lighting for your garden this season, our staff has tested the newest and latest on the market. We’ll help you figure out what to look for in this evolving technology.

Video | Fri, 14 Nov 2008|More from Home & Garden
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will look right at home in any arts and crafts setting. This stainless steel model from Unique Arts definitely lends a contemporary feel to modern landscapes. These cost about $40 each and were voted number 1 in America by Hamaker Schlemmer. The light from these is intense and has a definite blue cast to it. We like the sleek look these lends to more modern landscapes. We saved our favorites for last. These great-looking stainless steel fixtures from Front Gate have a motion sensing switch that can be activated, and they can be charged even on cloudy days and

Pick the Right Edging

Explore options in decorative garden edging that will handsomely separate your lawn from your garden—no matter what your tastes or what your pocketbook can afford.

Video | Fri, 1 Aug 2008|More from Home & Garden
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Every couple of years, wrought iron will need to be painted with an exterior antirust paint. Metal categories include wrought iron , bronze, and aluminum.

Late-Season Color

Find out how easy it is to have late-season color and blossoms in the garden all the way until frost. Check out these great perennials that will create fall fireworks.

Video | Fri, 1 Aug 2008|More from Home & Garden
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My name is James Baggett, and I'm the editor of Perennials magazine. Today, we wanna talk about creating late-season color and blossom in your garden all the way through `til frost. Today, we're gonna discuss 3 great perennials that will create fall fireworks in your garden. There are lots of great things about fall. Weeds start to grow more slowly, and sedums come in to their full glory. Showy sedums require almost no care at all. Their thick, succulent leaves can withstand drought and rainy weather. The flower heads start out looking a lot like heads of broccoli, and then they open in shades of pink and mauve. They turn copper tones as they dry and remain attractive all winter long, but best of all, butterflies can't resist them. Asters lie in wait all summer, and while other flowers fade as the day shortened, these cheerful beauties explode with color. Asters are wonderful minglers, setting up other perennials , and adding sparkle to your beds in shades of blue, purple and pink. You do have to divide them every couple of years and be sure to pinch them back by that half way in the late spring. That'll make the plant sturdier and have more blossoms. I've saved my favorite fall perennial for last, goldenrod. One of the last big flower shows of the year has come from this North American native. The Latin name for goldenrod is Solidago. It means to make whole, for its medicinal properties. These North American natives are gaining respect in the home garden as people learn that it's not the cause of hay fever. Best of all, of all the flower perennials we've talking about today, they all make great cut flowers. There's no reason not to cut them, make an arrangement, and bring them in the house, so you can enjoy them up close and personal. This is James Baggett, editor of Perennials magazine.

Native Plants

Save money by planting native flowers and shrubs in your garden. Better TV's Kim Singer shows us just how easy it is.

Video | Sun, 1 Jul 2007|More from Home & Garden
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are another reason to go native regardless of where you live. These native plants are the most water efficient you can put in your yard. Planting with nature intended also pays off in wildlife.

Garden Wreath

Bring the glories of a garden indoors. Choose textures and colors to tuck into a simple wreath that will dry beautifully.

Video | Wed, 26 Sep 2007|More from Home & Garden
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any time no matter what the weather is like, build a great vine wreathe . It couldn't be easier and you can customize it any way that you want. I grew grape vines and so I have this handy, but if you don't, simply pick up the grape vine wreathes from your local craft store. It's kind of fun being able to make it yourself because you can customize it any shape or size that you want. Then, use plants that you like from your garden. For this wreathe , we decided to pull out some zebra grass because it's got this bold stripes and they're gonna look great when they dry. So just leave and tuck a couple of zebra grass stocks into your wreathe . Next, we'll wanna add some Joe-Pye weed. This is one of my favorite plants in my garden. It detracts butterflies and super easy to grow, and it has this really nice kind of dusty purple color. Joe-Pye weed has kind of tough stems so it can be a little bit difficult. Don't be afraid to muscle them. And then, this lovely fountain grass blooms. Tie it in all together nicely. Open plumes are nice and airy. They look great. Sometimes you might have trouble so you wanna just look for a different place to tuck your stems in in your wreathe . Lastly, for your drama, we have a hydrangea here. Pull the leaves off before you use it because they don't dry so well. Remember, this is your wreathe so you can make it look however you want to. There are no rules. Just complete the free format, enjoy. Here's a beautiful wreathe , and that's your Test Garden tip.

