A common mistake many first-time fruit growers make is choosing a variety that needs more than one tree to produce fruit. Many fruit trees require cross-pollination to produce a harvest. This includes most varieties of apple trees and sweet cherries among others.

If you don’t have room for more than one tree or you don’t want to commit to growing that much fruit, there are self-pollinating fruit trees that only require one plant to produce a harvest. Though the options are a bit more limited, there are still delicious choices available.

As summer comes to a close, it’s a great time to plant potted, balled and burlapped, or bare root fruit trees. Installing them in your yard or garden in fall allows them time to settle in before winter hits and gives them a head start come spring. Here are the best self-pollinating fruit trees to plant in fall for big harvests from only one tree.

1. Peach

Peaches are one of the most popular deciduous fruit trees, second only to apples. Though the first thought that comes to mind when you think of peaches may be Georgia, there are peach trees that thrive in USDA growing zones 4-9. So even if you’re a northerner, you can still get the delicious taste of homegrown peaches.

There are plenty of self-pollinating varieties of peaches available, but a ‘Belle of Georgia’ peach tree from Perfect Plants gives you fruit with that classic Southern flavor you want in cobblers, crisps, or pies.

2. Nectarine

Love the taste of peaches, but not the fuzz? Then nectarines are just what you need in your garden. They are genetically identical to peaches, other than their lack of a fuzzy skin. Nectarines are often a bit smaller in size than peaches, but the flavor is almost exactly the same.

Like peaches, nectarines are self-pollinating and hardy in growing zones 4-9. But late spring frosts can destroy flowerbuds that turn into your fruit crop. So if you live in a colder climate, choose a hardier cultivar like this ‘Hardired’ nectarine tree from Stark Bro’s.

3. Sour Cherry

Many sour cherry trees are self-pollinating, as opposed to sweet cherry trees. A popular type of sour cherry that makes for not only a beautiful landscape tree with its white blooms in summer, but also provides plenty of delicious fruit is ‘Montmorency’, which you can buy at Lowe’s.

The tart cherries this tree produces are perfect for baking, making preserves, or even eating fresh. It’s hardy in growing zones 4-7 and is a great addition to any edible garden or pollinator garden – bees love the spring blossoms!

4. Fig

Figs are one of the easiest fruit trees for beginners to grow not only because they’re self-fruitful, but also because they produce quickly and abundantly. Originating in the Mediterranean, some fig tree varieties are hardier than others. So be sure to check your growing zone and the hardiness of the fig tree before you buy.

One of the most popular fig trees for colder climates is the ‘Chicago Hardy’ fig, which you can find online from Trees.com (formerly FastGrowingTrees.com). It is hardy in growing zones 5-10 and can tolerate temperatures down to -10°F (-23°C), which means you can plant it in most parts of the U.S. This particular cultivar can produce up to 100 pints each season, only one or two years after planting.

5. ‘Jonagold’ Apple

Most apple tree varieties require at least two trees for cross-pollination to produce fruit. However, there are a few types of apple trees that are self-fruiting. Some self-pollinating apples include ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Jonathan’, but one of the most delicious varieties is ‘Jonagold’.

Jonagolds are sweet and juicy, perfect for eating, baking, or turning into cider. These apples ripen in mid to late fall and are an orchard classic because of their reliable harvests and crowd-pleasing sweet-tart flavor. They’re hardy in USDA growing zones 5-8. You can buy a high-quality Jonagold tree online from Trees.com.

What do you get when you cross fluttery purple coneflowers with spiky blue sea holly? The answer is prairie planting perfection – romantic, sculptural, and made to shimmer in the soft dappled light that stretches from late summer into fall. Looks can be deceiving, though, as these graceful beauties are hard as nails, tolerating heatwaves and drought as if they were minor inconveniences.

Add my latest Plant Matchmaker pairing to your garden now, and you’ll get weeks of flowers this year, followed by months of structural seed heads through late fall and winter. Then, the perennial plants will be established in time for next summer, giving you floral fireworks for months on end.

Coneflower (Echinacea) is, without question, one of the best native perennials you can add to your garden, bringing months of color while feeding pollinators and birds. Sea holly (Eryngium) is its tougher-looking counterpart, with steely blue flowers and spiky bracts that add contrast, texture, and a slightly wild edge. When planted together, they offer the perfect blend of softness and structure, and as they both have similar growing requirements, they’re easy to grow side by side.

Which Varieties to Choose

There are endless Echinacea varieties to choose from, but the classic look of purple coneflower is simply irresistible here. Try the Magnus purple coneflower, available from Woodies Garden Goods, for the lovely airy prairie planting effect pictured above. To save money, you could also start seeds this fall for plants next year, with these Sweet Yards purple coneflower seeds, from Amazon.

If purple’s not your thing, then an orange coneflower, like Artisan Soft Orange Coneflower from Nature Hills, will give a lovely warm contrast that feels more modern and energetic while keeping the prairie character.

For sea holly, I love the look of tall, frothy Blue Glitter sea holly, available at Plant Addicts. When the light hits the plant just right, it shimmers and gives an electric blue aura. If you prefer larger heads, then Big Blue sea holly, also at Plant Addicts, is a great choice. Blue Star, available to preorder as roots from Eden Brothers, is a striking alternative if you don’t mind waiting until spring, as each divided bract is like a ruff around the flower.

Why Coneflowers and Sea Holly Work Together

If long bloom times (2–3 months) followed by architectural seed heads in winter sounds appealing, then a coneflower and sea holly pairing hits the Plant Matchmaker jackpot. They flower at similar times, yet each brings something completely different to the table.

Coneflowers, with their tall, slender stems, carry soft, daisy-like petals surrounding rounded central cones, while sea holly adds spiky, structural flower heads and metallic blue tones. Together, that contrast makes both plants look more interesting. Their colors work naturally, too: purple coneflower blends beautifully with blue for a romantic prairie look, while orange varieties create the kind of dramatic contrast that Van Gogh would approve of.

The plants’ flowering seasons also overlap beautifully, and both hold onto striking seed heads long after the last petals have fallen, giving extra structure into fall and winter.

How to Grow Them Together

Coneflowers and sea holly make natural companions in garden borders. Both thrive in full sun, prefer well-drained soil, and become impressively drought tolerant once established. Most coneflowers are hardy in USDA zones 3–9, while many sea hollies suit zones 4–9, although it is worth double-checking the recommendations for your chosen varieties.

To ensure strong plants and abundant flowering, give the pairing at least six hours of direct sun each day. Neither plant likes sitting in wet soil, and sea holly in particular prefers the soil to be on the dry side. They will tolerate a range of soil types provided drainage is good, though if you have heavy clay soil, you’ll need to improve drainage before planting. Avoid making the soil overly rich, though, as this can encourage floppy growth.

For a natural prairie effect, weave the plants together, rather than planting each variety in a separate block. Allow roughly 18–24 inches (45–60 cm) between plants, depending on the mature size of your cultivars, and repeat small groups through the border, so the purple or orange coneflowers appear to float among a sea of metallic blue.

Consider height when deciding on position. Taller coneflowers like Magnus can sit towards the middle or back of a border, with similarly tall, airy sea hollies like Blue Glitter threaded between them. But more compact varieties can be brought further forward, so their contrasting flower shapes are easier to appreciate.

Water newly planted perennials regularly during their first growing season, to allow roots to establish. After that, you’ll find both plants to be pleasingly low-maintenance. Simply water during prolonged dry spells and avoid heavy feeding. Coneflowers can be deadheaded to encourage more blooms, but leave at least some faded flower heads standing in fall to continue the display into winter.

Gone are the days that only those living in a hot, dry climate thought about drought-tolerant gardens: after this heatwave summer, with hosepipe bans up and down the country, we all need to consider how to make our yards less dependent on water. But don't worry, that doesn't mean you have to compromise on a great-looking garden. These landscape designer tricks for drought-tolerant planting can transform your backyard while cutting the need for irrigation.

The combination of choosing the right plants and enhancing them with complementary landscaping materials can result in a sustainable design that feels right for the local climate, plus works for you. As with any good landscape design, the focus is on texture, color and repeat planting, but landscape designers rely on plants that are self-sufficient once established and tend to self-seed, as well as native plants adapted to the local climate. Using plants that practically grow themselves means that a drought-tolerant garden is also a low-maintenance garden, requiring less of your time to stay in good shape.

The best ideas for drought-tolerant gardens (also known as dry gardens and xeriscape gardens) are so much more than simply practical solutions to the challenges of climate change. Instead, they're aesthetically pleasing designs that tap into the best sustainable ideas to create a dream outdoor space despite limited water resources. It's a natural fit for hydrozoning ideas too, the landscape design method that groups plants with similar water needs together into specific zones.

If you're wondering how to design a drought-tolerant garden, or simply make part of your yard less dependent on water, these are the key tips and techniques that landscape designers use.

1. Embrace Rockscaping

Rockscaping is a modern version of the traditional rock garden that's arisen from the necessity of creating low-water gardens, as the stone effectively locks moisture in the ground and shields the soil from extreme temperatures. Rocks partner beautifully with xeriscaping, creating visual interest and helping to define different areas of the garden. Using bold sculptural planting, a rockscape can be planted less densely than a traditional border, further minimising the amount of water needed.

Building a rock garden isn't as hard as you might think. The key to successful rockscaping is to create an initial structure with larger rocks, then add smaller pebbles, crushed stone and gravel to create a full, layered design. Begin with a few well-placed larger rocks to anchor the space, then allow space between the rocks for plants to grow, and use drought-tolerant groundcover plants to spread into crevices and knit the scheme together.

Lowe's has a good selection of landscaping rocks. If you're on a budget, look on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist and Freecycle for listings of surplus materials left over from landscaping projects. Using local stone for hardscaping wherever possible is more sustainable in terms of carbon footprint and naturally complements local planting.

2. Use A Dry River Bed as a Key Design Element

Dry river beds are an ornamental solution to drainage problems in the garden as well as being an aesthetically pleasing design. Also known as a dry creek bed, this is a type of landscaping that’s designed to resemble a pebbly stream without the water. It allows water to filter down naturally into the soil too, offering a landscaping solution where plants can thrive in drought-prone areas.

This is a budget-friendly way to improve your garden too. All you need to do is dig out a curved path to simulate the stream bed, cover the area with a landscaping fabric that allows air and water through like this weed barrier from Lowe's, then add pebbles. Use pea gravel such as this Landscape Rock from The Home Depot as it's rounded so looks more river-worn than conventional gravel, and mix in larger river pebbles such as these Landscape Pebbles, also from The Home Depot, for a natural finish.

Choose a mix of drought-tolerant planting to enhance the design. Consider tall accent plants like lavender and yarrow, softly textured ornamental grasses such as Mexican feather grass and feather tail grass, and low-growing plants that spread about in gravel like sedum.

3. Include Plant Accents as Bold Talking Points

The label 'drought-tolerant plant' doesn't sound very inspirational, but there's so much scope for including statement plants in your design without becoming dependent on regular irrigation. Adding an accent plant is a landscape designer trick that's easy to do yourself, and will give your planting design the edge.

Start your search for showstopper no-water plants with succulents, choosing from sempervivum, agave, aloe, and sedum. Crushed stone, gravel and rocks offer the perfect dry and gritty growing medium succulents like, too.

One of most spectacular succulents is aeonium, a showy plant that comes in a kaleidoscope of colors including black, red and lime green. These grow on tall arching stems that add a sculptural touch to your planting design. While known mainly for their waxy rosettes of leaves, many aeonium species naturally produce bright, star-shaped yellow flowers too. These form dramatic, cone-shaped, attention-grabbing clusters that last from late winter through summer.

4. Pair Big Planters with Resilient Plants

Although container gardens generally need more watering than plants in the ground, using resilient drought-tolerant planting choices in large planters reduces irrigation needs. To give these plants the fast-draining conditions they prefer, fill containers with a standard potting mix but mix in plenty of perlite, coarse sand or grit such as Jack's Gritty Mix from Walmart to create the right growing medium. Add a top-dressing of gravel mulch to containers to help retain moisture in the soil.

In a big-enough container, you can even grow a compact pine tree such as Pinus sylvestris ‘Watereri’, featured in the design above. This hardy, slow-growing evergreen conifer with distinctive blue-green needles and a rounded form is a dwarf variety, perfect for adding year-round structure and color to a container garden.

Standout Plants for Drought-Proof Planters

5. Plant Resilient Ground Cover that Slowly Spreads

One of the best landscape designer tricks for drought-tolerant planting is to use resilient low-growing ground cover plants that act as a living mulch in dry and xeriscape gardens. They prevent the evaporation of water from the soil and help protect against soil erosion, as well as blocking weeds that steal precious water from your plants.

Fragrant, resilient creeping thyme is a great pick for a drought-tolerant garden as it's happy in poor soil including sand, gravel and grit, and full sun, and once established requires very little water. With soft gray foliage, a touchable texture and showy pink blooms from late spring to early summer, it releases a cloud of fresh scent whenever it's stepped on, so it works well on path and driveway edges, too. At this time of the year, you'll get better results with young plants such as these 3 Red Creeping Thyme plants from Walmart, or sow Thymus Serpyllum seed, available from Amazon, in spring.

6. Blur the Edges with Distinctive Plants

When you're using lots of rocks, pebbles and gravel in addition to the usual amount of paving and paths, it's important to pay attention to softening the edges of all this hardscaping with planting. Don't fall into the trap of thinking these softening plants are the low-growing, unobtrusive ground cover we talked about in the previous idea. No, these are eye-catching plants that draw your focus away from hard lines with brightly colored leaves, airy flowers or stems that drape artfully.

There are plenty of showstopper low-water plants that landscaper designers use to soften hardscaping such as pink muhly grass, coral bells and creeping rosemary.

7. Ditch the Lawn for a Gravel Garden

It's hard to keep traditional lawns looking good when hot, dry summers regularly wreak havoc on them. With water restrictions in place in many parts of the country due to widespread seasonal droughts and heatwaves, it's no surprise lawns are out of favor, with landscape designers seeking more sustainable options.

If you're looking for an alternative to parched brown turf, consider replacing your lawn with a mix of gravel landscaping and plants. It can be surprising to learn which plants thrive with zero water once established, so it's well worth noticing what's still flourishing in your local climate in midsummer, as this will give you a wider choice of plants than simply those seemed across-the-board drought-tolerant.

It's easy enough to add this low-maintenance and water-wise choice to your garde yourself. Lift the turf, lay a weedproof membrane and cut planting holes to add the plants, then spread a thick layer of gravel. Water well while the plants grow their roots deep enough to source their own moisture but then gradually reduce irrigation.

8. Replace Water-Guzzling Grass with a Native Perennial Meadow

Another more sustainable lawn alternative is a native perennial meadow. This lovely idea is steadily growing in popularity, reflecting the shift towards our desire to create more wildlife habitats in our own backyards. This lawn alternative will enhance biodiversity and be appreciated by bees, butterflies and other beneficial pollinators, while bringing a loose, romantic and informal style to your yard.

Once you have removed your existing turf lawn, choose plants that are adapted to dry conditions, have low water requirements, and are suited to your local soil and climate, as well as the particular growing conditions in your garden. Select a diverse range of plants with different textures, colors, and sizes to create visual interest. Try native perennials like yarrow, coneflowers, black-eyed Susan and bee balm. Add fine-textured ornamental grasses as a filler to create a fuller, more layered, look.

You can also scatter the seed of perennial wildflowers to create a naturalized meadow, if you're on a tighter budget.

Meadow Flowers That Pollinators Adore

9. Add a Drought-Tolerant Tree to Shade Plants

Introducing a tree that offers dappled shade makes a beautiful addition to any outdoor space but also has a practical purpose as one of the best landscape designer tricks to shade drought-tolerant planting from the heat. Integrating trees into drought-tolerant landscapes helps protect your garden's ecosystem during dry spells. Tree canopies reduce moisture evaporation from any plants beneath them as well as the surrounding soil. They can disperse the sun’s hot rays, giving shade to cool the air and allowing life to thrive beneath them.

Choose small shade trees that are drought-tolerant themselves such as palo verde, crape myrtle and olive. Resilient varieties will perform well as the climate warms, and be able to cope with rising temperatures and drought, thriving in both urban and country gardens experiencing excessive heat in summer.

Although xeriscape and dry gardens with drought-tolerant planting are require far less maintenance than traditional gardens, they're not maintenance free. All plants need irrigating while they establish themselves in their new home and grow a supportive root system to find their own moisture source. Drought-tolerant gardens need weeding, mulching, irrigating and occasional pruning, too, to keep them looking their best.

However, creating a yard that isn't reliant on regular irrigation long-term is a smart move in our current climate, and you don't need to compromise on style.

If you have spent the last few weeks seemingly confronted by wasps at every turn, you're not imagining things: late summer is prime wasp season. Which is, sure, great news for birds that eat wasps, but not so great for the rest of us.

By this point in the year, social wasp colonies have grown dramatically from their tiny spring beginnings. Yellowjackets, in particular, can become a real nuisance around outdoor food and drinks, although any wasps defending a disturbed nest can become increasingly defensive. So naturally, gardeners are looking for ways to kill wasps (or, y'know, send them elsewhere).

One suggestion I keep seeing on Reddit is particularly inventive: make a fake wasp nest out of a brown paper bag and hang it where you don't want wasps to build. The thinking is logical enough: that wasps are territorial and won't establish a new colony close to another one. And sure, there are plenty of anecdotal reports from gardeners who swear by the trick, including Reddit users who say they've had success with crumpled paper bags.

Personally, though, I find the evidence a little scanty. And if I'm going to stage war against the wasps in my yard, I'd rather forge an alliance with a few feathered friends than whip out the arts and crafts table.

Meet the Birds That Eat Wasps

Oh yes, stay the brown paper bag for a moment, because several beautiful backyard birds are perfectly happy to make wasps part of their diet. And while I wouldn't expect a bird feeder to magically clear your yard of stinging insects, encouraging natural predators is a lovely way to make your garden more wildlife-friendly while potentially lowering wasp numbers at the same time.

With that in mind, then, here are three birds that eat wasps like we eat Twinkies bars (along with a few tips on how to attract them to your yard)...

1. Summer Tanager

At the tip-top of the list of birds that eat wasps is the summer tanager, but that's putting it lightly, because these striking red birds don't merely eat the occasional wasp when one happens to cross their path. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, summer tanagers specialize in catching bees and wasps on the wing, and they'll also raid nests for larvae. They catch flying insects in short sallies, then beat their prey against a perch before eating it (take that, wasps!).

