Organic Gardening News

Is it any surprise I've been busy searching for a way to feed birds and banish slugs at the same time? Hardly; even though they're just trying to live their little slug lives, I have long been at war with this garden pest (my poor lupins appear to be their favorite restaurant).

I never learn my lesson; every year I lovingly grow plants, admire the first fresh leaves and wait for those beautiful flowers to arrive... only to find that the slugs have beaten me to it. However, I have always had a much softer spot for another garden visitor: birds – they can eat every single one of my strawberries and I will forgive them without question.

FORUP Forup Oriole Bird Feeder

The FORUP bird feeder brings beautiful birds up close, as it can be hung the feeder on the hook or tree. 

My obsession started when my granddad first taught me how to identify common songbirds by their calls. He'd point out a trill or a whistle before I had even spotted the bird itself, and ever since then I've been fascinated by the tiny flashes of color, movement and personality that appear in the garden – particularly when it comes to my birth month bird, obviously. And what the bird that visits my garden most says about me.

So when I discovered there might be a way to combine my two garden passions (aka encouraging more birds while dealing with slugs naturally), you'd best believe I was immediately interested.

How To Feed Birds And Banish Slugs At The Same Time

(Image credit: Wirestock / Getty Images)

it sounds too good to be true, right? And yet the idea is surprisingly simple: if you want to feed birds and banish slugs at the same time, al you have to do is take a leftover orange or grapefruit, cut it in half and place the empty halves around the garden.

That's it. Done. Finito! The fruit acts as a small feeding station for visiting birds like orioles , while the cool, damp space beneath the rind can provide a tempting hiding place for slugs.

According to Richard Green, a bird feeding specialist at Kennedy Wild Bird Food & Pet Supplies, the idea works because it brings two parts of the garden ecosystem together.

“Using citrus-fruit traps is a fantastic, natural alternative for pest control in the garden. Cutting an orange or grapefruit in half and placing the halves throughout your garden can serve a dual purpose. Birds are drawn to the fruit, and slugs are attracted to the leftover rinds," he says. "Once the slugs gather, the birds will return to eat them, creating an effective and eco-friendly way to manage pests.”

Shop Bird Feeding Essentials:

Birdfy Smart Hummingbird Feeder With Camera

The side-swivel ports of this smart feeder are designed for two hummingbirds to drink together comfortably (all while capturing them on camera for you).

Feeding in Style

Sweetfull Hanging Metal Bird Feeder

Combine function and visual elegance with this pretty 2-in-1 feeder and solar light. Perfect for cardinals, it has a classy vintage Mediterranean vibe, good drainage, and a lovely splashguard.

Pretty Drinking

Dreamysoul Bird Rain Chain

Something special for your birdies, this charming copper rain catcher has 8 large cups for collecting water for your feathered chums and it looks really pretty twinkling in the garden.

Now, I should say that I don't expect a grapefruit half to single-handedly solve every slug problem overnight, but I love the idea behind it. Rather than declaring war on every creature that wanders into my flower beds, this feels like a way to work with nature – giving birds another reason to visit while making my garden slightly less appealing to its tiniest (and hungriest) enemies.

All hail, then, the power of the citrus fruit! I shall be taking care to share my breakfast grapefruit with my feathered friends from now on...

Gardening when the summer sun is blazing down on you, and your sweat is mixing with the yucky taste of sunscreen dripping from your nose, is no joke. When the heat index is climbing, and the humidity kicks in, weeding your vegetable garden feels like an endurance event. So, what’s the fix?

A misting fan is one of the most effective ways to make gardening in the summer bearable; the combo of airflow and fine water spray can drop the temperature around you by up to 15 degrees. If you're already taking steps to protect your garden in the heat, a misting fan is a natural companion. Modern cordless misting fans have come a long way from the cheap squeeze-bottle versions of a decade ago.

Today's options range anywhere from high-capacity floor fans with multi-gallon tanks and 40-hour battery life, to compact individual units that you can clip to a golf cart or your folding table. Some can even be connected to a garden hose for continuous misting, and others have tanks that can run on their own without a water source. We've rounded up six of the best across a range of price points, sourced from Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe's.

Shark FlexBreeze Pro Mist 2-in-1 Fan with Integrated Mist, in Charcoal

This was the highest-rated overall misting fan in independent testing for 2026, and it's easy to see why. It weighs less than 4 pounds and comes with a built-in handle and integrated water tank. You can easily move it from a patio table to a deck to an outdoor grill station, and its dry-touch evaporative mist keeps you cool without getting furniture or plants wet.

Five speed settings, including a BreezeBoost mode, a tilting face, and the ability to run corded or cordless, give it a versatility no other model can match. The battery lasts up to 29 hours on the lowest setting without mist. You can also connect it to a standard garden hose, and you can add ice to the tank for an even cooler output during a heatwave.

Ausic Outdoor Misting Fan for Patio, 30000mAh Rechargeable Oscillating Fan

This is currently a bestseller on Amazon in the misting fan category, and it’s seriously capable for your patio or garden. It has a built-in water pump that can draw directly from any container, and the dual spray nozzles put out an exceptionally fine mist.

Seven speed settings, 45/90 degree auto oscillation, and a remote control (with 5-meter range) make it easy to use from a chair if you’re feeling too lazy from the heat, while the brushless motor keeps the noise low so you can still enjoy some peace and quiet. The 30,000mAh battery runs continuously for 7–50 hours depending on what speed you set, and the fan head can be taken off and folded for storage.

Misting Fan Portable, 27600mAh Battery Powered Fan

This is a super compact but capable misting fan with a 2-litre tank; the tank is even clear so you can easily monitor the water level without stopping mid-weeding to check. The 27,600mAh battery powers four wind speeds and 120-degree auto-oscillation. It has a timer function and built-in RGB ambient lighting so you can use it for a serene evening on your patio.

This is a great middle-of-the-road option for people who want something more portable than a full pedestal fan but with more features and battery capacity than a basic handheld model. The nice thing is that it’s super light as well, so you can carry it around the garden, but it’s still sturdy enough to leave on while you work.

ONE+ 18V Cordless Hybrid WHISPER SERIES 12 in. Misting Air Cannon Fan

This is the RYOBI option for those who want more power and less noise (yes, these things exist). This 12-inch hybrid fan is part of RYOBI's WHISPER SERIES, and when “whisper” is in the name, you know it’s their quietest range. It still delivers up to 1,400 CFM and a 15-foot misting spray range when you connect it to a standard garden hose.

It has a pivoting head and HI/LO airflow switch that gives you great flexibility, and it functions as a regular fan when the misting feature isn't needed. Like all RYOBI ONE+ products, it's compatible with over 300 battery-powered tools in the ecosystem. If you use power tools regularly in the garden and already have ONE+ batteries, this is the most versatile in the range.

EGO 18-in High Velocity Indoor/Outdoor Misting Floor Fan, Battery Powered, in Gray

EGO claims this is the world’s most powerful cordless misting fan, and the specs actually back this up. Air speeds exceed 20mph with airflow from 1,500 to 5,000 CFM across five speed settings (that's double the output of a standard 20-inch box fan!) The hose can be dropped into any bucket or container for its misting source, and will cover up to 540 square feet of outdoor space (about the size of a large entertaining patio).

It runs on EGO's ARC Lithium battery system, with up to 60 hours of run time on speed 1 with a 5.0Ah battery (note: this is sold separately). The telescopic handle and super sturdy wheels make it easy to move around the yard. If you just want real cooling power, this is seriously the one to get.

SKIL 7-in Indoor/Outdoor Misting Personal Fan, Battery Powered, in Red

If you’re looking for something that has everything included in the one box, this is the one you want. The SKIL comes with the fan, a 12V 2.0Ah USB-C battery, a 20W charger, and a charging cable. This means you’re all ready to go right away without purchasing a separate battery.

The water tank is easy to fill and move without needing a separate bucket, and the removable nozzle can be taken apart for easy cleaning. Three fan speeds, two misting modes, and an adjustable kickstand so you can use it on uneven surfaces make it perfect for the garden. The USB-C battery even doubles as a power bank for charging your phone, which can be seriously useful when you’re working on the garden for a long period of time.

The runtime is up to 4 hours with mist on low; this is shorter than larger models, but it's a compact personal fan rather than a patio unit, so we’ll let it slide.

A Few Things to Know Before You Buy

Misting fans work best in lower humidity conditions. In dry heat, the perceived temperature drop can be quite dramatic, whereas in humid climates it’s less effective (though still noticeable!) If you're gardening in a hot, dry area, misting fans are one of the most effective tools available. If you’re in a more humid climate, look for a model that with a “dry fan only” only mode so you can switch off the moisture when you don’t need it.

Something also worth noting is that misting fans can also benefit your plants as much as you. If you have plants that love moisture, the fine water droplets are great to keep them from drying out on a hot afternoon, and the cooling effect can reduce stress on container plants in particular. Note: Avoid directing mist at plants that prefer dry conditions, such as lavender and rosemary.

For more on keeping your garden going through the hottest part of summer, our full guide to gardening in a heatwave is worth bookmarking before temperatures peak.

As soon as hummingbirds have done raising their brood, they start growing new feathers so they’re in tip-top shape for their fall migration. So right now, they’re in full plumage preparation, and there’s a simple way you can help hummingbirds get their feathers fully flight-ready, no matter how big or small your garden. You see, hummers need water to clean and preen their feathers, but they have super-short legs so don’t often land in bird baths. Instead, they seek out fountains and waterfalls where they can fly through airborne sprays of water – and that’s where you come in.

Adding a cheap floating solar-powered fountain to your bird bath – or, even better, fashioning a purpose-made hummer splashpark with a container and said garden gadget – will give hummingbirds the sprays of water they’re looking for at this time of year. Making a garden feature with a floating solar fountain is cheap, easy and sounds just as lovely as it looks. And boy, is it fun to watch those speedy hummers scooting though!

In the north, hummers begin their epic fall journey in August; in southern states, September to October is peak travel time – so now is the exact right moment to support hummingbirds in this simple way.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s estimated that 8-10% of adult hummingbirds die during the fall migration (the figure is devastatingly high among juveniles making their first journey, with a 60-70% mortality rate), and having plumage in prime shape makes a difference. Clean, preened feathers are essential for insulation and waterproofing as well as efficient flight – and you’ll understand why these are all such critical factors when you consider that many species must fly a non-stop marathon of 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico as part of their migration.

Ready to help? Here’s everything you need to know to make a quick garden fountain this weekend, and help our feathered friends on their way.

How to Make a Fountain For Hummingbirds

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s quick and easy to make a fountain for hummingbirds, but there are a few critical factors to get right if you want lots of hummers to use their new garden spa facility.

1. Choose the Right Container

Many bird baths aren’t wide enough to house a floating solar-powered fountain – not because the fountain won’t physically fit in the basin, but because the spray falls outside the rim so water quickly empties. If your bird bath has a large diameter, great. If not, there are all sorts of ways to DIY a bird bath on a budget by using upcycled or reclaimed items or cheap vessels such as plant-pot saucers and animal stock feeders, and making your own means you can choose whatever diameter you fancy.

For water to be safe for hummingbirds to land in, it must be incredibly shallow: no more than a ½ inch deep. So, you may want to keep your existing bird bath as is for most of your feathered friends and make an additional hummingbird fountain. Because hummers are very unlikely to land – and if they do, they'll sit on the fountain itself – you can use a bigger, deeper container that holds a far greater volume of water so it won’t need topping up every day. A wider container also means you can use a more powerful floating solar fountain to create a higher, fuller spray of water for hummingbirds to enjoy.

You don’t need to buy an expensive water bowl, as you probably already own a perfectly suitable container. It’s a simple job to seal the drainage hole of an old planter or make a vintage vessel watertight with a marine silicone sealant like this from Amazon. Pots intended for succulents typically don’t have drainage holes, or have a hunt in your local hardware store for a budget utility tub.

Shop Big-Diameter Bowls

16" diameter

Gracie Oaks Myrtlewood Etched Plastic Pot Planter

20" diameter

Vivohome Polyresin Pedestal Bird bath

26" diameter

Tuff Stuff 15 Gallon Polyresin Stock Tank

If you are using a deeper container, do fashion a ramp from a piece of wood so any critters who fall into the water can climb out safely, or add a purpose-made wildlife ramp such as this from Amazon.

2. Match the Fountain Power to the Container Size

(Image credit: Getty Images)

So you don’t continually lose water over the sides of your bird bath or container, it’s important to match the power of the solar fountain to the size of the vessel it’ll sit in. The amount of energy the solar panels are capable of generating is measured in watts. For a bird bath fountain, a 1W or 1.5W product is plenty powerful enough. In a larger container, a fountain that’s at least 2.5W will power a higher spray and stronger flow of water. Don’t be tempted by a fountain that’s above 5W as these are designed for larger bodies of water.

Choose a product with stabilising arms as these will stop the fountain floating close to the container rim, minimizing water loss. A fountain that comes with plenty of nozzles will allow you to select a spray pattern that falls within the bowl, too. For longevity in a container, it’s also a smart move to look for a fountain with run-dry protection so it automatically shuts down when there’s insufficient water.

If you want to position your hummingbird fountain in partial shade, or want it to operate on cloudy days, you’ll need a product that has a battery. A fountain without a battery will only operate when sunlight is hitting its solar panels; a fountain with a battery will store energy to run in-between times. A battery size of 2000mAh or higher will typically run a fountain for 3-4 hours without sun on a full charge.

Shop Solar-Powered Fountains

Best for a bird bath

1.4W Floating Solar Fountain With 8 Nozzles For Bird Bath

Best for Most Containers

2.5W Fountain With 6 Nozzles & Run-Dry Protection

Best for a big container

3.5W Solar Fountain With 7 Nozzles & 2000mAh Battery

3. Find the Optimum Spot for Your Hummingbird Fountain

Considering the perfect position for your hummingbird fountain will make all the difference to how often it will be used, and how much it will benefit your feathered friends. Placing the fountain within 20 feet of an existing nectar feeder will ensure birds find it quickly. Airborne water naturally cools the air, so think where it might bring you or your plants some benefit, too.

While you need direct sunlight to power the fountain’s solar panels – and sparkling sunlit water droplets and reflections will also attract hummers – if you've chosen a fountain with a battery, then a little shade will lessen evaporation meaning you won’t need to top up as often. A spot that gets around 6 hours of sun a day is the ideal compromise. If it's sheltered, all the better, as wind will also accelerate water loss.

The airspace around the fountain must be fairly clear. While hummers will appreciate perches to preen within 6 feet of the fountain, it’s important it's sited well away from dense shrubs or other cover where cats and other predators could hide. Hanging up hummingbird swings such as these from Walmart is a great solution.

Once you’ve found the perfect spot, put your bird bath or container in place, fill with water, add the floating fountain and wait for the hummers to arrive.

(Image credit: Getty Images)Why a Garden Water Feature Helps Hummingbirds So Much

While hummingbirds get most of the fluid they need from supping nectar, water is vital to the feather-cleaning process. If they have easy access to a suitable water supply, it’s thought hummers bathe around four times a day. With any sticky residue from their diet of flower nectar and sugar water preventing feathers from performing properly, it's no wonder they’re such frequent bathers.

After dampening their feathers, hummingbirds will perch and preen, using their bills to spread natural oils and zip up the feather barbs, an especially important process during their annual molt. At this time of the year, hummingbirds have begun the gradual process of losing and replacing their feathers, and at the moment will be molting their body feathers (the molting process then halts during migration, and wing and tail feathers are replaced once birds have reached their wintering zone).

