With their delicate blossoms and brilliantly colored berries, the twigs of winter deserve applause. Branches look like floral arrangements in the garden (and can also be brought indoors). On a recent visit to the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens at Wisley in Surrey, our talented photographer Britt Willoughby Dyer captured the twigs of winter at their best: They make a picture in the garden.

Here are seven twiggy favorites to plant in your own garden for winter drama.

Photography by Britt Willoughby Dyer for Gardenista.

Ghost Bramble

Above: Rubus cockburnianus, the ghost bramble, at the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

Evergreens are all very well; they bring a touch of the unexpected to a garden in late winter. Here, Rubus cockburnianus forms a (well-maintained) tangle by a lake.

A tunnel of ghost bramble may not be an obvious take-home idea, yet its strange beauty has a different inspiration: a focus on stems and branches. At this time of year, detail comes to the fore, giving character to the most well-ordered garden.

Viburnum ‘Foetens’

Above: Viburnum grandiflorum forma ‘Foetens’, a lesser-known alternative to Viburnum x bodnantense.

Branches with flowers and scent have the edge in an otherwise dormant garden. Winter-flowering viburnums wait for last year’s leaves to drop before pink buds appear, followed by fresh foliage. Visually, this chronology works well for the small but highly scented flowers.

Viburnum ‘Charles Lamont’

Above: Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’.

Flowery twigs are best examined at close quarters and make an easy flower arrangement indoors. The raggedy shape of these shrubs makes the decision of cutting them for the house quite easy. Viburnum x bodnantense can reach a height of about eight feet; pruning should be done selectively, by cutting back a few of the oldest stems at the base.

Birch-Leafed Viburnum

Above: Viburnum betulifolium, the birch-leafed viburnum.

One of the best-loved viburnums, V. opulus, with its snowballs of blossom in spring, finely shaped leaves, and red berries in early winter, doesn’t have much left to show at this time of year. Which is why birch-leafed viburnum, V. betulifolium, is such good value. Berries held in scarlet clusters, flattered by bare twigs, look better than they taste apparently, since birds leave them alone.

Winter Cherry

Above: Winter cherry blossom.

Winter cherry is one of the best small trees to choose. With vibrant autumn color and a classically round prunus shape, Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ has tiny cherries and tiny blossoms. It flowers on and off through winter, in a spring preview.

Above: Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’.

Witch Hazel

Above: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’.

Witch hazel is not grown enough, yet its arresting, richly colored flowers coincide with the dregs of winter. Plant it where its ribbon-shaped petals will be lit up by sunshine. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’ is slightly scented; a strongly scented variety is H. x intermedia ‘Aphrodite’ or the traditional Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis.

Above: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Rubin’.

Wintery branches that retain their dried leaves, such as beech or hornbeam, add to a garden’s atmosphere in winter. When last year’s decay is mixed with this year’s color, so much the better. Poking through the perfectly mulched ground here at the RHS headquarters in Surrey are spears of Iris reticulata.

Honeysuckle ‘Winter Beauty’

Above: Winter-flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’.

People of a tidy bent can be just as irritated with winter-flowering honeysuckle as its summer counterpart. In fact, it’s easy to keep both in check if you have secateurs and twine handy when moving around the garden. They don’t mind being thinned and neatened; only wait until the flowering has finished.

Some people resort to hiding the winter varieties behind something that behaves better, to enjoy the scent without being offended by the nest of twigs. But as long as their height is kept in check and they flower at nose and eye level, I don’t see how they could be a problem.

Above: A lovely tangle of winter-flowering honeysuckle.

No winter landscape should be devoid of drama. For more ideas to add color against gray skies, see our Garden Design 101 guides, especially Red Twig Dogwood 101 and Shrubs 101. Read about more of our favorite winter-worthy shrubs:

• Sweet Box: A Field Guide to Growing, Care & Design.
• Landscape Ideas: Boxed in by Boxwood? 5 Favorite Shrubs to Try Instead.
• Paperbush 101: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design.
• Landscaping 101: How to Plant a Bare Root Hedge.
• 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst Castle.
• Shrubs 101: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design.
• 7 Fragrant Favorites: Winter-Flowering Scented Shrubs.

Finally, get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various shrubs and hedges with our Shrubs: A Field Guide.

Carmella Rayone is the can-do sort who, faced with the high cost of soapstone, comes up with a convincing DIY look-alike for her family’s kitchen counter: See A Low-Cost Cabin Kitchen for a Family of Five. So we weren’t surprised to hear she also cleared a patch of land and built her own flagstone terrace. But we were impressed.

A largely self-taught interior designer and advocate for the simple-life movement, Carmella writes a blog about living with her husband, a pilot, and their three boys in a 665-square-foot cabin (yes, she had a big hand in the design of that too). A little more than a decade ago, Carmella and her family downsized from a four-bedroom house in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to their cozy quarters in Sheraton County, Wyoming. Her motto: “I don’t want this life to be a showcase of what I’ve done, but of how I’ve lived.” The terrace is actually a great example of both.

Photography by Carmella Rayone, courtesy of Carmella Rayone, An Assortment.

Above: Located just outside the family’s cabin, the terrace measures 12 by 24 feet and occupies what had been a tangle of brush and trash alongside a creek.

“The first step was removing a rusted-out horse trailer and trimming back the vegetation,” Carmella says. She visited her local stone yard and settled on buff flagstone—”I wanted the landscape to look natural and organic.” Then she asked a carpenter friend for advice, and he introduced to her to his stone source: a member of the Crow tribe, who quarries stone on the nearby reservation. She placed an order for two tons and they were delivered to her (she estimates the $370 she was charged was about half what she’d have paid at the stone yard, not including delivery). Shown in the background here is the family’s homemade firepit and benches.

Above: The terrace is positioned next to an existing weathered shed (which provides crucial storage for cabin life). Not including the lights, the tally came in at about $500: $370 for the flagstones, $75 for the skid steer (explanation below), $25 for the substrate, and $30 for compost.

Shaded by cottonwood trees, the patio is scaled to work with a pair of end-to-end untreated pine tables—from the local lumberyard—that had been placed there several summers ago; having to move them when it was time to mow is what inspired the stonework.

Above: The trees provide shade, so no umbrellas are necessary, but to string globe lights evenly across, Carmella inserted black-painted conduit pipes at the corners. The shed will next be planted with New Dawn roses and clematis on a trellis.

Above: After the land was cleared, Carmella hired a man with a skid steer (a tractor with a hydraulic scoop) to skim off five inches of grass and soil. Not surprisingly, he encountered a tangle of cottonwood roots, which had to be removed: “Cottonwoods have tremendous root systems, but they’re very resilient and this didn’t hurt them.”

The resulting hole was a foot deep; Carmella also had the skid driver do other work on the property and estimates the cost of the digging came from $50 to $75. After sifting out the roots, she and her boys spent Mother’s Day weekend wheelbarrowing in topsoil “to bring the surface back to within four to five inches of grade.”

Next, at her carpenter friend’s advice, Carmella added two inches of crushed rock and red clay known as ball field: “It’s slightly larger than sand, which is typically used, and not nearly as costly: Two and a half tons was about twenty-five dollars; it’s what’s actually used on ball fields.” Packed down really well and watered, ball field serves as a stable base for the stones. Not surprisingly, laying the stones—and then leveling each one using a level—was the hardest part. The final step: sweeping a fifty-fifty mix of topsoil and compost into the cracks. “Our local landfill makes compost out of green waste; they sell it for thirty dollars a ton.”

Above: Four strands of Sokani 24-Foot-Long Outdoor Lights, $26.99 each via Amazon, hang from the metal poles.

Above: “The non-plug ends of the light strands are anchored to the poles by a slipping them into a notch that was cut into the tops of the pipes,” explains Carmella. “Their tails drop over the cedar fence that meets the shed and get plugged into an outlet on the back of the shed wall.”

The conduit poles cost $10 each; Carmella spray-painted them black (“you could also have this done by a body shop”) and had a cabinetmaker friend put in the notches (“an electrician or plumber could also do it”). She set the poles herself: “two feet deep, tamped well, no concrete.” The lighting system is an extra that brought the total cost to nearly $700.