There is something wonderfully satisfying about the image of a beautiful red songbird doing the gardening equivalent of pest control, but don't expect to lure one with a standard seed feeder; summer tanagers are more interested in insects, fruit and the habitat that supports them.

With that in mind, rather than trying to create a wasp-free garden, create a bird-friendly garden: grow native plants, keep mature trees where possible and consider fruiting shrubs that provide another food source.

Plant for Summer Tanagers:

Most importantly, avoid reaching for insecticide every time you spot an insect; a garden with plenty of natural insect life is more likely to provide the food that insect-eating birds are looking for.

2. Northern Mockingbird

The northern mockingbird may be better known for its extraordinary singing abilities, but this familiar backyard bird has another talent that gardeners might appreciate: eating insects.

Yes, it may not be on the list of birth month birds, but, during the summer, northern mockingbirds eat mainly insects, and their menu includes beetles, ants, grasshoppers, moths, and (you guessed it) wasps. They typically forage around open ground and shrubby vegetation, making them particularly well suited to suburban gardens.

Now, unlike summer tanagers, mockingbirds aren't wasp specialists. They're opportunistic feeders, which means they're taking advantage of whatever useful food your garden happens to provide.

The trick is to give them the sort of garden where they can forage naturally, then; Cornell recommends keeping some open lawn while also providing fruiting trees and shrubs, as they aren't particularly known for visiting conventional bird feeders.

3. Blue Jay

Now we get to the beaky wonder that really caught my attention when I started looking into the birds that eat wasps., as there are documented observations of blue jays attacking wasp nests to scoff up the larvae.

Check it out:

Pretty impressive, right? That said, blue jays are omnivores, and insects make up only part of their overall diet – Cornell's review of their stomach contents found that insects accounted for about 22% of the diet, with nuts, fruits and grains making up most of the remainder.

Think of their wasp-eating behavior as a useful bonus, rather than a biological pest-control service... but that's still worth laying out the red carpet, honestly! Thankfully, blue jays are regular visitors to bird feeders, particularly tray or hopper feeders, and adore peanuts, sunflower seeds and suet. They also readily use birdbaths, while oak trees provide one of their favorite natural foods: acorns.

Shop Blue Jay Feeding Essentials:

Just don't expect every blue jay you attract to immediately go looking for your wasp nest. You're creating good habitat and a reliable food source – what the bird does with the rest of its day is up to the bird.

Transform Your Garden Into a Bird-Friendly Paradise:

It should go without saying that birds aren't going to replace proper wasp control, particularly if you've discovered a nest close to a door, play area or another part of the yard where people are regularly exposed (seek professional expertise in this instance).

Still, if I'm choosing where to put my gardening energy in the meantime, I'd much rather spend it planting berry-producing shrubs, keeping mature trees, adding a birdbath and putting out a tray of unsalted peanuts.

Because if a few beautiful birds happen to arrive and eat some of the wasps along the way? Well, that's a gardening win I can get behind.

August is still summer, but it’s the end of summer, and perennial plants have been growing for many months since early spring. That means that many of these plants are overgrown by summer’s end and would benefit from being divided.

Division is a type of perennial propagation in which you dig up the root clump and chop it up to create several plants, then replant each section. August is an ideal month to divide plants since cool nights and warm soil will encourage roots to regrow quickly.

Which plants to focus on? Give preference to species that have finished flowering and are showing crowded centers. Summer’s end is a fine moment for dividing plants - from geraniums to shade-loving hostas. It makes your borders neater and gives you healthier, happier plants next year. Grab a perennial shovel from Lowe's that is specifically designed for dividing and transplanting perennials to make the task easy as pie. Here are half a dozen perennials that will benefit from being divided now.

1. Bearded Iris

With six petals – three upright, three drooping - the bearded iris (Iris germanica) is an extremely popular perennial. It is beloved for its huge, showy blossoms that are super-fragrant and have a frilly beard in the center. It’s this beard with pollen and nectar that attracts pollinators. The plant also sports long, strappy, sword-like leaves. It’s a powerhouse in the garden and can grow to a mature height of some 4 feet (1.5m).

Bearded iris is hardy to USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It needs well-draining soil to thrive, sandy is preferred, and full sun exposure. Water when the top few inches of soil are dry. Never let that soil get wet – and never mulch this plant – or you are risking root rot.

The bearded iris can live for many years. But after several years, the clumps become crowded, congested, and tangled with old and new growth. That makes August the perfect time to divide irises. This gives you new plants and freshens up and cleans up old ones. To divide, cut the foliage back to 6 inches, lift the roots and divide. Then replant with the top of the rhizome exposed to the sun.

2. Shasta Daisies

Shasta daisies have cheerful, white-petaled flowers with butter-yellow centers that contrast beautifully with the plant's dark green leaves. These perennials thrive in USDA hardiness zones 5-9 and require a site with sun – either full or partial sun – as well as well-draining soil. They are drought tolerant but do best if you give them sufficient water to keep the soil moist.

Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) grows in clumps, and after 2-3 years, the clumps get tired and woody. Left to their own devices, these tired clumps won’t flower well in the spring. The solution is to divide Shasta daisy clumps in late summer or early fall. Dig up the entire clump, shake off excess soil and discard the woody, worn-out center. Split the rest of the clump with a sharp garden knife. Split the clump into several smaller sections, then replant them all immediately. Make sure that they are replanted at their original soil depth.

3. Common Yarrow

You may know yarrow plants as gordaldo, milfoil, poor man's pepper or thousand leaf. It’s also called plumajillo in the southwest – a term that means little feather in Spanish. The plant’s aromatic leaves are feathery and have a lacy texture. The yarrow stems can grow to 3 feet (1m) tall and are topped by flat clusters of tiny blooms - often yellow, cut sometimes white or pink.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) likes a sunny location in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It grows in poor soil, clay soil, and even sandy soil, as long as it is well-draining. Yarrow plants need regular pruning and deadheading to keep the plant blooming. Even so, they get overgrown at summer’s end and benefit from being divided every few years or when the center of the plant begins to die out. Dig up the plant, discard the center and replant the outer chunks.

4. Hostas

Hostas are known as the queen of the shade garden and for good reason. These popular perennials have stunning foliage and thrive in shaded areas. Gardeners appreciate that hostas return year after year from their rhizomatous roots. They are available in many sizes - from teeny tiny to giant - and a wide variety of leaf patterns.

Hostas thrive in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. Although they prefer shade, some can grow in dappled sunshine. Hostas can get tired, tattered, and worn out by autumn. The beautiful foliage turns yellow or brown, and may sprawl or collapse as the plant prepares for winter dormancy.

Use an overcast August morning to divide hostas into sections, making sure each section has a healthy set of roots and shoots. Keep the pieces damp and you can store them for a few weeks before replanting.

5. Daylilies

Pretty, popular daylilies grow fast and live a long time. They are not true lilies, but are easy to grow, drought-tolerant and attract pollinators. The trumpet shape blooms appear in fiery shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, and pink, and are top choices for borders and edging. They thrive in USDA zones 3-10.

Daylilies are so easy to divide that they would be a great place for a beginning gardener to learn about propagation by division. They outgrow their space every three to five years. Wait until they finish flowering to divide them. This is usually the end of August.

Use clean, sharp pruners to clip the daylily foliage close to the ground before digging out the clump. Then divide the root ball with your fingers, move each one to a new location, and plant them so that the crown is just below the soil surface.

As fall approaches, common backyard birds as well as migratory species are looking for nourishment and cover ahead of impending cold weather. With the transition of late summer into fall, our backyard borders undergo a quiet transformation, but for birds, this transition presents a few challenges, as natural resources start to dwindle.

Migrating songbirds like hummingbirds, warblers, and tanagers require immense calorie intake to build vital fat reserves before embarking on journeys spanning thousands of miles. Simultaneously, year-round resident species (such as cardinals, chickadees, and goldfinches) start looking for reliable seed heads, lipid-rich berries, and dense thermal cover to survive the cooler months ahead.

By establishing bird-friendly plants that provide food and shelter, you can help finches, cardinals, bluebirds, and hummingbirds before winter arrives. As natural supplies get harder to find, you can attract birds to your yard with native flower species and shrubs that provide protein-rich seeds, berries, and nectar, as well as draw insects. And planting shrubs and perennials together will create a safe haven for birds to find shelter and warmth in the coming months.

Bird-Friendly Plants to Add Now

Meeting the survival needs of backyard birds and migrating hummingbirds in fall comes down to three elements: protein-dense seeds, lipid-rich fruit, and secure shelter. Long-distance migrating hummingbirds rely on high-sugar nectar sources to double their body weight before making long trips across the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, nomadic flocks of cedar waxwings and bluebirds seek out rich berry displays, while foraging finches, sparrows, and juncos depend on seed cones.

Always check for regional native plant varieties of these species that are suited to your area, and be aware of regional planting windows. If you are growing in USDA hardiness zones 3-5, you’ll need to finish planting these natives by early autumn. This will allow them 4-6 weeks for good root growth so they can establish and settle before soil freezes. However, those growing in zones 6-9 will have a little longer.

Warm late-season soil paired with cooler air temperatures encourages rapid root establishment, ensuring that fruiting shrubs and seed-rich perennials lock in quickly. Just make sure your soil is well draining. If it isn’t, work in some well-rotted compost before planting. Adding in a little bone meal into the planting site, such as Espoma Organic Bone Meal from Amazon, also helps to boost healthy root development in these natives before dormancy kicks in.

After planting, add a 2-inch (5cm) layer of organic mulch to keep soil temperatures regulated for these native fruiting, seeding and shelter options. Visiting birds will thank you – with plenty of repeat visits all the way through fall.

1. Purple Coneflower

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a welcome pollinator plant, and also a seed buffet for goldfinches, house finches, black-capped chickadees, and dark-eyed juncos. Goldfinches often don’t wait for the seeds to mature, and visit flowers even when seeds are still green. There are many cultivars of echinacea, but typically only the single petal varieties of the native purple coneflower produce viable seed. You can buy American Beauties’ Native Purple Coneflower Live Plants from Plant Addicts for lush, prolific flowering that lasts right up to first frosts.

Plant in full sun to light shade and well-draining soil. Boost root development by scratching a handful of Dr Earth Pure Gold All Purpose from The Home Depot into the planting hole. Coneflowers grow 2-4 feet tall (0.6-1.2m) in hardiness zones 3-8. Leave spent flower heads standing all through autumn and winter rather than deadheading them during late-summer cleanups.

2. American Beautyberry

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is an eye-catching native. The bright magenta fall berries are the real draw, attracting northern mockingbirds, robins, northern cardinals, brown thrashers, towhees and gray catbirds. As foliage drops, the berries remain exposed on bare stems, making them a magnet for migratory flocks searching for nutrition. Whichever birds get their first are likely to scoff the lot! For a quick-developing shrub, Green Promise Farms’ American Beautyberry Live Plants from Amazon grows well in full or partial shade.

Plant beautyberries in full sun or part shade in well-draining soil. These perennials grow 3-8 feet tall (0.9-2.4m) and perform best in zones 6-10. Planting in loose groups of 2-3 shrubs helps to maximize fruit production through cross-pollination. Top-dress shrubs with a carbon-based soil conditioner like Rosy Soil Biochar Booster from Amazon to hold root moisture through dry fall spells.

3. Goldenrod

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) is known as a superb fall nectar and pollen plant for bees and butterflies, but its bird appeal is often overlooked. Beyond hosting protein-rich caterpillars and insects that migratory warblers hunt, its feathery seed heads yield a feast for goldfinches, dark-eyed juncos, tufted titmice, pine siskins, and sparrows. If the stems are left standing through winter, they also create a safe shelter. American Beauties Goldenrod Fireworks Live Plants from Nature Hills is a generous nectar resource, while clump-forming Wichita Mountains is neat and well behaved.

Goldenrod is not an allergen, so it is safe to plant. It thrives in full sun and average, well-draining soil, but also tolerates poor soil and clay soil. Heights range from 1-5 feet (0.3-1.5m). Growing zones vary with the native plants and cultivars, but this plant is generally hardy in zones 3-9. Feed very lightly during establishment with a gentle tonic like Bloom City’s Organic Liquid Seaweed and Kelp Fertilizer from Walmart to jumpstart growth without triggering weak foliage.

4. American Cranberrybush

American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) is a self-fertile native viburnum (it does not require a pollinator to produce fruit). This multi-season native presents with showy, lacecap flowers in spring, and the edible berries are glossy and bright red, similar to cranberries in taste and color, though it is not a true cranberry. Just be sure to get the American variety, not the European cranberrybush that is invasive with inedible fruit. Buy Bailey Compact American Cranberrybush from Plant Addicts for smaller yards and modest-sized yards in need of color.

The tart fruits last well into late winter, undergoing freezing and thawing cycles that soften them into a prized food source for cedar waxwings, robins, bluebirds, and cardinals. Grow this native in moist, well draining soil and full to part sun in zones 2-7. It grows 8-12 feet (2.4-3.7m) tall and wide. Work a handful of slow-release Espoma Organic Tree-tone Plant Food Double Pack from Walmart into the surrounding soil at planting time to help strengthen heavy branches. This feed is an excellent investment for other fruit trees and ornamentals, too.

5. Trumpet Honeysuckle

Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is a must-have native nectar source for migratory hummingbirds. Its tubular, coral-red flowers bloom from early spring to frost on this semi-evergreen perennial vine. The spring bloom is the heaviest, but it blooms all summer and is generally guarded by a territorial hummer. In late summer, red berries attract robins, finches, cardinals, northern mockingbirds, thrashers, and cedar waxwings. One of the finest examples is the popular, disease-resistant American Beauties ‘Major Wheeler’ Trumpet Honeysuckle from Nature Hills, which can service hummingbirds and other pollinators well into fall.

Grow it in well-drained soil in full sun in hardiness zones 4-9. This plant just requires a sturdy trellis or fence to hold its heavy vines, which can reach 10-20 feet (3-6.1m). To keep tubular nectar blossoms opening through to fall frosts, it’s also worth adding a splash of potassium-rich flower feed every few weeks in the growing season. Its dense, semi-evergreen foliage provides crucial shelter from rains and predators.

6. New England Aster

New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) lights up autumn borders with clouds of deep violet-purple, pink, and rose blossoms. While bees and migrating monarch butterflies flock to its rich late nectar, songbirds eagerly wait for the flowers to mature into fluffy, seed-filled heads. It pairs well with goldenrod to provide late summer nectar as well as seeds. Goldfinches, juncos, chickadees, nuthatches, and cardinals spend crisp fall mornings clinging to sturdy stems to feast on energy-dense seeds. Leaving these natives intact through winter ensures a steady food source. You can buy pink Native New England Asters from Plant Addicts.

Thriving in full sun and moist, well-drained soil in zones 4-8, native asters reach 3-6 feet (0.9-1.8m) tall. Give new transplants a healthy boost by mixing TPS Nutrients Organic Bloom Fertilizer from Amazon into the surrounding soil. This low-nitrogen, blossom-boosting granular feed supports rich petal color and heavy seed production without forcing sappy stems. To keep this plant shorter and bushier, you can pinch the growing tips back in spring.

7. Rocky Mountain Juniper

No autumn bird habitat is complete without dense evergreen structure, and Rocky Mountain juniper tree (Juniperus scopulorum) stands as one of the best choices for cold-weather shelter as well as food. Bluish cones contain nutritious seeds for cedar waxwings, thrashers, warblers, robins, bluebirds, and northern mockingbirds. Added to which, the thick, aromatic foliage is an impenetrable windbreak against gales and offers roosting spaces away from hawks and cats. You can currently buy Skyrocket Rocky Mountain Junipers from Trees.com for a 20% discount. They will quickly develop a columnar shape that is ideal for privacy screenings and vertical accents.

Thriving in full sun and well-drained, lean soil in zones 3-7, this juniper reaches 10-15 feet (3-5m) tall. A 2-inch (5cm) layer of natural wood mulch, such as Vigoro Premium Brown Wood Shredded Mulch, available from The Home Depot, helps to protect these evergreens from drying winter winds. Spread around young root crowns to keep moisture levels steady and insulate roots against ground freezes.

Need more ideas for getting the most from your plants, indoors and out, and looking for the best seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free Gardening Know How Newsletter!

Prairie natives need better PR, I've decided. Especially as it is a truth universally acknowledged that any garden designer worth their salt will tell you to look to the Mediterranean when the brief is a garden that can cope with heat and drought.

It's easy to see why, of course; lavender, salvia, rosemary, sage and their sun-loving companions have evolved to thrive in hot, dry landscapes, and they've been giving gardeners a blueprint for drought-tolerant planting for generations. The silver foliage helps reflect the heat and limits water loss, while the tough stems and deep roots allow many Mediterranean plants to keep going when other perennials are wilting.

They look beautiful, smell wonderful and, once established in the right conditions, can be remarkably undemanding. But there's another answer to the problem of hotter, drier gardens – and it's one that comes from a landscape that a) looks very different indeed, and b) is a lot closer to home.

The Prairie Native You Shouldn't Sleep On

Yes, there is one particularly striking prairie native making waves right about now, but, weirdly enough, I first spotted somewhere I really wasn't expecting to find it: in the middle of Sussex.

I'd gone to Wakehurst, Kew's wild botanic garden, and found myself standing in front of the magnificent American prairie they'd somehow been recreated in the English countryside, with towering grasses and wildflowers stretching out across the landscape.

It was beautiful, but it didn't really look like a traditional British garden. There was something wilder and more elemental about it, as though a little piece of the American Midwest had been dropped into Sussex. And among all those plants, there was one prairie native that stopped me in my tracks: rattlesnake master.

With its blue-green leaves radiating from the base and globes of greenish-white flowers held high on branching stems, it looked almost like a cross between a yucca and an alien allium. It was architectural, slightly otherworldly, and completely unlike anything I'd normally expect to see in a sunny perennial border.

There's more to the appeal than just that, though; those strange little flower heads are packed with tiny blooms, providing pollen and nectar for an impressive range of pollinators, from bees to butterflies to birth month bugs.

It's also worth noting that Wakehurst's American Prairie was designed as a living experiment in climate-resilient gardening, using plants from North American prairie communities to explore how they might perform as our own climate changes. And, if you're in the market for flowering perennials that thrive in 95°F heat, this little beauty is definitely one of them.

If you've fallen for this prairie native's strange good looks as well, the good news is that rattlesnake master isn't particularly difficult to grow. All it wants (all it really really wants) is full sun and plenty of room for the basal foliage and its tall flowering stems.

