Garden Pests

Houseplants have a way of adding life, vitality, and calm into our inside spaces. But during the warmer seasons, there's no rule that says our favorite houseplants can't join us in the great outdoors. I adore the lush tropical look my indoor plants add to my Virginia patio and garden in summer—they're so versatile and vigorous that they even inspired me to write a book to help others use their favorite houseplants the same way, called Tropical Plants and How To Love Them!. Here are four easy ways to use your indoor plants to dress up your garden and outdoor planters. Plus, find tips for growing your houseplants outside successfully and bringing them inside again

Take one look at the bold white stripes on a zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa) and you’ll know how it got its name. Zebra plants (not to be confused with zebra haworthia) are known for their striking striped leaves, but these beautiful plants are sure to attract attention with their lush tropical look. When in bloom, these South American natives produce beautiful yellow flower spikes that last for weeks. Zebra plants are typically grown as houseplants, but in warmer regions, they’ll grow outdoors where their flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Can there be too many spring flowers? We don’t think so! Spring-blooming shrubs, like lilacs, rhododendrons, and forsythia, are standouts at delivering early season color and year-round garden structure. Enhance the show by adding a few less common spring-flowering shrubs alongside the tried-and-true stalwarts.

Opossums, often referred to as possums, are nocturnal animals that thrive on insects, small rodents, and plant material. They might find your open compost piles, trash bins, and garden plants particularly inviting. While you may think about ways to deter them, there are several humane methods to do so. These critters can actually bring benefits to your garden, especially by keeping pests in check.

With the summer season comes every gardener's worst enemy: pests. Sadly, this summer, some residents in Michigan will have to deal with an invasive species they've never seen before. The elm zigzag sawfly is continuing its spread across the eastern and midwestern U.S., and St. Clair County is its latest stop.

Few garden plants are safe when rabbits invade. To protect your vegetables, fruits, and flowers, you have several options for how to keep rabbits out of your garden. In North America alone, there are about 15 types of native rabbits and hares, but the eastern cottontail is the species you’re most likely to encounter. Whichever species you're dealing with, this guide covers how to identify rabbit damage and wildlife-friendly ways to stop rabbits from eating your plants.