Above: For vases, Carmella uses a beaker and a wine bottle. Her cotton napkins are Docker’s Men’s Hankies; $9.99 for six on Amazon.

If you’re thinking of adding an outdoor dining area, see more tips and inspiration at Decks & Patios 101: A Design Guide. Find more projects and advice in our Hardscape 101 guides, including:

• Expert Advice: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Build a Patio.
• The New Outdoor Living Room: 10 Favorite Built-in Sofas for Decks and Patios.
• 10 Landscape Design Tips You Need to Know to Get Started.

Moon calendars are an age-old tool in the garden. Just as the moon exerts a pull on the Earth’s seas and makes tides rise and fall, its phases also can affect growing conditions. As the moon waxes and wanes, lunar gardeners take careful note of its cycle.

Depending on the position of the moon, it might be a good day to plant, to fertilize, to hoe, or to battle pests in the garden. From the Farmer’s Almanac (which adheres to “our age-old formula” for lunar gardening) to astrological guides, moon calendars can offer guidance in the garden.

Here are 10 moon calendars for lunar gardening in 2019:

Above: A circular 12-by-12-inch 2019 Lunar Calendar “includes a description for each phase of the moon (for example, New Moon: A time to start new projects and put new ideas into motion.)” Also shown in the top photo of the post, it is $15 from Caitinkeegan via Etsy.

Above: ” Simply dial in the date of the new moon each month and be on your way with a  perpetual Moon Gardening Calendar; $7.80 NZD from Country Trading.

Above: A 2019 Lunar Desk Calendar has a ring binding and “includes each month’s moon phases on a circular layout.” It is $27 from Melo Prints via Etsy.

Above: A watercolor painting, a Moon Phases Calendar 2019 is available in four sizes from $10.48 to $30.13 depending size at Quantum Prints via Etsy.

Above: A poster-style Moon Calendar 2019 is available in four sizes at prices from $11.83 to $23.66 depending on the dimensions from Demeraki via Etsy.

Above: “Printed using high quality archival inks on heavy-weight archival paper with a smooth matte finish,” a Vintage Astronomy Calendar 2019 is available in three sizes at prices starting at $10.57 from Quantum Prints via Etsy.

Above: From Lunar Organics, a Moon Gardening Calendar 2019 is printed on recycled paper and is color-coded to make it easy to identify moon phases, moon paths, moon constellations, and favored plant aspects; from £7.95 to £8.95 (with an accompanying booklet).

Above: Printed in the US, a Phases of the Moon Calendar 2019 is $8.95 from MoMA Design Store.

Above: A month-by-month Gardening by the Moon 2019 calendar planting guide based on lunar cycles tells you “When to plant vegetable and flower seeds in flats or set out in the garden, according to your local frost dates
Monthly reminders of seasonal garden activities to keep you on track.” It is $15.95.

Above: A laminated Moon Gardening Calendar has a central dial that “moves to line up with new moon date each month.” It is $12.95 AU from Moon Gardening Calendar.

See more ways to harness nature’s forces for the good of the garden:

• Landscaping 101: Biodynamics for the Edible Garden
• The Best Vegetables You’ll Ever Taste
• 10 Ideas to Steal from Organic Gardens Around the World
• Ask The Expert: Sarah Raven’s 10 Tips for a Kitchen Garden
• Object of Desire: Moon Calendar for Gardeners
• Time Capsule: The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Quaking Grass, Briza media

Quaking grass usually is not the first plant to come to mind when most gardeners are designing a cutting garden. Instead, they choose the standard, traditional types of plants—the ones with flower petals.While flowers are important for shape, color, and texture, I am here to broaden your planting palette by introducing you to an easy-to-grow, dependable ornamental grass that can transform your flower arrangements.

Quaking grass (Briza media) will add dimension and texture to a cutting garden or landscape. Is it the right ornamental grass for your garden? Keep reading to find out.

Above: Briza media in Southern Heath Nature Park in Germany. Quaking grass is named for the tiny greenish flowers which turn to flattened purple pendants that dangle like quivering earrings. The flowers become straw-colored with maturity, Photograph by Hajotthu via Wikimedia Commons.

Quaking grass is native to Europe, Asia, and the British Isles. The genus includes roughly 20 annual and perennial species, and the plants were brought—not surprisingly—into cultivation for use as cut and dried flowers.

Above: Photograph by Dluogs via Flickr.

The fine leaves slowly clump to a low to medium habit of 12-18″ tall, with the flower stalks rising above.  The foliage remains evergreen in mild regions. Luckily this is a non-competitive grass that politely incorporates into many different garden themes and placements, including being nestled near cobblestones in a dry stream bed, or tucked against a wide board fence in a cottage garden. Wherever situated, this is one of those ornamental grasses that will make you see plants in a different way in relation to their different uses in and out of the garden.

Above: Quaking grass serves as a useful backdrop to showier garden flowers, as seen in this combination of foxgloves and briza. See more in Before & After: A Seaside English Garden by Farlam & Chandler. Photograph courtesy of Farlam & Chandler.

Cheat Sheet

• Incorporate quaking grass into a cutting garden, naturalized area, meadow, woodland, or cottage border.
• Briza media is best huddled in small groups or massed for a more dramatic effect.
• Quaking grass looks lovely next to other airy perennials including coreopsis, cosmos, and salvias.
• Flowers can be cut for fresh or dry flower arrangements.
• No serious insect or disease problems afflict B. media, and it is left alone by deer.

Above: Quaking grass intermingles with scabious (Knautia arvensis) in Wales. Photograph by Dr. Mary Gilham Archive Project via Flickr.

Keep It Alive

• Briza likes regular weekly watering and more in extreme heat. Also: water regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive, deep root system.
• Plant quaking grass in full sun to part shade in hotter areas for best growth.
• Quaking grass tolerates a wide range of soils, but appreciates well-draining the most.
• For a tidy appearance, cut back old foliage immediately after seed heads disappear to encourage additional fresh growth through early winter.  Also in springtime divide clumps every two to three years.

See more growing tips in Quaking Grass: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design in our curated guides to Grasses 101. For more ideas, read:

• Leaves of Grass: 9 Ways to Create Curb Appeal with Perennial Grasses
• Feather Reed Grass: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design
• Gossamer Gardens: 11 Ideas for Landscaping with Mexican Feather Grass
• Expert Advice: 8 Tips for a Meadow Garden from Grass Guru John Greenlee

I’ve never met an air plant that I didn’t think was adorable. Tillandsias are the tribbles of houseplants—no matter whether a variety is fuzzy, furry, spiky, rounded, or has long, trailing foliage that looks like a ponytail, it’s irresistible.

With nearly 600 known varieties of these low-maintenance houseplants which call tropical climates home, there’s an air plant to make any houseplant collector happy. But Tillandsias can be tricky, too. They have a few secrets of their own. Learn them, and your air plants will thrive.

Here are 10 things nobody tells you (but should!) about air plants:

1. An air plant will not grow in soil. Don’t even try it.

Above: Photograph by John Merkl.

Tillandsias are epiphytes, which means that in nature air plants grow on other plants—clinging to tree trunks, for instance—rather than by rooting in the ground. Air plants will grow on bushes, rocks, and shrubs. Other epiphytes include orchids (which grow on tropical trees) and many kinds of ferns.

2. Air plants use roots to attach themselves to things (rather than to absorb nutrients).

Above: Photograph by John Merkl.

You can mount a tillandsia like a trophy to hang on a wall or arrange several together in a single planter suspended from the ceiling.

3. Air plants need sunlight like any other plants.

Above: You can get on the wait list to buy a curly Shirley Temple Air Plant (Tillandsia streptophylla) for $10 from Spyloh via Etsy. Read more about it at Object of Desire: Curly Tillandsia Houseplant.

It’s a mistake to treat your air plant as if it’s a decorative object rather than a living thing. Just because it’s amiable enough to live in a bowl or on a bookshelf without benefit of soil doesn’t mean it can survive without air, light—or water. Air plants like several hours a day of bright, indirect light.