In terms of planting, it needs things well-drained and can tolerate the likes of sandy, rocky and clay soils. And, while you should water regularly while establishing it, it becomes wholly drought tolerant once mature and doesn't need the constant moisture that many garden plants do.

That's... well, that's it; you can just leave it to do its thing (and should; the flowerheads can be left standing after flowering for added winter structure).

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Lavender will always have its place. So will salvia. Rattlesnake master, though, represents something that our gardens are going to need more of: plants that can cope with difficult conditions without sacrificing beauty or wildlife value.

And, after seeing rattlesnake master thriving in that surreal little slice of American prairie in the middle of Sussex, I'm beginning to wonder whether the future of the dry garden might look a lot less Mediterranean than we think...

Now is the perfect time to put a few plans in place to make sure your garden looks good for the next few months and sails into fall with style. A pretty autumn-blooming vine here, a refreshed hanging basket there, a DIY run of stepping stones to keep your lawn looking good once the rain arrives and a sprinkling of fast-to-flower bulbs, and your garden will look a thousand dollars come October. And you’ll have achieved it on a shoestring.

Acting in August means plants have time to settle their roots into the ground before flowering, and you can take advantage of late-summer sales. The weather is warm enough for freshly-planted additions to grow strongly, and for you to enjoy spending a few hours over the weekend in the garden. Wait another month before you start thinking about your fall garden, however, and you’ll have to pay more for an instant upgrade.

All these ideas are quick, easy and don’t cost a fortune: which will be best to bring late-season style to your garden on a budget?

1. Bury Bulbs in Your Lawn For Flowers in 8 Weeks

Most fall-flowering bulbs need to be planted in spring, but get Crocus sativus into the ground in September and it quickly blooms in 6-10 weeks for blooms in October to November. The flowers are small, reaching just 3-6 inches high, but they’re the most beautiful azure blue color that’s a wonderful contrast to the fiery tones of fall.

You can buy 20 Croscus sativus bulbs from Jackson & Perkins for $17.95 and, by burying them in your lawn or the front of a border, create drifts of fall flowers very cheaply. You’ll have stopped mowing your lawn by the time the bulbs flower, and they’re hardy in zones 3-8 so will bring blooms for years. You can dig up and separate the clumps every 3-4 years, too, for free plants and lots more flowers.

2. Refresh Hanging Baskets With Cheery Pansies

After the heatwave summer we’ve had, your hanging baskets will be looking pretty tired by now, but it’s a quick and easy job to freshen them for flowers all through fall. The Plentifall series of pansies flower most profusely through fall, winter and spring in zones 6 through 8, but cope with chilly temperatures down to zone 3, so simply find them a sheltered spot in colder zones for lots of blooms. The 1” flowers are edible for attractive garnishes on sweet or savoury dishes, too.

Plentifall pansies have a trailing habit so will spill from a hanging basket, growing 8-10 inches high and 18-24 inches wide. Burpee is currently offering four plants for $13.95 with three varieties to choose from: Plentifall Lavender Blue Pansies have pretty blue to deep purple petals; elegant Plentifall White Pansies have dainty yellow and purple centers; Plentifall Frost Pansies fall between the two with a range of pale tones from white to lavender.

There are so many creative ways to turn cheap bedding plants into fabulous garden details, so as well as refreshing hanging baskets, consider using Plentifall pansies to add some other accents to your fall backyard.

3. Forage for Natural Accents

Topping patio pots or borders with a pinecone mulch brings so much texture and autumn style to a garden, and doesn’t cost a penny. It’ll help insulate the soil, too, helping to protect roots from below-zero temperatures once winter arrives.

Another way to use foraged materials as fall garden decor is to wind colored yarn or twine around sticks pushed into the soil.

4. DIY a Water Feature to Light Up Evenings

Nights draw in surprisingly quickly in fall and by the end of October, the sun has set by 6pm across much of the country. A lovely way to light darker evenings on the patio is with a DIY illuminated water feature made with a solar-powered floating fountain with LEDs. All you need to is a watertight vessel such as this cheap polyresin tub from Lowe’s and a $15 floating fountain with LEDs and a built-in battery like this flower-shaped solar fountain from Amazon. Get creative and you could even make a water-feature planter to pretty-up your patio for fall.

5. Add Long-Lasting Flowers With Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’

Being a succulent, Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’ is one of the easiest fall-flowering plants to grow. It's a reliable bloomer from late summer all through autumn and practically grows itself, pretty much anywhere. The blooms change color, too, opening a pale pink before morphing into a rosier pink and finally turning a rich copper. While you can remove the faded flower stems after the first frost, most folk leave the dried flat-topped flowers as winter structure.

Happy in sun or partial shade in zones 4-9, perennial Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ plants in 1 gallon pots are available from Garden Goods Direct. If you love the long display of color-change blooms, Dutch Grown stock bare root Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ for a third of the price. While bare root sedums can be planted now, they won’t flower this year, this is an economical way to add lots of blooms for fall next year.

6. Add Fall Accents to Containers

While there are plenty of late-season heroes that reliably bloom through summer and into fall, year after year, buying full-size, ready-to-flower plants now can be expensive. Because these plants give an instant reward of bonny blooms, garden centers and online retailers are able to charge premium prices. Wait until spring to buy them, however, and fall bloomers will be far cheaper – and will establish far better in your garden to boot as they’ll have months to focus on growing a supportive root system before the stress of creating flowers.

So what to do with your patio pots if you’re on a tight budget? The solution is to buy better-value plants that rely on features other than flowers to add eye-catching details to containers.

7. Make a Foraged Wreath

It’s a quick and enjoyable task for a sunny afternoon to forage for stems to create a wreath. The advantage of doing this in August or early September is that the still-warm weather with allow the stems to dry in place and last for months. My foolproof method to create a wreath for my autumn garden is to use twine to tie small bunches of stems tegether, then attach those onto a wooden hoop with wire – the less attention I pay to making it pretty, the better it always looks!

Find a spot out of the midday sun to hang your wreath so lasts for longer, bringing fall style to your yard for very little effort or outlay.

8. Make a Stepping-Stone Path Across Your Lawn

This is a great job to do ahead of fall and winter and save your grass from being damaged as you cross your lawn in wet or frozen weather. You can often pick up end-of-line pavers very cheaply from hardware stores, or look for purpose-made stepping stones on online middleman retailers, such as this four-pack of stepping stones from Wayfair with change from $50.

Lay your stepping stones across your lawn at a comfortable stride width – and do practise walking up and down them to make sure of the distances – then use a drizzle of sand around the perimeter of each to mark their positions. Set the pavers aside then remove the turf and excavate enough soil to accommodate the depth of the paver plus around 1½ inches. Pack the holes with sharp sand then lay the paver on top so it’s a fraction below grass level, enabling you to run a lawnmower over the top.

9. Plant a Fall-Flowering Clematis

One the quickest and easiest ways to zhuzh up your garden for fall is with some fencescaping to turn a boundary from boring to beautiful. And one of the quickest and easiest ways to do that is to plant a fall-flowering clematis.

In a sunny spot, you won’t do better than the Happy Jack Purple clematis vine, available from Plant Addicts, trouble-free to grow in zones 5-9 and abundant with intensely-colored autumn flowers that turn into sculptural seedheads through winter. For a shadier spot, Samaritan Jo clematis, also available from Plant Addicts, is a surefire bet – it’s just as well-behaved and has silvery lavender-hued blooms in zones 4-9. Both these vines need cutting to a foot above the ground in spring so are easy to keep to a compact size.

10. Paint Your Shed or Fence

Late August or September is a great time of year to paint a fence or shed as wood has dried out through summer, lower humidity helps the paint dry evenly and moderate temperatures mean it doesn’t dry too fast and crack. Painting wood now also protects it from the wet weather to come, so check the forecast for a dry spell and get cracking!

Current trends are veering towards dark colors in a matt finish that make a small garden appear bigger and create a backdrop to show off flowers and foliage. Our choice for easy application and a good finish is Glidden Fundamentals Exterior Paint, available from Walmart in a wide range of attractive colors including smart Pine Forest Green, appealing Cavalry Navy Blue and go-with-everything Stone’s Throw Gray.

Do one, two or all 10 of these budget garden ideas in August or early September and your garden will look fabulous all through fall, and you'll enjoy maximum backyard style for your hard-earned bucks.

Many of us gardeners adore our ferns. They are ancient, elegant plants with a 360-million-year history. Their lacy green leaves and cool spiral fiddleheads bring a quiet, wild magic to shady forest floors in the wild. Ferns bring the same timeless grace to home gardens, a serene beauty that has no need for colorful blossoms.

Ferns like shade and moisture, and August heat is not their favorite weather. You’ll need to step in during peak summer heat to prevent fern fronds from crisping, browning and dying. Care of outdoor ferns in August includes frequent watering and protection from harsh midday sun.

Let's explore how to keep them looking lush in late summer.

1. Can We Get a Drink Please?

Did anyone ever ask you what one thing you cannot live without? (FYI, my answer is my dog Delilah!) If ferns were required to answer that question, their answer would be water.

Remember that most ferns are native to forest environments. That means that the summer sunlight their soil receives is filtered through green canopies - so it stays moist a long time. And moist soil is what ferns like best.

How much water do ferns need in August? That depends. Are they growing under the green canopies of trees? Or in direct sun?

Hot summer weather can dry ferns out quickly, whether they are growing in containers or a garden bed. You’ll want to check the soil of every fern growing outdoors every single day in August. Poke a finger a could of inches into the soil. If it feels dry, water right away. You could also use a simple soil moisture meter from Amazon to make the process a little cleaner. The best time to water is in the morning. Add water to container ferns until it runs out the drainage hole. I also like to bottom water my container plants in the summer to ensure proper hydration.

In addition to dry soil, there are other signs that your ferns need water in August. If your fern leaves are wilting or turning brown, you’ll understand immediately that the soil isn’t sufficiently moist. Dry or brittle leaves means that the soil has been dry for more than a minute.

2. Play Misty for Me

Ferns like water on their roots, but they also like water on their lush leaves. Misting ferns helps clean dust from fronds. Outdoors you can hose down the fern’s leaves in the morning, but it also works well to use a mister. They are not expensive and can be very effective. Use a fine spray bottle with filtered or distilled water to prevent mineral spots from forming on leaves.

Mist indoor and outdoor fronds every day during August heat. It’s also a good idea to put fern containers on a pebble tray filled with water. This helps the ferns maintain high moisture.

Note: never mist fern leaves if the plant is in full sun. Indoors, you can also use a humidifier.

3. Throwing Shade

If you have container ferns, check their placement. Whether you have the containers inside or outside, be sure that they do not spend the heat of the day in full sun. Intense afternoon sun will scorch delicate fronds. Dappled shade or filtered light is just fine.

Positioning container ferns can be decisive when it comes to fern care. Even indoors, if a fern’s container is placed where hot sun rays hit the plant every day, the plant will not be able to survive.

What about bed-planted ferns? Hopefully, you did not plant ferns in the soil in a spot where they get lots of direct sun in summer. If you did make that mistake, add an outdoor shade cloth like this one from Amazon to reduce the heat. You might consider adding a fast-growing shade tree in the area for future years.

4. Mulch to Protect Soil

Another way to make ferns happy in August is to spread organic mulch over their soil. Mulching ferns helps cool the soil during the heat of summer. It also traps water in the soil during hot summer days, helping to keep the soil moist.

How much mulch to use? Use a thin layer of mulch - something like organic compost or chopped leaves works well - and don’t pile it up in a “mulch pyramid” against the center of the plant. Leave space around the center of the fronds so that they don’t rot. In addition to helping your ferns with their moisture needs, the mulch will block weeds from growing around the ferns.

5. Maintenance and Feeding

August is not the best time to prune ferns, but it’s a good idea to trim off any fronds that are yellow or brown. Take these - and dead fronds - out at the base. This encourages new fern growth and also allows for better airflow.

Should you fertilize ferns in August? If you’ve been giving the ferns a light monthly fertilization, you can continue. Use a weak, diluted liquid fertilizer and not too much of it. Do not even think about heavy fertilization during August as extreme heatwaves can occur and the combo will stress the plant.

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It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost fall. And that means that it’s almost time for the annual fall bird migration. If you’ve been catering to the birds in your backyard all summer, now is the ideal time to give them some extra TLC.

Many of our feathered friends travel thousands of miles during fall bird migration, which can leave them exhausted and in need of food, water, and rest along the way. There are easy ways you can turn your yard into a migrating bird’s favorite pit stop – give them high-energy birdseed, grow beneficial plants, and provide them with plenty of water and places to take a break.

If you want to do your part this fall to help migrating birds or care for the birds that stick around throughout winter, Target has everything you need to equip your landscape and turn it into a wildlife haven before summer ends.

Best Deals on Bird Accessories

Below are the best deals on bird accessories for the end of summer and fall to help winged wildlife thrive all winter and into next year.

Brown edges on a hosta rarely trace back to a single cause. Scorch leaves a different signature than a foliar nematode does, and reading those signatures wrong usually means treating something that was never the problem.

Hostas put up with a lot, which is why they end up in corners nothing else wants. Then a hot spell rolls through and the margins go papery and tan. Hosta leaves turning brown is one of the most common complaints about a plant that otherwise asks little.

Not every brown leaf points to the same trouble. Some of it is nothing but weather. Some are the result of common hosta problems working quietly at the crown or inside the leaf tissue. What matters is where the brown sits, not how much of it there is.

Sun Scorch and Plain Thirst

Afternoon sun is the usual suspect. Hosta foliage has a thin cuticle — built for filtered light, not full exposure. Bleached patches show up between the veins on the side facing the sun, then the margin crisps. Roots can't replace water as fast as the leaf loses it. Blue-leaved types have it worst, and that waxy bloom doesn't hold up in heat.

Thirst does something similar but more even, browning right around the rim instead of where light lands. Shaded beds dry out surprisingly fast, sometimes. Under mature trees the surface roots get there first. A hosta takes what's left. Deep watering once or twice a week beats a daily sprinkle, which rarely reaches past the top inch (2.5cm). A soaker hose from Home Depot laid along the bed puts water at the root zone, not on the foliage.

Salt and Fertilizer Burn

Uniform brown edging with no spotting and no banding between the veins usually means salts. Fertilizer applied too heavily is the common source. Dog urine does the same on a smaller scale. De-icing salt off a nearby walk can drift in all winter without anyone noticing. Container-grown hostas show fertilizer burn soonest, because the salts have nowhere to go.

Leaching the soil helps. Run plain water slowly through the root zone. Repeat a few times over a week or two and the salts move past the roots. Containers are easier — water until it runs out the holes, then dump the saucer. Half the labeled rate of a slow-release fertilizer covers what a hosta uses. They aren't heavy feeders.

Foliar Nematodes

Brown streaks running lengthwise between the veins, edges so sharp they look ruled in — that's foliar nematodes (Aphelenchoides fragariae). The roundworms feed inside the leaf. They can't cross a vein, so damage stays in narrow bands that widen as the season goes. Symptoms tend to surface in mid to late summer. A clump that looked fine in June can go ragged by August.

No spray reaches them once they are inside the tissue. Pull affected leaves, bag them, and put them in the trash, not the compost. Nematodes travel in films of water on the leaf surface, one more argument for low irrigation. A badly infested plant is worth digging out entirely, roots and all — the population overwinters in the crown and fallen debris. For a plant worth saving, a hot-water soak of dormant divisions gets them out, though the temperature window is unforgiving.

Anthracnose and Petiole Rot

Large tan spots ringed in dark brown, centers often dropping out to leave ragged holes, suggest anthracnose (Colletotrichum species). Warm, soggy stretches bring it on. The damage is cosmetic in a normal year, though a heavy one can strip a clump before winter. Thinning nearby growth to move air through the bed does about as much as anything sprayed.

Petiole rot is the serious one. Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, reclassified as Agroathelia rolfsii in 2023, it yellows and browns leaves from the bottom up, with stems collapsing at soil level. Look for a white fuzzy mat at the base and tan pellets about the size of mustard seed. Infected plants come out along with a few inches (8cm) of surrounding soil.

Can Damage Be Reversed?

Brown tissue does not turn green again. Once a leaf has scorched, that damage is set for the season, and no amount of watering brings it back. What can change is everything the plant puts out afterward. Trimming the worst leaves at the base with a pair of bypass pruning shears from Amazon tidies things up, provided the blades get cleaned between plants.

Correct the underlying cause and new growth comes in clean — same season for water and salt, next spring if the crown was hit. Late-season browning deserves a second look before anyone panics, too. Hostas go dormant on their own schedule, and yellowing that works through the whole clump is usually just that.

Setting Up a Better Season

Placement does more than any treatment can. Morning sun with afternoon shade works for most hostas, and anything past midday in a hot climate invites scorch. Early spring or early fall is easy transplanting weather, and these plants re-establish fast. Where moving isn't an option — a bed hemmed in by hardscape — a temporary screen through the worst weeks helps.

Mulch two to three inches (5-8cm) deep, pulled back a hand's width from the crown, steadies moisture and holds root-zone temperatures down. Clear old foliage out in fall instead of leaving it to sit. A fair amount of what causes trouble next year is overwintering in that debris right now. Slugs (Deroceras reticulatum and relatives) chew holes that brown at the edges, and that gets mistaken for disease.

Make a note the year a hosta browns badly. The fix almost always belongs to the following spring, before shoots are up and while the plant can still be lifted. Nothing useful gets done about it in September.

If you’ve been enjoying ripe tomatoes off the vine all season, then suddenly the merriment stops, there is cause for concern. Tomato plants can be finicky and if something is lacking in its care or the environment, the plant holds back. If your tomato plant is flowering, but not fruiting, there are a few common reasons why and ways to fix it before the season ends.

Keeping your tomatoes healthy with proper care should help get production back on track. But at this time of year, the specific causes can vary. I'll walk you through several reasons why a tomato plant flowers, but has no fruit. Then I'll share how to solve these issues before the growing season comes to a close.

Follow these tips now to ensure you get a big harvest of tomatoes before fall weather arrives.

How to Turn Tomato Flowers Into Fruit

After reviewing possible causes of no fruit set, there are a handful of tasks you can do right now to fix the problem before the season ends to ensure you still get a huge harvest.

1. Keep Plants Cool

If your weather is consistently hot, above 88°F (31°C), your tomato plants may be heat-stressed and cause flowers to drop off before setting fruit. But you can cool the temperature by as much as 10 degrees by adding a shade cloth to your garden.

You can use a light-colored sheet, a window screen, row cover fabric or a shade cloth, like this one from the Home Depot, that allows a percentage of light to come through and also provides UV protection. Attach it to the side facing west and also lay some fabric across the top of your plant to shade the midday sun. You can leave it up until the heatwave passes or put it up each afternoon.