Landing in water is risky for hummingbirds as their legs typically measure less than half an inch, and completely saturating their feathers can leave them unable to fly and vulnerable to drowning as well as being snatched by predators. So hummers prefer to shower rather than bathe, darting repeatedly through sprays of water. Imagine if everyone with garden bird baths created the right conditions for hummers to clean their plumage: not only would feathers be fully migration-ready, but hummingbirds would save a heap of energy searching out suitable spots for a shower.

How to Make Your Fountain Into a Fab Garden Feature

Your new hummingbird fountain looks fabulous just how it is, right? Well, there are all sorts of easy ways you can upgrade it another notch to be a standout garden feature. Use a solar-powered floating fountain with LEDs to create a water feature to light up summer evenings in the garden. Or how about introducing a second, wider planter beneath to DIY a fountain planter for colorful flowers as well as cascades of water and flurries of feathers? Microponds using solar fountains are a huge trend this year, so you could add serious style to your backyard design while helping hummingbirds.

As quick and clever ideas for garden containers go, making a hummingbird fountain is a sure winner.

(Image credit: Future/Emma Kendell/AI)What Else to do to Support Hummingbirds Before the Great Migration

• Keep feeders clean and filled with sugar water prepared to the correct concentration. This will fuel not only your resident population of hummers but also birds passing through if you’re on a migratory route. Keep feeders filled for two weeks after you see the last hummingbird.
• Act now to fill your garden with fall nectar. Choose perennial plants that flower well into fall and, if you’re on a budget, there are lots of fast-growing annual plants you can still sow in midsummer that will speed from seed to bloom in as few as 45 days. Adding flowering groundcover to borders is another easy win for a long-lasting nectar buffet, or how about planting a hanging basket of nectarous blooms to feed hummingbirds?
• Use decals, such as these Suncatcher Stickers from Amazon, to prevent window strikes.

Late summer is a transition period in the garden. While many plants are still blooming and thriving, others are setting seed and preparing for the oncoming winter. Selective pruning now can help certain plants by managing unruly growth or even encouraging a second flush of flowers.

As a general rule, August is not the right time for heavy pruning on most plants. Focus on light maintenance cuts, deadheading, and strategic trimming to prepare these plants for winter.

Late Summer Pruning Tips

First, let’s revisit some pruning basics. Individual plants have their own needs, but these general rules will help you safely trim plants in late summer without encouraging too much tender new growth before colder weather arrives.

• Never prune with dull or dirty tools. Clean and sharpen your pruners or shears before you begin, as blunt blades can crush stems and leave ragged wounds, while contaminated tools may spread disease between plants. Bypass pruners are usually the best choice for making clean cuts through live stems. The Felco F6 Bypass Pruning Shears, available on Amazon, were rated the best pruners in our testing. To keep your blades performing well, use a Corona sharpener, also available from Amazon.
• Begin by removing the 3 Ds. That means removing dead, damaged, or diseased growth. These branches and stems can be taken out whenever you notice them, regardless of the season. Remove suckers and badly crossing or rubbing branches where appropriate, but avoid taking out large amounts of healthy growth at this time of year.
• Thinning or heading cuts? For most late-summer pruning, use thinning cuts rather than heavy heading cuts. Thinning involves removing a stem or branch at its point of origin to improve airflow and reduce congestion. Heading back shortens a stem to a bud or side branch, but it can stimulate fresh growth, so use it sparingly as fall approaches.
• Keep cuts light and purposeful. Focus on deadheading, tidying unruly growth, improving airflow, and maintaining the plant’s natural shape. Avoid hard renovation pruning unless the plant specifically benefits from it in late summer, and stop pruning early enough for any new growth to harden before the first frost.

Plants to Prune in August

August is not the time for widespread or heavy pruning, but a selective trim can benefit certain plants. These are some of the best candidates to prune now to control unruly growth, encourage fresh flowers, or prepare them for the season ahead.

1. Lavender

(Image credit: Almaje / Getty Images)

Lavender is a popular herb and small woody shrub prized for its delicate purple flowers, silvery foliage, and intoxicating aroma. It attracts pollinators and thrives in summer heat, tolerating drought conditions once established.

Lightly pruning lavender in August – after the final flush of flowers has faded – is a good way to maintain a tidy shape. In colder regions, do this early enough for any new growth to harden before your first frost date. If flowering continues late into the season, remove only the spent flower stems and wait until spring for shaping.

Otherwise, cut back the leafy green growth by no more than about one-third. Don’t cut into older, leafless woody growth, as it may not resprout.

2. Wisteria

(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd)

Wisteria is a beautiful vine that blooms abundantly with hanging clusters of lilac-blue flowers. It’s great for covering arbors and pergolas and can also be trained into a small tree form. Due to being an extremely vigorous, fast-growing plant, wisteria requires twice-annual pruning to manage: once in late summer and again in winter.

To prune wisteria in summer, wait until the vine is finished blooming and then trim back the long, whippy shoots produced that year to about five or six leaves from the main branch. This controls its spread and encourages flower-bud formation. Leave selected shoots longer only where they are needed to extend the plant’s framework, and remove suckers at the base. In winter, shorten the same shoots again to two or three buds.

For tall wisteria, rather than balancing on a ladder, try a telescopic pole pruner, like Fiskars' 2-in-1 Extendable Tree Pruner and Pole Saw.

3. Rambling Rose

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Rambling roses are climbing shrubs rather than true vines. They produce long, flexible canes that can be trained to grow up and over arbors, fences, walls, and other structures. Most are single bloomers, producing a spectacular flush of abundant blooms in early summer.

Late summer, after flowering, is a good time for routine rambling rose pruning. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased growth first. Then, remove about one in three of the oldest stems at ground level. Trim back the newer green growth a little and tie these canes to the support structure to keep them safe and healthy for next year.

4. Tomatoes

(Image credit: VlarVix / Getty Images)

By August, all the hard work you have put into your tomato plants should finally be paying off with ripe fruits you can harvest until early fall. On the other hand, August is when indeterminate tomato plants can start to get a little unruly. Instead of just letting them go, a quick tidying prune now helps prevent disease and may lead to better fruit. Determinate varieties, however, generally should not be topped or heavily pruned because they produce a fixed crop.

To prune tomatoes, start by removing lower leaves that are touching the soil, along with yellow or diseased foliage. Thin dense upper foliage only where necessary to improve airflow, and remove suckers from indeterminate varieties. A thumb knife, like this one from Amazon, makes pruning tomato plants quick and easy.

About five weeks before your area’s expected first frost, remove new flowers, newly set fruit that will not have time to mature, and excessive new growth. Blooms opening later than this are unlikely to produce ripe tomatoes before frost, so removing them allows the plant to concentrate on fruit already developing.

5. Summer-Blooming Perennials

(Image credit: RobinOlimb / Getty Images)

Many summer-blooming perennials look ragged and tired by August. Some declining herbaceous perennials that have finished flowering can be cut back to near ground level, but this treatment is not suitable for every plant. Trim back dead, yellowing, or diseased stems on plants that are still flowering. You can leave some flowers in place to develop seed heads to feed wildlife. Coneflowers and black-eyed Susans are particularly useful for this purpose.

Some of your perennials may flower once more if you trim them back in August. Coreopsis and catmint are good examples. Cut coreopsis back after its first display and shear catmint by about one-third to one-half once it finishes flowering. Deadhead spent flower spikes on perennial salvia and delphinium for a chance of more late-season blooms. With garden phlox, deadheading is more likely to extend the display and prevent unwanted seedlings than to produce a distinct second flush.

6. Herbs

(Image credit: Piotr Zajda / Shutterstock)

Many leafy herbs benefit from regular harvesting in late summer, but avoid a hard cut on woody or perennial herbs as fall approaches. Oregano, mint, marjoram, and sage can be harvested or lightly trimmed, but remove no more than about one-third of a perennial herb’s growth at one time. This can encourage fresh leaves for a fall harvest without stimulating excessive tender growth before cold weather.

Many culinary herbs have their best flavor just before flowering, and leaf production often declines once they bloom. Deadheading spent flowers can encourage continued leaf production in many leafy herbs, although you may want to leave some flowers for pollinators or seed collection. In general, it’s a good idea to harvest your herbs throughout the growing season, both so you can use them and so that they continue putting out healthy growth.

Essential Pruning Tools

Our Top-Rated Pruners

Felco F6 Pruning Shears

Pro gardeners can't get enough of Felco pruners – and these scored top in our testing.

Long Reach

Fiskars 2-In-1 Extendable Tree Pruner and Pole Saw

This telescopic tool is brilliant for trimming trees and tall climbers – no ladders required.

Handy Hedge Trimmer

Workpro Cordless Shrubbery Trimmer

This handheld powered hedge trimmer makes tidying up shrubs a breeze.

What Not to Prune in August

The above plants can benefit from a light to medium trim in August, but some plants should be left alone at this time of year. In particular, avoid pruning most spring-flowering shrubs in August. Many have already formed the buds that will produce next year’s flowers, and pruning now may remove them. Also avoid giving evergreens more than a light trim, as new growth stimulated late in the season may not harden sufficiently before winter.

For plants that benefit from an August trim, use a light hand, work with clean, sharp tools, and focus on shaping, deadheading, and removing damaged growth. Too much pruning can trigger tender new growth that may be damaged by cold weather.

Lovely summer weather is the perfect time for kids to enjoy the outdoors and let their imaginations run wild. I still look back fondly on the days I'd spend in my local park as a kid, making up pretend games with my brothers and seeing how high we could get from the ground on the swing set.

However, it would always be a shame when the play area was covered in bird poop. I used to bring kitchen towels along with me to put onto the seats of the swings to avoid sitting on it, or I'd just play somewhere else and accept defeat.

Attracting birds to your backyard is a worthy endeavor but sometimes they seem to poop in all the worst places! (If they have already done their business, check out our guide to cleaning bird poop). And if you're wondering why that seems to be, you've come to the right place. I talked to Bob Mulvihill from the National Aviary to learn why kids playsets are a magnet for bird poop as well as how it can be prevented. Here's what he had to share.

Why Do Birds Poop on Kids' Playsets?

(Image credit: suriya silsaksom)

If a bird needs to poop, they are going to poop anywhere, but there's a particular reason why the likes of kids' playsets end up pooped on more often than open spaces: they offer birds the perfect spot to perch.

As Bob explains: "Birds of all kinds naturally like to perch up off the ground to get a better view of their surroundings, and if there isn’t a rock, tree, bush, or fence post close by, but there is a swing set or scattered lawn toys, they will use those as perches instead."

Even if garden birds aren't perching there specifically to poop, after enjoying their time admiring the view from on top of your kids' playsets they might need to go before flying away.

There are a number of kid-friendly ways to make the likes of swing sets less appealing to perch on. However preventative measures such as bird spikes, which are commonly used in cities to stop pigeons from landing on buildings, are a rather dangerous option.

Child-Friendly Ways to Prevent Birds From Pooping on Playsets

(Image credit: JudiLen / Getty Images)

You can't entirely prevent birds from ever being able to poop on your kids' playsets unless you put them away or fully cover them up when they're not in use. However, there are many methods out there to make kids' playsets less appealing to land on, which will significantly decrease the chance of birds perching on them while they do their business.

Bob recommends using a mixture of "plastic owls, reflective strips and wind spinners" to deter birds from the area. Seeing objects that are shiny or moving, as well as birds of prey, will make feathery friends think twice about where they land. You can find mylar reflective ribbon on Amazon. Though Bob also noted it's important to switch up what you're using as over time the bird visiting your yard will get used to the deterrents and ignore them.

Two other options Bob recommended are using bird repellent sprays like the Nature Stop Bird Repellent Spray from Amazon as well as ultrasonic bird repellers like this Solar Ultrasonic Repellent Device from Amazon.

The sprays contain natural essential oils that are harmless to humans but irritating to birds. Meanwhile the ultrasonic repellers emit a frequency of noise that birds don't enjoy hearing that humans won't be able to notice.

How to Clean Bird Poop Off of Your Playsets

It's best to remove any bird poop from your playsets before applying repellents so they can best adhere to the surface.

If the bird poop is still wet you can simply wipe it off using a cloth and a mixture of warm water and soap. But if you're dealing with stubborn dried patches of bird poop, laying a damp cloth on top of it to soften it can be really helpful in making it easier to wipe away.

You can also add some white vinegar into your cleaning water to sterilize the surface too if you wish. Don't forget to give metal surfaces like swing poles a wipe down with a dry cloth after you're finished cleaning to help prevent the development of rust!

Shop Bird Deterrents

Sparkle and Startle

Offo Reflective Tape for Birds

Sunlight will reflect off of the surface of this tape, becoming dazzling to birds and encouraging them to keep their distance.

Faux Predator

Glintoper Plastic Fake Owl Wagging Head

This faux owl sits outside and has a moving head to startle birds away from the area.

No-Go Zone

Bird B Gone Transparent Bird Gel

This clear gel makes the surface of playsets such as the top of a swing where a bird may land slightly tacky. Birds won't like how it feels under their feet and would rather fly away than hang around! Lasts for 6 months.

Deep watering is often treated as the only correct method – and for established plants it usually is. But a handful of situations exist where shallow watering with a light, quick soak of the surface actually does the job better.

Water deeply and less often. Most gardeners learn that rule early. For the plants it was written for, the advice is good. Roots follow water downward where the soil holds its cool through a hot, dry spell. A tomato reaching 12 inches (30 cm) shrugs off the kind of week that flattens something else that's only rooted at 2 inches (5 cm). So the rule holds. But it doesn't hold everywhere all the time.

Learning how to water your garden is partly about knowing which plants can even respond to deep watering. Roots do the answering. One reaching 18 inches (45 cm) down has options a lettuce seedling simply does not, so identical treatment from the hose or watering can lands very differently on the two plants. Watering depth ought to follow the roots rather than a general rule. Here's when shallow watering may be best.

When to Use Shallow Watering

A seed has no roots at all. It has a coat that has to stay damp until it splits, which happens in the top half inch (1 cm) of soil. Not much else about a seedbed matters at this stage in the growth cycle.

Send water 10 inches (25 cm) down and it sails right past that vital seed sprouting zone. Then it sits where nothing can reach it as the surface dries and germination stalls. Light and frequent shallow watering isn't a compromise when it comes to watering seeds – it's the best method.

Shallow-rooted plants also do best with shallow watering. Certain vegetables, like lettuce and spinach, never out roots much below the top few inches (8 cm) of soil, so a deep soak mainly waters dirt they will never reach and wastes resources.

Newly-laid sod is another plant that does well with shallow watering. It sits in the same position until it knits into the existing soil. Transplants want the surface damp for a week or so while the root ball hooks into the ground around it.

(Image credit: Moha El Jaw / Shutterstock)How to Shallow Water the Right Way

Gentleness matters more than volume for plants that prefer shallow watering. A hard stream of water creates holes, buries seed, and knocks seedlings flat, so break up the water before it lands.

This watering can with a long neck and fine spray pattern from Amazon turns a stream of water into a gentler shower similar to rainfall. Or an Orbit 33-inch shower hose wand from Home Depot does the same across a garden bed without any kneeling. The target is the top 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm) of soil. Water shallowly until the soil is damp all the way across and no puddles are standing anywhere.

Morning is the best time to water plants, since the surface dries by afternoon so nothing will remain wet overnight. Expect to go out daily to water in warm weather, sometimes twice a day during a windy stretch because a shallow root zone dries faster in wind.

A thin layer of EZ-Straw seeding mulch from Walmart spread over a seedbed slows down dry-out considerably and takes the pressure off daily watering needs. Check soil moisture with a finger before reaching for the hose out of habit.