4. Air plants can’t live on air alone.

Above: Photograph by John Merkl.

Air plants get nutrition by absorbing water through their leaves. A good rule of thumb is to water an air plant once a week. Of course, bend the rule based on the conditions in your own home. If the air in your home is particularly dry, water an air plant more often (every five days) and in a humid environment, water tillandsias every ten days.

5. Air plants will tell you when you they need more—or less—water.

Above: Photograph by John Merkl.

Your air plant will let you know if it needs water more often (the tips of its leaves will turn brown and curl) or if you are over-watering it (its leaves may turn brown or start to look soggy). Be careful—if it turns black, that means it’s rotted and beyond saving.

For step-by-step instructions, see Gardening 101: How to Water an Air Plant.

6. Etsy is a great place to shop for well-priced or unusual varieties of air plants.

Above: An assortment of 24 small Air Plants is $18.95 from CTS Airplants via Etsy.

Many Etsy sellers propagate their own air plants, and sell unusual varieties such as fuzzy white Tectorums. Because tillandsias are sturdy, self-contained plants that don’t require soil, they are easy to ship without bruising or harm.

7. You’re not the only one having a hard time identifying your Tillandsia varieties.

Above: “Tillandsia harrisii is a very unique looking air plant, with its silver/gray appearance and abundance of trichomes,” notes seller Air Plant Design Studio. It “will grow to well over 8 inches high and will display beautiful red and purple blooms.” A three-pack of Tillandsia Harrisii is $14.99 from Air Plant Design Studio.

With more than 550 varieties of known air plants, you’d be hard-pressed under any circumstances to keep them straight. Complicating matters, air plant breeders cross varieties so frequently that “you are never really going to see two air plants that are identical,” says Ryan Lesseig, co-owner with his wife Meriel of Tampa, FL-based Air Plant Design Studio.

To complicate matters further two plants of the same variety may look completely different, depending on factors such as climate. “The same type will look different in Florida and in California,” says Lesseig.

Read more in Air Plants 101: How to ID a Tillandsia.

8. An air plant may flower—but only once in its lifetime.

Above: Available in three sizes, a Classic Aerium kit is a “modern glass vessel and contains a mixture of natural materials such as sand, moss, lichen, rock and wood.” Prices range from $24 to $28 depending on size at Pistils Nursery.

“Depending on the species, these blossoms last from a few days to a few months, and can be a whole variety of beautiful bright colors, like pink, red and purple. Flowering is the peak of the air plant life cycle, but also marks the beginning of the plant’s old age – after it flowers, the plant will eventually die,” notes retailer Pistils Nursery.

9. Propagate an air plant by harvesting its “pups.”

Above: A Bulbosa Air Plant is available in either a small or large size, for from $6 to $20 depending on its dimensions, at Pistils Nursery.

“Just before, during or after flowering, depending on the species, your air plant will reproduce by sending out from two to eight ‘pups’. These baby air plants, which start out very small, will eventually grow into their own mother plants,” says Pistils Nursery. “Pups can safely be separated from the mother plant when they’re about ⅓ to ½ its size.”

10. Air plants come from tropical climes and will appreciate warm temperatures in your home.

Above: A Shirley Temple Air Plant (Tillandsia streptophylla). Photograph by Spyloh via Etsy. Read more about it at Object of Desire: Curly Tillandsia Houseplant.

The happiest air plants live in temperatures that range from 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They will thrive with temperature fluctuations—a 10-degree drop that mimics the conditions at nightfall in the Central American regions they call home is ideal.

For more growing tips, see Air Plants: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design in our curated guides to Houseplants 101. Read more:

• The Houseplant Whisperer: 10 Secrets to Successful Indoor Plants from the Experts
• 11 Ways to Keep Houseplants Happy in Winter
• Orchids: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design
• An Insider’s Guide to Getting First Dibs on the Best Ikea Houseplants

Dark apartment getting you down? (Just a guess.)

Weak winter sunlight+ tropical houseplants = disaster. Or does it? You can change the equation—and your life—with a wall-mounted grow light plant shelf. We are currently admiring one that has “56 LEDs that are calibrated to deliver bright, full-spectrum light boosted with extra blue light to stimulate stronger root growth and enhance photosynthesis.”

If we’re intrigued by that description of Coltura’s LED Grow Frame, currently on offer at a deep discount from Gardener’s Supply, imagine how our houseplants feel about it.

Above: A compact, 12-inch-deep Coltura LED Grow Frame (also shown in the top photos) has an adjustable light panel shelf and is on sale for $186.75, marked down from $249 at Gardener’s Supply.

With an aluminum frame, wooden shelf, and LED light panel, the grow-light system can be mounted on a wall or will sit independently on a tabletop.

“You’re ready to grow herbs in the kitchen, orchids in your living room, or start seeds for the garden,” notes retailer Gardener’s Supply. “A diffuser eliminates glare and an ingenious magnet system lets you easily raise and lower the light panel.”

See more growing tips in our curated design guides to Houseplants 101 and more ways to help your little potted friends make it through the winter:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Grow Lights for Indoor Plants
• 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Succulents
• Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light
• Succulents: 8 Tips to Help Your Favorite Indoor Plants Survive Winter

I understand the difference between shade, part-sun, and full-sun plants when it comes to outdoor plants. (Need a refresher? See Houseplants: How to Decode the Info on Plant ID Tags.) But when it comes to indoor plants, I’m completely flummoxed by their light requirements—especially when the plant tag says “low light.” Houseplants are by definition indoors, and aren’t indoor conditions always low-light when compared to outdoor light?

Let’s investigate.

Featured photograph by Mimi Giboin, from Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light.

What do “low light” conditions really mean?

Above: A waffle plant likes indirect light and should be kept away from windows. Photograph by Mimi Giboin from Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light.

The intensity of sunlight is always going to be brighter outdoors than in; the shadiest spot in your garden still gets more light than the brightest part of your home. But the quality of the light streaming into your home is different depending on its distance from the light source (usually a window). “Bright light”conditions when talking about houseplants means there’s nothing blocking the sun from reaching your potted plant—no curtains, no shades, no trees, no tall buildings. “Medium light” is when there’s, say, a sheer curtain between the light source and your plant. “Low light” is when your plant gets no direct light, likely because it’s placed several feet away from the light source. For a list of plants that thrive in low-light conditions, see Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light.

What part of your home is best for low-light plants?

Above: An asparagus fern enjoys dappled light on a front porch. See more growing tips in Asparagus Ferns: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design.

Consider rooms with north-facing windows (south- and west-facing windows get the most light) or rooms that are dark because of tall buildings or trees that block the sunlight. A spot that’s away from windows, like a dining table in the middle of a room, can also be ideal, no matter which direction the windows face.

Can a low-light plant survive in a windowless room?

Above: Pothos will tolerate low light and dry soil. See more growing tips in Pothos: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design. Photograph courtesy of The Sill.

Low light doesn’t mean no light. But that doesn’t mean a room has to have a window in order for a low-light plant to survive. As long as you give the plant some ambient artificial light—via incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, or LED lights—it should be fine (and maybe even thrive). This is good news for cubicle dwellers who want a little greenery on their desks.

For more on houseplants, be sure to read 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Houseplants. For more in the Garden Decoder series, see:

• The Garden Decoder: What Is ‘Square Foot Gardening’?
• The Garden Decoder: What Is ‘Lasagna Gardening’?
• The Garden Decoder: What Are ‘Biennials’?

File under: essential winter workwear. Women’s overalls—made of heavy-duty fabric, and preferably with a warm insulated lining—are a gardener’s secret weapon in cold weather. Add lots of pockets to a pair of overalls, and you  might even look forward to January’s pruning chores.

Here are 10 pairs of women’s overalls for winter gardening:

Above: From Carhartt, a pair of women’s Weathered Duck Wildwood Bib Overalls has a nylon quilted lining and “adjustable leg openings that make it easy to put on your boots.” They are available in three colors including pecan as shown and a pair is $99.99 at Boot Barn.

Above: Made in Japan, a pair of Chimala Old Nep Denim Overalls is marked down to $379 (from $542) at Unionmade.