If you don’t have mulch around your tomato plants, you can do that now to conserve moisture and cool the soil. Use wood chips, straw, grass clippings, or chopped leaves and apply a 2 to 3 inch (5-8 cm) layer. Also, be sure you are watering consistently so the soil does not dry out.

2. Water Well

If the temperature is moderate, make sure you are watering tomatoes properly. Tomatoes need 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm) of water a week. Two or three deep waterings are better than daily shallow watering. Deep watering encourages deep roots and shallow watering encourages roots to stay near the top of the soil where they dry out faster.

The soil should stay moist, but not wet. Drip irrigation puts water right where it is needed and avoids a lot of runoff. Content Editor Laura has used this easy-to-use drip irrigation kit from the Home Depot in her garden for years.

If you are hand-watering, avoid splashing water onto the lower leaves. If that is a problem, remove the lower leaves to prevent soil-borne diseases.

3. Feed With the Right Food

Continue to fertilize your tomatoes, but lighten or remove the nitrogen from the mix. At this point in the summer, your plant doesn’t need to grow stems and leaves, it needs to concentrate on fruit set and ripening.

If you aren’t already, use a liquid tomato fertilizer with a higher middle number (phosphorus) than the first number, or nitrogen, such as 1-3-1. This tomato-specific fertilizer from Burpee is a good option. Apply it every two weeks according to the product instructions.

4. Hand-Pollinate Plants

In case of poor pollination, you can do the job yourself and hand-pollinate tomato plants. Since tomatoes are self-pollinating, both the male (anthers) and female (stigma) parts are within each flower. So all you need to do is throw a little jiggle its way to release the pollen.

To do this, you can gently toggle the flower cluster back and forth as you walk by each morning or simply aim a fan in the plant’s direction. You also can take a paintbrush and move the pollen from the anther to the stigma. Another option is to tap a vibrating electric toothbrush behind the flower. Do this every day for several days to make sure the job gets done.

5. Catch Problems Early

Monitor for common tomato diseases and pests that strike at the end of summer. White flies, aphids, caterpillars and diseases such as verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt affect tomato production.

When necessary, use organic controls such as insecticidal soap and neem oil, both of which are available on Amazon, or a blast of water to repel pests. Caterpillars can be removed by hand. Unfortunately, there is no cure for a wilt diseases. The best defense is to grow disease-resistant tomato varieties to prevent problems.

Keeping your tomatoes healthy with proper watering, fertilizing, and monitoring for pests and disease should help get the tomato production back on track. Pollinating the plants and using a shade cloth in the afternoon also can ensure you will once again enjoy ripe tomatoes until the end of the season.

I have been obsessed with Goldie Hawn since I first saw The First Wives Club, and my love for her has never once ebbed. So when her latest TikTok landed on my feed, showing the actor dancing through her home, it was always going to get my attention. (That You Don’t Own Me sequence lives rent-free in my head, after all).

However, it wasn't Goldie's joyful dancing that made me stop scrolling this time; it was the chic patio behind her.

Now, there's no denying that the pale stone terrace and crisp white balustrade played a big part in this. The lush green palms planted in tall black containers, though? Well, they made for a remarkably simple combination... and they got me thinking about what I now refer to as Goldie Hawn's One-Plant Rule.

Goldie Hawn’s One-Plant Rule

The clue is in the name when it comes to Goldie Hawn’s One-Plant Rule: there is no complicated planting scheme, no kaleidoscope of flowers competing for attention. Instead, the actor has essentially repeated one plant across her patio – and the result is surprisingly sophisticated.

In fact, it might just be one of the simplest ways to make a patio feel more considered, cohesive and, yes, expensive.

Check it out:

There is something inherently elegant about repetition in garden design. Designers do it all the time, actually (how many times have you heard someone telling you to plant in drifts of three?), because using the same plant throughout a space creates a sense of rhythm and cohesion.

Goldie Hawn's palms are particularly effective because they introduce a lovely pop of emerald green and some much-needed height, all without making the terrace feel crowded.

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It is a trick that works particularly well around hard landscaping, where greenery is being used to soften walls, paving, terraces or outdoor dining areas. And the beauty of this idea is that you don't need to recreate Goldie Hawn's patio (or have access to Goldie's bank account) to use the same design principle.

In fact, I think the one-plant rule is particularly useful if you're working with a smaller budget. Rather than buying one of everything that catches your eye at the garden center, choose a single plant that you love and buy several of the same variety. Three matching containers can create a much stronger visual impact than a collection of unrelated pots.

You can also vary the scale. If your budget doesn't stretch to larger, more mature plants, start with smaller specimens and allow them to establish over time. Or try something like lavender, salvia or rosemary, even! Any one plant that thrives on neglect should do the trick nicely; just make sure you're choosing something that suits your personal taste and your conditions, then repeat it consistently.

Positioning them in simple containers will help create the same sense of structure, and they can establish themselves over time if you make sure you give the plants room to grow.

And remember, Goldie's black planters work because they provide a consistent frame for the greenery. Still, black isn't essential; charcoal, dark brown or terracotta can all work – but keeping the pot color restrained is the easiest way to let the plant become the star of the show.

Goldie Hawn's One-Plant Rule is a particularly effective approach for patios because you don't need to fill every available space; a handful of well-positioned containers and plants is all it takes to make it feel as if a designer nipped in to plot it all out for you. Which, hey, is never a bad thing, right?

By the latter part of August, a lot of borders are looking tired. Salvia has started to go to seed, the catmint is yawning, and the yarrow has turned rust-colored. The instinct at this point is to write the season off and wait for some fall asters to carry the show. But if your beds and borders are starting to look floppy, brown, or seed-heavy as August winds down, don't throw in the towel just yet.

Those tired-looking perennials are mostly responding to their own seed set rather than to anything going wrong. But if you act fast (and I mean, fast!), then a late summer trim can give some of your favorite flowering perennials a whole new lease of life. Some thoughtful pruning and trimming this week can trick some of your border superstars into a late summer frenzy, so your backyard is filled with flowers into fall.

By removing spent flower heads and tattered foliage before September, you can trigger dormant buds to push out an extra wave of glorious late-season color. Taking an hour with your shears this week doesn't just recharge your yard’s curb appeal, either. It also strengthens root crowns and prevents weediness – and all without having to splurge on a brand new border full of plants. Here are the perennials you need to cut back to size right now.

Perennials That Love an August Chop

Timing trips people up more than technique does. But depending on where you live, perennials cut back this week should bounce back before September is out of the door. Before making your first cut, assess your garden's USDA hardiness zone and local frost dates. A late summer cut requires 4-5 weeks of growing weather before freezing temperatures arrive. Gardeners in northern regions (zones 3-5) should aim to prune this week. Growers in central and southern regions (zones 6-9) may have a little longer, with mild weather pushing fresh growth well into October.

Wait for a cool, overcast stretch if the forecast offers one. Even the most easy going perennials will struggle if short on water in a heat wave. Make sure you use clean, razor-sharp tools for this task. If you don’t have some super-sharp pruning shears, it’s well worth investing in something that will last, such as Corona Forged Steel Classic Cut Bypass Pruners from Amazon. These pruners ensure smooth cuts that heal within days.

Sanitation is equally vital. Late August is the peak season for fungal diseases like powdery mildew and leaf spot. Before starting, sterilize your shear blades using a quick spray of diluted Captain Jack’s Neem Max Oil Concentrate from Walmart to target thrips, spider mites and mildew spores. Alternatively, rub the blades with some isopropyl alcohol. Make sure you clean the blades between different perennial cuts, to prevent cross-contaminating plants.

Always check the crown of your plants before cutting. New green shoots at soil level mean there's something to regrow from. Avoid cutting woody-stemmed perennials like Russian sage or lavender in August, which require old wood to survive winter. And skip anything already crisped from drought. That plant needs water, not a pruning. Hydrate your plants deeply the day before pruning, and again after. Then you’re ready to get the following perennials back to their blooming best once more.

1. Catmint

Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii) can collapse in theatrical fashion by late August. By August the whole mound can look like something sat on it. Popular cultivars like Walker's Low are famous for their sprawling midsummer collapse. Once the first heavy wave of purple blooms finishes, stems can splay, exposing a bare, unsightly center. So shear the entire plant back by two-thirds, roughly to 6 inches (15cm), and don't be delicate about it. This will instantly restore a tight, mounded habit.

A pair of hedge shears handles the job faster than pruners, since precision isn't the point. Lightweight Fiskars PowerGear 2 Hedge Clippers, available from Amazon, are especially comfortable for tackling bushier, more expansive catmint shrubs without leading to hand fatigue. New growth shows within a week of warm weather. You’ll see a fresh carpet of fragrant, silver-green foliage, followed by a reliable second flush of lavender-blue flowers that lasts well into fall.

2. Perennial Salvia

Spent salvia spikes (Salvia nemorosa) often turn a dull brown that can hang on for weeks through midsummer. Salvia varieties like Caradonna and May Night carry dark purple flower spires that can become stiff, weathered and seed-heavy by August. Cutting spent stems all the way down to the low leaf rosette at the base forces the plant to send up secondary floral spikes from side nodes.

Cut low enough that the rosette sits in the light. Don’t be tempted to leave leafless stalks as it just slows down regrowth. For swift cuts, use Fiskars Titanium Micro-Tip Pruning Snips from The Home Depot which give a precise, clean action. Top-dress with a slow-release organic feed or a sprinkle of compost. By mid-September, you should see a second round of spikes, shorter than the first but a real bloom.

3. Yarrow

Even the most vibrant yarrow (Achillea millefolium) can look a little weary and rust-colored by August. The umbrella-like flower heads of Moonshine and Paprika dry into stiff, rusty-brown plates that linger indefinitely. Yarrow won't drop these on its own, so the plant can look finished long before it really is. Because yarrow thrives in lean soils, late-summer pruning also corrects leggy flopping caused by rich beds.

Cut spent flower stalks down to the feathery basal leaves. A second round will follow on shorter stems, thinner than the first but much tidier. After trimming spent stems, protect the shallow root zone by top-dressing with a thin inch (2.5cm) layer of aged compost or bark mulch, such as Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Amazon. Fresh stems should push up within a fortnight.

4. Cranesbill

Once cranesbill finishes its main flush, the foliage yellows and the plant spreads into a loose ring with a bald patch in the middle. Hardy cranesbill geraniums like Johnson's Blue, Rozanne and Ann Folkard often turn spotty and sprawling by late summer, leaving an open, hollow ring in the center. Cutting back to 2 inches (5cm) from soil level feels drastic, but it is the single best way to rejuvenate your clump.

Lop off all tattered foliage and spent stems down near soil level for a total reset. Don't panic when the plant looks like an empty patch of dirt for a week, as new leaves should emerge rapidly from the underground crown. Within 14 days, fresh, mound-shaped foliage emerges, often with late-season blossoms that last until frost. Water the bare crown deeply and apply a gentle liquid root tonic like Bloom City’s Organic Liquid Seaweed and Kelp Fertilizer from Walmart to jumpstart growth.

5. Tickseed

Threadleaf tickseed types (Coreopsis verticillata) are the dependable rebloomers here, often carrying flowers to first frost after an August shear. However, deadheading coreopsis one bloom at a time is a fool's errand: there are hundreds! Attempting to individually deadhead threadleaf coreopsis cultivars like Moonbeam or Zagreb is nearly impossible, due to the sheer volume of tiny flower heads.

So, shear the plant back by about a third, straight across, hedge-trimmer style. This simple shearing removes spent seed heads, tidies up foliage, and triggers a massive secondary wave of starry flowers that blooms right up to a hard freeze. It might look alarming for the first 4-5 days, but it will fill back in. After trimming, give the sheared mound a gentle feed like Espoma Flower-tone from Amazon. This promotes root resilience and stimulates rapid bud formation within a couple of weeks.

6. Blanket Flowers

Blanket flower (Gaillardia × grandiflora) blooms itself into exhaustion, which is part of why so many clumps are short-lived. Gaillardia bloomers like Arizona Sun and Mesa Yellow produce red and gold blooms continuously through summer. If left unchecked, heavy late-summer seed production drains the plant's root reserves, causing this perennial to die out over winter. So an August cut isn't only about blooming. Taking the load off the crown gives the plant a better shot at coming through the winter.

Take the whole thing down to 6 inches (15cm), spent stems included. This redirects vital sugars back down into the root crown, ensuring winter hardiness while sparking a vibrant second wave of autumn flowers. Trim using bypass pruners, then top-dress plants with a rich, carbon-based amendment like Rosy Soil Biochar Plant Mix from Walmart to boost water retention and root strength. Flowers will return in 2-3 weeks and keep going until a hard freeze.

7. Spiked Speedwell

Veronica's spikes bloom from the bottom up. The vivid blues, pinks, or white spires of speedwell (Veronica spicata) open progressively from the base upward. By late August, the bottom of the spire will be turning brown and seed-heavy while the tip fades, giving the entire clump a really sorry and shabby look.

Rather than shearing the plant flat, cut each spent main spire back to just above a healthy set of lateral leaves. Side branches will emerge from these leaf axils to produce a secondary display of slender flower spires in about 3 weeks. After cutting back, apply a mild foliar treatment like Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide, available from Walmart. This will protect fresh cuts from late-summer humidity and leaf spot pathogens, giving your next flush the best shot at flourishing into fall.

8. Bee Balm

By late summer, high humidity and crowded stems can leave bee balm (Monarda didyma) coated in unsightly gray powdery mildew. Once the foliage turns crisp and white, deadheading alone won't restore the plant, which makes the issue of cutting back a very simple and satisfying one. Cutting the entire clump down to 2-4 inches (5-10cm) above the ground removes the diseased canopy completely.

Fresh, mildew-free green shoots will push up from underground rhizomes within 14 days, often yielding a secondary flush of blooms for migrating hummingbirds. You can be sure late season pollinators will work that flush as hard as the first. Spores can overwinter on fallen leaves, though, so the cleanup matters as much as the cut itself. Bag up cuttings using sacks like GardZen 3-Pack Garden Bags from Amazon, which are super easy to store and will carry you through plenty more autumnal litter.

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Making the right cuts is guaranteed to give you more flowers for free, but if you’d like an abundance of fall splendor, these late summer perennials can help you add a splash of fresh zing and texture to transitional beds and borders. These hand-picked selections are built to settle in fast, hold their ground in late heat, and deliver effortless, high-impact blooms that will keep your borders bright right through to first frosts.

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Few plants earn their place in a yard quite as elegantly as ornamental grasses, as landscape designers well know. These elegant grasses bring movement, texture, winter interest and a welcome sense of ease – some of the ingredients designers use to make planting feel intentional rather than simply filled in. August is an especially useful moment to spot what your garden lacks, whether that's privacy, a softer path edge, late-season color or connectivity – all of which can be stylishly solved with the right ornamental grass.

The design trick is to match the best ornamental grass to the job. Tall, upright grasses will screen an awkward view; blue grasses cool off a fiery color scheme; frothy grasses bring together an otherwise disjointed border. Landscape designers also use grasses where flowers cannot deliver: foliage adds structure from spring onwards, seedheads catch low fall light, and many retain their good looks through winter.

These 10 designer-favored grasses will help give any yard a more polished, professional feel, whatever its size or style. Each solves a particular design challenge, from blocking a neighbor's view to lifting a shady border or making a dry front yard feel purposeful. And don't fret: these are all non-invasive ornamental grasses, and these very well-behaved choices sill stay where they're planted so you can create a designer-worthy result with confidence this season.

1. Best Grass for Privacy: Totem Pole Switchgrass

• Zones 4-9
• Full sun
• Flowers August-October
• Grows to 6' high and 30" wide

Panicum virgatum ‘Totem Pole’ is the designer’s elegant answer to a neighbor’s all-too-visible window. Its dramatically upright habit creates a tall, leafy screen with plenty of softness and movement, but without swallowing the whole border. Stylish privacy plants to screen your garden are a great alternative to a privacy screen, and this is the best ornamental grass for privacy. Just tuck a row of these ornamental grasses beside a patio, use it to line a property boundary, or plant a small group to turn an exposed sitting area into a cosy, private retreat.

This is a clumping switchgrass so it makes a steadily fuller crown rather than sneaking across the bed underground. Give it full sun – six or more hours of direct light – and average soil; switchgrass is also more forgiving of clay than many ornamental grasses. Water regularly during its first year while roots establish, then leave the stems in place over winter for a lovely pale, airy living screen. In late winter, cut the clump back to 4-6 inches before fresh growth begins. Switchgrass Totem Pole plants are available from Plant Addicts.

2. Best Grass for Softening Hard Landscaping: Undaunted Ruby Muhly Grass

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

Designers love to use Undaunted ruby muhly grass (Muhlenbergia reverchonii ‘Undaunted’) to take the edge off hardscaping, so this is one of those divine low-water plants that soften hard landscaping without all the hard work. Plant this ruby muhly grass beside a patio, driveway, retaining wall or path and its fine foliage and airy fall flowers will create a soft, almost gauzy transition between paving and planting. For maximum designer vibes, plant it in a loose drift of three, five or more, allowing the individual mounds to mingle into one soft, billowy layer. The late-season pink-to-ruby plumes are a gorgeous bonus, particularly when low afternoon sun shines through them, and this cold-hardy alternative to classic pink muhly thrives down to USDA Zone 5.

Undaunted ruby muhly grass is available from Wilson Bros Gardensand is a dense, well-behaved grass, not a runner, so will stay where you put it. Give it full sun and well-drained soil; if your soil is heavy, plant slightly raised to keep water away from its roots in winter. Water deeply and regularly during its first season, then only occasionally once established. In late winter, trim the old foliage back to about 4 inches before new growth appears.

3. Best Grass for Border Movement: Brush Strokes Little Bluestem

• Zones 3-9
• Full sun
• Flowers August-October
• Grows to 36" high and 24" wide

‘Brush Strokes’ little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Brush Strokes’) gives sunny borders the easy, breeze-catching movement designers love, without the bulk or roaming habit of larger grasses. Its tidy upright clumps weave neatly among perennials such as salvias, while slender blue-green blades slowly turn a beautiful wine-red and copper as the season unfolds.

This native grass stays where it's planted, forming a neat tuft rather than spreading through the bed. Give it full sun and well-drained, ordinary-to-dry soil; shade is what makes little bluestem flop. Skip the fertilizer, water it while it settles in, then enjoy its tawny stems and bristly seedheads through winter before cutting it back in late winter. ‘Brush Strokes’ little bluestem plants are available from Plant Addicts.