(Image credit: Olga Yastremska / Getty Images)Problems With Shallow Watering

There are a few drawbacks to shallow watering, so you should only do it in certain circumstances like I discussed above. One issue is that weed seeds sit right where shallow watering lands. They are the first thing a light daily watering feeds.

Damp foliage also suits fungal spores perfectly as well. In heavy soil, repeated surface-level shallow watering can turn heavy soil into a crust that seedlings then have to fight their way through. Salts build up on top of the soil as the water evaporates. This is a particularly bad problem when watering container plants.

But the biggest issue with shallow watering is the dependency it creates in your plants. Plants root where the water is, so a garden watered lightly forever grows a lightweight root system that can't take a missed day.

You can train plants to need less watering or more watering, though. Stretch out the watering interval once the seeds are up and growing as seedlings. Add volume slowly after that, so the roots go chasing moisture downward instead of waiting on it. Shallow watering is a phase, not a complete lifestyle. Unless they're very shallow-rooted, mature plants need more water than seeds.

(Image credit: Sundaemorning / Getty Images)When NOT to Shallow Water

Established trees and shrubs get nothing from a surface sprinkle, since their feeder roots are well out under the canopy and several inches down under the surface of the soil.

Fruiting vegetables have the same problem with worse consequences. A tomato or pepper carrying a crop needs steady moisture deep in the soil. The swing between a damp surface and dry root zone can cause blossom end rot by making it more difficult to take up calcium. Lawns past establishment want a deep soak as well.

Anything already stressed by drought needs a real drink rather than a dribble. A light sprinkle in that situation encourages roots to come up looking for water that won't be there tomorrow. Skip shallow watering during hot, windy afternoons when much of what leaves the hose never reaches the soil.

Containers are another exception. They want water until it runs out the drainage holes every time, no matter how shallow-rooted the plant in them happens to be.

I have reached that point in summer where I look around my house and feel like I owe several apologies to my houseplants. The heatwaves have been relentless, the air feels so dry my own thirst levels are at forever at maximum, and somehow the plants I thought I understood have decided this is the year they test my patience.

Yes, every single one of my houseplants is wilting and drooping like made – and even my beloved mold-solving ivy has betrayed me. I know, I know; I never thought I'd say that either. Ivy has always been the plant I could rely on, but lately it has been looking deeply unimpressed with the whole situation, dropping leaves, turning a les-than-fetching brown color, and generally acting as though it would like to speak to my manager.

Thankfully, though, there is one houseplant that well and truly has my corner: my snake plant is standing there looking almost offensively healthy. Quite honestly, it's standing straighter than I am in this horribly hot weather.

All Of My Houseplants Are Dying In The Heat... Except For This One

Yes, you guessed it; my snake plants have become the smug survivors of my indoor garden (just call them the sexy cockroaches of the houseplant world). They don't care that the temperature has climbed or if I succumb to my overheated state and forget about them for a while. And they certainly don't need the constant attention that some of my more dramatic houseplants seem to demand in a heatwave.

Snake plants, also known as Sansevieria or Dracaena trifasciata, have earned their reputation as one of the easiest houseplants around (some even call them unkillable houseplants) for good reason. Primarily because their thick leaves store water and help them cope with dry conditions.

This means that, unlike many tropical houseplants that wilt dramatically when they miss a watering, snake plants are designed to handle periods of neglect. In fact, the biggest mistake many people make with them is being too kind.

(Image credit: Adam Yee / Shutterstock)

Basically, snake plants are some of the best houseplants to tend to during a heatwave because they don't want constant watering or soggy soil. Their roots prefer to dry out between drinks, which makes them ideal for anyone who loves plants but occasionally forgets they exist.

They also tolerate a surprisingly wide range of indoor conditions, from bright indirect light to lower-light corners where many other houseplants struggle. No wonder that, despite long being associated with offices and waiting rooms, they've become one of the trendiest houseplants going.

And you don't just have to stick to the classic yellow-edged 'Laurentii' (even if it's still a favorite), as there are so many more interesting options now. 'Moonshine' has silvery-green leaves that almost look painted; 'Black Coral' has deep green foliage with striking dark tones; 'Bantel's Sensation' has elegant narrow leaves with creamy vertical stripes; and the dramatic Whale Fin snake plant has a single enormous paddle-shaped leaf that looks like something from a designer plant showroom.

Shop the Best Snake Plants:

Snake Plant 'Laurentii'

Altman Plants Snake Plant 'Laurentii'

The classic for a reason, with bold yellow-edged leaves that suit almost any room.

Snake Plant 'Moonshine'

Generic Snake Plant 'Moonshine'

A softer, silvery variety of snake plant that feels incredibly modern.

Whale Fin Snake Plant

Thorsen's Greenhouse Whale Fin Snake Plant

A statement snake plant with huge architectural leaves.

The best part about investing in a pretty new snake plant of your very own? These are exactly the kind of plants that reward you for doing less. After years of trying to keep fussier houseplants from dying in the heat (or throwing a dramatic flop over some other perceived slight), there's something wonderfully satisfying about having a plant that simply gets on with life.

Honestly, while my ivy is currently staging a dramatic protest and several other houseplants are wilting more than I am, my snake plants remain completely unbothered. We could all learn something from them.

When you think of succulents, you might assume they need endless hours of sunshine and warm temperatures all year long to survive. While that is certainly true of some species, there are many that are far tougher than most people realise. In fact, several hardy succulents that love summer heat are equally capable of surviving freezing winters in the backyard.

Take Sempervivum, or houseleeks. They come in countless shapes, colours and forms. They are striking, yes – succulent and a little strange – but they are also remarkably hardy, tolerating winters down to USDA zone 3. So, if you have a gravel garden, rockery or sunny border that needs evergreen interest throughout the year, this resilient plant is one to consider. For a plant with a more dramatic character, look to the prickly pear. Native to much of North America, it has adapted to cope with blistering summer temperatures as well as surprisingly cold, frosty winters down to zone 5, making it one of the toughest succulents for outdoor growing.

If you want colourful, low-maintenance plants that shrug off scorching summers and freezing winters alike, here are six fabulous succulents to try in your yard this year.

1. Lewisia

(Image credit: Olena Lialina/Getty Images)

Lewisia may be small but, when plants burst into flower in spring, it's unforgettable. Masses of jewel-like blooms in shades of pink, peach, orange, yellow and white are produced above neat evergreen succulent rosettes and, while the plant itself only grows to around 1-3 inches tall, each flower can be 3 inches across.

Native to the rocky hillsides and mountains of western North America, Lewisia rediviva has evolved to thrive in places where many other plants would simply give up. Hardy in zones 3 to 8, lewisia is ideal for alpine beds, rockeries, gravel gardens or tucked into the cracks and crevices in the yard. It's a heat-tolerant plant, although gardeners in the hottest southern states may find it benefits from a little afternoon shade. Lewisia 'Rainbow Mix' hardy succulent plants are available from Walmart.

2. Houseleeks

(Image credit: VladanaS / Shutterstock)

Hardy to around zone 4, houseleeks are native to rocky mountain regions across Europe, where they have adapted to survive blazing sunshine, poor soils and freezing winters. Their botanical name, Sempervivum, literally means 'always alive' in Latin, which tells you much about their resilience. Their common name, hen and chicks, refers to how it spreads, with one central plant (the hen) producing a crowd of offshoots (the chicks).

There are all sorts to choose from: take a look at the wide selection of houseleeks stocked by Plant Addicts for an idea of the vibrant range of colors available. A particular favorite is Chick Charms Gold Crown, available from Plant Addicts and hardy down to zone 3, with striking red leaves tipped in golden yellow.

Whatever variety of these drought-tolerant plants you opt for, be sure to give them a sunny position in gravel gardens, terracotta pots or simply directly into your borders. Sempervivum need free-draining, gritty soil so if needed, add horticultural perlite such as this from Amazon to soil to help prevent waterlogging.

3. Hardy Aloe

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Most aloes are remarkably tender and need frost-free conditions to survive. There is, however, one notable exception. Hardy aloe, or Aloiampelos striatula, can cope with temperatures down to around zone 8, making it a realistic option for gardeners across parts of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri and Arkansas.

Native to the mountains of South Africa, where hot, dry summers are followed by mighty cold winters, this is a succulent that can tolerate extremes. It has attractive striped green stems and, in summer, produces tall spikes of orange-yellow flowers that are a little like those of red hot pokers (Kniphofia).

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hardy aloe plants are available from Heron's Head Nursery. Position in full sun and free-draining soil, and – depending on conditions – it can grow to a height of 6 feet. In particularly cold winters, the foliage may look a little worse for wear, but don't panic – it should produce fresh growth in spring.

4. Yucca

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some of the easiest succulents to grow outdoors are yucca, and they're a popular choice not just because they're so drought tolerant, but on account of their architectural form. Silver-leaved plants are attracting plenty of attention of late: not only do their cool blue-grey tones create calm, contemporary planting schemes, but they are often some of the toughest plants for climate-proofing a yard. Yucca rostrata is hardy down to zone 5 with an architectural crown of spiked silver foliage. Yucca rostrata plants are available from Exotic Cactus Collection via Amazon and, while it's capable of eventually growing to 13 feet, this is an incredibly slow grower.

A better choice for a smaller garden is Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard' which boasts golden-yellow variegated foliage and is evergreen down to zone 4. Only reaching 3 feet high with an upright, compact habit, Yucca Color Guard plants are available from Nature Hills.

5. Ice Plant

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ice plants are some of the hardest-working groundcover plants for hot, dry gardens, carpeting the soil with masses of daisy-like flowers for months from early summer through to fall. The fleshy evergreen foliage is almost hidden beneath masses of bright blooms, creating a rather pretty display that bees and butterflies cannot resist. Low growing, this succulent is ideal for edging paths or lining the front of borders.

For maximum flower power, look to more modern ice plant series, bred to bloom particularly abundantly, and Plant Addicts stocks a great selection. Kaleidoscope by Proven Winners is hardy down to zone 5 in vibrant tones from dramatic Pink Radiance to crimson Dancing Embers. Ocean Sunset by Proven Selections is a little less hardy, suitable to zone 6, and has particularly intense colors, especially the Violet variety.

Add hardy ice plants to your borders and they will thrive in full sun and poor, sandy or gravelly soils where many other flowering perennials would struggle. Once established, no supplemental watering is needed.

6. Prickly Pear

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prickly pear, or Opuntia, proves that tough plants can be beautiful too. Hardy down to zone 5, this native cactus naturally grows across the deserts and grasslands of the United States and Mexico, where scorching summer days are often followed by surprisingly cold nights. That ability to cope with extremes makes this one of the best succulents for year-round growing outdoors.

With paddle-shaped evergreen stems, vibrant yellow, orange or pink flowers and colourful fruits, prickly pears bring plenty of architectural interest to sunny borders. It thrives in full sun and poor, sandy soil, needing very little water. Sizes range from 6 inches to 15 feet high and wide, depending on the species, so there's sure to be one that fits your garden perfectly. These purple prickly pear plants from Walmart reach a manageable 1-2 feet at maturity.

One word of warning: the spines and tiny hair-like glochids come with a warning. Position these plants towards the back of a border in large yards rather than beside paths or seating areas, particularly if children or curious pets regularly use the space.

The Secret to Overwintering Succulents

Whichever of these succulents you choose, success is determined by how free-draining the soil is. Succulents dislike sitting in rich, moisture-retentive soil, and excess moisture is a bigger killer than cold. Give your succulent the free-draining conditions it needs and it will cope with far lower temperatures than if planted in a wetter environment.

Mix sand, gravel or coarse grit into the soil and, if your ground is on the soggy side, grow your succulents in containers, raising the pots on risers such as these pot lifters from Amazon. Resist the urge to over water, too: succulents would much rather be too dry than too wet, whether grown in borders, gravel gardens or patio pots.

More Striking Hardy Succulents to Try

Zones 3-9

Sedum Succulent Mat

Zones 3-9

Autumn Joy Sedum

Zones 5-10

Red Yucca

To find out more about inspirational gardens and gardening, read The Garden Through Time by Thomas Rutter, available from Amazon. From Persian paradises to New York’s High Line, this volume offers practical ideas and plant selections to help you design a gorgeous, low-maintenance garden.

My worst nightmare is strolling through a field on a hot summer day with no trees in sight. That’s one of the reasons I planted over 200 trees on my property in France. I have sheltered under a tree to block the Basque Country’s famous south wind, to escape the worst of the rain, and to shelter from the blazing summer sun. Shade trees offer real protection from the elements Sited appropriately, they can even help to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cutting utility bills.

Beyond energy savings, a shade tree’s cooling canopy can completely alter your backyard's microclimate. Ambient air temperatures beneath a mature shade tree can be 10°F cooler than surrounding sun-baked asphalt or bare turf, creating a far more comfortable, refreshing outdoor space in summer heatwaves. When you plant trees for shade, you get other benefits, too. They filter dust and reduce storm water runoff. They provide color and movement, often with dazzling displays as the seasons shift. They also provide year-round sanctuary for local songbirds and pollinators.

And the best part? You don't have to wait decades to reap these rewards, if you choose rapid-growing, adaptable species. Planting these shade trees will transform your sun-scorched backyard into a cool retreat that offers months of interest and years of protection. Whether it’s lush movement, fiery fall colors, winter bark texture, or sweeping umbrella branches you’re after, these fast-growing shade tree varieties are easy to maintain and even easier to love.

Plant Fast Growing Shade Trees

When planning to buy and plant live trees in summer, go for potted specimens over bare-root stock. Potted trees arrive with root systems encased in moist soil, giving them a great head start. August planting can work well (especially in USDA hardiness zones 5-8), as long as you have checked in with your soil levels and water sensibly. Check moisture levels in the ground before planting. Use a dedicated tool like the Raintrip 4-in-1 Soil Meter from Amazon to determine soil moisture at the root level. This will help you give your sapling the best hydration.

Soil meters can also help you with other useful checks, such as light, pH and nutrient levels, to form a picture of overall health. You can then make any adjustments needed before your tree goes in the ground (which is the best time). Where soil is compacted, add a little coarse sand or perlite, and a pinch of biochar. This helps with drainage and can encourage healthy root development as the seasons shift into fall and winter.

(Image credit: FarmerJ3 / Shutterstock)

In August heat, leaves can lose moisture faster than the young tree roots can pull it from dry ground. So make sure you deep-water your new tree. Make a bit of time for a slow soaking 2-3 times a week, in the first few weeks after planting. Additionally, apply a 2-3-inch (5-8 cm) layer of mulch around the base to help with moisture retention. Choose an organic option like Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch on Amazon around the base, keeping it a couple of inches away from the trunk.

Finally, when choosing one of these shade trees, it helps to manage your expectations about growth rates. A fast-growing shade tree generally gains 2-4 feet (60 cm-1.2m) in height per year once fully established, compared to the 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) of slower growers. However, when planting during late summer, consider the tree's immediate priorities. It will not immediately surge up. Instead, it directs its energy into root establishment before winter dormancy, setting the stage for expansive top growth in spring that will keep you cool for many summers to come.

1. Autumn Blaze Maple

(Image credit: Kayco / Getty Images)

This maple is a fast-growing favorite that reaches 40-50 feet (12-15 m). It’s known for its dazzling fall color and a naturally sturdy branch structure that requires little pruning. Autumn Blaze (Acer x freemanii) also has excellent tolerance to drought pollution. Known as one of the fastest-growing shade maples, it adds 3-5 feet (90 cm-1.5 m) per year, forms a dense canopy, and grows up to 4 times faster than a typical red maple. You can buy Autumn Blaze from Fast Growing Trees, and smaller Autumn Blaze Maples from Amazon for a more budget-friendly alternative.

