A Guide to Staying Healthy this Holiday Season

There’s no benefit to waiting weeks before buying a Christmas tree as all trees are cut at around the same time in late October. Choosing early means you have the widest choice available and can start caring for your tree as soon as possible.

In late winter and spring, usually before the leaves appear, catkins hang from the bare branches of trees like alder, hazel and silver birch. The first known use of the word ‘catkin’ is in an English translation of a Flemish botanical guide written in 1554 by physician and botanist Rembert Dodoens. He uses the Dutch word katteken meaning ‘little cat’ which was translated as ‘catkin’. Catkins are also known as ‘aments’, derived from the Latin for ‘strap’ or ‘string’.

If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace mantel in your home, you won't want to miss out on the opportunity to decorate it this holiday season and create a beautiful display that the whole family will enjoy.

Cultivating Verbena bonariensis gives you a chance to add a top-flight ornamental beauty to your garden. If you crave striking vertical flowers that can hold their own in borders or prairie-style displays, growing these verbena plants guarantees height, structure and drama. They also attract butterflies.

If you couldn’t get enough of the velvet bow trend on your Christmas tree this holiday season, this easy napkin folding hack is the perfect way to bring the theme straight to your dining table. The fold is straightforward and a great way to add a holiday accent that won't take too much time.

If you’re looking for some new tools to help you in the garden then Black Friday is a great time to get them. The sales event sees hundreds of retailers cut prices on thousands of products so there are plenty of bargains to choose from.

We’re visiting with Marilyn Regnier today. We’ve visited her garden before (Marilyn’s Missouri-Inspired Garden in Minnesota), and today she’s joining in the fun of looking back and sharing the highlights of her 2023 gardening season.

It’s not officially Christmas season until several mandatory traditions commence. Decorating the tree. Watching Elf. Baking at least one batch of Grandma’s gingerbread and The Best Sugar Cookies. Drinking a mug of eggnog.

Terracotta is such a classic choice for garden pots. It has been used in pottery for millennia, and today there are designs available to suit all styles and budgets.

We're big fans of upgrading your current Christmas decor on a budget and want to encourage you to do the same. With the new decorating trend that uses velvet ribbon bows as an elegant (and easy) Christmas tree decoration, the latest viral ornament upgrade is a no-brainer to try.

If you are ready to take your container design to the next level, join us for this course with Barbara Libner, who has been designing stunning containers professionally for over two decades. Barbara will walk you through every step of creating the perfect container as she shares her tips and techniques for better plant combinations, including numerous examples from her own designs and recipes you can follow on your own. Explore the concepts of color, texture, balance, and repetition as you learn to transform your own containers from ordinary to extraordinary. You can view each class on demand and then dive into an online forum where you can share ideas with other course participants and get your questions answered by Barbara herself.

It’s always fun to dress up your home for the holidays, but sometimes the options can feel limited or cookie-cutter.