4. Best Grass for a Hot, Dry Yard: Common Blue Grama

• Zones 3-10
• Full sun
• Flowers June-September
• Grows to 24" high and wide

Ornamental grasses offer some of the best drought-tolerant plant choices, and common blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) proves a climate-resilient front yard can still be full of personality. This compact native grass forms low blue-green tufts topped in summer with wonderfully quirky, eyelash-like seedheads and is ideal for gravel gardens, curb strips and xeriscape schemes. Plant it in loose drifts for full on designer effect.

A small, clumping grass, common blue grama plants are available from Plant Addictsand deliver a naturalistic look without wandering through the bed. It thrives in full sun, heat, wind, and fast-draining soil, and is one of the best choices for a spot that bakes in summer. Water until rooted in, then water only during prolonged drought.

5. Best Grass for a Cooling Effect: Blue Fescue

• Zones 4-8
• Full sun 
• Flowers June-July
• Grows to 18" high and 24" wide

Blue fescue grass, often sold as ‘Elijah Blue’ (Festuca glauca), is the landscape designer’s little color-cooling trick for borders full of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows. Its icy blue, spiky mounds make those warm shades pop even more, while adding a crisp, modern rhythm along a path or at the front of a border.

Each blue fescue grass forms a neat, non-running tuft, so try planting five or seven together, spaced about 12 inches apart, for a deliberate, repeated look. This little lovely appreciates full sun and excellent drainage so it’s perfect for gravel gardens, raised beds and sandy soil. Comb out any dead foliage in early spring and replace individual plants that may become bare in the center after a few years. Blue fescue plants are available from Plant Addicts.

6. Best for Brightening a Border: ‘Hello Spring’ Feather Reed Grass

• Zones 4-8
• Full sun or partial shade
• Flowers June-July 
• Grows to 4' high and 2' wide

‘Hello Spring’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Hello Spring’) is a designer’s answer to a border that feels a little too dark or heavy. Its bright variegated foliage catches the light, while its narrow, upright shape adds a fresh vertical accent. While it's happy in sun, it flourishes with only six hours of sunshine a day, so you can thread it through a border that moves from partial shade into sun for an instant luminous lift.

This feather reed grass is a disciplined clump-former so it stays put rather than wandering into neighboring plants. Give it reasonably moist, well-drained soil and water in dry spells, especially during its first year. Leave its soft, dried plumes standing over winter, then cut them back in late winter before new shoots appear. ‘Hello Spring’ feather reed grass plants are available from Plant Addicts.

7. Best Grass for Shade: ‘Aureola’ Japanese Forest Grass

• Zones 5-9
• Part shade to full shade
• Flowers July-August
• Grows to 3' high and wide

‘Aureola’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) is the designer’s way of making a shady path, set of steps or tucked-away seating spot feel brighter and more inviting. Its arching gold-striped leaves spill gently over the edge of a border, catching every bit of available light and naturally drawing your eye onward. Repeat it at intervals along a path or beneath shrubs for a subtle golden thread that makes the whole space feel more connected.

Unlike a grass that spreads by runners, ‘Aureola’ forms a low, graceful clump that slowly becomes more generous with time. Plant ‘Aureola’ Japanese forest grass, available at Nature Hills, in partial or dappled shade, in soil that stays moist but drains freely; hot afternoon sun can scorch its foliage. Water in dry spells, especially during its first year, and cut back the old leaves in late winter before fresh spring growth emerges.

8. Best Grass for Adding a Connecting Airy Layer: Golden Dew Tufted Hair Grass

• Zones 4-9
• Full sun to part shade
• Flowers July-September
• Grows to 3' high and wide

Golden Dew tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’) is perfect when a border has lovely individual plants but still feels a little disjointed, or you have an awkwardly-shaped garden and wish to tie its various parts together. Landscape designers use its cloud-like sprays of tiny golden-green flowers to float between bolder shapes, cleverly softening the join between perennials, shrubs, and hard edges. It's particularly beautiful planted in small groups among hostas, heucheras, ferns and other plants with larger leaves.

Tufted hair grass is a tidy clump-former, not a runner, so it gives that airy meadow effect while staying beautifully contained. It is happiest in sun or part shade with reasonably moist, well-drained soil, and it is more forgiving of heavier ground than many ornamental grasses. Water during dry periods in its first season, then leave the faded flower stems for winter texture before cutting the clump back in late winter. ‘Goldtau’ tufted hair grass plants are available from Sunny Valley Farms.

9. Best Grass for an Informal Vibe: Prairie Dropseed

• Zones 3-8
• Full sun
• Flowers August-October
• Grows to 18" high and wide

Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) is the designer’s choice for creating a graceful transition from a tidy border to a looser meadow planting. Its fine, arching foliage forms low, well-behaved clumps that work beautifully repeated in a ribbon, linking your border planting with prairie-style favorites such as coneflowers, asters, and black-eyed Susans. And although this brings a relaxed, informal vibe, it's still a very well-behaved ornamental grass.

The real magic happens in late summer, when Prairie dropseed's airy flower stems release a warm, lightly sweet fragrance, often compared to coriander or buttered popcorn. This clumping native stays put, thrives in full sun and well-drained ordinary-to-dry soil, and needs regular watering only in its first season. Leave its foliage standing for winter texture, then cut it back in late winter. Prairie dropseed plants are available from Plant Addicts.

10. Best Grass for a Purple Color Scheme: Twilight Zone Little Bluestem

• Zones 3-9
• Full sun
• Flowers September-October
• Grows to 5' high and 3' wide

Landscape designers are favoring purple palettes right now, and filling borders with ravishing purple blooms. And their secret to keeping the purple color scheme going long after the flowers have peaked is the unusual ornamental grass, ‘Twilight Zone’ little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’). Its cool blue foliage is brushed with purple in summer, then deepens into rich mauve, violet, and burgundy in fall. Use a few clumps through the middle of a border to echo dark dahlias, purple-leaved shrubs and plum-toned sedums.

This North American native grass forms a tall, tidy clump and is best placed in the middle or back of a sunny border as full sun brings out its richest coloring and helps it stay upright. Water regularly in its first season, then allow the soil to dry slightly between deep waterings. Leave the stems in place over winter for their handsome silhouette, cutting them back in late winter before new growth begins. ‘Twilight Zone’ little bluestem plants are available from Plant Addicts.

Looking for a pretty ground cover that can do more than simply fill an empty space? One underrated perennial is tough enough to thrive where grass struggles, while spreading a colorful carpet that can transform even the shadiest corners of your garden.

Yes, if you've spent years trying to coax grass into growing beneath trees or in other shady corners of your garden, you already know the struggle. No matter how much you water, reseed, or fertilize, those stubbornly patchy spots just refuse to play ball. And that's where ajuga bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) comes in.

Now, don't let the name fool you: bugleweed may sound like a plant to banish, but this colorful ground cover could be exactly what your shady garden needs. In fact, it's become a favorite among gardeners looking for an attractive and seriously anti-trend alternative to struggling grass in difficult areas. Intrigued? Cast your eyes downwards, and I'll reveal all.

The Pretty Ground Cover That's Ideal For Shady Spots

If you want a ground cover that thrives in shade rather than fights it every step of the way, then ajuga is the answer. Especially as, spreading into a dense carpet of colorful foliage, it often looks far more inviting than a patch of tired lawn.

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Tempted? It's hardly surprising; one of its biggest advantages of this ground cover is that it happily grows in partial or full shade, making it ideal for those awkward areas where many lawn grasses simply won't survive. It can also tolerate sunny positions so long as the soil doesn't become too dry, which means you have lots of flexibility when you're figuring out where to plant it.

It's easy to assume, then, that ajuga is a solely practical choice; in fact, it's also a surprisingly eye-catching one. In fact, depending on the variety you plump for, its glossy leaves can be green, bronze, burgundy, or deep purple, adding color long before its flowers appear.

Come spring and early summer, spikes of vibrant blue, purple, pink, or white blooms rise above the foliage, creating a display that's every bit as attractive to bees and butterflies as it is to people.

This ground cover's spreading habit is another reason it's started making a bit of a name for itself. Growing to around 6 inches (15cm) tall, ajuga sends out runners that gradually fill bare patches, helping to suppress weeds while covering the soil with dense foliage. As such, it's a great choice for planting beneath trees, along borders, on slopes prone to erosion, or anywhere mowing is difficult.

Better still? Well, once established, ajuga is relatively easy to care for. Like many plants, it prefers moist and well-drained soil, but doesn't demand constant attention, and deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone. All it really needs is an occasional watering during dry spells and a spot of dividing when clumps get overcrowded to keep it looking its best.

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There is one catch, however (but isn't there always?): ajuga spreads very enthusiastically – which, sure, is exactly what makes it such an effective ground cover, but it also means you'll want to keep an eye on where it's growing.

Basically, in the right spot, that vigorous growth is a huge advantage, but it's a good idea trimming back runners or dividing plants if they start getting to big for their roots. Still, that caveat aside, this is something of a boon for gardeners everywhere who are tired of looking at patchy grass in their garden's shady spots.

Hey, a colorful plant that promises to be low-maintenance, all while delivering pollinator-friendly flowers? Yeah, it's easy to see why this hardworking perennial has become a go-to choice for transforming the trickiest corners of the garden!

A polished, designer-look front yard doesn't require a major time commitment, nor risking losing expensive plants if you're too busy to water. With the right low-maintenance shrubs, you can bring color, structure and serious curb appeal without a high level of effort, for a front yard that looks great all year round.

This summer's drought and heatwave has shown us just how high maintenance some staples of landscape design are. Hydrangeas, for example, are a long-time favorite but they wilt in the summer heat and have high watering needs. And it doesn't matter how beautiful a plant can look, if it's struggling to survive, it's not doing your front yard any favors.

So, it’s time to ditch those thirsty plants and upgrade your curb appeal with these tougher, more resilient alternatives for a smart long-term strategy. Landscape designers love low-maintenance shrubs because, even if their clients aren't gardeners so don't give much in the way of TLC, they still look good. Of course, all these lovelies will need regular watering until they get established and grow a big-enough root system to source their own moisture, but plant them now or in early fall and they'll feel at home by the time next summer comes around. Which one of these resilient shrubs will suit your front yard best?

1. Blue Star Juniper

Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ is a compact, slow-growing evergreen that provides year-round beauty. It’s desirable for its intense, silver-blue foliage and structured, sculptural shape. If you look down on the shrub, you’ll see that the clusters of needles at the ends of stems resemble small, blue stars.

Growing no more than three feet (0.9 m) tall and wide, this is a great option for planting under windows. Once established, Blue Star juniper is extremely drought-tolerant. In fact, it prefers light, sandy soil and is an attractive option for a small shrub in a rock garden. It grows best in full sun and is hardy in zones 4 through 8. If you’ll be planting it this year, wait until the worst heat of summer has passed.

2. Happy Face Pink Paradise Potentilla

Many of the showier flowering shrubs that gardeners love are finicky or need a lot of water. Shrubby potentilla, also known as cinquefoil, offers an easier alternative. It offers a long season of flowers on a compact, rounded, and attractive shrub that doesn’t require much maintenance as long as it gets at least partial sun and enough water after planting to get established.

Potentilla fruticose Happy Face Pink Paradise has semi-double flowers that retain color better and for longer than other potentilla varieties. It's a great choice for gardeners in cold climates as it's hardy in zones 2 through 7, and is well suited to smaller urban gardens as it grows no more than three feet high and wide. With an appealing rounded habit, it looks good planted in clumps to create loose drifts of flowering mounds. You can also use this potentilla as a low foundation planting or edging plant.

3. Kodiak Fresh Diervilla

If you’re looking for a native shrub with good tolerance to both drought and deer, Kodiak Fresh diervilla (Diervilla lonicerais) is your answer. Foliage is the star of this three-foot shrub, suitable for zones 3 to 8. New growth emerges in spring in shades of orange-red and turns chartreuse for summer, followed by a rainbow of classic fall foliage colors.

In addition to being native and suited to drought conditions once established, diervilla tolerates both sun and shade. Use it in a difficult spot where you might struggle to grow other shrubs in drier soil and shade or hot sun. Diervilla’s unique coloring looks best when grouped together, so plant a few, perhaps in a row to create an informal hedge.

4. Double Play Red Spirea

Spirea is known for being easy and reliable, and it also offers a lot of choices. Hybrid Double Play red spirea is hardy in zones 3 through 8, grows about three feet tall, and is very hands-off once established. You can plant it now, provided you give it a good start with regular watering. The soil should drain well, and a spot in full sun or partial shade is ideal.

This attractive shrub provides seasons of changing color. Spring foliage is a rich burgundy, summer flowers are reddish-pink, and the fall colors are varied and showy. If your front yard sits next to a busy road, then this spirea is a great choice as it tolerates pollution well.

5. Summer Wine Ninebark

For sophisticated color and contrast without relying on showy flowers to do all the work, choose Summer Wine ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Seward’). The foliage is a striking deep purple, which sets off the light-colored spring flowers and offers visual interest in winter. Ninebark is appropriate for zones 3 through 7 and is a native species that supports wildlife. Plant it now or in early fall in full sun and average soil. Water regularly to start it off right.

This shrub tops out around six feet (1.8 m) tall and wide and is a showstopper, so use it as a single planting and focal point in a bed where it has enough room to grow and display its graceful, arching branches.

6. Pancake Arborvitae

Evergreen option Thuja ‘Pancake’ has a low profile, growing about 18 inches (46 cm) tall, but its sage green foliage is appealingly dense and turns more blue in winter. If you’re looking for year-round interest but don't want a plant that'll grow into a massive hedge and block out the sunshine, it's a front-yard must-have. Pancake arborvitae is a favorite among designers looking for low-water plants to soften hard landscaping.

Grow this arborvitae in zones 4 through 8 and in a spot with full sun. As a drought-tolerant shrub, it prefers light, well-draining, even sandy soil. Use this arborvitae beneath windows at the front of foundation beds, or along the edges of walkways for structured, low-growing curb appeal. Now is a great time to plant arborvitae but be sure to provide plenty of water while it gets established.

7. Paraplu Violet Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacusis) is a tall, dramatic shrub known for its pretty flowers, and Paraplu Violet has particularly large, violet-blue blooms. It'll bring a tropical look, though the plant is hardy in zones 5 through 9. Choose this Rose of Sharon for dramatic height and a long flowering period from summer to fall.

This variety grows up to 10 feet (3 m) tall with an upright structure so it's ideal for creating privacy, anchoring the corner of a bed, yard or house, and for creating height behind shorter shrubs and plants. It's a great choice if you're looking for wow-factor accent plants that are stunning yet simple to grow. You can plant it now, but give it plenty of water to get established. Later, you’ll be rewarded by its strong drought tolerance.

8. Good Vibrations Privet

Privet is an old standby for sturdy and tall – if a bit boring – hedges. This variety offers the same reliability and toughness in drought conditions but with far more personality. Ligustrum ovalifolium Good Vibrations has striking variegated foliage and only grows around two feet tall and wide, making it a better choice for more modern foundation plantings or narrow edges and beds. Its dense, compact foliage comes in slowly, too, so it doesn’t need a lot of pruning.

This privet will tolerate drought well if you give it the right start. Wait until the highest temperatures of summer have passed and plant in cooler weather, providing plenty of water leading up to winter to help it get established. It will grow best in a spot with full sun or only partial shade and is suitable for zones 6 through 9.

9. Midnight Wine Shine Weigela

Weigela shrubs are becoming increasingly popular in landscaping for their spring flowers, pretty foliage and low-maintenance needs. Of the many types, Midnight Wine Shine is a compact variety, growing less than two feet (0.6 m) tall and suitable for growing in zones 4 through 8.

This Wiegela florida has striking, glossy, and deep purplish leaves with abundant, bright pink spring and early summer flowers. Once established, it resists drought and also nibbling by rabbits and deer, while also attracting hummingbirds and other pollinators. Plant Midnight Wine Shine near plants with brighter green foliage for great contrast, a little later in the season to avoid lingering high temperatures.

10. Flower Carpet Mini Cherry Rose

Roses have a reputation for being fussy but many newer varieties are easy to grow. This pretty, low-growing shrub is more like a flowering groundcover, covered in an abundance of cherry red blooms from spring through the first frost. Once established, it's drought-tolerant and disease-resistant.

You can grow this rose in zones 5 through 10 in a spot with full sun or a little afternoon shade and rich, fertile soil. Wait until September, or when temperatures drop a little, to plant your new shrubs. They look best when planted in masses, along a walkway or the edge of a bed.

Getting designer landscaping doesn’t have to require maximum effort on your part. Choose shrubs based on form, flowers, foliage, seasonal interest, site conditions, and drought tolerance to enjoy gorgeous curb appeal without spending your entire summer watering. Just be sure to water any of these choices regularly as they get established to set them up for later success.

Every fruit tree drops a share of its crop before harvest. By late August the ground under an apple or pear is usually a carpet of bruised windfalls. Raking bruises them further. Bending with a bucket works, until your back gives out.

A nut gatherer handles the task standing up. Among ergonomic garden tools, it is probably one of the odder-looking options. The whole idea is a springy wire cage on a long handle, rolled across the ground like a carpet sweeper. Fruit pops between the wires and stays put. You can find nut gatherers on Amazon, your local hardware store, and sometimes even in garage sales!

The tool gets sold as a "nut" gatherer because that was its first job. But clearing fallen fruit may be the use that pays off most in a garden, and the reasons run well past tidiness.

What Is a Nut Gatherer?

One rotating cage does all of it. Heat-tempered steel wires run around a rotating drum at a fixed spacing. Pressure spreads them just far enough to let an object through before they close behind it. Roll the tool back and forth over a patch and the cage fills. A quick-release spreader on the handle opens the wires again to dump the load.

Size limits what any of these will pick up. Each model takes a set diameter band and ignores everything outside it. The Garden Weasel large nut gatherer from Amazon handles objects about 1.5 to 3 inches (4-8cm), which covers pears and black walnuts, along with all but the biggest apples. It will not touch acorns or pecans. Cherries and small plums roll straight underneath. Measure the fruit before ordering (Garden Weasel make smaller sizes, too).

Why Clearing Windfall Fruit Matters

Yellowjacket colonies peak in late summer and early fall. A single nest may hold a few thousand workers by August, and as the season turns the colony diet shifts away from insect prey toward sugar. Fermenting fallen fruit under a tree is usually the strongest sugar signal in a yard. Eastern yellowjackets (Vespula maculifrons) will work a patch of rotting apples all day. Stings tend to come when somebody reaches into long grass, or runs a mower across the patch.