Also known as a Freeman maple, this hybrid combines the intense color of the red maple with the rapid growth and soil adaptability of the silver maple. Plant in well-drained soil and full sun to part shade in zones 3-8. While tolerant of heavy clay, it prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6-7). To nourish young root systems through their first winter, use a little TPS Nutrients Maple Tree Fertilizer from Amazon to nurture root resilience, and water frequently until established.

2. Heritage River Birch

(Image credit: Biosphoto / Alamy)

If you love the dramatic look of birch, but your area is prone to hot summers, this birch variety (Betula nigra 'Heritage') is a gorgeous 4-season specimen. Reaching 40-50 feet (12-15 m) with a 30-40-foot (9-12 m) spread, this multi-stemmed beauty grows rapidly at 2-3 feet per year. It provides a dappled canopy for shade-loving perennials to thrive beneath, and flourishes in zones 4-9 in full sun to partial shade. As well as being fast growing, the Heritage River Birch, available from Fast Growing Trees, is also resistant to diseases like the bronze birch borer.

This shade tree’s defining feature has to be its bark, which peels back in layers of cream, salmon and cinnamon to provide striking winter interest. River birches thrive in moist, acidic soils (pH 6.5 or lower), but they struggle in highly alkaline conditions. For summer planting, keep the soil moist, as drought can cause premature leaf drop. To protect foliage from fungal spots and powdery mildew in humid weather, treat leaves with a little Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide Concentrate, available from Lowe’s.

3. Northern Red Oak

(Image credit: Eve Livesey / Getty Images)

This fast-growing shade tree is a native, and considered a national treasure. It’s also one of the easiest to grow in zones 3-8. While oaks are considered slow growers, the northern red breaks the mold, gaining 2 feet (60 cm) a year. In the right spot, this red oak reaches a massive 60-75 feet (18-23 m) tall, with equally impressive spread. The northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is known for its green lobed leaves, the acorns it produces, and its phenomenal fall foliage. Buy Northern Red Oaks from Fast Growing Trees for year-round character.

Red oaks prefer full sun and acidic, well-drained soil (pH 5–6.5). Avoid planting in chalky or high-pH soils, which stunt development. You should also never prune between April and October. To ensure steady nutrient delivery, add some Jobes Slow Release Slow Release Fertilizer Spikes from Amazon. As well as affording us shade in summer, this tree’s dense canopy provides food and shelter for birds and native wildlife. It’s long living, famously low maintenance, and a stellar choice.

4. Red Sunset Maple

(Image credit: Tracy Immordino / Alamy)

This fabulous red maple cultivar (Acer rubrum 'Franksred') has a great branching structure and really delivers on color. If you’re after a fast-growing shade option that can bring on the dynamics, this deciduous tree is known for its winter buds, leaf stems and summer fruits, as well as its vibrant fall color. It grows quickly to 50 feet tall (16m) and 40 feet (12 m) wide. While Autumn Blaze is celebrated for raw speed, Red Sunset also brings awesome structural strength. You can buy Red Sunset Maples from Fast Growing Trees for dazzling early fall color and resilience.

Red Sunset thrives in zones 4-8, and grows best in a spot with full sun and moist, acidic, well-drained soil, although it won’t object to wet soil, so it’s a good choice for yards with poor drainage. If planting in August, give this tree deep, regular soakings. To keep the soil acidic and nutrient-rich around the root system, dress the base with Espoma Organic Holly-Tone Fertilizer from Walmart to enhance fall pigmentation.

5. Weeping Willow

(Image credit: Robert K Chin / Alamy)

I don’t have a weeping willow (Salix babylonica) on my property in France, and my backyard’s just not big enough in San Francisco. But a neighbor in France has a magical specimen, with space beneath its cascading branches for a small table and chairs: what a place to pass a hot afternoon! All willows seem to grow at lightning speed, and this one shoots up by 4-8 feet (1.2-2.4 m) a year. It reaches 40-50 feet (12-15 m) and its sweeping canopy provides exceptional shade in zones 4-9, and dazzling foliage in fall. Buy Weeping Willow Trees by Brighter Blooms from Amazon.

Weeping willows love a site with full sun and moist soil. However, bear in mind that its thirsty root system can spread 3 times wider than the canopy. So don’t plant within 50 feet (15 m) of house foundations, water mains, septic tanks, or paved driveways. Also, because it grows rapidly, its wood is soft and prone to shedding in storms. For summer planting, water daily for the first month and add Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Miracid Plant Food from Amazon to encourage swift root growth.

6. Dawn Redwood

(Image credit: Aleksandra Tokarz / Alamy)

If you’re seeking a unique ornamental tree that combines rapid growth with architectural beauty, the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is compelling. Once thought to be extinct, this living fossil grows at 3+ feet (90 cm) per year, and can reach 70-100 feet (21-30 m) tall with a 25-foot (7.6 m) spread. It has sweeping, needle-like foliage that provides a lush, cool canopy in summer heat. Majestic Dawn Redwoods are available from Fast Growing Trees and offer staggering tonal variety and charming feathery shaping in zones 5-9.

Despite looking like an evergreen conifer, the dawn redwood is deciduous, and in the fall, its feathery needles shift to russet orange and bronze. It is exceptionally hardy, disease-resistant, and tolerant of wet soils and heavy clay. Just avoid planting this feathered giant in exposed hilltop sites or light, sandy soils. For summer planting, add a little GS Plant Foods Liquid Kelp Extract from Walmart to help this tree build heat tolerance. Grow your dawn redwood in full sun to appreciate it as its best.

Shop Shade Tree Care

Once established, these low-maintenance shade trees are easy to sustain and care for, but a little attention in the first few months after planting will keep your tree growing strong for decades. This initial establishment phase is what it’s all about, so treat yourself (and your tree) to some high-quality soil amendments and organic treatments. This handy action pack will help to supercharge growth and give your young saplings the best start. Here’s how to nurture your trees so they develop strong roots, heat resilience, and dramatic canopy growth year after year.

Smart Shade Tree Trio

Root Booster

Rosy Soil Rosy Soil Biochar Booster Soil Amendment

This biochar and compost blend creates a bespoke porous environment that holds water and vital nutrients at the root level. Containing mycorrhizal fungi and nourishing worm castings, it stimulates rapid root branching in newly planted saplings, ensuring high survival rates.

Slow-Release Nitrogen

Espoma Espoma Organic Chicken Manure

For a slow-release treat, this organic granular feed provides a steady, non-burning supply of nitrogen. Spread a few handfuls around the drip line of young maples, oaks, and birches in early spring to fuel vigorous stems and masses of lush summer leaf production.

Moisture Shield

Back to the Roots Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch

Our team loves this high-grade organic bark mulch, and it’s a lovely way to insulate young root zones in summer. That lush shredded bark locks in moisture, suppresses competing weeds, and breaks down to keep sustaining your fast-growing shade tree for the long haul.

(Image credit: Sergio Amiti / Getty Images)

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Hydrangeas are some of the most popular flowering shrubs to grow. Just drive down any street in summer and their abundant, long-lasting clusters of flowers shout out from the landscape borders.

By August, the summer-flowering hydrangeas are well into their bloom cycle. But to keep those magnificent shrubs looking their best through the grueling August heat, you need to take some steps to ensure they look as good in late summer as they did earlier in the season. Proper late summer hydrangea care rewards you with huge, colorful blooms that fade gracefully into fall and winter.

Maintaining those colorful, round-to-conical-shaped hydrangea blooms and green leaves in August is worth the effort. Performing the proper tasks during high heat periods can help to extend flowering as much as possible and prevent scorching of petals and leaves. Tackle these chores now to beat the August heat.

1. Water Regularly

(Image credit: Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images)

Hydrangeas are moisture-loving plants and most varieties need 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water a week by rainfall or supplemental watering to keep them happy. During extreme heat or in hot drying winds, they may dry out faster and need more.

You know it is time to water hydrangeas when the soil 1 inch (2.5 cm) below ground is dry. You can measure with a finger, screwdriver, or moisture meter. This moisture meter from Amazon tells you soil pH, too, which is important to know if you want to change your hydrangea bloom color.

Water slowly and deeply with a soaker hose or drip irrigation. Watering by hand may only dampen the surface. You can leave the garden hose running under your plants until the soil is saturated, but it is easy to forget and overwater, which can lead to root rot. Well-draining soil is essential for hydrangeas. Adding compost to the soil aids in moisture retention, fertility, and drainage.

Providing regular moisture can help prevent hydrangeas turning brown and crispy leaf edges from leaf scorch, a disorder caused by water evaporating from leaves faster than it can be supplied from the roots.

2. Apply Mulch

(Image credit: New Africa / Shutterstock)

Mulching with 2 to 3 inches (5-7.6 cm) of shredded bark, pine straw, or compost benefits hydrangeas, as well as most plants. It retains moisture, prevents weeds, and regulates soil temperature. Apply mulch about 6 to 8 inches (15.2-20.3 cm) away from the stem to avoid stem rot.

Do not use rock mulches, plastic mulches, or volcano rock as they will heat up the area too much and further add to heat stress. Instead use an organic mulch, like this one from Miracle-Gro.

3. Provide Shade

(Image credit: mladris01 / Getty Images)

Most hydrangea species do best with morning sun and afternoon shade. Some types of hydrangeas tolerate more sun, such as panicle hydrangeas, and some take less, such as oakleaf hydrangeas. So read and follow the planting instructions on the plant tag that accompanies the shrubs you buy.

Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are the most sensitive to sun, but thrive in dappled shade or morning sun. If your hydrangeas are getting too much direct sun, you can provide shade for them.

Shade cloths, like this one from Amazon, sheets, or blankets offer cooling shade when draped over supports such as trellises, PVC hoops, metal T-posts, or bamboo stakes. In the fall, consider transplanting your hydrangea bush to a shadier area if it struggles during the heat of summer.

4. Control Pests & Diseases

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Monitor weekly for common hydrangea diseases and pests to keep a step ahead of problems. Pests, such as spider mites, like the hot, dry conditions of late summer and can quickly multiply. If you see yellowing leaves, stippling, and fine webbing between stems, take action to stop them.

A strong blast of water should knock them off. If they persist, apply neem oil in the evening to control them. Pick up a bottle of neem oil spray on Amazon or at your local garden center.

Cercospora leaf spot is a common fungal disease that favors hydrangea leaves during wet, humid, and warm conditions. Spots are typically tan with reddish-brown halos. Pick off the affected leaves and discard if it is not widespread.

A fungicide, like this one from Bonide, may stop the disease from spreading, but it can’t cure the disease. If leaf spot is a yearly problem, you can start a fungicide-spraying regimen early to prevent the fungal leaf spots. Watering from below rather than overhead, picking up and discarding leaves in the fall, and improving air circulation also help to avoid the disease.

If you have major problems and your shrubs succumb, consider replanting disease and pest-resistant types of hydrangeas instead.

5. Stop Fertilizing

(Image credit: VH Studio / Shutterstock)

Fertilizing hydrangeas when temperatures exceed 90°F can burn the roots. Also, fertilizer will push out new growth that may not have time to harden off before winter arrives. Lush new growth also can attract pests.

Hydrangeas do not need a lot of fertilizer, if any, especially if the soil is organically rich. If indicated by a soil test, they can be fertilized with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 in spring or sidedressed with compost.

6. Avoid Pruning & Deadheading

(Image credit: Galina Zhigalova / Getty Images)

If your hydrangeas bloom on old wood (the prior year’s growth) such as mophead hydrangeas or oakleaf hydrangeas, do not prune them now. Next year’s flower buds develop in late summer or fall. You can see the buds if you examine the tips of the stems. Pruning hydrangeas now will cut off next year’s blooms. Always prune those two types immediately after flowering, if needed.

Also, pruning in late summer may encourage new growth that will be susceptible to damage in further heat waves or may not be hardened off before winter. An exception to pruning now is damaged or dead wood. Remove those stems at the base of the plant any time you see them.

If you are deadheading hydrangea blooms during the summer, now is a good time to stop so the remaining blooms provide winter interest. The tan or brown dried blooms stay erect during winter and add architectural form to the landscape.

It doesn’t hurt to lightly tidy up the plant, but leave some of the dried flower heads for winter. For a fun Christmas project, you can spray paint the dried blooms in gold or silver.

7. Choose Heat-Tolerant Hydrangeas

(Image credit: Catherine McQueen / Getty Images)

If your area experiences high heat for extended periods, choose native hydrangea varieties and cultivars from the U.S. rather than Asia. The oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia) and the smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens) are native to the Southeastern US, and are more tolerant of higher temperatures than the mophead (H. macropylla) or mountain hydrangeas (H. serrata).

Most types of hydrangeas do well in part shade, for example, morning sun and afternoon shade. Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) can tolerate the most sun and drier conditions, but they still need constant moisture to perform well.

You can explore tons of stunning hydrangeas for sale online from Wayside Gardens.

Are you looking for an effective, natural, and chemical-free way to protect your plants from pests this summer? If so, you've got to try diatomaceous earth.

It may be a mouthful to say, but it's actually very simple. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a naturally occurring powder made of fossilized microscopic aquatic organisms called diatoms, hence the name. To humans and pets, it feels like a soft, fine dust. But to any non-flying garden pest – cutworms, beetles, ants, slugs, aphids, and more – it acts like a razor field. The sharp particles coat the pest's exoskeleton, absorbing its waxy outer protective layer and causing it to dehydrate, killing it quickly. It's totally natural, and totally effective.

There are a few different diatomaceous earth products on the market, and getting the right one for the job is important if you want it to work. Let's take a look at the main ways you might want to use DE, and the product best suited to each.

The Best Starter Package

Harris 10-lb Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth With Powder Duster

If you're new to the world of diatomaceous earth and want to protect your plants easily and effectively, this kit from Harris is where to start. This 10 lb bag is food grade diatomaceous earth, which means you can use it on edibles and around children and pets. It's also OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) listed, which means it's totally compliant with organic gardening practices. And at 10 pounds, it's going to last you a long, long time.

This kit comes with a bulb applicator, which lets you puff a fine, even layer of dust onto small, hard-to-reach spots like the undersides of leaves and branch nodes, where larvae tend to hide out.

For Precision Jobs

Relime Diatomaceous Earth Powder, Adjustable Pump Applicator, Duster, Dispenser, & Sprayer

If you're growing in containers, hanging baskets, or window boxes, you don't really need a ten pound bag of diatomaceous earth. And if you're using it near windows or doors, you definitely don't want a big cloud of powder billowing around.

That's why this powder duster is perfect. It holds a small amount of DE, but it delivers it exactly where it needs to be – around container rims, along raised bed perimeters, even up high! It has extendible nozzle attachments that reach up to four feet (1.2 m), earning it its "ground to gutter" slogan.

For Indoor/Outdoor Use

Safer Home 4-lb Indoor/Outdoor Diatomaceous Earth

It's true that we're focusing on garden pests, but what if you want to bring your garden indoors? After all, houseplants are just as prone to pests as their outdoor cousins. This diatomaceous earth is formulated, tested, and EPA-registered for both indoor and outdoor use. It's odorless, non-staining, and free of synthetic chemicals, so you can use it indoors without worrying. Whether you have aphids on your plants or ants in your kitchen, there's no need to go and buy a whole new product. This one has you covered inside and out.

For Large-Scale Coverage

diatomaceousearth.com 10-lb Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

If you're dealing with a widespread outbreak in your garden or lawn, or just have a lot of ground to cover, squeeze bottles and bulb applicators aren't going to cut it. This 10 lb bag will get the job done. Made by the folks at diatomaceousearth.com, who certainly seem to know their product. (They actually recommend mixing it into your food, but I'm only here to give gardening advice, so I'm not going to weigh in on that).

