What's Hot in Lawn Care

Definition of softscape. Hardscape elements of a landscape complement the horticultural, softscape elements.

Tools needed for fence building, including post hole augers (sometimes misspelled "augurs"). Check your local rental store for the availability of post hole augers.

Picture of a yellow iris. The 'iris' is so called from the rainbow goddess from Greco-Roman mythology, a tribute to the magnificence and variety of colors found in its genus.

Lantana picture. This sub-tropical plant usually bears orange flowers when not multi-colored, as in this lantana picture.

How to grow and carve hardshell gourds to make Halloween jackolanterns or birdhouses. Hardshell gourds, unlike pumpkins, will not rot. A delight for birdwatchers and arts and crafts enthusiasts!

Pictures of fall foliage scenes from New England, representative of the Halloween season. On this page: maple leaves beloved by Canada.

Candytuft picture. A perennial plant, candytuft's bloom is a brilliant white color.

Picture of heuchera plant with dark foliage. Heuchera plant's common name is coral bells (referring to the bloom), but I find the dark varieties more valuable for their foliage.

Plant selections when building rock gardens. A database is linked to for rock garden plant suggestions.

Picture of a Queen Anne's lace flower. Queen Anne's lace is a wildflower related to the carrot.

Picture of the dark foliage of ninebark shrubs.

Picture showing dark foliage of an ajuga plant, while in bloom. The upper foliage of even common ajuga is quite dark.

Hardscape elements in landscaping discussed. Hardscape complements softscape, as when landscaping with rock patios sets off a lawn.

Mountain ash tree picture. Better known for its berries, mountain ash trees bear white flowers.

Halloween image showing tombstones, with corpse hands thrusting out of the lawn nearby.

Maple syrup comes from Acer saccharum trees. Much of the Northeastern U.S. and Southeastern Canada produces large quantities of maple syrup.

Sweet woodruff herb plants have a wonderful aromatic quality. In times gone by, sweet woodruff herbs had culinary and medicinal uses, as well.

Growing catnip, sweet woodruff and creeping thyme as fragrant groundcovers. These aromatic herbs won't be eaten by deer pests.

Image showing an RIP Halloween tombstone saying -- and a bit more. 'Rest in Peace' is among the most popular Halloween tombstone sayings.

Readers communicate about their shrub problems through my Web site. Some of the more common shrub problems concern flower buds and the presence of yellow leaves in summer.