The pest side runs deeper. Apple maggot larvae (Rhagoletis pomonella) feed inside the fruit, leave it once it hits the ground, then pupate in the soil below and emerge as flies the following summer. Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) benefits from the same neglect. Brown rot behaves differently again, since Monilinia fructicola overwinters in dried mummies lying on the ground, ready to start the cycle in spring. Guidance for home orchards is usually a weekly pickup from early August through harvest.

How to Use a Nut Gatherer

Work in one direction across the drop zone, then cross it again at right angles. The cage misses the occasional item on rough ground, and a second pass catches most of what the first one left. Empty into a bucket rather than onto the grass, since fruit that goes back down defeats the point.

What comes out should not go on the compost heap. Apple maggot larvae and brown rot spores both survive ordinary backyard composting, which runs far cooler than the temperatures needed to kill them. Bag the fruit for household waste, or bury it deep where that is impractical. A lidded can keeps yellowjackets out of the bin in the meantime.

Different Types of Nut Gatherers

Sizing and the emptying method can vary quite a bit between models, though the basic design has barely changed in decades. Match the cage to whatever is on the ground and the rest comes down to preference.

An afternoon of clearing now can save a season of stings and a spring of reinfection. That is not bad for a tool that looks like somebody welded a whisk onto a broom handle!

August can be a challenging month for orchids with high temperatures, intense sunlight, and dry indoor air due to air conditioning. Many orchids are taking a pause in flowering during this time of year, but care now isn’t about forcing new blooms. It is all about creating the optimal conditions for healthy plants that will bloom well later, when they’re ready.

August orchid care isn’t time-consuming or difficult. It’s all about ensuring your plants have the conditions they need to finalize summer growth and be healthy enough to put out flower spikes later. The effort you put in now will reward you later with abundant blooms.

Proper orchid care at the end of summer should focus on light, water, humidity, fertilizer, and checking plants for pests, healthy roots, and good airflow. Follow this simple August care checklist, which can also be used into early September, to set up your orchids for successful blooming in the coming months.

1. Provide Bright, Indirect Light

August sunlight can be intense, especially if you have plants situated in west or south-facing windows. Most orchids thrive in bright, indirect light. Too much direct light can be damaging. Signs of too much sun include scorched, yellow, or faded leaves.

Check that the shifting August light has not compromised your orchid. If it has, move it to a better location or use a sheer curtain or taller plants to filter some of the bright light coming through the window. The right balance of light for orchids will keep your plant healthy and allow it to develop the strong foliage and root growth that will lead to flower spikes.

2. Adjust Watering as Needed

August can be hot and humid or hot and dry, depending on whether you use air conditioning or not. Most people do, so your indoor air is likely very dry during this time of year, which is not ideal for orchids.

Instead of watering orchids according to a strict schedule, check the roots and potting medium and water as needed. Healthy roots are green and fleshy, while dry roots may begin to appear silvery or wrinkled. This often means watering more than usual to accommodate the dry air.

Water your orchid until it drains through the bottom of the container, then let it dry completely before putting the pot back into a tray or dish. Standing water from overwatering can be as damaging as letting your plant dry out too much. If you're not sure how much or how often to water, you can use a soil moisture meter, like this one from Amazon, to check.

3. Maintain or Increase Humidity

Watering well and more frequently is just one way to combat dry August weather. You also need to ensure your orchid has enough moisture in the air surrounding it. Orchids thrive in humidity and suffer in dry air.

You can manage this using a humidifier, like this highly-rated option from Levoit, in the area around your orchid. Another option is a pebble tray. Fill a shallow tray with pebbles and water and set your orchid pot on top of the pebbles. The bottom of the pot should not be sitting in the water, just on top. This creates the humidity your orchid needs in the air right around the plant.

4. Keep Feeding Orchids Carefully

Orchids are typically still in a period of active growth right now, but they might be slowing down. It’s important to keep fertilizing orchids in August without overdoing it.

Too much fertilizer can damage the roots. The right amount of fertilizer doesn’t specifically create flowers, but it does push the plant into producing healthy leaves and roots, which support new flower spikes.

The easiest way to feed an orchid is to use a product designed specifically for orchids. Follow the instructions on the label. Never apply fertilizer to dry roots. Water the plant first and then apply the product.

Also, keep in mind that it’s better to use a diluted formula more often than to apply a strong fertilizer only once in a while. This organic orchid-specific fertilizer from Espoma is good option is a good option for mixing into water to get more blooms.

5. Check the Roots & Potting Medium

Now is a good time to inspect your orchid roots and potting medium. Remove the plant from the pot to look at the roots. They should be firm and green. If they are lighter colored and wrinkled, they’re not getting enough water. If they are mushy or dark, they are getting too much water.

As potting medium breaks down, it holds onto more water. This can lead to mushy roots even if you haven’t increased watering frequency. If the potting medium and roots both indicate an issue, it’s time to repot your orchid. Get fresh potting medium – this orchid potting mix from Amazon is a good choice – and if the roots seem crowded, transfer your plant to a slightly larger container.

6. Watch for Pests & Airflow

Summer conditions can easily lead to houseplant pest problems. The issue can be exacerbated for orchids if you add humidity without ensuring good airflow.

Inspect your plants this month for common orchid pests like aphids, mealybugs, scale, and spider mites. Use water to remove pests and consider isolating affected plants from others until the problem is under control.

To improve airflow around plants, use a fan. A gentle moving breeze from a rotating fan is best and will help move the air, making it a less desirable location for pests to settle down. This compact, clip-on fan from Amazon is easy to position near orchids or wherever else you may need it.

Two different plant events are underway in the strawberry bed this month. June-bearers like Jewel or Sparkle wrapped up weeks back and have now shifted into leaf and runner production. Meanwhile, Everbearing varieties like Fort Laramie and day-neutral stars like Seascape or Albion are actively ripening and setting a second heavy flush of sweet berries.

Whichever type of plant you are growing, this is a pivotal month in the strawberry lifecycle. Your strawbs need care and attention in August (just not all necessarily the exact same attention). Fortunately, none of this is tricky or time consuming: the tasks that matter for growing strawberry plants in late summer are very short ones. And they will help you to seize a bonus late-summer crop, as well as a generous extra harvest next year.

Several things you do now will reward you twice: once with fruit this season, and once in crown size for plants that will come back next spring (as well as new plants you can start for free). Containers run on a tighter schedule, as they dry out faster. They also run short of nutrients sooner, so a couple of these jobs matter more for strawbs in pots than in open ground. So take steps now to safeguard this year’s plants, and you will reap the benefits many times over.

Boost Your Strawberries in August

Depending on plant type, next spring's crop is being decided right now, out of sight underground. June-bearers are short-day plants. Once daylength slips under roughly 14 hours, they start laying down the flower buds that open next spring. Soil moisture matters enormously through that stretch, and so does a steady nutrient supply. Drought stress in late August can result in a thin crop the following spring. Nothing about the process is visible from above, either. The leaves look much the same in September as they did in July, and the difference only registers the following year.

Soil temperature is the other complication. Strawberry roots occupy the top 6 inches (15cm) of soil, which happens to be the layer that swings the hardest in August. Bare ground dries out fast up near the surface. Container-based strawberries also struggle. With a black plastic pot in the afternoon sun, fine feeder roots could cook against the sides. This month’s essential strawberry care is about buffering that top layer and keeping plants nourished while they build up new buds.

Strawberry roots tend to develop in the top 6 inches (15cm) of soil. In USDA hardiness zones 3-10, late summer heat can bake this layer. If soil temperatures soar above 85°F (29°C), it can halt nutrient uptake, so moisture and mulching are vital. That said, things might be moist an inch or so down, and you can’t always tell by looking at the top. So before jumping into these tasks, check soil moisture at the root levels. Use a reliable moisture probe like the easy XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon, which gives instant results and will prevent unnecessary mistakes.

If you suspect your container mix has settled or compacted under heavy summer irrigation, it’s also worth giving it a light topdressing or repotting with some fresh, well-draining potting mix, like Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix, which is currently 30% off at Walmart. Then you’re ready to get stuck into these quick tasks. All of this adds up to one unhurried afternoon of work, and the return lands twice: in the berries still ripening now, and in the crops developing underground for next year.

1. Pin Down or Trim Runners

The future of your strawberry runners is one of the big decision points of the month. Every long stem snaking out from a mother plant carries a daughter at its node. Each one of these either becomes free stock or a drain on the parent. For June-bearing varieties, propagating strawberry plants from healthy mothers is the premier way to renovate an aging bed without spending a dime. To securely anchor the plantlets, press the node against the soil with landscape staples or clips. Supports like the Noraling Strawberry Support Clips from Amazon are firm, without damaging fragile runners, and encourage independent roots to form quickly.

Give these runners 4-6 weeks still attached to the mother. Roots should form in this window, and you can then transplant the babies into new rows or pots. After that the connection can be cut. However, for everbearing and day-neutral varieties actively producing fruit right now, allowing runners to grow unrestricted can strip sugars away from developing berries, reducing your late-summer yield. It’s best to just remove these now, using clean cuts with snips or scissors.

2. Shift to Deep Morning Soakings

How and when you water strawberries can catch people out this month. Strawberries need 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4cm) of water a week. But two long soakings are better than a daily splash. Shallow watering holds roots near the surface. In August that top layer is the hottest, driest part of the whole bed. So water deeply to push moisture down into the cooler root zone. Water at the base, not over the top. Wet foliage in warm still air can leave plants vulnerable to diseases like leaf spot and gray mold. Morning beats evening for the same reason.

However, plants in containers and hanging baskets need something more frequent. To check if plants need a drink, either use your soil moisture probe or push a finger around 2 inches (5cm) into the potting mix. For container planters and tier baskets that require elevated airflow and root drainage, use simple pot risers to ensure that plants don’t end up sitting in water, as drainage is still important. Budget-friendly Dedara Plant Pot Risers from Walmart slide under and keep them healthy.Deep morning watering prevents leaf scorch and keeps any berries disease-free.

3. Switch to a High Potassium Feed

Feeding splits by strawberry type this month, so you need to adjust your fertilizing method accordingly. Plants still cropping do best on a potassium-heavy liquid feed every week or two. That covers day-neutrals and everbearers, plus anything growing in a pot. To deliver a potassium boost to fruiting everbearers on a budget, try a gentle boost of seaweed tonic such as Bloom City’s Organic Liquid Seaweed and Kelp Fertilizer from Walmart. You can also add a diluted tomato feed, but use sparingly.

June-bearing plants wrapping up their season require a different approach. They are building next year's buds instead of berries. A balanced, gentle organic feed can help them to build sturdy crowns, without pushing sappy, soft foliage that might succumb to early autumn frosts. Topdress around these plants with some bone meal. Down to Earth Organic Fish Bone Meal from Amazon is a reliable source of calcium and phosphorus, and a little goes a long way. Whichever feed you choose, add to soil that has been watered well.

4. Refresh Mulch to Protect Roots

Whatever mulch you laid in spring has probably either broken down or blown away. A fresh 2-3 inch (5-8cm) layer of wheat straw mulch can work wonders, as soil temperatures start to drop. Adding straw layers such as CleanStraw Natural Pure Straw Mulch from Walmart gives protection that still allows for natural airflow, without packing the way shredded bark can. Tuck clean, loose straw under ripening berry trusses, keeping the mulch pulled back an inch away from the central plant crown to prevent crown rot.

Clean straw can also help to elevate low-hanging berry clusters off damp soil, eliminating rot and keeping fruit clean for harvesting. However, if you have berries developing in containers near the ground, you can also keep fruits safe by using elevated supports. Use Rooted Promise Store’s Strawberry Supports from Amazon which have an easy snap-on design and help fruits ripen away from pests and other problems.

5. Thin Out Crowded Plants

Crowding can turn a productive strawberry bed into a disappointing one. Plants sitting closer than 4-6 inches (10-15cm) will start to compete for light and water. This is a good time to thin out strawberries by pulling out the weakest ones. Any mother plant that has held its spot for 3-4 years can go, too. Older crowns lose productivity sharply. Old leaves can come off at the same time. Anything yellowed or spotted belongs in the bin instead of the compost heap. Aim for rows no wider than 18 inches (45cm), which puts every plant within reach from one side. A June-bearing bed thinned this way will develop noticeably better fruit the following season.

Once you have made your final harvests of the season, renovation is another option. This means mowing old foliage down to roughly an inch (2.5cm) above the crowns, then narrowing the rows. The window for this is the couple of weeks right after the final picking. Handled at this point, plants have time to rebuild a canopy before bud formation begins. Northern gardens where harvest ran into late July can still pull it off. Beds that are 3 or more years old get the clearest benefit. Where the last berries came off in June, you should thin by hand instead. Rake the cut foliage off the bed rather than leaving it down, as old leaves can carry disease.

Strawberry Care Essentials

Keeping your strawberry patch thriving, disease-free, and bursting with sweet berries requires only a few simple soil extras, organic feeds, and protective ingredients. This trio of top formulas can help you to round off your August strawberry care with confidence, building the foundations for next year’s growth and this year’s babies.

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Found munching their way through leaves, hiding beneath branches or curled up on their favorite host plants, caterpillars are some of the hardest-working visitors you'll find in the garden – and some are even more special, thanks to their status as our birth month caterpillars.

Yes, whether they're covered in soft fuzz, decorated with bright colors or cleverly disguised to look like twigs, bird droppings or even tiny snakes, North America's caterpillars are every bit as fascinating as the butterflies and moths they'll eventually become. They're also an important part of a healthy backyard ecosystem, providing food for birds and helping to support the next generation of pollinators.

We've already embraced the idea of birth month birds, birth month animals, and birth month trees, so why not celebrate the little critters that are far too often overlooked.

All 12 Birth Month Caterpillars

Oh yes, butterflies may steal the spotlight, but every butterfly and moth begins life as a not-so-humble caterpillar. Before dazzling wings emerge, these fascinating creatures spend their days eating, growing and preparing for one of nature's most remarkable transformations.

Shop the Best Host Plants for Caterpillars:

Far from being just a stage in the life cycle, caterpillars are symbols of patience, resilience and potential. They remind us that growth often happens quietly, long before the world sees the finished result. And so, with that in mind, I've brought you a list of birth month caterpillars along with their beautiful meanings.

You're welcome!

January – Woolly Bear Caterpillar

If you're born in January, your birth month caterpillar is the famous woolly bear. This fuzzy little survivor is one of nature's toughest insects, capable of withstanding freezing winter temperatures before continuing its journey in spring.

Like the woolly bear, January-born people are often quietly determined. You don't rush into things, preferring steady progress and knowing that persistence usually wins in the end. Not so shabby, right?

February – Luna Moth Caterpillar

Bright green and surprisingly plump considering they don't eat anything at all, the luna moth caterpillar spends weeks feeding before spinning a cocoon and eventually emerging as one of North America's most spectacular moths.

If February is your birth month, you're a reminder that growth isn't always obvious. Your strengths develop gradually, and your calm nature often inspires those around you. And, yes, you usually leave people more than a little mesmerized (no bad thing, as I'm sure you'll agree).

March – Eastern Tent Caterpillar

One of the first caterpillars to appear each spring, the eastern tent caterpillar is rarely found alone. It lives with its siblings inside silky tents woven in the branches of trees, venturing out together to feed.

March-born people often bring others together. Just like your birth month caterpillar, you're naturally collaborative and enjoy creating connections, making you the kind of person who helps new ideas (and friendships!) grow.

April – Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar is a master of disguise. As it grows, it develops large false eye spots that make it resemble a tiny snake, helping scare away hungry birds.

So, what does this tell us about those who call this little theatrical beauty their birth month caterpillar? Well, if you're born in April, you're imaginative and resourceful. You adapt to change with ease. And, perhaps more importantly, often find creative solutions where others see obstacles.

May – Cecropia Moth Caterpillar

With its colorful knobs of blue, yellow and orange, the cecropia caterpillar is impossible to overlook, which makes sense, considering adult cecropia moths can have a wingspan approaching 7 inches.

As it eventually transforms into North America's largest native moth, then, it's a fitting symbol for people who grow into their confidence over time. So, if May is your birth month, you're naturally generous and optimistic.

You also embrace opportunities for growth and encourage others to do the same. And you're the kind of person who displays the kind of personal growth that people everywhere will envy, too!

June – Rosy Maple Moth Caterpillar

Before becoming the delightfully pink-and-yellow rosy maple moth, this caterpillar (another of the giant silk moth family, alongside the luna and cecropia moths) spends its days feeding quietly on maple leaves.

June-born people have a gift for finding beauty in everyday life. Your cheerful outlook helps brighten even ordinary moments, and you have a lovely knack of reminding others that wonderful things often begin in unexpected places.

July – Hickory Horned Devil

Despite its dramatic name and fearsome appearance, the hickory horned devil is completely harmless. Its impressive horns are purely for defence, helping it convince predators to look elsewhere.

Like this remarkable caterpillar, July-born people are often much gentler than first impressions suggest. You're brave when challenges arise but lead with kindness and compassion. it's unsurprising, then, that people seek you out in the toughest of times.

August – Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Imperial moth caterpillars come in several colors, from green to deep brown, proving that there's more than one way to thrive. As they grow, they adapt to their surroundings before eventually becoming beautiful golden-yellow moths.

If you're born in August, you're confident in your own abilities. And that innate flexibility? Why, it means you don't just embrace change; you know how to make the most of every opportunity, too.

September – Io Moth Caterpillar

With striking eye-like spots on their hindwings that can startle birds and other predators, this vibrant green birth month caterpillar is certainly eye-catching. It's also, though, one of the few that's best admired without touching; yes, its branching spines help protect it from predators.

September-born people understand the importance of balancing kindness with self-respect. You're caring and generous, but you also know when to protect your own wellbeing. And those healthy boundaries you set? A rare gift, quite frankly. Treasure them.

October – Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar

When disturbed, this birth month caterpillar curls into a ball. And this, along with the fact it's covered in black bristles, means the giant leopard moth caterpillar gives little hint of the striking spotted moth it will one day become.

Sometimes, the most remarkable transformations are the least obvious. If October is your birth month (and hey there, me too!), you're thoughtful, resilient and full of hidden depths. People often discover new sides to your personality over time. And you will undoubtedly earn yourself the title of 'enigma' over time.

Hey, a little mystery is never a bad thing.

Shop Butterfly & Caterpillar Essentials:

November – Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar

The polyphemus moth gets its name from the large eye-like markings on its wings, which resemble the single eye of the giant Cyclops from Greek mythology. Neat, right?