Above: A pair of olive green Women’s Fire Hose DuluthFlex Bib Overalls have an adjustable fit “with double waist buttons—perfect for layering in all kinds of weather,” 12 pockets, and a “fabric treatment that repels stains and water.” A pair is on sale for $89.99 marked down from $99.50 from Duluth Trading.

Above: From Berne, a pair of Deluxe Insulated Bib Overall-Zip To Knee coveralls has an insulated “High Back” design for added warmth; $56.95 from All Seasons Uniform.

Above: A pair of Mackinaw Wool Bibs (included in the men’s workwear category at Filson) come in waist sizes as small as 30 inches and with inseams as short as 29 inches. Layer them with a wicking undergarment and add a sweater; they are available in either forest green as shown here and in the top photo or in charcoal for $325 per pair.

Above: From Pointer Brand, a pair of unwashed Indigo Denim High Back Overalls have “a zippered bib, rust-proof fasteners & buttons, watch pocket, hammer loop, and an accessory pocket for ruler, pliers, or cell phone.” A pair is $89 from L.C. King.

Above: A pair of Patagonia Women’s All Seasons Hemp Canvas Bib Overalls with double-fabric knees for durability is available in Fatigue Green as shown or Rattan is $99.

Above: Available in dark brown, a pair of C. E. Schmidt Sanded/Washed Duck Quilt-Lined Insulated Bib Overalls has storm flaps over leg zippers to block wind and cold and waterproof reinforced knees; $52.49 at Tractor Supply Co.

Above: With five  pockets “including a zipped chest pocket with hidden coin pocket, tuckable cargo pocket with lobster clip to hold your keys, and generous front and back pockets,” a pair of Women’s Heirloom Gardening Apron Bib Overalls is $119.50 from Duluth Trading.

Above: With a “raised rear section to protect lower back from the cold,” a Cotton Twill Gardening Dungarees is €104 from Manufactum.

See our updated 10 Easy Pieces archives for more Garden Tools and Garden Boots. See more gardeners’ workwear:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Waterproof Chelsea Boots
• Julie’s Favorite Rain Boots
• 10 Easy Pieces: Dungarees and Work Pants

Miracles do exist, at least in the garden. Allow us to introduce you to a desert plant that can revive itself even after its leaves turn brown and it shrivels up into a sad tumbleweed. Give a resurrection plant (Selaginella lepidophylla) a little water and it will exhibit the amazing ability to come back to life.

This is good news, both for gardeners who plant S. lepidophylla as a creeper or ground cover and for houseplant collectors—for once, forgetting to water a specimen will not be a fatal error.

Above: Despite looking dead and brittle from dehydration (here and in the top photo of the post), a Resurrection Plant  measuring from 2 to 3 inches across will revive itself with water and unfurl to a diameter of from 4 to 6 inches (brass bowl sold separately); $14 apiece at Pistils Nursery.

“Selaginella lepidophylla is a botanical wonder known for its ability to seemingly come back to life again and again–even after completely drying out,” notes retailer Pistils Nursery. “We’ve hidden a crystal deep inside this mysterious desert plant. When the recipient places the resurrection plant in a dish of water, the plant will unfurl to reveal this secret surprise, and stay green and beautiful as long as it’s exposed to water. After a few days, allow the plant to dry up and repeat the process.”

Above: On a rocky outcrop in Mexico, a resurrection plant (Selaginella lepidophylla) creates a cushion for succulent Sedum palmeri. Photograph by Sergio Niebla via Flickr.

Native to desert climates in Mexico and the United States, resurrection plant is a spike moss and will grow as a creeper in rock gardens in mild climates (USDA zones 8 to 10).

Don’t confuse Selaginella lepidophylla with the similar-looking plant, Anastatica hierochuntica. Known as a rose of Jericho, A. hierochuntica is native to western Asia and differs in its behavior: it will revive itself only if rooted.

Are you looking for a miracle ground cover? See more of our favorites in Ground Covers 101 in our curated Garden Design 101 guides. Read more:

• Lady’s Mantle: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design
• Hardscaping 101: Ground Covers to Plant Between Pavers
• Lilyturf: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design
• Fields of Green: 5 Favorite Lawn Substitutes
• See another favorite houseplant in Asparagus Fern: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design

What’s ahead for interior design in 2019? This week the Remodelista editors identified some of their favorite trends:

Zero-Waste Kitchen Pantry

Above: In Vancouver,  Kitchen Staples sells dry, fresh, and frozen foods in bulk. Photograph courtesy of Scott & Scott Architects.

Writes Fan: “The next big thing in retail (we hope)? Zero-waste stores equipped with refill stations to minimize single-use plastic containers.” See more at Shopper’s Diary: Kitchen Staples, A Design-Forward Zero-Waste Store.

Instant Kitchen Kit

Above: The Staub Dutch Oven won a spot on our Remodelista 100 list in our book, Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home. A similar choice, available on Amazon Prime, is the four-quart cocotte; $284.95.

See more at The Instant Kitchen Kit: 20 Remodelista Favorites on Amazon Prime.

Quirky Rattan Lamps

Above: Ever since last spring when “Margot discovered Atelier Vime in Provence, with a collection of contemporary and vintage designs made of rattan and other natural materials…we started spotting similar lamps in stylish interiors,” writes Julie.

One-of-a-kind rattan lamps are on Julie’s list of New Directions: 11 Interiors Trends for 2019.

Countertop-Depth Refrigerators

Above: The Aga Elise 36-Inch Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator (MELFDR23SS) comes in Stainless Steel (shown), White, Midnight Sky, Ivory, Matte Black, and Gloss Black and has a depth of 29 1/2 inches; $3,899 at AJ Madison.

“In a kitchen with standard 24-inch-deep cabinets and 25-inch countertops, a bulky 35-something-inch refrigerator protrudes into the space. But with a counter-depth model—24 to 29 inches (including doors, handles, and all)—your refrigerator is as close to flush as possible if you’re not going for the pricer built-in models,” writes Alexa in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.

Old-Fashioned Wood Paneling

Above: Painted in in Dulux’s Lexicon Quarter, wood paneling adds texture in a kitchen in Melbourne, designed by  Carole Whiting Interiors Design. Photograph by Jack Shelton.

See more in Before/After: A Space-Enhancing Historic House Remodel in Melbourne.

My clients are often in love with gravel, or at least with the idea of gravel. But as a landscape designer, I have a love-hate relationship with the paving material.

The other day I visited a clients’ newly purchased house—and realized that the sellers had put pea gravel between the entry pavers to “dress it up.” Gravel was scattered everywhere. Instead of being neatly tucked between paving stones, the stones felt undesirably scratchy underfoot. I thought: right material, wrong place.

Here are 10 things I wish all my clients knew about gravel:

1. Not all gravel is created equal.

Above: A gravel path’s edge is softened by planting that spill over into the walkway: ferns, euphorbia, and alchemilla. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer. For more of this landscape, see Old-Lands: A Modern Welsh Garden, from a Bygone Age.

After you decide to add gravel to your landscape, the next question to ask yourself is: what kind? Each type of stone has its own distinct look and textural appeal, and its own purpose. Your selection will vary regionally, so I recommend the first step should be to visit a local stone quarry to see what is available.

2. Get to know the three most common textures of gravel.

Above: White sage, Century Agave, and decomposed granite create a composition in a Bel Air, California landscape by Terremoto. See more of this landscape in our 2017 Considered Design Awards.

After you settle on a variety and color of stone, you will need to consider size and texture: decomposed granite, crushed stone, or pea gravel?

In a nutshell: Decomposed granite (or DG, as it’s known) is a powdery granite that makes a fine texture of silt and little rocks. DG is a popular option for paths and patios. Usually yellow-gold and fading to tan in color and relatively affordable. Crushed stone is probably the closest to the typical idea of what a gravel driveway looks like. This material is also used for patios, retaining wall drainage, back fill, and grading. Pea gravel is tricky because its name has the word “gravel” in it, but some note that pea gravel is actually a small and smooth river rock.  See Hardscaping 101: River Rocks to learn more.

