More houseplants bite the dust during winter than any other season, and that’s too bad. But it’s really not all that hard to keep your houseplants healthy and happy this time of year. Just follow these suggestions.

Sales of Poinsettias in the U.S. will top $250 million in the six weeks leading up to Christmas. That’s a lot of green spent on a plant most people toss in the trash after the holidays. But then again, can you imagine Christmas without Poinsettias?

When it comes to gorgeous fall color in the landscape, trees tend to get all the glory. And deservedly so. But there are a number of spectacular shrubs whose fall color rivals even the showiest of trees, and here are a few of my favorites.

In my final installment of terrific trees, I’m gonna go out on a limb and focus on several not-so-well-known trees, all of which are white pines. 

Last week I discussed three of the best trees for this area – Chinese Pistache, Shumard Oak, and Lacebark Elm. Now it’s time for three more that perhaps aren’t as well known, but are nevertheless great choices, especially if you’re looking for something a bit more unusual.

Here in our neck of the woods, we have dozens of great trees to choose from, both deciduous and evergreen. But there are three in particular that are as close to foolproof as you can get because they tolerate an incredibly wide range of soil conditions, are relatively pest and disease free, and are tough as nails. Oh and on top of all that, they’re beautiful.

Imagine being able to add something to your garden that makes plants far less susceptible to insects and diseases, provides essential nutrients and micronutrients, improves soil structure and water retention, activates beneficial soil microbes, and basically provides the perfect growing conditions for anything and everything you grow. Now imagine that “something” is free.

Yeah, you read that right. It’s time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. There’s really no point in waiting any longer. And there’s really no point in planting some now and some later. Why not just get the job done in one fell swoop?

Every year for the past 25 years or more, I’ve tried to convince my friends and fellow gardeners that now is the perfect time to plant all kinds of things. So here I go again. 

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about conifers, and it won’t be the last. My love affair with this amazing plant group began many years ago with a visit to Rich’s Foxwillow Pines Nursery in Woodstock, Illinois. Owner Rich Eyres took me on a tour of his place, and as he described the plants in his considerable (as in $12-million) inventory, his passion oozed like sap from a fresh-cut spruce.