Perhaps also the closest in vibe to Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this large, bright green and always hungry birth month caterpillar spends its final weeks building up enough energy to spin a sturdy cocoon that will carry it safely through winter.

As such, November-born people are planners by nature. You understand that success often comes from careful preparation and patience rather than rushing ahead. There's wisdom in preparation, folks.

December – American Dagger Moth Caterpillar

With its long, pale hairs and striking black tufts, the American Dagger Moth caterpillar certainly stands out. But beneath its unusual appearance is a surprisingly adaptable caterpillar, feeding on a wide range of trees and shrubs before eventually transforming into a subtle yellow moth.

If you're born in December, you're curious, independent and comfortable doing things your own way. You may not always seek the spotlight, but there's a quiet confidence in the way you approach life – and a willingness to look beyond the obvious.

Just remember: the hairs on your birth month caterpillar can cause skin irritation, so it's best admired without touching, so don't get too close!

Something for Butterfly Lovers:

Whether your birth month caterpillar is colorful, camouflaged or wonderfully fuzzy, each one tells a story of growth. Because, long before butterflies flutter through gardens or moths take to the night sky, they all begin as caterpillars, all doing their best to prepare for what comes next.

It's certainly the energy we could all use a little more of in our lives, right?

What looks more majestic in a landscape than a mighty oak tree or a tall, spreading magnolia? But put one in a small front yard and the house looks diminished and unimpressive. If you would like to up curb appeal with a high-end look, you’re better off installing a smaller tree, one that is interesting, elegant, and won’t outgrow its welcome.

Small trees for gardens come in many varieties but not every one will add value to your home and upgrade its look. I’ve pulled together a list of the top trees that do both – creating a strong first impression and adding a touch of elegant beauty that attracts all eyes.

Check out these small trees that will make your yard look like it was designed by a high-end landscaping company, but you can buy and plant them yourself for a fraction of the price.

1. 'Little Gem' Magnolia

We all know and love the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), those evergreen trees with shiny leaves and a crop of what might be the world’s most beautiful blossoms in springtime. But these trees grow to 90 feet (30 m) tall, totally overpowering a small front yard.

Opt for the tidy, compact option: a dwarf southern magnolia cultivar called 'Little Gem'. This elegant tree has smaller foliage that is just as glossy and the same lovely shade of dark green as the big trees. Plus, it has the same large fragrant white saucer-shaped flowers that bloom from spring into summer.

These cultivars need a full sun location, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 7-9. When planted, they require regular watering, but they become more drought tolerant as they mature.

Little Gems top out at 20-25 feet (7-8 m) tall and offer a very compact, narrow form. They are appealing, upscale trees that give a home a polished, established look. This naturally small tree is especially captivating when it is trained as espalier against a wall or fence.

You can find Little Gem magnolia trees for sale at the Home Depot.

2. 'Cherokee Brave' Dogwood

Native trees take the cake for easy-care beauty, so if this is your preference, who can blame you. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), which is native to the eastern half of the continent, is your best choice.

Flowering dogwood is a small deciduous tree that carries a big impact in the landscape. The trees grow to 15-30 feet (5-10 m) tall with low, broad branching. Dogwood fans call it the most beautiful of the native American trees.

It blooms in early spring, often in April. The actual flowers of the dogwood are small and insignificant, compacted into button-like clusters. But each one is surrounded by four showy, white, petal-like bracts which open flat, giving the appearance of a single large white flower.

'Cherokee Brave' dogwood has all of these attributes, but its flowers are a particularly lovely, deep crimson with contrasting white centers. Spring growth is also a stunning burgundy and the leaves turn glorious shades of red in fall. The late summer fruits are also bright red and beloved by birds.

The classic look of the horizontally-tiered branches as well as the vibrant maroon fall foliage add immensely to the curb appeal of your home. Dogwood trees thrive in USDA zones 5-8 in a full sun to part shade location. Prevent the root zone from getting hot by adding a thick layer of organic mulch.

You can find Cherokee Brave dogwood trees online from Trees.com.

3. Paperbark Maple

Cool and classy, the paperbark maple (Acer griseum) boosts front-yard curb appeal with its rich cinnamon and chestnut-colored exfoliating bark. The bark peels back naturally, providing exceptional architectural and textural interest right through the winter.

Here’s a small tree with multi-season interest. The exfoliating bark that curls and clings to the trunk makes a stunning contrast with the glowing dark green summer leaves, and fiery orange-red autumn foliage.

Paperbark maple is a slow-growing and compact tree, topping out at 20-30 feet (7-10 m). It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 4-8 and prefers a location with partial or full sun and well-draining soil. Site this somewhere it can be seen from the street in every season.

Paperbark maples can be a bit difficult to find in stores, but you can get one from Scenic Hill Farm on Etsy.

4. 'Blue Arrow' Juniper

With tight silvery-blue foliage and a sleek narrow form, a line of 'Blue Arrow' juniper trees (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow') along an entryway offers a clean, modern touch to a front yard.

Each tree grows into a compact column, no higher than 15 feet (5 m) tall and only a few feet wide, making it an elegant and space-saving alternative to the Italian cypress, often found on large estates.

These trees are very hardy, thriving in USDA zones down to zone 4. It does need a full sun location but, once mature, the tree doesn’t require much water. Only irrigate when the top few inches of soil dry out.

Did we mention how tough this little evergreen can be? It resists deer, drought, urban pollution, and harsh winter weather.

You can find 'Blue Arrow' junipers for sale from Trees.com.

Black-eyed Susans are a late-season essential but if you’ve got the classic Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ in your garden, you need to know that there are other varieties that bring more flowers, for much longer. This popular perennial was introduced way back in 1949 and since then, plant breeders have created cultivars and hybrids that are more drought tolerant, heat tolerant and disease resistant, with more abundant blooms over a longer period.

So, if you’re looking for low-maintenance late-season plants that will flower for months into fall, these modern black-eyed Susan varieties are a no-brainer. Whether you want to enjoy the daisy-like blooms yourself, provide a late-season source of nectar for pollinators, or grow a feast of seeds for your garden birds, these robust plants will give you far more flowers for far less effort.

And let's be clear: black-eyed Susan Goldsturm is still a fabulous plant – but these black-eyed Susans are better. Plant one in your garden and see for yourself.

1. Best for Disease Resistance: Black-Eyed Susan American Gold Rush

One of the biggest issues with black-eyed Susans is that they’re vulnerable to Septorial leaf spot, a fungal disease that causes foliage to wither and die, affecting the plant’s vigor and cutting the flowering season short. However, Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ is virtually immune to this common disease because its slightly hairy leaves stop moisture from sitting on the foliage, so avoiding the conditions that the fungal spores require.

Named Perennial Plant of the Year in 2023 by the Perennial Plant Association, the excellent disease resistance of ‘American Gold Rush’ means its foliage stays flawless even in humid conditions, and it reliably flowers from July through September and often till the first frost. Growing 1 foot high and 1-2 feet wide in zones 3-8, black-eyed Susan ‘American Gold Rush' is available from Plant Addicts.

2. Best for Flower Density: Black-Eyed Susan Little Goldstar

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Goldstar’ boasts the highest bloom density relative to its size, its 16-inch stems smothered with yellow flowers from July to October. It’s estimated that a single plant can produce over 80 blooms, bringing impressive flower power to borders and pots in zones 4-9.

This compact plant grows to 2 feet wide and stays neat, its sturdy, shorter stems resisting the usual late-season black-eyed Susan flop. Highly disease-resistant and drought-tolerant once established, black-eyed Susan ‘Little Goldstar’ is available from Nature Hills.

3. Best for Temperature Extremes: Black-Eyed Susan Glitters Like Gold

Rudbeckia ‘Glitters Like Gold’ looks very similar to Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’, growing 2-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, but it’s been specifically bred to handle hot, humid summers. It’s also hugely cold-hardy down to -40°F so it can handle life at both ends of the temperature scale in zones 3-9.

With strong disease resistance to Septoria leaf spot and sturdy stems that don’t flop over, this boasts more flowers that bloom for longer than ‘Goldsturm’ too. Black-eyed Susan ‘Glitters Like Gold’ plants are available from Nature Hills.

4. Best for Wildlife: Black-Eyed Susan Deam’s

If you’re looking for a black-eyed Susan for a wildlife meadow or garden, then Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii is the one for you. Not a modern cultivar but native to parts of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, black-eyed Susan 'Deam's' nevertheless holds not just the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit but also its Plants for Pollinators recommendation.

The dark central cones of this clump-forming perennial are particularly rich in nectar for pollinators, and produce a heavy load of seed to feed finches through winter. As a native, it’s very adaptable and grows in pretty much any well-drained soil and, though it’s highly drought resistant once established, the trick to lots more fall flowers is to give it a good drink once a week. If you deadhead, it will keep flowering from July to October, though be sure to leave the last flush of blooms intact to form seedheads and keep your garden goldfinches happy. Growing to 2-3 feet high and 1-2 feet wide in zones 4-9, black-eyed Susan Deam’s is available from Plant Addicts.

5. Best for Flower Color: Black-Eyed Susan ‘Blackjack Gold’

While the yellow petals and dark centers of most black-eyed Susans are joyful enough, the color of Rudbeckia triloba ‘Blackjack Gold’ is particularly intense. Because of its tall but narrow habit (the plant grows 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide in zones 3-8), you can pack plenty of these into a border, too, for a real hit of saturated color.

The flowers are smaller but the densely branched stems carry a profusion from July to October, and those golden petals are enhanced by striking central cones and sturdy stems that carry a red tone.

While Rudbeckia fulgida are long-lived, clump-forming perennials and a pretty-much permanent addition to your garden, Rudbeckia triloba is a shorter-lived perennial but reliably (and gently) self-seeds so you'll never be without it. Black-eyed Susan ‘Blackjack Gold’ plants are available from Plant Addicts.

6. Best for Containers: Black-Eyed Susan Viette’s Little Suzy

This compact dwarf variety grows to 12-18 inches high and wide so it’s perfect for a pot. Rudbeckia fulgida Viette’s Little Suzy is heat- and drought-tolerant once established so can handle the more erratic environment of life in a container, and copes well with both humidity and heavy rainfall. This bonny black-eyed Susan has exceptional disease resistance, too, to flower through summer into early fall, making it one of the best perennials for patio pots.

For low-maintenance pots to pretty up your patio or deck, you won’t do better than this little lovely, and it attracts bees and butterflies, too. Black-eyed Susan Viette’s Little Suzy plants are available from Garden Goods Direct.

7. Best for Low-Maintenance: Black-Eyed Susan ‘Treasure Trove’.

Taller black-eyed Susans can require staking to stop them flopping over once fall weather arrives, but not Rudbeckia ‘Treasure Trove’. This is one of those wonderful low-maintenance flowering plants that practically grow themselves. Though it grows to 2-3 feet high and wide, it has a neat, bushy habit with heavily-branched stems, so supports itself well. And yes, those branching stems mean a massive volume of flowers!

It has strong Septoria leaf spot resistance, handles summer heat in zones 4-9, usually resists nibbles from hungry deer and rabbits, and once established, only needs watering in prolonged dry spells. So pretty much all you need do is an occasional deadhead if you want it to keep blooming from July to October. Planted with other low-maintenance heroes like daylilies and goldenrod, this is a great choice for beginner or busy gardeners alike, and black-eyed Susan ‘Treasure Trove’ plants are available from Plant Addicts.

Regular readers will know that my passion for bird bathing has reached such a level that I have given my birdie zone its own special name: Featherspoons (named after a certain UK-based food and drink franchise). I’ve been using this name since spring, as it really encapsulates that cheep-and-cheerful vibe (yes, pun intended). But while I’ve been mostly thrilled with the results of my expanding birding empire, it’s felt like something’s been missing… like I’ve been a few feathers short of the full spoon, as it were.

Don’t get me wrong: my thoughtfully tailored bird zone has responded diligently to the demands of my local feathered buddies. Featherspoons is quite the sight for attracting birds, replete with platform bird feeder, secondary hanging feeder, a recently vacated bird house, a classic pedestal bath, trusty waiting branch, and even a little homemade sign letting the local wildlife know they’ve arrived. So what could possibly be missing, you might well ask?

You could say I’m a “bird bath half empty” kind of gal, because I’m always wondering about the birds I don’t see. For every sparrow splashing merrily, I’ll think about the robin I haven’t seen in weeks. I hate to think there’s something I’ve forgotten that’s keeping those other birdies away. And then it rained for the first time in weeks, and Mr Robin hopped into view, happily sploshing in a puddle. That’s when it hit me: I had cleaned a plant pot tray weeks earlier and forgot to put it back outside. Sometimes, the little things make all the difference for our bird friends. Here’s why…

Why Add a Puddle Bath?

Have you ever wondered why your pedestal bath gets plenty of visits from sassy blue jays, while robins act like it doesn't exist? It turns out height is an issue, even for friends with wings. Some songbirds are total turf lovers. Species like robins, juncos, mourning doves, and northern cardinals do a lot of their hanging out at ground level. In the wild, they seek out rainwater pools. To them, a pedestal bath feels like trying to take a dip on top of a skyscraper: scary, and way too exposed.

Then there’s the depth issue. Standard bowls are often way too deep, leaving timid towhees and thrashers feeling literally out of their depth. A ground-level puddle bath fixes all of this, by mimicking the conditions of puddles these birds are naturally hardwired to seek out. Something shallow, like the gorgeous bird-friendly Bakayoyo Shallow Ground Bird Bath Saucer from Amazon works well, and it provides texture for tiny toes.

The beauty of a ground-based splash zone lies in its gently sloped gradient. Starting at a half-inch (1.25cm) depth and gently dipping to an inch (2.5cm) in the middle, it lets tiny sparrows and waddling doves wade in at their own pace and comfort level. Add nearby branches for safety and shelter, in the form of a native staging branch like the stunning Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry Tree from Fast Growing Trees, and you bring a highly naturalistic environment into play. Even northern flickers and purple finches will join the ground-level pool party once word gets out.

Which Puddle Bath is Best?

Creating a welcoming ground-level splash zone doesn't require a lavish budget or complex installation. In fact, some of the best ground baths are sitting right in your garage, shed, or kitchen. An unglazed terracotta plant saucer is a gift. The rough clay gives wet little toes fantastic grip, and costs next to nothing. If you don’t have any, Vigoro Clay Plant Saucers from The Home Depot are the perfect depth and also frost resistant. Alternatively, flip a small upside-down garbage can lid into the grass, filled with a few handfuls of clean pea gravel. But there’s more…

Whether you go full DIY or treat your yard to something fancier, keep these golden rules in mind: shallow depth, non-slip texture, and low sides. Slippery bowls are a no-go – unless you throw in a few grippy stones to save the day. I like adding a few flat textured pebbles and rocks, like Simetufy River Rocks from Amazon, which you can color up in your favorite birdie shades. Furthermore, the basin should have a low edge that lets birds survey their surroundings. There are plenty of gorgeous, low-profile options that deliver maximum splash-factor with zero hassle.

Puddle Baths for Low-Level Splashers

High pedestals are great for boisterous bathers like jays and thrushes, but shy types need something closer to the turf. These shallow, ground-level options mimic natural rainwater puddles, giving timid bathers the gentle entry, textured footing, and low-stress environment they instinctively crave.

Where to Put Your Puddle Bath

This might sound obvious but location is critical, and I don’t just mean nice grass. Ground bathers face unique challenges. A soggy robin can’t pull off a high-speed retreat when danger appears. It’s all about balancing protective cover with open sightlines. Position your basin 10-12 feet (3-3.6m) away from dense shrubbery or thick hedges. This gives cautious bathers clear sightlines to spot cats, but keeps branches close enough to flutter to if startled. For a low-key extra, a nearby trellis like the Red Barrel Studio Garden Trellis from Wayfair adds comfort for finches and sparrows.

Sunlight strategy is another biggie. Because puddle baths are shallow, a full day of sun can turn your dish into a hot or dried-up mud flat. Try to find a cozy pocket that gets bright morning sunshine (perfect for early birds) and dappled canopy shade for scorchio afternoon hours. Nestling the bath alongside sturdy native flowers and mid-height perennials like Native Purple Coneflowers from Plant Addicts gives timid visitors lovely, natural staging to check out the scene before hopping down for a dip.

Also, keep your puddle station well away from your main bird feeders. Falling seed hulls, messy shells and crumbs, and bird droppings will turn clean bathwater into murky soup faster than you can say featherspoons. Give your ground dish its own peaceful corner, away from high-traffic footpaths and lawnmowers, to create the ultimate splash zone for ground-level wildlife.

Puddle Station Extras

Creating a thriving puddle station is all about building a welcoming community around your ground basin. While the dish itself provides the water source, thoughtful accessories create a multi-sensory magnet for the ultimate poolside lounge. The best way to do this is with moving water. Songbirds rely on sound to locate water sources. The right sparkle and trickle is vital to promoting your splash zone.

The gentle dancing sprays of the Mademax Solar Powered Floating Fountain Pump from Amazon make it clear to ground bathers that the water is fresh. Or for a more subtle sparkle, the Solar Water Wiggler from Walmart creates quiet, continuous ripples that reassure nervous bathers. As mentioned before, I also like to add a few nicely shaped rocks to the base of the bath. This gives a variety of levels as well as texture and natural footholds, adding extra security for hasty or stumbling bathers.

Moving water features also prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in your ground basin. By pairing your ground dish with water agitators and a few grippy stones, your ground-level puddle station will quickly become the hottest ticket in town.

High Rise Havens for Bold Bathers

Once your ground-dwelling birds are happily splashing down low, give your chickadees, finches, and jays a glamorous front-row seat! These raised, hanging, and pedestal options double as eye-catching garden focal points while providing a safe, elevated sanctuary for watchful songbirds.

Caring for Your Puddle Bath

Keeping your new puddle bath sparkling fresh is easy, and a little routine love goes a long way. Because ground dishes are shallow, they warm up quickly under the sun, so giving yours a swift daily splash-and-dash top-off keeps water cool and clean. Once a week, grab a stiff cleaning brush, like the Modanu Ergonomic Heavy-Duty Bird Bath Brush from Walmart, and give the basin a solid scrub with nine parts water and one part plain white vinegar. Skip the harsh household soaps or bleach: nobody wants soapy chemical residue ruining their afternoon feathers.

Create a natural "bug and bath" combo, by planting black-eyed Susans near your dish to attract native beetles and caterpillars. Add clumps of coral bells (heuchera) to act as tiny insect hotels for midges and spiders. When robins and song sparrows finish their bath, they can hop straight into the leaves for a delicious, protein-packed snack. And as an extra safeguard to reduce algae build-up (if you have space), place a copper purifier like the Mellbree Copper Bird Bath Disc from Amazon in the basin. Do all this, and your puddle station will stay the cleanest, happiest hangout on the block.