3. DG may stick to your shoes or a pet’s feet.

Above: Concrete pavers are set in decomposed granite to create a permeable patio. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.

My major pet peeve is that the particles (especially when wet) will hitchhike into your house, where it not only will create a mess but also can scratch hardwood floors.

4. Decomposed granite needs more maintenance than you might expect.

Above: A stabilized decomposed granite path in a landscape designed by landscape architect Christine Ten Eyck. Photograph courtesy of 2014 American Society of Landscape Architects Awards.

Install decomposed granite in layers for added durability, compacting each layer. Also consider adding a stabilizer product (a water-activated binder) to glue the tiny pieces together. While it can hold up for a considerable time, it does need periodic refreshing if soil muddles it or moss tarnishes it in shady spots. Last, you might also consider installing landscape fabric underneath to discourage weeds.

5. Most crushed stone colors range from gray to gray.

Above: In a Brooklyn backyard, designer Brook Klausing edged limestone pavers with crushed limestone dust mixed with gravel. “It’s a very modern look, but I tried to soften it with the gravel and plantings, like the ferns in the gravel,” says Klausing. For more of this garden, see Designer Visit: Brook Klausing Elevates a Brooklyn Backyard.

Depending on where you live, crushed stone comes in a variety of colors but mostly shades of gray. Size ranges from .5 to 1.5 inches and can be purchased by the bag or the yard.

This material provides good traction because the shapes are basically angular and fit together like puzzle pieces, and resists weed growth while also allowing water to permeate.

6. You need to lay a weed barrier beneath gravel.

Above: A roll of Landscape Fabric is $11.29 from Rona. A 50-foot roll of Landscape Fabric is $27.67 from Home Depot.

7. Crushed stone underfoot? Wear shoes.

Above: Being sharp around the edges, crushed stone not so pleasant to walk barefoot on. Photograph by Lauren C via Flickr.

8. Pea gravel requires a rake.

Above: See our favorites in 10 Easy Pieces: Gravel Rakes.

Regularly rake paths, walkways and patios to maintain an even surface. Consider installing a edging material to help keep stones in place. I love walking on crunchy pea gravel paths; it reminds me of walking on a beach. Pea gravel sizes can vary from 1/8″ to 5/8″ and come in an array of different buff colors. Purchase either in bags or by the yard.

9. Landscape edging to keep gravel in place can get pricey.

Above: Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.

“Whether you have a pristine space or you garden on the more naturalistic side of the horticultural fence, incorporating an edge between your borders and lawn has many benefits,” writes Clare in our guide to Landscaping 101: Lawn Edging. Edging options include metal, wood, stone, concrete, brick, and even plastic at costs that vary from budget-friendly to pricey.

9. There are better fillers than gravel to use between pavers.

Above: Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista. Cotula leptinella ‘Platt’s Black’ (dollhouse fern) grows densely and has a shallow root system, which makes it ideally suited to creeping between stones to fill cracks. See more of this garden in our Gardenista book.

Lightweight stones have a predisposition to scattering and can quickly look messy if the material gets out of bounds so I discourage using gravel as filler between pavers.

10. Gravel can be a drag if you have to drag garbage cans.

Above: Maria of the gardening blog, Almbacken, installed a black fence to serve as backdrop to her Swedish garden and a clever cache for her garbage and recycling units. Photograph by Maria Dremo Sundstrom.

If you try moving anything heavy like garbage cans or lawn mowers over gravel, it can feel like … a drag. Consider installing a concrete pad to store bins.

For more ideas, see How to Successfully Use Gravel in Any Landscape  in our curated Hardscape 101 guides. Read more:

• Hardscaping 101: Pea Gravel
  
• Hardscaping 101: Decomposed Granite
• Hardscaping 101: Filler Stones for Pavers

Finally, learn how to successfully use gravel in a hardscape project with our Hardscaping 101: Gravel guide.

Here’s what we’re taking note of, this first weekend of 2019:

Above: Photograph by Emily Johnston from The Accidental Jungle: Shabd Simon-Alexander’s Houseplants in a New York Apartment.

• How could Berlin possibly not be the greenest city in Europe, with all those parks?
• Have you recycled your Christmas tree yet?
• Welcome to the Year of the Dahlia.
• New Year’s resolution: breed your own hellebores.
• What’s flowering in Vancouver this month.
• Looking back: the man who saved old-fashioned roses.
• Winter gardeners, here’s how to stay warm out there (hot cocoa not included).
• A miracle plant that can come back to life.
• How to keep an air plant alive.

Previously in Current Obsessions:

• Current Obsessions: Auld Lang Syne
• Current Obsessions: Midwinter Minimalism
• Current Obsessions: Hygge Holiday

Big impact, small budget—this week we’ll round up our favorite ways to almost no money to make an amazing garden:

Above: See more at Design Basics: 5 Steps to Create an Outdoor Room on a Budget. Photograph by Matthew Williams.

More stories to watch for this week:

• 10 ways to save money on a new patio
• The best plant you’ve never heard of: moor grass
• 10 Easy Pieces: Budget Garage Shelving

In case you missed any of last week’s best-read stories:

• The Garden Decoder: What Do ‘Low Light’ Conditions Really Mean for Houseplants?
• 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Air Plants
• A Grow Light for Houseplants That Will Change Your Life

An outdoor patio can change your outlook on life. Picture yourself sprawled in a comfortable chair, a glass of lemonade on a side table, a book. The sun is warm. Close your eyes: that tweeting sound you hear is coming from birds in your garden.

If the only obstacle that stands between you and this miracle is the fact that you currently don’t have a patio, that’s an easy problem to fix. Even on tight budget, or with a very small outdoor space, you can create a new outdoor living room. The average cost of installing a patio to vary widely depending on a patio’s  size and materials, from $800 for a  7-foot-square concrete slab to $10,000 for a luxe 16-by-18-foot terrace paved with stone, according to Home Advisor.

Here are 10 ways to save money when you design and build a new patio:

1. Pick a level location.

Above: For more of this patio of concrete pavers set in gravel, see Garden Visit: At Home with Jeweler Kathleen Whitaker in LA.

Remember: it’s more expensive is if you have to build retaining walls or grade the soil to make a flat spot. If you can’t avoid a slope, stabilizing soil with inexpensive Jute Erosion Control Cloth ($2.46 per yard from Online Fabric Store).

2. Site the patio near the house.

Above: Designer John Derian tucked a dining patio beneath an overhang on his Provincetown, Massachusetts house. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Gardenista.

Think about how you plan to use a patio: will it be an outdoor kitchen? Do you want to run electrical or plumbing lines to it? If so, the closer the site to the house, the less expensive the cost.

3. Work around existing trees.

Above: See more in Landscape Architect Visit: The California Life, Outdoor Living Room Included. Photograph by Joe Fletcher courtesy of Sagan Piechota Architecture.

With a clever design that incorporates existing trees, you can save money two ways. In addition to saving the cost of removal, a mature tree can provide as much shade as an awning or pergola (without the added expense of building a shade structure).

4. Pick an inexpensive paving material.

Above: Photograph by Liesa Johannssen.

Gravel, at an average cost of $1.40 per square foot, is the least expensive patio paving material, according to Home Advisor. At the other end of the price spectrum is natural stone—such as granite, bluestone, or limestone—cut into thin layers to create flagstone pavers. Depending on the stone, the prices of flagstone pavers can be up to $30 a square foot, says Home Advisor.

For help choosing pavers, see our guides to Pavers 101, including Patio Pavers 101 and Hardscaping 1o1: Concrete Pavers.

5. Buy materials in the off-season.

Above: See more in 10 Easy Pieces: Illuminated Pavers. Illuminated SolaGlo Pavers from Cambridge Pavers sit flush with the surface of a patio.

Plan ahead by designing a new patio—and purchasing the materials to build it—in the off season when demand and prices are lower.

6. Reuse existing materials.

Above: Photograph via Bertrams Hotel in Copenhagen.

If you’re upgrading an existing landscape, you can reuse pavers from an old path or patio to create your new outdoor space. You can re-lay existing pavers to create a perimeter around a gravel patio (as shown above).