If your container garden started out thriving in May but completely gave up by July, you're probably not doing anything wrong with your watering or feeding. Actually, you're doing something wrong before you even get to the garden center.

Instagram influencer @mamakaytie.green puts it bluntly: "Flowers don't fail in pots because you picked the wrong color. They fail because you paired a sun-loving drought survivor with a shade-loving moisture addict and watered somewhere in the middle." To put it simply, the problem isn’t your commitment; it’s the compatibility of your plants.

(Image credit: Tunatura / Shutterstock)Why Mixed Containers Work So Well

The appeal of growing multiple flowers in a single pot has taken off for good reason. Cindy Funes, founder of Garden Revelry and a certified professional horticulturist, explains it well: "Mixed flower container plantings are popular because they are space-efficient, creating seasonal impact, and the feeling of a whole garden without requiring a full garden. A thoughtfully planted container with a combination of flowers can feel like a floral arrangement, but one that lasts much longer and changes over the season."

There's also something about the visual effect that a single plant just can't achieve. "When you combine flowers and foliage with different heights, textures, colors, and growth habits, the planting can feel a little more expressive, and your eye moves through it instead of landing on one flat note," Funes says. "It creates a pause – and I think that's what people are craving right now."

The Framework Every Beginner Needs

(Image credit: jorgeantonio)

Before you start grabbing every pretty thing in the plant section, it will be more helpful to start with some structure. McCauley Adams, principal designer and owner of Ramble on Rose Garden Design in Louisville, lives by one rule: "thriller, filler, and spiller – something tall and structural, something full in the middle, and something that creeps over the edges." He's been using it to get client patios Derby Ready this spring with combinations like coral geranium, diamond frost euphorbia, and potato vine, as well as Kimberly Queen fern, blue hydrangea macrophylla, and potato vine and vinca vine.

Funes agrees with the framework as a starting point: "Although it's basic, it is still a wonderful place to start because it naturally creates layers within a planting. From there, keep the color palette simple, select a mix of textures and leaf shapes, and choose plants with a long bloom time."

6 Container Planting Recipes Worth Trying

These easy thriller, filler, spiller recipe combine compatible plants for a balanced, professional-looking display that keeps its color through fall.

1. Geraniums + Petunias + Ivy

"As a beginner, you can't go wrong using geraniums, petunias, and ivy," says Seymen Usta, CEO and landscape designer at Modern Chandelier. Together, they make a well-balanced container combination, with upright geraniums providing height, petunias filling the middle with abundant color, and ivy trailing gracefully over the edges.

Crucially, they also thrive in broadly similar conditions, preferring well-drained soil and regular watering, while the contrasting foliage and flower shapes keep the display looking full and varied.

(Image credit: Adam Yee/Getty Images/ Gemini AI)2. Pansies + Dusty Miller + Lobelia

Seymen also suggests that another classic combination is pansies, dusty miller, and lobelia. Together, they create a beautifully layered container, with pansies providing bold color, dusty miller adding silvery foliage and structure, and lobelia spilling softly over the edges.

All three prefer cooler conditions, making them especially well suited to spring and fall displays.

(Image credit: Cciexplore / Shutterstock)3. Zinnias + Marigolds + Portulaca

Zinnias, marigolds, and portulaca for full sun and heat make for a great drought-proof trio. "It's the pot you forget to water that still looks good in August!" says @mamakaytie.green.

All three thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, while their varied flower shapes create a cheerful, long-lasting mix. Zinnias provide the height, marigolds give dense color through the middle, and low-growing portulaca softens the edges.

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Getty Images)4. Petunias + Calibrachoa + Verbena

Petunias, calibrachoa, and verbena for a trailing hanging basket (like these on Amazon) that covers an entire porch railing. They are ideal for creating a container that looks effortlessly abundant, as their blooms mingle and spill together in a cascade of color. They all flower best in a sunny spot and, with regular feeding and watering, will keep the display going for months.

(Image credit: Alamy)5. Begonias + Impatiens + Coleus

Begonias, impatiens, and coleus bring plenty of color to containers that receive little direct sun. The flowers of begonias and impatiens brighten shady spots, while coleus adds bold, long-lasting foliage that keeps the display interesting even between blooms.

(Image credit: Janice Storch / Shutterstock)6. Dahlias + Cannas + Sweet Potato Vine

Dahlias and cannas turn a large container into a bold, tropical-looking focal point, while ornamental sweet potato vine tumbles over the rim to soften all that height. Give the combination a deep pot, rich soil, and full sun, and it will build into an impressive display that lasts throughout summer.

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Shutterstock)Shop Container Flowers

Proven Winners Pink Supertunia Vista Bubblegum (4 Pack)

This vigorous petunia delivers nonstop bubblegum-pink blooms and cascades beautifully from sunny containers and hanging baskets.

Proven Selections Solera Dark Red Geranium

For a bold container focal point, this heat-tolerant geranium produces rich dark-red blooms from planting until frost.

American Beauties Great Blue Lobelia

This native perennial produces striking blue flower spikes that draw butterflies and hummingbirds.

Home Grown Thumbelina Zinnia Seeds

These compact zinnias bring months of mixed color to sunny containers while attracting bees and butterflies.

Proven Winners Superbells Evening Star Calibrachoa

Purple blooms with golden star-shaped centers spill beautifully from sunny pots, baskets, and window boxes.

Proven Winners Sunpatiens Compact Purple Impatiens

Bring vivid purple color to sunny or partly shaded containers with this compact, long-flowering impatiens.

The Mistake That Kills the Whole Pot

Every expert lands on the same issue. Funes calls it out directly: "One of the most common mistakes I see people making is combining plants with different exposure requirements – mixing sun-loving plants with shade plants, or pairing drought-tolerant with thirsty water-loving plants."

Adams agrees: "The most common mistake I see is a single plant sitting too low with no height or texture contrast." And Usta flags overcrowding: "Too many plants will compete for water, light, and nutrients."

Keeping It Going All Season

(Image credit: Kypros / Getty Images)

Getting the combination right is only half the job. Adams is specific about maintenance: "Keep combinations thriving with consistent moisture, regular deadheading, and a mid-season cutback on aggressive fillers – sweet potato vine especially. Slow-release granular at planting (try this Osmocote Slow-Release plant food on Amazon), liquid feed monthly through summer."

Funes adds that spacing matters more than most people think: "Planting with enough spacing and choosing plants with similar growth rates means plants have room to fill in and no single plant overwhelms another. Reading the plant tag is a great place to start."

Get the roommates right, and the pot will take care of itself. Get them wrong, and you'll be making a second trip to the garden center before August.

Lavender makes any yard feel sun-drenched, softly scented and altogether dreamier – if you choose the best lavender variety for your climate, that is. Pick a lavender that's less than ideal and that billowy purple haze will be short-lived when a bitter winter, a prolonged soggy spell or relentless tropical heat takes its toll. Whether you want a fragrant border, a bee-friendly pot by the back door or armfuls of stems for drying, choosing the right lavender is the difference between a fleeting flourish and a plant that truly earns its place in your garden year after year.

Matching the best lavender variety to your USDA zone is the smartest place to start when growing this garden must-have. From hardy, yard-worthy choices for chilly northern regions to heat-loving types that can cope with the Deep South and beyond, this guide brings together one perfectly-suited lavender for every zone. Because, while those 'suitable for zone X' tags give you a pretty good indication of whether the plant will survive a particular climate, they paint too broad a brushstroke to tell you which varieties will truly thrive.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you've ever visited a lavender farm, then you'll know how intense lavender color, fragrance and flower density can be – and you can be sure that's down to selecting the exact right variety for the conditions as well as good care.

Besides, there's far more to discover than the familiar purple classics, with white, pink and foliage-led lavender varieties all waiting in the wings. A clear lavender recommendation for every zone, practical lavender growing tips and plenty of planting inspiration will help you pick the perfect lavender for your plot. And with the exact right variety for your climate, you can turn a sunny spot into a richly scented, pollinator-friendly haven full of fragrant lavender blooms, wherever you garden.

Best Lavender for Zones 1-3: Munstead

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Enjoying the dreamy scent of lavender in zones 1 to 3 is totally possible through the summer months with Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' if you grow it in a pot in your sunniest garden spot, and move to a bright, cool but frost-free spot through winter. That's an easy task if you pop a plant dolly with lockable wheels such as this indoor/outdoor caddy from Amazon under the pot.

‘Munstead’ is a classic English lavender with soft blue-purple flowers and a lovely culinary fragrance, and is compact enough to love life in a container. Because it blooms relatively early in summer, its flowers set a strong display even where the growing season is short and cool. This is a super variety to dry, too, and its edible flowers have a sweet, mild flavor so you can bring the scent and taste of summer to those long winter months. Munstead lavender plants are available from Burpee.

• Perennial outside in zones 4-9
• Full sun
• Flowers June-July
• Grows 18" high and wide

Best Lavender for Zone 4: Phenomenal

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Lavandula x intermedia 'Phenomenal’ is a newer hybrid that’s a hardier, more adaptable lavender, coping better than most with cold winters down to around -20°F, summer heat and a little humidity. In fact, it's often touted as the toughest lavender, ever, so it's easily the best lavender variety for zone 4. While it laughs in the face of heat or cold, it does need good drainage so plant it in the sunniest, driest place you have – think raised beds, a gravel garden or beside a warm south-facing wall.

Its height and resilience makes Phenomenal lavender a fabulous choice for an informal hedge either side of a path, but it's equally good in a big pot near a bench for maximum fragrance appreciation. Its long purple flower stems are also excellent for cutting, drying and stuffing into homemade lavender bags. Phenomenal lavender plants are stocked by Burpee.

• Perennial in zones 4-9
• Full sun
• Flowers June-July
• Grows to 3' high and wide

Best Lavender for Zone 5: Exceptional

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Another hybrid cross between English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and spike or Portuguese lavender (Lavandula latifolia), Lavanadula x intermedia Exceptional brings a softer, more unexpected colour palette to zone 5. Its clean white flowers glow against narrow silvery foliage, especially in evening light, and it feels wonderfully fresh mixed with pale pink roses, white cosmos or blue salvia. Use Exceptional to light up the front edge of a sunny border or pop it in a plain terracotta pot for chic simplicity.

Exceptional lavender plants are available from Plant Addicts and this robust, resilient variety will thrive in zone 5, combining excellent cold hardiness to around -20°F with a remarkably long flowering season, provided the soil drains quickly.

• Zones 5-9
• Full sun
• Flowers June-August
• Grows to 28" high and wide

Best Lavender for Zone 6: Big Time Blue

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Big Time Blue’ is a fairly compact lavender with impressively large, deep violet-blue flower spikes. It’s an excellent choice for zone 6 because winters are cold enough to satisfy English lavender’s preference for a winter rest, while summers are warm enough to produce its beautifully plump flower spikes.

Its neat cushions of sweetly scented blooms will fill your yard with color and buzzing bees all summer long, making it especially well-suited for edging a paved courtyard, lining a walkway, or adding structure to a narrow border where larger lavenders would feel too bulky. Big Time Blue lavender plants are available from Plant Addicts.

• Zones 5-9
• Full sun
• Flowers June-August
• Grows 28" high and wide

Best Lavender for Zone 7: Provence

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A cross between English lavender and spike or Portuguese lavender, Lavanadula x intermedia 'Provence' is a tall lavender with long flower wands, a strong fragrance and a wonderfully relaxed French-country look. It will produce exceptionally long flower stems and abundant blooms when given extended summer heat, making it the perfect choice for zone 7. Just give it plenty of room to stretch out and show off, rather than squeezing it into a tiny border, as it will flourish!

Provence lavender plants are stocked by Nature Hills and should be planted in a sun-drenched spot and allowed to become a slightly unruly billow of delicious perfume. Take advantage of this plant's slightly wilful nature and use it for softening the edge of a sunny driveway or creating a heavenly drift to meander through. The stems dry brilliantly for everlasting bunches and wreaths, too.

• Zones 5-9
• Full sun
• Flowers June-August
• Grows to 18" high and 24" wide

Best Lavender for Zone 8: Goodwin Creek Grey

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ is the foliage-lover’s lavender that's expecially valuable in zone 8 because it tolerates heat, humidity and mild winters better than most English lavenders. Even summer temperatures that regularly reach 90°F won't phase this reliable bloomer! Its large, toothed, silvery-grey evergreen leaves add great texture even when the flowers take a break. And that's not often, as Lavandula x ginginsii 'Goodwin Creek Grey' is a hybrid cross that's sterile – which means it doesn't set seed so flowers for months and months. And the dark violet-blue spikes are just wonderful!

This variety has a slightly wilder, coastal-Mediterranean feel than a formal English lavender and it’s a great feature plant, especially in a large container or as a sculptural accent in a gravelly border, jostling among ornamental grasses, agaves and drought-loving salvias. Goodwin Creek Grey lavender plants are available to buy from the Winter Greenhouse Store via Amazon.

• Zones 9-11
• Full sun
• Flowers May-October
• Grows to 12" high and wide

Best Lavender for Zone 9: Sensational!

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A cross between sweetly fragrant English lavender and Portuguese lavender which has a sharper, fresher scent, Lavandula x intermedia Sensational! has a perfume that's perfect for a hot day. This is a sturdy lavender with large dark-purple flowers that won’t flop at the first sight of rain or wind, and is particularly happy in zone 9 where warm summers encourage generous reblooming from May to September. This hybrid's improved tolerance of heat and humidity gives it an edge over fussier English types, too.

Hardy to about 0°F, the real strength of Sensational! is its sturdy flower spikes that hold up exceptionally well during hot summers, often continuing to bloom through prolonged periods of heat that cause other lavenders to fade. For this reason, it makes a superb backbone in a pollinator border or a striking focal point in a large container. Sensational! lavender plants are available from Plant Addicts.

• Zones 5-9
• Full sun
• Flowers May-September
• Grows to 24" high and 36" wide

Best Lavender for Zone 10: The Princess

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Just as its name promises, Lavandula stoechas The Princess is gloriously theatrical, with bright pink flower heads and showy pink bracts that dance above the foliage. It’s ideal for zone 10 where, in frost-free or nearly frost-free climates, it will flower for months on end, often from spring through to fall.

The Princess lavender plants are available to buy at Lowe's, and this diva deserves a starring role that allows its dramatic Spanish character to shine through a long, warm season. Use it in a statement pot by a pool, at the center of a sunny courtyard, or mixed with white gaura and silver foliage for a gloriously elegant combo.

• Zones 8-11
• Full sun
• Flowers March-November
• Grows to 30" high and wide

Best Lavender for Zone 11-13: French

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Rain and humidity are challenges for growing lavender in a tropical climate, but it's perfectly possible if you know which type to choose. So, if you're wondering which lavender to plant in zone 11, 12 or 13, look no further than French lavender (Lavandula dentata). For fragrance as well as looks, this warm-climate charmer with finely toothed leaves is a clear winner. Adapted to subtropical and Mediterranean climates with very mild winters, it will bloom almost continuously throughout the year, including during periods of intense heat.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

French lavender plants are stocked by Plants Express and, while they're recommended for zones 8-11, you can stretch this by giving plants great air circulation to guard against fungal disease, and protection from heavy rain. Though it's a sun-lover, it's a smart idea to position it so it's shaded from intense midday sun, too. It hates to have soggy roots so plant in a tall pot filled with a fast-draining potting soil, placed on risers, then stand the container beside your outdoor sofa because you'll love this lavender's heady scent.

• Zones 8-11
• Full sun
• Flowers March-November
• Grows to 24" high and 54" wide

Lavender Secrets to Success in Any Zone

Lavender is one of the most ravishing purple flowers of all time and is super-easy to grow, providing you stick to these growing tips.