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August feels like the end of summer in a lot of ways, but it doesn’t have to be the end of your herb garden. While other plants are fading and only the hardiest fall flowers remain, you can still plant some herbs that will persist well into fall, even up to the first frost.

These common herbs are the best choices for planting now and enjoying several fall harvests. Look for young nursery plants and consider putting them in pots that you can move indoors once it gets too cold. How long these herbs will last depends, of course, on your local weather and climate, but with good care, you can enjoy them for weeks or even months.

Let's dig in and see what you need to be planting now to keep the flavor coming!

1. Parsley

Parsley is one of the most versatile of all herbs with a fresh, green flavor that is more subtle than others. It’s an herb that actually prefers cooler weather, so now is a good time to start a new plant. Its lush green foliage will remain while plants around it fade and brown.

Give your parsley plant full sun or a spot with a little shade. Keep the soil consistently moist, but don’t let it get soggy. Harvest outer stems as needed to encourage fresh growth well into fall. Find a wide variety of parsley seeds from True Leaf Market.

2. Cilantro

Like parsley, cilantro prefers the cooler weather of the shoulder season. It tends to bolt in the heat of summer, resulting in lower flavor quality of the leaves. This is a love-it or hate-it kind of herb, but if you’re in the former camp, plant one now.

Full sun or partial shade is ideal for a cilantro plant. Keep the soil moist but ensure it drains well. As with parsley, trim off stems from the outside in to use and encourage fresh growth while decent temperatures persist. Burpee offers organic cilantro seeds for growing your own cilantro to pair perfectly with Asian and Mexican dishes this fall!

3. Chives

With a delicate oniony flavor, chives are a great addition to almost any savory dish, including salads, fish, and eggs. Chives not only tolerate cooler weather, but they’re also actually hardy in many climates. Get a plant established now, enjoy it this fall, and, with good care, expect it to emerge again next spring.

Plant chives in full sun or partial shade. Make sure the soil drains well and keep the soil moist as the plant establishes strong roots. Snip off leaves to use as needed, making clean cuts at the base. Don’t harvest too heavily this season if you’re hoping it will come back next year. You can find heirloom chive seeds from Sow Right Seeds on Amazon.

4. Thyme

Thyme is a hardy perennial in zones 5 through 9, so plant and get it established now to enjoy this fall, even as temperatures drop, and again next year. The tiny leaves of thyme plants pack a punch and are especially tasty with meats, poultry, tomato dishes, and soups and stews.

You can grow thyme in a container or in beds. Its low profile makes it a good edging plant. Choose a sunny spot and ensure the soil drains very well. Thyme doesn’t like getting too soggy and will tolerate dry conditions very well. Water regularly now to help it get established. You can start harvesting stems this fall, but avoid cutting into woody growth, which won’t regrow. Organic English thyme seeds can be found at the Home Depot.

5. Sage

Like thyme, sage is a perennial suited to many climates. It will keep green, usable foliage well into fall and even through the first few light frosts. Sage has a strong flavor, so pair it with foods that can stand up to it, like meats, turkey, buttery pasta dishes, and squash.

Plant sage in full sun in an area that has very good drainage. Water it regularly to get it established and then water only when the soil dries out. You can harvest individual leaves or cut off stems. Add a layer of mulch around the plant to help protect it during winter. Find sage seeds from Sow Right Seeds on Amazon.

6. Mint

Mint is a very easy herb to grow. It is tough and vigorous, spreading and growing rapidly from runners. For this reason, it’s a good option to grow now but only in containers. In beds, mint can quickly run amok. Use mint leaves in desserts, salads, and savory dishes. (You can even burn peppermint like Content Editor Kayleigh Dray to freshen your space and ward off pests).

Mint will tolerate a spot in full sun or partial shade. Keep the soil evenly moist and harvest entire stems to encourage new growth. Consider bringing your mint indoors to enjoy all winter or let it go dormant outside. It will likely come back next year. Peppermint seeds can be purchased from True Leaf Market.

Starting herbs in August is worthwhile if you choose the right ones. While the rest of the garden winds down, these hardy herbs will continue producing tasty leaves for weeks or months.

Keep them well watered, provide some winter protection if needed, and some of these herbs will even come back in the spring.

Some garden plants earn their space in beds and borders twice: first with a showy display of flowers and later, once the flowers have faded, with structural elements that lend a little extra something to look at in fall and winter. These include seedheads, tall stems, interesting foliage, or even winter color.

Many gardens lose visual interest once the blooms are done, but structural plants continue to shine even in fall and winter. When choosing plants for your garden, consider what they’ll look like after the flowers are done. Look for plants, like some of our favorites below, that both bloom and have interesting structure after flowering. For best results, make sure your choices are suited to your USDA zone, soil type, and sun exposure.

1. Sedum

• Botanical name: Hylotelephium and Sedum
• USDA zones: 3–9
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained, on the dry side
• Best for: Rust-red and bronze dried flower heads

Sedum, or stonecrop, is a big family of succulent plants that flower in late summer and fall. They bloom with very small flowers clustered in large, flat-topped heads. Sedum grows best in full sun and well-drained soil that stays mostly dry. While stonecrop flowers are attractive and great for pollinators during the growing season, the plants have more to offer.

In fall, the flower clusters on many sedum varieties change color and dry in place in attractive rust-red, copper, or bronze shades perfect for the season. Additionally, the fleshy leaves provide ongoing visual interest, so resist cutting this pretty perennial back in the autumn. Let it shine, even in winter, as snow collects on its dried blooms.

For a standout variety, try Autumn Joy sedum, pictured above and currently on sale at Trees.com. Its large flower heads open pink in late summer before deepening to coppery-red and eventually drying to brown for winter interest. For something different, Back in Black sedum, available from Plant Addicts, pairs near-black foliage with pale flowers and persistent seedheads, while Mr. Goodbud, available from Nature Hills, has huge, richly colored flower heads on sturdy reddish stems.

2. Coneflower

• Botanical name: Echinacea
• USDA zones: 3–9
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained
• Best for: Sculptural seedheads that feed birds

Always popular in gardens for its tall, elegant stalks and striking summer blooms, coneflower is a native plant that supports pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. It’s a great addition to beds and naturalized areas where it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.

Don’t be quick to cut back the stems after coneflowers have faded. They’re about to put on the second act of their show. The cone-shaped seedheads remain atop the tall stems, feeding birds and also providing striking structural interest in beds. These act like winter yard sculptures, so leave them in place until warmer weather returns.

For the classic look pictured above, try purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), available from Walmart, with its familiar pink-purple petals and prominent orange-brown cones. For more color, Cheyenne Spirit coneflower, available from Garden Goods Direct, produces flowers in a vibrant mix of red, orange, yellow, cream, and purple. If you want to grow a larger drift economically, this coneflower seed mixed color pack from Sow Right Seeds on Amazon is an easy way to get plants started.

3. Sea Holly

• Botanical name: Eryngium
• USDA zones: 5–9
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Dry, well-drained, even sandy
• Best for: Spiky, sculptural dried flower heads

Sea holly is a unique non-native perennial that grows well in zones 5 through 9 in full sun and well-drained, even sandy soil. It blooms in summer and fall with silvery blue, thistle-like flowers. These flowers, as well as their bracts, dry prettily in place once the growing season is over, leaving behind sculptural flower heads atop stiff, structural stems.

For particularly vivid color, try Big Blue sea holly, available from Plant Addicts, with large, intensely blue flower heads and matching spiky bracts. Another striking option is Blue Glitter, available from Walmart, which produces masses of smaller steel-blue blooms on branching stems and is especially good for cutting and drying.

4. Ornamental Alliums

• Botanical name: Allium
• USDA zones: 4–9, depending on variety
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained
• Best for: Striking spherical seedheads

These ornamental relatives of culinary onions are favorites in garden beds for their unique, spherical flower heads that tower over other flowers. They’re also easy to grow, requiring only full sun and a spot with soil that drains well. Once established, they don’t need a lot of water to thrive.

Alliums bloom in spring and early summer, but don’t cut them down when they’re done flowering. The spherical seedheads will remain in place, providing an interesting sculptural element to your bed. They look good long after the flowers have faded and can even last into winter if the stems remain upright and in good condition.

For a dramatic display, try the pictured Gladiator allium, available from Walmart, with huge purple globes held high on sturdy stems and attractive dried heads after flowering. For something a little different, Bobblehead allium, available from Plant Addicts, produces pale lilac globes followed by perfectly spherical seedheads, while drumstick allium (Allium sphaerocephalon), available from Burpee has smaller burgundy-purple flower heads that bring a more delicate, naturalistic effect to borders.

5. Jerusalem Sage

• Botanical name: Phlomis
• USDA zones: 5–10
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Dry, well-drained
• Best for: Architectural, pom-pom-like seedheads

Jerusalem sage – often known as Turkish sage or its botanical name phlomis – is a small shrub native to the dry climate of the Mediterranean. In zones 5 to 7, it is deciduous but evergreen in zones 8 through 10. Give it a sunny spot with dry soil, and it will thrive and bloom with yellow flowers in summer.

Phlomis offers a dramatic architectural and visual effect in fall and winter if you leave the seedheads in place. The flowers grow on tall spikes, and when they fade and set seed, you’re left with interesting pom-pom-like structures that look like beautiful yard art. Even without evergreen foliage, the dried stems also add to the visual appeal of this unique plant.

For a particularly architectural choice, try Phlomis russeliana, available from US Perennials. Its pale yellow flowers appear in distinctive tiers up sturdy stems, leaving behind sculptural seedheads that can provide interest well into winter.

6. Astilbe

• Botanical name: Astilbe
• USDA zones: 3–9
• Light: Partial shade
• Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained
• Best for: Feathery dried plumes in tan and bronze

Astilbe is a small, shade-tolerant perennial with feathery plumes of summer flowers in shades of pink, purple, white, and red. Partial shade is ideal for astilbe, but it will tolerate full shade or even more sun. The soil should be rich and moist.

The pretty flowers will have faded by late summer, but leave them on the plants. They retain their feathery shape and texture as they dry to muted tan and bronze colors, bringing visual interest and lightness to shady beds and borders.

For a similar frothy pink display to the picture above, try Younique Silvery Pink astilbe, available from Plant Addicts, which produces masses of soft, feathery pink plumes. For something more dramatic, Dark Side of the Moon, also from Plant Addicts, pairs rosy-purple flowers with striking chocolate-brown foliage, while Fanal, also at Plant Addicts is a compact choice with rich red plumes. Leave the faded flower heads standing to provide texture and interest later in the year.

7. Ornamental Grasses

• Botanical name: Varies by species
• Light: Usually full sun, with a few exceptions
• Soil: Varies; most prefer well-drained soil
• Best for: Airy seedheads, texture, and winter movement

You can hardly go wrong with any type of ornamental grass for visual interest at any time of year. These grasses grow in clumps, some strictly upright, others with an arching shape. Some grow several feet tall, while others grow much shorter, giving you options for beds, borders, privacy screens, and even containers.

Grasses aren’t known for their flowers, although they do bloom with feathery flower heads in summer. In fall and winter, the blades, airy seedheads, and movement in the wind all offer great visual appeal. As long as they remain upright and in good condition, leave your ornamental grasses in place and wait to trim them next spring.

For some of the best varieties, try pink muhly grass, pictured above and currently on sale at Trees.com, which produces clouds of pink flowers in fall before fading to soft tan. Little bluestem adds coppery fall color and fluffy silver seedheads – in particular, Standing Ovation little bluestem, available from Plant Addicts, is prized for its strong, upright habit. ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass, available in a three-pack from Walmart, is a great choice for tall, upright structure that lasts well into winter. For a shadier spot, try All Gold Japanese forest grass, available from Plant Addicts, which brings graceful, arching foliage and bright golden color to beds that receive less sun.

Shop Structural Beauties

Take inspiration from this list and find plants that work for your garden and that provide more than just summer flowers. Consider how any plant will look after its colorful blooms fade to get more year-round visual interest.

For the best results when planning a garden that goes beyond the standard growing season, consider diversity. Use a mix of textures, like a combination of airy ornamental grasses with spiky sea holly. Create layers with short, medium, and tall plants. And don’t forget containers. They can also add to the fall and winter landscape with versatile, interesting plants. Choosing plants based on their entire life cycle creates a garden that remains interesting long after the blooms peak.

The world’s largest human composting facility just opened for business in Maryland, offering organic reduction as an alternative to traditional burial and cremation. Capable of composting 2,000 humans a year, Earth Funeral’s new 37,000 square foot facility has 126 individual vessels where bodies are turned into soil. A body yields around 250-300 pounds of nutrient-rich soil – that’s around 7 regular retail sacks of compost – and personal testimonies on Earth Funeral's website show the many ways gardeners are using the nutrient-rich soil to remember their loved ones.

Dianne Stanciel from New Jersey added some soil from her husband, Kenneth, to a houseplant – ironically, a struggling houseplant Kenneth hadn’t liked – that’s now thriving. In Washington, Emily spread some of the soil composted from her husband of 53 years, Wayne, on the circle garden of azaleas and wild strawberries they’d created together. Kimberly has signed up for a prepaid plan and given her husband instructions to use her soil among the camellias, lemon trees and Japanese maples growing in the yard she’s nurtured for the past 18 years.

And it begs the question, would you like to be part of your garden forever?

How Are Humans Composted?

In the new Maryland facility, the body is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud and laid along with wildflowers on natural mulch and wood chips in a sealed stainless steel vessel (pictured below). With levels of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water balanced to create ideal conditions for naturally-occuring microbes to break the organic material down on a molecular level, the mix is composted into soil over 30-45 days. Temperatures reach over 130°F, killing any harmful pathogens, and the soil is independently tested to make sure it’s safe for plants and animals as well as humans.

The compost retains 90% of the body's nutrients, forming an enriched soil full of the components gardeners will recognise from any fertilizer sack. Nitrogen from body proteins fuels leafy growth and supports photosynthesis; phosphorous from bones and DNA promotes root development, flowering and fruiting; and potassium from cellular fluids increases drought resilience. Plant and soil structure is enhanced with calcium from bones, and trace minerals support key plant functions such as chlorophyll formation.

Families can choose the volume of nutrient-rich soil they wish to keep, and the remainder is donated for use in a local conservation project.

Is Human Composting Legal?

It’s probably best to mention that human composting is only legal if done through a licensed premises, but even then, it’s only legal in 14 states. However, transferring bodies interstate by air or ground transport to these states for human composting is permitted across all 50 states, as long as it’s done by licensed professionals and a transit permit is obtained. It’s also legal for the soil to be shipped back to you, making this service available nationwide.

Can Human Compost be Used in the Garden?

Soil created from human remains looks no different from regular garden compost. It's full of nutrients, so rather than using it as a standalone potting soil, think of it as a soil improver. Mix it at a ratio of 10-20% into garden soil or with container potting soil, or use it as a nutritious mulch.

As long as a body is legally composted, and the resulting compost safety-tested, soil created through a terramation process can be used in gardens in many states, but local restrictions vary. While it's prohibited to use human-composted soil to grow crops in some states, most allow the entire volume of soil to be taken home for personal use, whether that’s in a flower bed or to plant a memorial garden or tree. Do check what your locality allows, as even states where human composting has been legalized can have very particular exemptions. For example, in New York soil can only be used in dedicated cemetery grounds or conservation sites.

Selling the soil, using it in a commercial venture or spreading it on public land or someone else’s property without permission from the landowner is banned in most states.

The Rise of Human Composting

The USA is pioneering the process of soil transformation, also known as terramation and natural organic reduction, which first became legal in Washington in May 2020. Elsewhere in the world, a small pilot project is underway in Germany, human composting by freeze-drying is legal (though not operational) in Sweden, and terramation is under consideration in UK and Australia. With human composting now legal in 14 American states, the US is the only country to offer this end of life option on a widespread basis.

As the first state to legalize human composting, most operations are based in Washington. Earth Funeral opened its first facility here in 2020, and other end-of-life organic reduction companies that operate nationally from Washington state include Return Home in Auburn and Recompose in Seattle. While Earth Funeral’s second site in Nevada also served the West, its new East Coast hub (pictured below) in Elkridge, Maryland, marks clear confidence in the trend for human composting.

This East Coast facility is by far the largest of its kind in the world, showing that human composting is now moving beyond a niche concept to become an increasingly popular alternative to burial, green burial or cremation.

How Do You Feel About Being Composted?

Sustainability is a strong factor driving the human composting trend. Burial can leach chemical embalming fluids into the ground, while cremation has high energy needs. Earth Funeral cites that its human composting process has a net CO₂ emission of zero, compared to a typical cremation rating of 535 pounds.

With prices starting from around $6,000, the cost is comparable to that of a burial, green burial or cremation, too. But perhaps the real driver of end of life composting is its personal nature. Depending on your state rules, human composting allows you to return as soil to your yard, or to the gardens of your loved ones – perhaps as part of a legacy garden or used to plant a remembrance tree – or physically contribute to a conservation effort.

Roses to Remember

Roses grow so well in nutrient-rich soil and make an enduring tribute to a lost loved one.

I love my in-laws. Really, I do. But when you share a boundary, there's something to be said for a little greenery between you, and that's where my blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) comes in.

Every year it races across my fence, covering it in lush foliage and extraordinary blue-and-white flowers, turning what was once an ordinary boundary into a living privacy screen. And when I say it's fast, I mean it is fast. Give it something to climb and it gets to work, scrambling up fences and trellises with startling levels of enthusiasm.

Every spring and summer, mine bursts back into life, quickly transforming a very visible fence into a lush green wall. Which, considering my brother-in-law and his girlfriend live on the other side, is no small thing. Honestly, I genuinely love having them next door... but I also love the fact that this clever passionflower makes it so I no longer feel like we're sharing quite the same garden.

And that's not all, folks!

Why I Let My Passionflower Take Over My Fence Every Summer

Yes, there's another reason I love my passionflower: it is tough. Mine has sailed through heat and drought, carrying on growing while other plants have looked decidedly sorry for themselves. It's deciduous, so it disappears over winter, but every spring it comes roaring back as though nothing happened, ready to cover the fence all over again.

Then there are the fruits! Those bright orange fruits that appear after flowering are another reason I love having the birth month vine for September babies around – and, yes, they're edible when fully ripe (although they're unlikely to become the stars of your fruit bowl).