7. Build a patio in stages.

Above: See more of this patio in Before & After: A Garden Makeover in Michigan for Editor Michelle Adams. Photograph by Marta Xochilt Perez.

To save money on construction costs, build a patio in sections. If you need to have soil compacted to create a solid base for a patio, plan ahead by leveling the entire area. Then build the patio in stages, as your budget allows for expansion. In the meantime, you can cover the unused area with mulch.

8. Mix and match materials.

Above: A wood deck abuts a concrete patio in a Los Angeles backyard. See more in Before & After: From Desert to Redwood Forest, the Essence of California in One LA Garden.

“The first thing you do in a small garden project is to take inventory to do an analysis, so you can make decisions about the things that are existing and are good,” says landscape architect David Godshall of Terremoto, who elected to salvage an existing concrete patio as part of a garden rehab (shown above) in Los Angeles.

Mixing materials—such as redwood decking and poured concrete—can add interest and texture to a patio (while saving money).

9. Create a focal point with inexpensive furnishings.

Above: Ikea chairs flank a ceramic stool-turned-side table. Photograph by Matthew Williams.

Instead of expensive outdoor furniture, you can hang a hammock to create a focal point for the patio. Create a seating arrangement with flea market finds or outdoor furniture from Ikea—versatile pieces can do double duty indoors in the off season. See more ideas in Ikea: The Indoor-Outdoor Life, for Under $100 and Ikea Summer: 10 Best Products for Outdoor Living on a Budget.

1o. Define a patio’s perimeter with potted plants.

Above: See more at Enchanted Garden: Whimsy and Wit at Palihouse in Santa Monica. Photograph by Bethany Nauert.

Building a fence or wall around a patio is an expensive undertaking. A budget-friendly alternative to create privacy is to group together a few tall potted plants.

See more ideas:

• Architects’ Secrets: 10 Ideas to Create Privacy in the Garden
• Landscape Ideas: 10 Wooden Decks That Disappear
• How to Successfully Design a Deck or Patio for Any Space
• Landscaping Ideas: 10 Ways to Save Money During a Garden Remodel
• Everything You Need to Know About Decking Materials

The life expectancy of most of your houseplants is shorter than you probably want to contemplate. But an olive tree? The oldest one on record, growing on the Greek island of Crete, is thought to be at least 2,000 years old.

An olive tree will easily outlive you if you take good care of it. Start with a sapling—such as a tiny, potted olive tree grown by Florida-based The Magnolia Company—and put it in a sunny spot with good air circulation. In summer months, move it outdoors. When it outgrows the pot, you can transfer it to your garden, if you prefer.

Above: An Olive Tree Sapling measures from 18 to 24 inches tall (but can reach a height of 25 feet at maturity). It is $65 from Food52.

In their native Mediterranean environments, olive trees thrive in dry, rocky, sunny conditions. Your potted tree will appreciate a layer of gravel or small rocks for drainage at the bottom of its pot. Find a bright spot where it will get at least six hours a day of sun and keep it warm. Fertilize it twice a year and let it spend as much time outdoors as possible in summer months.

See more growing tips in Olive Trees: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design in our curated guides to Trees 101. For more ideas for incorporating an olive tree into a landscape, see:

• Genius Garden Ideas: 10 Landscapes with Olive Trees
• The Novice Gardener: Help, Can This Olive Tree Be Saved?
• Gardening 101: Olive Trees

Moor Grass, Sesleria: “Piet Oudolf’s Favorite”

As a garden designer, I was not always enamored with ornamental grasses. I thought every grass would need a harsh crew cut at the end of the season and feared my gardens would be left with unsightly knobs.  Then I fell in love with Sesleria. This versatile evergreen grass, commonly known as moor grass, made see a new world of design possibilities: grasses as ground covers, as edging plants, and as punctuation marks in a flower border.

Is Sesleria the right plant for your landscape? Please keep reading to learn more about this garden-changing grass.

Above: At Scampston Hall in Yorkshire, the gardens by designer Piet Oudolf rely on perennial grasses for texture and contrast to deeply colored perennials such as salvias. See more of Scampston in Garden Visit: Dutch Master Piet Oudolf in Yorkshire. Photograph by Alh1 via Flickr.

I should start by saying that Piet Oudolf, the influential and renowned Dutch garden designer, often relies on the moor grass variety Sesleria autumnalis to carry the eye through the garden beds in his landscapes of perennials. (S. autumnalis was also chosen as Plant of the Week for New York City’s High Line garden, for which Oudolf chose the plants.) If Oudolf uses this grass, it is safe to say we should too.

Above: Sesleria, stachys, and alliums are staples of Oudolf’s planting palettes. In Planting: A New Perspective, co-written with British garden designer Noel Kingsbury, Mr. Oudolf describes his general philosophy–you get better results from blending different kinds of plants rather than from planting a single type in a clump, for instance—and provides detailed layouts to achieve the effect. See more in Required Reading: How to Recreate Piet Oudolf’s Painterly Landscapes.

Sesleria is a genus of approximately 25 species native to the grasslands, meadows and highlands of Southern Europe. Despite being a cool-season grower, this grass has adapted to the rocky, drought-prone, and alkaline condition of its natural habitats and makes it unusually accepting of dry, slightly warmer conditions.

The name for the genus honors the 18th-century Italian physician and botanist, Leonardo Selser. And while the epithet and common name both refer to the plant’s fall-flowering time, here in California flowering occurs in the spring. This grass is adaptable and can take a wide range of conditions from dry to semi-wet and shade to sun, with some protection in hotter inland locations.

Above: Moor grass (S. autumnalis ‘Greenlee’) punctuates a garden with well-behaved clumps and frames the bright purple flowers of alliums in a California garden. For prices and delivery information, see Seslerias at Greenlee and Associates.

Sesleria autumnalis is a beautiful evergreen meadow grass that forms tidy pale green clumps from one to two feet high and wide with pale green leaf blades that arch gracefully. In cooler climates it develops a lovely mellow yellow tint in the fall. In early to mid-spring, narrow green flower spikes with white anthers emerge from 18-inch-tall stems,  The flower spikes fade to a pleasant tan and then gray as summer and fall marches on but still remain attractive.

Above: Blue moor grass (S. caerulea). Photograph by Chris Hunkeler via Flickr.

Two types of sesleria are worth knowing about: Sesleria autumnalis (autumn moor grass) and Sesleria caerulea (blue moor grass). Both can be used as successful non-traditional  ground covers and can hold their own as edging plants or mixed into borders. Also both are bunching and grow in clumps with little spread.

S. caerulea is an evergreen clumping grass which grows to to 8 inches tall by 1 foot wide with thin, upright bicolored leaves (the upper side of the leaf is a rich green and the underside a bluish-white, giving the plant a definite blue cast). Spikes of blackish flowers accented with yellow anthers appear in spring., Plant in full sun to part shade and irrigate regularly.

Above: To design a backyard meadow for Mill Valley, CA for homeowners Catherine and Greg Stern, garden designer Sarah Madeline Stuckey Coates worked with grass specialist John Greenlee to plant mix of grasses including Carex pansa, Festuca mairei, and S. autumnalis ‘Greenlee’. See more at Garden Visit: A Backyard Meadow in Mill Valley, CA. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.

Cheat Sheet

• Plant clumps of moor grass close together to create the effect of a lawn or space them and interplant with companying perennials, wildflowers, or early spring bulbs.
• Great companions for moor grass include salvia, echinacea, and achillea.
• Sesleria visually soften edges of hard masonry; plant near driveways, walkways, and patios.
• Sesleria autumnalis has a neutral color which works with most color palettes, and is especially lovely with yellows, oranges, and whites.
• Blue moor grass is a wonderful, non-invasive ground cover (best used en masse).
• Moor grass is a great choice for a seaside garden as the flower stalks and blades move gracefully in the wind.

Above: Sesleria autumnalis ‘Greenlee’ is a cross that grass guru John Greenlee discovered growing in his nursery in Pomona, California. For prices and purchasing information, see Seslerias at Greenlee and Associates.