• Choose a location with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.
• Well-draining, gritty soil is a must. Improve heavier soils with coarse grit and plant on a slight mound rather than in a dip and, if your ground tends to stay wet, consider planting in a raised bed, on a slope or in a container.
• In a pot, a suitably fast-draining soil is easily achieved by mixing a few handfuls of a succulent soil mix such as Jacks Gritty Mix from Amazon with any all-purpose potting soil. Raising the pot on risers such as these pot lifters from Amazon, too, is a must.
• Giving lavender plants a gravel mulch helps drainage, airflow and suppresses weeds, in pots as well as the ground.
• Avoid rich compost and heavy feeding as overly fertile soil encourages soft, floppy growth and fewer flowers.
• Water new plants regularly and deeply for their first season but let the soil dry between waterings. Once established, lavender is drought-tolerant, though you'll still need to water occasionally in extended dry spells, and more often in containers.
• Prevent fungal problems, especially in humid climates, by giving plants enough space to allow good airflow.
• Prune lavender immediately after flowering, and trim into shape in early spring, but never cut into old, leafless wood.

Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

5425 Angus Dr., Vancouver

Type: Nine-bedroom, six-bathroom detached

Size: 5,367 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $4,846,000

Listed for: $5,290,000

Sold for: $5,290,000

Sold on: May 28

Days on market in this listing: Four

Listing agent: Danny Chow PREC and Salina Kai PREC at Rennie & Associates Realty

Buyers agent: Maddy Lindahl Coflin, Kelley Lindahl and Tony Ioannou at Dexter Realty

The big sell: Superlatives abound with this colonial-style family estate that occupies an elevated position within Vancouver’s rarefied Shaughnessy neighbourhood on an enviable 12,825-square-foot lot. The 100-year-old house has a beautifully landscaped frontage, a columned entryway, shuttered windows, and sophisticated renovations. It showcases rich hardwood floors with inlay detailing, decorative crown molding, Victorian-style radiators, skylights, sash windows, wainscot panelling, premium Sub-Zero, Wolf and Miele appliances, and French doors that open to a manicured garden with multiple seating areas. There are five bedrooms upstairs — all elegantly presented — including a primary suite with access to a balcony, while a further two bedrooms occupy the top floor. The lower level offers private nanny or guest accommodation as well as a recreation room.

305 — 1328 West Pender St., Vancouver

Type: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment

Size: 1,005 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $994,000

Listed for: $899,800

Sold for: $900,000

Sold on: June 12

Days on market in this listing: 12

Listing agent: Holly Calderwood PREC at Royal LePage Sussex

Buyers agent: Meeti Martin at eXp Realty of Canada, Inc.

The big sell: According to listing agent Holly Calderwood, multiple offers were received for this two-bedroom condo that resides in Coal Harbour’s Classico tower. Built in 2003, the rainscreened building offers a smorgasbord of amenities for residents including concierge services, an indoor swimming pool, a sauna/steam room, a fitness centre, a party room, bike room, and several guest suites. The unit in question has a corner position and was renovated earlier this year to the tune of new floors, quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances including premium brand Bosch, fresh paintwork, heated floors in the bathroom, and updates to the fixtures, doors, and gas fireplace. There is a solarium as well as a storage/flex room and a balcony, separated bedrooms, and the northwesterly exposure offers mountain views. The unit comes with a storage locker, parking, and a monthly maintenance fee of $526.15.

B318 — 31940 Raven Ave., Mission

Type: One-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment

Size: 604 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $386,700

Listed for: $409,900

Sold for: $400,000

Sold on: April 16

Days on market in this listing: 48

Listing agent: Jay Ilhareguy at ReMax Magnolia

Buyers agent: Shannon Drummond PREC at Royal LePage Elite West

The big sell: Mission is the location for the sale of this one-bedroom condo that resides in the city’s Wren + Raven development — a three-storey condo building that was constructed in 2023. It features a number of facilities including a fully-equipped gym and a party room with a kitchen and seating, and a central position with shopping, schools, eateries, and the West Coast Express all nearby. This particular unit has a private balcony that converts into a solarium for year-round enjoyment, a den that could be a home office or small bedroom, quartz countertops and stainless-steel appliances including a flat top range in the kitchen, and radiant heat throughout. The home comes with one parking stall in the underground garage, a large storage locker, and a strata that permits pets and rentals with restrictions. Its monthly maintenance fee is $361.84.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

Learn more about the latest mortgage rates and explore our guide to Canada’s lowest national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily.Related

• Sold (Bought): East Van artist loft offers distinctive character and ample room
• Sold (Bought): Marpole home offers flexible living arrangements

Here’s a typical scenario. You worked hard to create a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy in the summer. You set up an area to enjoy the evening in the garden only to hear a buzzing in your ear. Next, you’re slapping your neck, your arm, and running inside to avoid the mosquitoes that are plaguing your yard and garden.

Mosquitoes can absolutely ruin your outdoor peace. Not only are they a nuisance, but they are also a health risk, carrying diseases that can harm both humans and pets. Successful backyard mosquito control includes several key elements, including proper plant choice.

You might not have realized it, but there are some types of plants that actually attract mosquitoes. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to make your outdoor space less welcoming, even if you already grow some of these plants. Here are a few of the most common culprits that could be harboring mosquitoes in your yard and what to do if you grow them.

1. Bromeliads

(Image credit: Cris Cantón / Getty Images)

Bromeliads are colorful air plants that lend a tropical feel to the garden. They can grow outdoors year-round in warm climates or as houseplants that you move outside in summer in cooler climates.

Either way, if you have them in your garden, these delightful plants create cups of standing water, which is how they survive without soil. But the water, unfortunately, can become an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. They look for still water like this to lay eggs, which can hatch in a matter of days.

There is a solution, though. Add a little oil or dish soap to the standing water to break the surface tension, so mosquitoes can’t land on it.

2. Dense Ground Covers

(Image credit: Alamy)

Ground cover plants play a very useful role in the garden, creating lawns of green where grass won’t grow or where you don’t care to mow. Many ground covers do their job well, creating dense mats of low-growing plants: pachysandra, spurge, deadnettle, and sweet woodruff, just to name a few.

But these ground covers create an ideal environment for mosquitoes who love shade, cool temperatures, and moisture. You might even get standing water under these plants that helps skeeters breed.

To manage mosquitoes in these areas, trim the plants with a string trimmer to improve airflow – here's a list of our experts' top tested trimmer tools – and inspect regularly for standing water that should be drained. Rake out any leaf litter that gets trapped under the plants, as mosquitoes love this kind of environment, too.

3. Bamboo

(Image credit: Alamy)

Bamboo can be a fun plant to grow. It’s easy, forgiving, and grows very quickly to create privacy borders and living fences. But your bamboo plants might be harboring a secret: standing water in the hollow stems that attracts mosquitoes and protects their eggs and larvae. Additionally, bamboo grows quite densely in moist conditions that mosquitoes love.

Thin out crowded bamboo canes to reduce localized moisture and improve airflow. Keep the area around the canes clear, too, by weeding and raking up fallen debris.

Remove damaged canes regularly, as these are more likely to contain standing water. When you trim canes, cut them at an angle to help water drain out. Use a sharp, clean pair of loppers, like these ones from Fiskars, to make easy cuts.

4. Hostas

(Image credit: Bankiras / Shutterstock)

Hostas are extremely popular bedding plants for several reasons. They’re easy to grow, thrive even in the deepest shade, and come in a variety of sizes and shades of green. But the issue, when it comes to mosquitoes, is that these beloved plants create the perfect environment for unwanted pests under their broad, overlapping leaves.

Although mass plantings of hostas look nice, you can minimize the ideal mosquito conditions by spacing them out. Allow for a little airflow between each plant. Also, be sure to regularly rake out debris from under the leaves.

5. Ornamental Grasses

(Image credit: Molly Shannon / Shutterstock)

Ornamental grasses have become very popular in landscaping because they are generally easy to grow, offer a unique texture and look, and offer visual interest year-round. Unfortunately, when grown close together, these grasses can attract and harbor mosquitoes.

The dense growth of closely packed grasses creates areas of shade, stagnant areas, and moisture that mosquitoes love. Also, the dense grass makes it more difficult for natural predators of mosquitoes, like birds or dragonflies, to find and eat the pests.

Avoid planting ornamental grasses too close together and thin out those you already have. Trim away dead growth as it develops – a handheld hedge trimmer like this one from Amazon makes it easy – and divide mature clumps every few years. It also helps to plant ornamental grasses in areas where a breeze naturally passes through them.

6. Overgrown Shrubs

(Image credit: Vvoe / Shutterstock)

Any shrub can become a haven for mosquitoes if it becomes overgrown. Some types of shrubs are especially likely to create dense cover that provides these pests with the moisture and cool temperatures they love: boxwoods, hollies, viburnums, for instance.

The easy fix is to keep your shrubs trimmed. Prune them every year to open the canopy. Remove interior branches to reduce density. Clean up the area under shrubs to remove mosquito-harboring debris.

While certain plants tend to be very attractive to mosquitoes, you don’t have to avoid them altogether. Typically, it’s more the environment than the plant itself that causes the issue, so you can take steps to enjoy these plants while eliminating pests. Trim regularly, space plants adequately, check for and remove standing water, and you can naturally get rid of mosquitoes in your yard.

Shop Mosquito-Repelling Essentials

Summit Mosquito Dunks, 6-Pack

Use these highly-effective Mosquito Dunks to create a mosquito bucket of doom.

AUTGA Solar Fountain Water Pump for Bird Bath

If you have a bird bath in your garden, it could be a mosquito breeding pool. Add this under $10 gadget to keep it free of skeeters.

Thermacell Fuel-Zoneguard Mosquito Repeller

Create a 15-foot mosquito barrier around your patio or backyard bonfire pit with this DEET-free repellent device.

Fun fact about me: I am always on the hunt for fast-growing flowers that can add some serious color to my garden before the fall rolls around. Especially at this time of year.

Why? Well, because every single time August rolls around, I start noticing the gaps. The spring annuals have lost their sparkle, all but the longest-blooming perennials are beginning to fade, and suddenly the garden feels like it's quietly winding down long before I'm ready to say goodbye to summer.

For too many years, I assumed I'd missed my chance. Once August arrived, I thought it was too late to plant anything new and I'd simply have to wait until next spring. Thankfully, that's one of those gardening myths that's wonderfully easy to prove wrong, as August can be one of the smartest times to add fast-growing flowers to the mix.

7 Fast-Growing Flowers You Can Still Plant In August

If you want to plant fast-growing flowers this month so that you have oodles of color over the autumn, you're in luck! Warm summer soil helps roots establish quickly, which means many annuals race into bloom before the first frost; in fact, gardeners in warmer USDA zones can often enjoy flowers well into October or even November.

There is a knack to it, of course, and it's this: choose the plants that don't mind getting a late start. The ones that grow astonishingly quickly from seed (or even the ones best planted as young nursery plants for an almost instant splash of color).

Before you fill your cart, though, it's worth checking your USDA hardiness zone and average first frost date. Gardeners in Zones 8–10 have a much longer planting window than those in Zones 3–5, but every region still has options for extending the season.

With that in mind, then...

1. Calendula

(Image credit: RM Floral / Alamy)

If I could only sow one fast-growing flower in August, calendula would be near the top of my list (especially so now that scientists have been raving about its unexpected superpowers of late).

Burpee Calexis Yellow Calendula Seeds

Calendula marigolds make pretty border plants and they are safe to eat. We love this yellow variety!

Its cheerful orange and yellow blooms often appear in as little as six to eight weeks, making it perfect for late-season color. Better still, calendula actually prefers the cooler weather that arrives as summer fades, so it often performs better in fall than it does during the hottest weeks of July.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

2. Sweet Alyssum

(Image credit: Yui Yuize / Shutterstock)

Want fast-growing flowers that spell big, bold, beautiful color for fall? Never underestimate this little plant.

Sweet alyssum quickly forms soft cushions covered in tiny, honey-scented flowers that pollinators absolutely adore. Garden centers often stock young plants throughout late summer, making it one of the easiest ways to refresh containers and borders.

In warmer parts of the country, it can continue blooming right up until winter. Bag yourself some Sweet Alyssum Flower Seeds from Walmart, then, and get sowing.

3. Nasturtiums

(Image credit: Nadya So / Shutterstock)

Nasturtiums are one of those fast-growing flowers that seem to grow with astonishing enthusiasm, with their rounded leaves and jewel-colored blooms quickly scrambling through containers, raised beds, and vegetable gardens.

Both the leaves and flowers are edible, which is no small boon in this day and age. And, from seed, many varieties bloom within six to eight weeks. Give the Sweethearts Mix Nasturtium Seeds from Burpee a go.

4. Violas

(Image credit: Imladris01/Getty Images)

Most people think of violas as spring flowers, but I actually love planting these fast-growing flowers toward the end of summer.

As temperatures begin cooling, they burst into flower and often continue long after many summer annuals have given up. In milder climates, they may even flower through winter. That being said, though, I suggest you plant nursery-grown starts in August for the quickest display; something like the Halo Golden Yellow Hardy Violet Perennial from Walmart should do the trick.

5. Zinnias

(Image credit: Carolyn Jenkins / Alamy)

If your first frost is still several weeks away, zinnias are absolutely worth squeezing in.

These cheerful annuals love warm soil, which means August-planted nursery starts settle in quickly and can keep flowering until frost. In warmer USDA zones, you can also sow fast-maturing dwarf varieties directly from seed, though gardeners in cooler regions will usually get the best results by starting with established plants.

One of my favorite things about zinnias is that the more you cut them for bouquets, the more flowers they seem to produce. They're also magnets for butterflies, making them one of the easiest ways to add both color and pollinator activity to a late-summer garden.

Pick yourself up a pot of zinnias from Walmart, then, and get cracking!

6. Lantana

(Image credit: Bruev / Getty Images)

If your summer garden is looking tired, lantana is one of the fastest ways to bring it back to life.

This heat-loving flower seems to become happier as temperatures climb, producing clusters of tiny blooms in fiery shades of orange, pink, yellow, purple and white. While other plants start struggling in late summer heat, lantana keeps flowering – often right through the first frost.

It's especially valuable for gardeners in warmer USDA zones, where it can grow as a perennial and continue returning year after year. In colder regions, treat it as a colorful annual and enjoy its long final burst of flowers. A Lantana Rose Live Starter Plant from Walmart should do the trick nicely.

7. Marigolds

(Image credit: Schnuddel / Getty Images)

If there's one flower that refuses to admit summer is ending, it's the not-so-humble marigold.

Garden centers are usually still well stocked with marigolds in August, making them an easy way to refresh tired containers, borders, or vegetable gardens. Once planted, they'll happily keep pumping out cheerful yellow, orange, and deep red blooms until the first hard frost with very little fuss.

I also love that marigolds earn their keep. They're excellent companion plants in edible gardens, attracting pollinators while adding bold color exactly when many summer flowers are beginning to slow down.

Shop Marigolds:

Expert Gardener 2qt Yellow Marigold Live Annual Plant Sun 3-Pack

Three pots of marigolds, all beautifully yellow and ready to go? Sounds a deal to us!

Expert Gardener 2qt Orange Marigold Live Annual Plant Sun 3-Pack

Orange marigolds are just so synonymous with late summer and fall, aren't they?

FLOWERSBULBS African Marigold Plants

This looks like a stunning fall bouquet just waiting to happen, doesn't it?

Now, it's important to remember that the beauty of late-summer planting is that there isn't one perfect flower for every garden. Your USDA zone, first frost date and growing conditions all make a difference.