Preserving Leaves for Crafts

Wish you could keep the fabulous flashes of fall color around a little longer? Use this easy technique to preserve fall leaves for crafts.

Video | Thu, 1 Nov 2007|More from Home & Garden
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leaves; like here, we have a maple, and insert them into a glycerin solution. To do it, make a solution of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin . Glycerin is a product you should be able to find at your local craft store. We have 2 spoonfuls of water here. I'm going to add 1 teaspoon of glycerin here and mix it all up. To help your branches absorb it best, make a fresh cut at the bottom of the stem and then just drop it in. It's that simple. All you have to do is wait for a couple of weeks. If you wanna preserve for an extra pop of colors individual leaves, you can do the same thing. Just insert your leaves into the glycerin solution and let them wait. If you wanna add even more color to your leaves, throw in a couple of drops of

Deadheading Your Garden

It's one of the easiest ways to maintain a healthy garden. Learn the techniques and benefits to "deadheading."

Video | Wed, 26 Sep 2007|More from Home & Garden
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as it can. One of the easiest things you can do is deadhead . While the term may not sound very friendly, simply put, is removing the dead flowers off your plants. There are lots of reasons to deadhead your plants. One of my favorites is that you can get extra blooms from them. On this white flax for example, if you cut the stalk right here, this little side shoot will grow into a whole new stalk that blooms so you can enjoy it for several weeks. We deadheaded this flax a couple of weeks ago and you can see why it's such a great thing to re-bloom. We took the stalk off right here, and already, those clusters are producing the flowers. Should you pick up your dead flowers and throw 'em on compost pit or just let them drop on the ground? It's really up to you. If you're a neat and tidy gardener, you'll probably wanna throw them in the compost, but if you don't mind and decomposing right in your garden and adding to your soil structure there, it's fine to leave it fall. Another great reason to deadhead is you'll stop your plants from dropping seeds all over your garden. Some, like this black-eyed Susan, are notorious for that. If you don't cut off the dead flowers, you'll end up with a million unwanted seedlings all over your beds and borders next year. This stem of Russian sage was mostly done. So, we can cut off right here. It'll make the garden look better, but it also does another thing, the plant won't produce seeds, and if it doesn't put its energy into making seeds, the energy goes back into the root system. So, next year, we'll have a stronger, more flowering plant . The important part about deadheading is removing the faded flowers. It doesn't really matter where you do it on the plant; however,

Garden Pruning

Mrs. Fix It shows us why it's important to prune your garden and the best tools to use.

Video | Sat, 24 Mar 2007|More from Home & Garden
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Pruning is part of keeping your plants and shrubs healthy and looking their best. I have a little pruner 101 to help you get the job done. These handheld pruners are probably the ones you're most familiar with. They're perfect for trimming up small bushes and shrubs as well as smaller branches on trees. You'll commonly find these 2 types; an anvil pruner , which has 1 cutting surface that closes on a softer edge to cut through the branch and the bypass pruner , which sports 2 curve blades that each cut, more like a pair of scissors . Both of these are used for general cutting on smaller branches, but the bypass pruner is especially good for softer stems like roses. For thicker limbs, you'll want a lopper. This is essentially like a hand pruner except that it has longer handles to give you a better reach and leverage. Finally, if you have thick branches that you

Planting Annuals

5 tips for creating a beautiful garden. Better TV's Kim Singer shows you how to choose the right plants, when and how to water, and how to match your garden expectations to your lifestyle .

Video | Sat, 31 Mar 2007|More from Home & Garden
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Your favorite local nursery is full of annuals this time of year.

Nursery owner Debbie Barnhart says, flowering annuals can bring instant color and beauty to your garden. But there are a few things to know before you take them home. Tip number 1; take the time to read the plant tags. That will save you from buying the wrong plants for your garden.

Number 4; design your garden at the nursery . Mix and match your plants here, so you have an idea of how they're going to look together before you get home

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