Keep It Alive

• Seslerias prefer a sunny or partly shaded site with average watering.
•  Apply mulch to protect moor grass roots from the cold and to help conserve water in the summer.
• Moor grasses should be lightly groomed in late winter to remove tired foliage and make way for fresh foliage.
• Sesleria is pest resistant and fairly disliked by deer.
• Moor grass is frost hardy (plant it in USDA zones 5 to 10).

For more growing tips, see Moor Grass: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design in our curated design guides to Grasses 101. For more landscaping ideas for our favorite perennial grasses, see:

• Expert Advice: 8 Tips for a Meadow Garden from Grass Guru John Greenlee
• Gardening 101: How to Care for Perennial Grasses
• Gardening 101: Quaking Grass
• Fescue Grasses: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design

Your garage should be as clean and organized as anywhere in the house, but let’s face it: no one wants to shell out serious cash for garage furniture. Enter the good-looking, budget-friendly shelves on the market, most of which are of the industrial variety. Here are our 10 favorites that keep things simple and attractive (enough) while keeping costs low.

Above: The most affordable garage shelving on our list is Ikea’s Hyllis Shelf Unit—it’s also the most lightweight of them, so make sure nothing too heavy or top-heavy goes on these shelves. The Hyllis is made of galvanized steel and a single unit measures 23 5/8 inch wide by 55 1/8 inch tall; $14.99.

Above: The Sandusky Commercial Shelving Unit in chrome wire measures 72 inches wide and 74 inches tall for $151.64 at The Home Depot.

Above: One level up on the scale of durability from the Hyllis shelf, Ikea’s Stigbjörn Shelf Unit measuring 29 1/2 inch wide and 61 inches tall is also made of galvanized steel; $39.99.

Above: The Husky Commercial Shelving Unit is a more heavy-duty stainless steel shelf system measuring 48 inches wide and 78 inches high; $89.98 at The Home Depot.

Above: For a classic, albeit basic design, the Heavy Duty Garage Steel Storage Shelving Unit has five adjustable shelves made of particleboard. It measures 48 inches wide and 72 inches tall for $77.95 at Amazon.

Above: The SafeRacks Industrial-Grade Garage Shelving in white measures 8 feet wide and 7 feet tall for $273.79 on Amazon. It’s the priciest on our list but also one of the larger options.

Above: For a softer look, Ikea’s Hejne 4-Section Shelving Unit in solid pine measures 120 7/8 inches wide to 67 3/8 inches high for $152.

Above: The HDX Decorative Chrome Wire Heavy Duty Shelving Unit measures 48 inches wide and 72 inches tall for $89.98 at The Home Depot.

Above: The slender Bror Shelving Unit in Black measures 33 1/2 inches wide and 74 3/4 inches tall for $89.99 at Ikea.

Above: The large Omar 2-Section Shelving Unit is made of steel and galvanized steel and measures 71 1/4 inches wide and 77 1/2 inches tall; $139.96 at Ikea.

For more garage storage ideas see our posts:

• 5 Quick Fixes: Garage Storage Units
• 10 Easy Pieces: Garage Organizers
• Garage Envy: 10 Sleekly Styled Garages
• 10 Easy Pieces: Wall-Mounted Tool Racks

Fiddle-leaf fig trees are the “it” houseplant that refuses to go away. More than five years after our first post about the trend, #fiddleleaffig is still dominating social media (with 125,272 snapshots on Instagram as of yesterday).

By now you may think you know everything there is to know about this finicky tropical rainforest plant—which, contrary to Instagram, doesn’t love life as a houseplant. But there’s more than meets the eye with fiddle-leaf fig trees. You could say they have strong opinions about the world; read on to learn their likes and dislikes and to debunk a few myths you may have heard along the way.

Here are 10 things nobody tells you about the world’s most popular houseplant, the fiddle-leaf fig tree:

1. You cannot grow a new fiddle-leaf fig tree from a leaf.

Above: Photograph via @ohiotropics.

To successfully propagate a fiddle-leaf fig tree, you will need to start with a tip cutting—a stem that is preferably 6 inches or more long—attached to a leaf. (Without a stem, any roots that leaves may sprout are for decorative purposes only—a rooted leaf will not grow into a new tree.)

Air layering is another technique for propagating fiddle-leaf fig trees or other woody tropical plants. With this method, you will need to make a slanted cut on a stem to encourage new root development.

2. You can buy a fiddle-leaf fig tree for $12.99 from Ikea.

Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

How far we’ve come in a few years, from the days it cost $150 or more to buy a fiddle-leaf fig tree at a plant shop (if you could even find one).

From a baby Ficus Lyrata Bambino (12 inches tall) to a Ficus Lyrata (26 inches tall), you can buy a live fiddle-leaf fig tree online for from $12.99 to $19,99 from Ikea.

3. A tiny fiddle-leaf fig might suit your lifestyle better than a  tree.

Above: Ikea’s Ficus Lyrata Bambino, at 12 inches high, is happy to live on a windowsill (if you have bright, indirect light); $12.99.

The only thing worse than an unhappy fiddle-leaf fig tree that’s turning yellow or losing its leaves is a fiddle-leaf fig tree that’s too happy—and outgrows your home. Although it will never reach its mature outdoor height of 50 feet (thank God), a potted fiddle-leaf fig tree can grow as tall as 10 feet indoors.

4. A fiddle-leaf fig tree is even more finicky than you thought.

Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

You’ve heard this before, but have you really absorbed the truth? Fiddle-leaf fig trees don’t like: drafts, soil that is too wet, soil that is too dry, too much sun, not enough sun, dry air, or loud music. (OK, just kidding about that last one.) Good luck with your fiddle-leaf fig tree—for its birthday, you may want to get it a humidifier.

5. A fiddle-leaf fig tree houseplant will outgrow your house.

Above: A fiddle leaf fig tree grows happily in a sheltered spot outdoors in a large planter from @thebalconygarden. Photograph via @harrisonlandscaping.

See No. 3 above. The good news? If your fiddle-leaf fig tree outgrows your house, that means it’s really, really happy. Move it to a sheltered spot outdoors to protect it from wind, sunburn, cold temperatures, and soccer balls the neighbors’ children kick over the fence.

6. To revive a dying fiddle-leaf fig, chop off the top of the trunk.

Above: Photograph by @dear_plants.

Looks bad, we know, but read on….

7. A fiddle-leaf fig tree will sprout from the trunk if you cut it back.

Above: Photograph via @dear_plants.

With luck, it will sprout several new leaves and be bushier than when you started.

8. A spindly fiddle-leaf fit tree can look as good as a bushy one.

Above: Fig and friend: “So happy with this new little light blue pot that i found recently at @tradgardspaletten, and the plant too obviously! the shape is so funny, i’m totally into these odd looking plants recently,” writes @upleafting.

It’s all in the styling. Make a skinny fiddle-leaf fig tree look like a design statement rather than a mistake by pairing it with a slender euphorbia or other succulent plant.

9. A fiddle-leaf fig tree needs likes more humidity than you have indoors.

Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

Moist air—ideally with a humidity level of 65—will help your rainforest escapee thrive. Unfortunately, most indoor environments have humidity levels of 10. If your tree is looking fatigued or its leaves are browning, set up a humidifier nearby—or at least mist it.

10. If all else fails, you can fake it with a faux fiddle-leaf fig tree.

Above: A 6 Foot Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree has broad leaves, poseable branches, and textured “bark.” It is $179.99 at World Market.

Looks life-like, no? Just don’t check the undersides of those plastic leaves…

For more growing tips, see Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design in our curated design guides to Houseplants 101. Read more:

• The Fig and I: Adventures with a Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree
• Now Trending: 11 Ingenious Ways Houseplants Can Make a Room Look Bigger
• How to Save a Dying Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

Please don’t call them fire pits. Even if  smokeless fire bowls are essentially gas-powered fire pits, inventor Elena Colombo said, “I don’t think anything sounds better if you use the word ‘pit’ to describe it.”

What inspired her to design her first fire bowl, nearly two decades ago?