If you're gardening somewhere with a long, hot growing season, don't overlook heat-loving favorites like angelonia, pentas, celosia and salvia. These flowers can handle the toughest weeks of summer and continue bringing color when many other plants start to fade.

In cooler climates, the smartest approach is often choosing fast-growing annuals or picking up established nursery plants rather than starting everything from seed. Marigolds, petunias, snapdragons and violas can all give you that fresh burst of color without needing months to establish.

Not to get all Ryan Gosling in The Notebook about it, but it wasn't over. And honestly? Neither is the gardening season.

It can be tempting to create a perfect garden, with every square inch tended and cultivated. Not only is this level of perfectionism difficult to achieve, but it’s also not great for your native wildlife. If you can think of a part of your yard that is currently a little weather-worn and dry, it’s hardly surprising now that early flowering annuals are starting to die back. So what if I were to tell you that you can do your bit for Mother Nature simply by leaving a patch of that soil bare and empty?

The elements you need to create a wildlife garden don’t have to be complicated, and they don’t have to detract from the aesthetics of your outdoor space. They can be as simple as one or two bare patches that easily blend into cultivated areas. You might be surprised at how much this small concession can help native bees, butterflies, and birds thrive in landscapes that are often unfriendly and sterile for wildlife.

With midsummer still baking hot in many places, our backyard creatures face a grueling daily battle for survival. Scorching sun and drying water sources create challenging conditions. Any gestures of help you can give your wildlife matter, but one of the most powerful gestures you can offer is simply leaving a small patch of raw dirt untouched. Find out why exposed soil is vital for native bees, butterflies, and birds this summer.

How to Create the Best Patch

You don't need fancy landscaping or expensive soil amendments to prep your spare wildlife patch. In fact, keeping it simple is the best way of giving key species what they have relied on for hundreds of years. Native ground-nesting pollinators prefer unimproved, natural soil over rich, heavily composted potting mixes. A dedicated patch just 2 feet by 2 feet (60 cm square) is all you need to make a huge impact. Whether sandy, loamy, or clay-heavy, this soil is fine, as long as it isn’t compacted by heavy foot traffic or treated with synthetic fertilizers.

(Image credit: Maple's Photographs / Getty Images)

While you don’t need to do much to treat the soil itself, it’s worth making sure you have some native plants next to your patch of earth. Grouping sun-loving perennials like purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, or monarda nearby ensures that emerging pollinators have a source of energy inches from their front door. You can buy black-eyed Susan from Fast Growing Trees as pre-potted arrivals, plus American Beauties Native Purple Coneflower from Plant Addicts to support your patch. These vibrant perennials will create a nectar-rich perimeter around your bare earth.

3 Reasons Wildlife Needs Bare Earth

Even though many natural habitats are shrinking, our yards can be vital corridors of life for resident bees, butterflies, and birds. Leaving exposed earth is one of the easiest, most rewarding ways to sustain sensitive species during the brutal heat and extremes of summer. Here are 3 ways a simple patch of dirt can serve and protect your local ecosystem.

1. Helping Ground-Nesting Bees

(Image credit: STGrafix / Getty Images)

When we think of bees, we tend to picture honeybees in hives. But most bees, including most native bees in your yard, are not communal and don’t live in hives. Iridescent green sweat bees, mining bees, digger bees, and cellophane bees live mostly solitary lives. The females dig tunnels in the soil to create chambers that hold pollen, nectar, and eggs. These burrows are essential for their life cycles.

Dense turf, mulching, weed barriers, and landscape fabric all stop native pollinators from building burrows. If you have covered every inch of your yard with barriers, these solitary pollinators will struggle to find shelter and will be less likely to visit your flowering plants. So keep that dusty patch of soil free. After heavy rains and heat, you might see a crust on the soil surface. Just scratch across the top few inches gently with a cultivator or hand rake, to help mining and sweat bees to dig their chambers.

To give them an extra boost, add a hydration station. Pretty Bee & Butterfly Drinking Flower from Uncommon Goods lends delicate color to your patch, while providing extra service to thirsty bees. Alternatively, fill a shallow water dish with a little water and some Natural River Rocks from Amazon. These are flat and gently textured to help pollinators drink safely.

2. Helping Butterflies with Puddling

(Image credit: Elliot Barnathan / 500px / Getty Images)

It’s not just native bees that need patches of soil. Butterflies also benefit from little spots of bare soil in your yard. They use small, muddy spots for a behavior called puddling. If you’ve seen a flutter of swallowtails, red-spotted purples or monarchs in a patch of driveway dirt, you’ve witnessed puddling. This damp soil is being used to extract minerals and salts. Males are reliant on this practice to extract sodium and minerals, which they pass along to females during mating to help with eggs.

You can create puddling spots naturally by letting your patch of earth collect water after a rain, or after you’ve watered your beds or the lawn. To make a simple mineral station, find a 6-inch (15 cm) terracotta saucer, like the Pennington Terracotta Saucer Tray from Lowe's. Lay this level with the soil, fill it with a little earth and a splash of water, and keep it moist to create a puddling pool for swallowtails and monarchs.

If you like, you can sprinkle a tiny pinch of unrefined sea salt, wood ash or compost over this damp dirt. Keep this mud patch lightly moist throughout July and August. As summer winds down, migrating monarchs will rely on these quick mineral pitstops to fuel their long journeys south. They will also appreciate any late season nectar-rich blooms you can provide, like coneflowers and monarda. You can buy Sugar Buzz Grape Gumball Monarda from Plant Addicts. In late summer, butterflies also use nearby bare patches to bask in the sun and warm their wing muscles.

3. Helping Songbirds with Dust Baths

(Image credit: Raw / Getty Images)

Many of your local birds also rely on areas of dirt. Sparrows, wrens, robins, towhees, and others use bare dirt patches for dust baths to remove parasites and clean their feathers. Watching a cheeky wren, junco, robin or sparrow fluffing fine, dry soil into its feathers is one of the most enjoyable sights in a wildlife-friendly garden. And all you need is a little bit of soil that is soft and powdery to attract birds to dust-bathe.

When birds are shedding and regrowing flight feathers, access to this powdery soil gives them great comfort. During summer, birds struggle with mite infestations that can compromise flying. Dust-bathing helps them absorb excess feather oil in humid weather, and it can trap cool air. Birds also ingest tiny bits of sand and fine gravel. These particles stay in their gizzard to help them crush hard seeds and beetle shells.

You can support your patch by making sure it is near a bird bath. Keep the bird bath filled with fresh water, and replace it regularly. It’s also a great idea to add a solar fountain or a water wiggler, like the Solar Water Wiggler from Walmart. Moving water attracts many more birds than standing water. One of the most efficient solar fountain add-ons is the Mademax Solar Powered Bird Bath Fountain Upgrade, available from Amazon. These little extras all help to create a safe, quiet retreat.

Where to Place Bare Patches

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images)

It’s beneficial to have these bare areas a little out of sight. Tuck them into back corners of the yard, or near the edges of flower beds. A bare patch in the middle of a turf lawn won’t be much help to wildlife, and it won’t look nice. Any old random patch of uncovered soil will help your local wildlife, but to help the animals while honoring the aesthetics of your yard, there are a few simple ground rules (so to speak).

Pick a sunny spot, so your bees, butterflies and birds can absorb heat and warm themselves. Aim for a south or east-facing spot that catches early morning sun rays. Ground bees need that initial solar warmth to warm up their flight muscles on cool summer mornings. Make sure it’s a quiet area that’s relatively undisturbed by people and pets. Also, make sure it is well-drained, and not completely soggy (allowing for a spot that you want to keep moist for puddling pollinators).

Avoid steep slopes, where summer thunderstorms might wash away loose soil or drown bee burrows. Tuck bare patches along gentle borders, under the lee of a shed, or beneath low-hanging native shrubs like serviceberry or arrowwood to give small birds quick cover if they spy a predator. You can buy Proven Winners Blue Muffin Arrowwood Viburnum from Nature Hills for extra canopy protection above your hard-working patch of soil.

Maintaining Your Patch

(Image credit: RA Kearton / Getty Images)

Yes, you can leave these spaces alone, but you’ll help wildlife more by maintaining them just a little. Check moisture levels regularly. Ideally, your bare patch needs to have a puddling area and a spot that always stays dry for dust baths and burrowing. Place a few small stones in the areas that puddle to help wildlife with access. Don’t let soil in dry areas get too compacted. When needed, give the soil a little raking to keep it loose. If you’re after a good soil aerator, the Fiskars Hand Cultivator from Amazon is great for gently breaking up soil for ground bees and birds.

Avoid using pesticides near these areas, or you’ll risk inadvertently killing your native guests. Ground-nesting bees spend up to 11 months underground in these burrows, making them exceptionally vulnerable to chemical runoff. Plant ornamental grasses or wildflowers to hide some of the bare dirt from view, while also supporting wildlife with cover and food sources. You can also edge the soil patch with stones or logs, like Amosfun Log Edging from Walmart. This gives your tiny wildlife habitat some natural looking definition, while offering daytime shade for beneficial toads.

Make sure you maintain that dual-texture in your wildlife-friendly patch. Keep one half loose, powdery, and sun-baked for dusting birds and mining bees. Meanwhile, keep lightly dampening the other half for puddling butterflies, frogs, and local toads, which will shelter under your edge logs during the day and feast on pests by night.

Shop Summer Wildlife Care

(Image credit: Kevin Trimmer / Getty Images)

Round off your wildlife-friendly patch of earth with a few thoughtful wildlife treats. This handpicked summer bundle is tailored to nurturing a safe, comforting retreat for ground-nesting bees, fluttering butterflies, and dust-bathing songbirds. The perfect accompaniment for your bare soil habitat, these little upgrades will keep your wild visitors happy, hydrated, and nourished all season long.

Wildlife Trio

For Bees

Uncommongoods Bee & Butterfly Drinking Flower

Solitary ground-nesting bees spend many hot afternoons searching for small drops of water. These gorgeous textured glass cups can be pushed straight into your bare soil patch, holding tiny pools of liquid so bees can hydrate safely.

For Butterflies

Plant Addicts Sugar Buzz® Grape Gumball Bee Balm

Planting monarda near your puddling dirt gives swallowtails and monarchs (and ground-nesting bees) a nectar treat, summer through fall. It's also so pretty, with its tufty purple firework blooms.

For Birds

Mademax Mademax Solar Bird Bath Fountain Pump

Birds locate water as much by sound as by sight. Just drop this floating solar pump into a bath or water dish near your bird dusting area, and wait for the splashing water to draw in nearby robins, bluebirds, and wrens.

Making a little space for local wildlife doesn’t have to be a big chore, or mean that you leave things messy and untended. So, the next time you're tempted to fill that spot with one more bloom, consider leaving just one sunny area alone. That seemingly empty space could soon be one of the busiest and most important spots in your yard.

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As Canada’s population ages, interior designers will play an increasingly important role in meeting the needs of older adults who want to maintain their independence, safety and quality of life by proactively taking steps to future proof their homes and age in place.

In British Columbia, one in five people are currently over the age of 65, and the Office of the BC Seniors Advocate projects that within the next decade, that figure will rise to one in four.

This statistic is important in light of the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey released in early 2026, that shows more than 80 per cent of Canadians want to remain in their homes in their later years, but only 38 per cent have taken steps to do so.

“Aging-in-place design is less about preparing for decline and more about preserving independence through beautiful, ergonomic environments that can flexibly support people across their stages of life,” says Lori Sutherland Burns, principal at Port Moody-based Studio Ten Interior Design .

Hannah Cheng, founder and principal interior designer at New Westminster-based CHY Design agrees.

“What draws me to aging-in-place design is the opportunity to create homes that are not only safe and comfortable, but also beautiful and welcoming. I believe some of the best design solutions are the ones people hardly notice. They quietly remove barriers, make everyday tasks easier and support independence without compromising the feeling of home,” says Cheng, who is certified in adaptive home renovation with an emphasis on aging-in-place design through the Canadian Home Builders’ Association.

Burns says when discussing a custom home or a renovation, adaptable — or aging-in-place — design is always part of the conversation.

“We design beautiful homes that just happen to be adaptable,” she says, adding, “everybody deserves to live somewhere that’s super functional and beautiful.”

That early conversation with clients is exemplified in a recently completed project that included aging-in-place design throughout a home that won several awards in the 2026 Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) Awards for Housing Excellence.

“We knew this was going to be their forever home,” says Burns, adding the primary bedroom, en suite and closet are all on the main floor.

“All the doorways are accessible width so that if they ever needed a walker or a wheelchair, they wouldn’t have to make any modifications,” she says. All the showers are curbless and accessible width and the hallways are wide for the same reason.

In addition to her role at Studio Ten, Burns is program head for BCIT’s Diploma in Residential Interiors and a faculty member who teaches all levels of the Interior Design Degree program including Inclusive Environments, a design studio that focuses on designing an independent living/assisted living residence for ages 55-plus.

According to the British Columbia government’s Seniors’ Fall Prevention information, one in three residents in the province over the age of 65 will fall once every year, and falls are the main reason why older adults lose their independence.

The risk of home stair falls is a major concern. Having no stairs is the best solution but if a home does have stairs ensure good lighting especially in hallways, stairways and entrances where level changes may be difficult to see, particularly at night. Even short sets of two or three steps should have sturdy handrails to provide extra support, says Cheng.

Stair dimensions also matter, she says, adding that steps should have a consistent height because uneven risers can disrupt a person’s natural walking rhythm.

“Our body has a sense of memory. So when you’re going up or down the stairs and all of a sudden one tread is a little bit shorter or higher it catches you off guard and you can easily lose your balance,” she says, adding if flooring is being replaced it’s important to account for any changes that could alter stair height.

Bathrooms, with their hard, sometimes slippery, surfaces are one of the most important places in the home to focus on to reduce the risk of falls.

Grab bars are often one the first things on the list but safely adding them can be a challenge. However, planning ahead can make this a relatively easy task. In a new build, or during a bathroom reno, installing wood blocking to fit between the studs before the walls are closed with drywall or tile will provide anchor points for future grab bars.

“Even if you don’t feel like you need [grab bars] right now, I would still put in the wood blocking so that in the future you don’t have to take down your wall tiles, you can just add the grab bar,” says Cheng.

She points out that adding comfort-height toilets is also a feature worth considering. “Comfort-height toilets are typically around 17.5-inches from finished floor to seat,” says Cheng, who advises optimal heights should be tested in bathroom showrooms because needs may vary according to body stature.

But aging-in-place design isn’t just about mobility, it’s also about vision, says Burns who notes the importance of making sure there’s a difference in lightness and darkness that is easily discernible even if a person has vision challenges.

“We always make sure that there is sufficient [visual] contrast between the floors, cabinets, countertops and backsplashes,” she says adding that carefully planned, balanced lighting with appropriate colour rendering to reduce glare, show trip hazards and limit visual confusion is also necessary.

Smart home technologies — such as motion-activated lighting, video doorbells, smart locks, programmable thermostats, motorized blinds and touchless faucets — can improve safety and convenience for older adults.

“My mom, for instance, is 85. We set up her home so that she has everything voice activated — smart locks and lighting — she doesn’t have to get up to turn off a light, it’s all voice activated,” says Burns.

Cheng says circadian lighting systems that mimic natural daylight to support peoples’ internal biological clock can also be helpful.

“It’s a type of lighting system that adjusts the colour temperature and also the intensity to sync with our natural sleep patterns and help with our sleep at night,” she says, explaining a system can be preprogrammed through a computer, or there are light bulbs, such as Philips Hue , which can be managed through a smartphone.

While making a home more adaptable is an important part of aging in place, the NIA says preparation goes beyond renovations. It also includes budgeting for future accessibility upgrades, setting aside funds for care, planning for changing health needs and maintaining strong social connections to help prevent isolation.

The five pillars of a healthy home

Creating a home that supports healthy aging should incorporate wellness-focused design to promote both physical comfort and overall health, says CHY Design’s Hannah Cheng, adding those principles are based on five key elements.

Indoor air quality

During renovations, choose low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, flooring and finishes to reduce off-gassing. Good ventilation and air filtration also help maintain healthier indoor air.

Thermal comfort

A home that’s consistently comfortable is easier to live in year-round. Cheng recommends radiant heating where possible, noting that it provides even warmth while circulating less airborne dust than forced-air systems.

Lighting

Good lighting doesn’t rely on adding more fixtures. The goal is to increase overall light levels while minimizing glare from reflective surfaces, which can strain aging eyes.

Acoustics

Open-concept homes can amplify noise, making spaces feel overwhelming. Soft furnishings, textiles and textured finishes help absorb sound and create a calmer environment.

Water quality

Faucet filters, under-sink filtration systems or refrigerators with built-in filters can provide an added level of protection and improve the quality of drinking water.

Related

• Interior design rules that can — and can’t — be broken
• How to integrate all five senses at home

If you’re seeking a powerful tool for pruning large tree branches – thicker than anything you could cut with regular pruning shears – then the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw might be the perfect tool for you.

This mini chainsaw packs tremendous cutting power into a lightweight and minimal design, weighing just 70 oz and fitted with a 4-inch chain. The tool comes with everything you need to start pruning, including a 24V lithium-ion battery and charger, a soft carry case, and some lubricating bar oil.

Do bear in mind that this pruner is not designed to meet all your pruning needs. It can’t reasonably be used to cut thin plant stems, or perform delicate tasks such as deadheading flowers. However, if you just need a tool for pruning thicker tree branches, then the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw is surely one of the best pruners you can buy.

Greenworks 24v 6 in Mini Pruning Chainsaw, 2.0 Ah Battery and Charger

While this pruning saw is relatively user-friendly, it’s still technically a chainsaw. As such, you should always use it with care, while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The bar and chain will sometimes require oiling and tensioning between uses.

That being said, the battery and charger can be used with other tools from the Greenworks 24V/48V range, which includes a wide variety of DIY power tools and yard tools, which is very convenient. Buy this pruning saw first, and you can then buy other compatible Greenworks tools as bare units, at a very affordable price point.

Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw: At a glance

The Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw plus accessories. (Image credit: Pete Wise)

Since its launch in 2009, Greenworks has emerged as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of reasonably-priced, good-quality yard tools (as well as power tools for home improvement).

The 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw represents the brand at its best, with an innovative, user-friendly design, and cutting performance that rivals some of the tool’s premium-priced competitors.

This mini chainsaw is designed specifically for cutting tree branches, up to a thickness of 4" (and perhaps beyond, with the right technique).

You can pick up the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw (plus accessories) for about $160, direct from the Greenworks online store or on Amazon. At the time of update, it's currently on sale for $147.28 on Amazon!

Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw: key specsThe specs of our Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw review unit

Type

Bypass pruner

Cutting capacity

4″+

Blade material

Stainless steel

Handedness

Left or right

Accessories

24V lithium-ion battery and charger; soft carry case; bar oil

Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw: Performance

This mini chainsaw is made especially for cutting tree branches – and that’s exactly the kind of work we used it for during product testing.

The Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw, cutting a thick tree branch. (Image credit: Pete Wise)

The Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw proved capable of cutting through various sizes of branch with absolute ease. Tilting the saw back and forth, we were able to produce a clean cut every time, even when pruning trees with thicker branches.

For an even tougher test, we decided to use the pruner to cut a large, protruding knot away from a tree trunk. While this took a few more seconds than cutting through the branch, the task was effortless.

Adjusting the tensioning of the The Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw. (Image credit: Pete Wise)

Using the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw is incredibly easy, although it should be noted that the tool will require maintenance over time, including adjustment and lubrication of the chain.

The saw kicks up quite a bit of sawdust while it cuts through branches – so it’s a good idea to protect your eyes by wearing goggles during use. The operating noise is pretty loud and abrasive, so you might want to avoid using this tool for pruning while other folk are relaxing in the yard.

Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw: should you buy?Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw score card

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Price & availability

Well-priced, with great accessories.

5/5

Design

Powerful, innovative and easy-to-use.

5/5

Performance

Perfect for cutting thick tree branches.

4/5

Buy it if...

Cutting thick branches is your priority

Pruning wider tree limbs is this pruner's specialty. The tool cuts through thick branches with exceptional ease and speed.

You value convenience

This product is fantastically user-friendly. We loved this pruner's toolless chain tensioning mechanism, and the convenience afforded by cordless, lithium-ion battery power.

Other Greenworks tools have caught your attention

The battery and charger included with the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw can be used with other Greenworks products for the home and yard, which can often be purchased as bare tools.

Don't buy it if...

You need a pruner for your plants

The mini chainsaw design of this Greenworks pruner is totally unsuitable for delicate pruning tasks, such as cutting thin plant stems and deadheading.

You're uncomfortable around powerful tools

While this tool may be relatively accessible, it still has formidable cutting power. Chainsaws are not for everyone.

You don't enjoy servicing your tools

All chainsaws require routine maintenance tasks such as oiling and retensioning. If this sounds like an off-putting prospect, choose a lower-maintenance option such as a bypass pruner instead.

How does it compare?

Given that you’ve read this far, you’re probably comfortable with the idea of buying a mini chainsaw. However, we’d like to remind you that if you’re looking for an all-purpose pruner that can also cut soft plants, then you should be looking at a more versatile, lower-powered tool – for example, the manually operated Wolf-Garten Anvil Pruner RSEN, available on Amazon.

If branch cutting is your main requirement, another option to consider is the Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless Pole Lopper from Home Depot (which needs to be used with a compatible Ryobi battery and charger, both sold separately).

Ryobi’s lopper has a lower cutting capacity than the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw, but it is better equipped to cut high-up tree branches, thanks to its telescopic pole lopper design. Which option is best? That depends on the size and shape of your trees.

How we tested the Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw

The Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw, undergoing testing in writer Pete Wise's yard. (Image credit: Pete Wise)

The Greenworks 24V 6" Brushless Pruning Saw is designed especially for cutting tree branches, including thicker branches than most pruners could possible cut. To test the tool's capabilities, our reviewer used it to cut several branches away from the fruit trees in his yard, including branches with a thickness of over 4". The reviewer also tested the pruner's bundled-in accessories, including its 24V lithium-ion battery and charger.

First reviewed: September 2023

Forget the classics; did you know you have a forbidden birth month flower?

Every year, without fail, I find myself looking up birth month flowers. I know perfectly well what mine is by now, but somehow I still end up reading every list I come across, nodding along as though I've uncovered a profound new truth about my personality. Then, before I know it, I'm halfway down another rabbit hole of birth month trees, birth month birds, birth month animals, birth month bugs – honestly, if someone can assign me a symbolic creature or plant based on the month I was born, I'm interested.

It's not just me, of course; we all like seeing ourselves reflected in nature. We like to believe there's a flower that captures our best qualities, a tree that shares our quiet strengths, or a bird that somehow understands us on a soul-deep level. Whether it's scientific or not hardly matters. It's comforting, it gives us another excuse to learn about the natural world, and it's fun... especially if you use it to lean into your dark side!

All 12 Forbidden Birth Month Flowers

That's right; lately I've found myself wondering about our shadow sides instead. Not the parts of ourselves we'd necessarily change, but the qualities that make us a little more mysterious, complicated, stubborn, passionate, or quietly rebellious. Every personality has one, right? So if every month has a traditional birth flower celebrating sweetness, hope, or friendship, surely there's a darker botanical counterpart waiting in the wings.

Enter stage left, then, the forbidden birth month flowers.

Some of these plants are poisonous. Some were prized by herbalists before becoming tangled up in folklore. Others have long been associated with witches, spirits, ancient myths, or whispered superstitions simply because they were unusual or misunderstood. Either way, I think we ca all agree that every last one of us deserves a flower with a little mystery...

January – Hellebore

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Shutterstock)

If you were born in January, I can't imagine a better forbidden birth month flower than the hellebore.

While the rest of the garden is still asleep, hellebores are already flowering through frost and snow, earning nicknames like the Christmas Rose and Lenten Rose. They look impossibly delicate, but every part of the plant is poisonous if ingested. And, just like January babies everywhere, they survive difficult seasons not through noise or force, but through determination and staying power.

Go for something like the Frostkiss® Vibey Velvet™ Lenten Rose from Nature Hills if you want to grow your forbidden birth month flower at home!

February – Foxglove

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tall, elegant and almost impossibly beautiful, foxgloves have inspired fairy folklore for centuries. Legend claimed the tubular flowers were gloves for fairies or tiny lanterns lighting woodland paths.

The reality is rather darker; foxglove contains compounds that have transformed modern heart medicine, but the plant itself is highly toxic if eaten. So, what does that tell us about February babies? Why, that creativity is powerful – and so are you. Never underestimate imagination.

If you're going to do it, do it like Wham! would want and do it right. I love the Dalmatian Purple Foxglove from Walmart for its vivid purple blooms, if you're wondering.

March – Monkshood

(Image credit: MichelR45 / Getty Images)

March personalities are often thoughtful before they're outspoken, which makes sense, when you consider that their forbidden birth month flower is monkshood.

Its rich violet-blue flowers are among the prettiest in any perennial border, yet it's one of the most poisonous ornamental plants in the world. Also known as wolfsbane, it's been linked to myths involving witches, wolves and ancient hunters for centuries.

Buy yourself a pollinator-friendly monkshood from Walmart and watch your garden become a buzzing hotspot for bees and butterflies galore!

April – Bloodroot

(Image credit: Ed Reschke/Getty Images)

I know, I know; at first glance, bloodroot looks wonderfully innocent, but don't let this forbidden birth month flower fool you.

The native beauty opens brilliant white blooms in early spring before disappearing back into the woodland. But snap the root, and a dramatic crimson sap appears almost instantly – the feature that inspired its unforgettable name and centuries of traditional use.

It hammers home the credo, then, of every April baby: never mistake gentleness for weakness. Pick up a pack of Bloodroot Native Wildflower Seeds from Everwilde, then, stat!

May – Lily Of The Valley

(Image credit: Johner Images / Getty Images)

May is reliable, warm, and sociable – exactly the sort of personality people tend to underestimate. So, yes, naturally their forbidden birth month flower is much the same.

The tiny white bells of lily of the valley smell heavenly and look so beautifully innocent... but every part of the plant is highly poisonous.

There's a lesson in that, I guess; the kindest people are often stronger than anyone realizes. Bag yourself a Lily of the Valley Bare Roots Plant from CZ Grains, then, and channel that spectacular resilience in your own yard!

June – Belladonna

(Image credit: PicturePartners/Getty Images)

Few plants have a reputation quite like deadly nightshade. For centuries, belladonna was woven into stories of witches, cosmetics, medicine, and poison. Its glossy black berries and purple flowers have fascinated people for generations.

It makes sense, then, that it is the forbidden birth month flower for June. Because romantic, open-minded, and endlessly curious, June personalities are often drawn to mystery.

Belladonna reminds us that fascination and danger sometimes grow side by side – and that charm is a force all of its own. You can buy Belladonna Seeds from Walmart, but... be careful. Poisonous, remember?

July – Angel's Trumpet

(Image credit: Shef-time)

Some flowers whisper, but angel's trumpet... well, the clue's in the name, folks! Those enormous trumpet-shaped blooms hang from the branches like chandeliers, releasing their sweet fragrance as dusk falls. And yes, every part of it is highly poisonous.

If any forbidden birth month flower belongs to July, I think it's this one. Bold, magnetic and impossible to ignore, it mirrors the warmth and confidence so often associated with midsummer personalities. Channel that and buy yourself an Angels Trumpet from Walmart, stat!

August – Oleander

(Image credit: KrasiKanchev / Alamy)

If I had to crown one flower the survivor of the garden, it would be oleander.

It thrives where many plants give up, shrugging off relentless sunshine, poor soil and weeks of dry weather while continuing to flower as though nothing has happened. In warmer parts of the US, it's the shrub that keeps looking immaculate long after everything else has started to wilt... and that resilience? A trademark of August babes.

Its beauty comes with a warning, though. Oleander is one of the most toxic ornamental plants you can grow, a reminder that strength and softness can exist side by side. Pick up a Petite Red Oleander from Walmart, then, stat!

September – Autumn Crocus

(Image credit: Romolo Tavani / Shutterstock)

There's something wonderfully confident about a flower that refuses to bloom until everyone else is packing up for the season, right?

Autumn crocus waits patiently while summer takes centre stage, only unfurling its elegant goblet-shaped flowers as the days begin to cool. It's a forbidden birth month flower which effortlessly proves that arriving late doesn't mean missing your moment – sometimes it's exactly what makes you unforgettable.

Beneath that graceful exterior lies a darker secret. The plant contains colchicine, making it one of the most poisonous flowering plants in cultivation. If you're willing to be careful, though, you can bag Saffron Crocus Corms from Amazon easily enough!

October – Castor Bean

(Image credit: JRJfin / Shutterstock)

If ever there were a forbidden birth month flower that proved beauty can be deceptive, it's castor bean. Gardeners grow it for its enormous burgundy leaves and striking scarlet seed pods, which give borders an almost tropical feel by late summer. Hidden inside those spectacular seed capsules, however, are some of the most toxic seeds found in any ornamental plant.

For analytical October personalities like yours truly, it feels like the perfect match. Thoughtful, composed and quietly unforgettable, it reminds us that appearances rarely tell the whole story. You can buy castor bean seeds at Walmart if you want to honor your floral shadow!

November – Crown Imperial

(Image credit: Olga Seifutdinova / Getty Images)

Few flowers command attention quite like crown imperial. Its fiery orange or golden bells hang beneath a spiky tuft of leaves, giving it a regal silhouette unlike anything else in the spring garden. For centuries, it's been surrounded by folklore, with one legend claiming the flowers bowed their heads in sorrow after witnessing Christ's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane... and they've never looked skyward since.

Beneath all that grandeur lies a more mysterious side. The bulbs are poisonous if eaten, and the plant has a famously musky scent that many believe helps deter moles and rodents. Still, for determined November personalities, it feels like the perfect forbidden flower: proud, resilient and quietly unforgettable.

Try these Yellow Imperial Crown Flower Seeds from Amazon for a twist on the classic.

December – Moonflower

(Image credit: Kev Kibble/Getty Images)

While most flowers close up as daylight fades, the moonflower is only just waking up.

As evening falls, this forbidden birth month flower's enormous white blooms slowly unfurl, glowing against the darkness and filling the air with fragrance before closing again with the morning sun. Catching one open almost feels like stumbling across a secret, and that fleeting beauty is exactly why I love it!

For optimistic, adventurous December personalities, moonflower is a reminder that some of life's most magical moments happen after everyone else has stopped looking. If you want your garden's brightest moments to happen after the sun has set, buy yourself some moonflower bush seeds from Walmart.

The more I researched these forbidden birth month flowers, the more I found myself wanting to grow them all. Traditional birth blooms celebrate the qualities we proudly wear on the surface. These celebrate something quieter – resilience, curiosity, independence, determination and the wonderfully complicated parts of ourselves that don't fit neatly into a greeting card.

Of course, many of these plants are genuinely toxic and should always be grown with care, especially around children and pets. But admired from a respectful distance? Why, then they remind us that the most captivating flowers are often the ones with the richest stories to tell.

And, sure, they add a little spookiness to the equation, too. What could be better?