“I wanted to make a beach fire,” said Colombo, who had a house on Long Island and a pile of wet firewood that refused to burn. “I needed an alternative. This was in 2001, and we weren’t really Google-searching back then. When I looked online for a vessel that could be gas-powered, the worst-looking stuff came up: masonry fireplaces, things with wrought iron stands, something shaped like a Grecian column.

“So I thought maybe I should make one myself,” said Colombo, who built her first propane-powered fire bowl using a repurposed garbage can and a swimming pool heater.

Colombo’s breakout moment came in 2004 when she designed a metal fire bowl for the gravel courtyard at the Sunset Beach hotel on Shelter Island. Nowadays her Brooklyn-based company, Fire Features, manufactures a collection of fire bowls—in standard sizes that range from 45 to 68 inches diameter.  “A fire bowl should look big. You don’t want it to look like a little salad bowl with Adirondack chairs around it,” she said. “When you put something outside, you don’t want it to disappear into the landscape.” (She also creates custom designs—including large fire troughs—for clients.)

Is a fire bowl the right feature to add to your garden? Read on for advice from Colombo:

Photography courtesy of Elena Colombo.

1. What is a fire bowl?

Above: Lava rocks are a typical insert for fire bowls. Colombo also designs Branch Inserts.

Unlike a fire pit, which is designed to burn wood a fire bowl powered by gas is smokeless  “is like jewelry for your landscape,” said Colombo, whose designs often have shallow profiles to focus the eye on the flames, not the vessel.

Depending on the kind of gas you already use at your house, a fire bowl can be configured for natural gas or propane.

2. How do you build a fire bowl?

Above: A fire bowl ignition system includes a button to push for a pilot light. You can choose a sub-grade ignition systems “for an unobstructed 360 degree view, and we also offer a number of base options,” notes Colombo.

You can kindle a fire bowl with either an electronic or a manual pilot-ignition system. “Mine are manual for the most part, because they are really reliable,” said Colombo. “With an electronic ignition system, it’s all well and good until the first rainstorm when you realize you left the lid off and now you have to replace your system.”

For safety, “you run a gas line first to an emergency shutoff valve located within plain view of the fire feature, within 10 to 15 feet, against a wall, and then you go back underground and run the line through a control panel before it goes to a fire feature,” said Colombo.

Fire bowls should have control panels on the side so a gas line runs to the side, as well. “You never run a gas line to the middle, because that’s not where the gas enters the fire bowl,” she said.

3. What is the best fire bowl material?

Above: A Corten steel fire bowl with branch inserts.

For durability, Colombo’s fire bowls are made of metal: bronze, copper, Corten steel, and mild or stainless steel.

“It’s really important to chose a material “to complement the architecture of your house,” she said. “If you have a modern house, a stainless steel fire bowl will be a contemporary, modern look. Mild steel or Corten will rust to a reddish or tobacco brown color to match more rustic architecture.”

If you have dark-colored window mullions, a metal that develops a patina with age is a good choice. “Copper will look very similar to bronze after they patina, but bronze has a higher price range,” she said. “If your house is on the water, bronze is the least corrosive of the materials.”

4. What is a water bowl?

Above: “I like a fire bowl with a shallow profile,” said Colombo, who designed her collection to be made on a metal spinner.

A bowl that has both a flame and a water feature is a water bowl. (Submersible burners are available.)

“It can operate as a fountain without the fire. or fire and water at the same time, which is fun,” said Colombo.

5. Can I put a fire bowl on a deck?

Above: Fire bowls are safe to site on a wooden deck.

Unlike a wood-burning fire pit which can send sparks or embers into the air to ignite nearby surfaces, a gas-powered fire bowl is safe to operate on a wooden deck.  “Putting it near to the house is important. It’s a ready-made party as soon as you turn it on,” said Colombo.

The lack of embers and sparks makes it safe to site a fire bowl within 20 feet of a house, on a deck or patio, or beneath a pergola or 12-foot-high porch ceiling. (A high clearance is required to safely operate open-air, gas-powered fire bowls.)

“I tell people not to put fire pits in ‘destination’ locations far away from the house because it’s inconvenient,” she said. “For the most part, I think a location that extends the square footage of your house to the outdoors is better, so you can have access to the kitchen—and the refrigerator—and people can gather at the perimeter of the house rather than 100 feet away.”

6. What kinds of inserts are available for fire bowls?

Above: “I’m using molds of fabulous driftwood logs to make bronze inserts,” said Colombo.

Unlike fire pits, which turn wood into ash, fire bowls have decorative inserts that will last the lifetime of the bowl. Inserts—including lava rocks, metal “branches,” and concrete balls are “mostly a question of budget,” said Colombo.

7. Do you need a safety screen for a fire bowl?

Above: A set of lava rocks designed for use in a fire bowl.

“You need a safety screen if you have small children,” Colombo said. Commercial venues with a lot of foot traffic, including hotels, often install them as well.

8. How much does a fire bowl cost?

Above: A fire bowl at the edge of a swimming pool.

Fire bowls, which require a gas line, are more expensive than outdoor fire pits. Fire pits cost an average $700 to build depending on size and location, according to Home Advisor.  Prices for Colombo’sfire bowls  start at $3,800 for a 45-inch Mild Steel Burn Bowl. “I call them art that works,” said Colombo. For a full price list, see Fire Features.

For more ideas for fire bowls and fire pits, see:

• Landscape Design: 10 Tips for Adding a Fire Pit, from Judy Kameon
• 10 Easy Pieces: Smokeless Fire Pits
• Landscaping Ideas: 10 Fire Pits, for an Instant Outdoor Living Room

If you want vegetable seedlings that are easy to grow, never go to the nursery just to browse. You may end up falling into the trap of buying whatever strikes your fancy—which is likely fine when you’re clothes-shopping, probably not a big deal when you’re grocery-shopping, but most definitely a disaster when you’re plant-shopping while ignorant.

That’s what happened when I found myself at a nice nursery and spontaneously decided to buy seeds and seedlings for my first vegetable garden. (I wrote about some of my misadventures here, here, and here.) What I should have done first is some sound research.

I’m writing this column to make sure you, and other beginner gardeners, don’t make the same mistake as I did. I asked world-famous vegetable lover Mollie Katzen, the cookbook writer behind the seminal vegetarian bible, The Moosewood Cookbook, for advice. Katzen, who grows vegetables year-round in her edible garden in Berkeley, California, suggested five favorites for a fail-safe starter vegetable garden.

Above: Photograph by John Merkl for Gardenista, from Garden Visit: At Home with Cookbook Author Mollie Katzen in Berkeley.

“For me, the easiest things to grow are radishes, parsley, kale, arugula, and radicchio,” says Katzen. “The first two need some sun, but seem happy regardless. The last three are great in the shade and/or fog (of which I have much!) and also don’t mind the cold (short of frost, but even the frost doesn’t kill them).”

1. Radishes

Above: Photograph by Emily Hall, courtesy of Greyfield Inn, from Greyfield Gardens: A Chef’s Dream on a Remote Georgia Island.

So easy, a child could grow them from seed. So fast-growing, they’ll be ready to be harvested in as little time as three weeks. It’s no wonder that radishes make Katzen’s list of easy vegetables to grow. They do best in cool, moist, tilled soil, planted about half-inch deep; for best results, sow the seeds in spring or fall.

Tip: The key to a fresh, crispy radish is harvesting at the right time. A common mistake is pulling them out too late, when they’ve become tough and too spicy. The only way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to pull one out and check for taste before harvesting them all.

2. Parsley

Above: Curly parsley. Photograph by Marie Viljoen, from Gardening 101: Parsley.

OK, technically an herb. But have you ever seen a vegetable garden without parsley? It is a very adaptable plant and does well in both bright sun and partial sun conditions. But unlike radishes, parsley from seed is a slow starter. It can take up to three weeks before you see a sprout. Consider planting the seeds in little pots indoors about three months before the last spring frost, then planting the seedlings outdoors.

Tip: Parsley is a biennial (see The Garden Decoder: What Are ‘Biennials’?). In the first year, you can harvest its leaves; in the second, year it will bloom but you can still harvest the leaves, though they will be fewer and less flavorful; in the fall of the second year, you can harvest the root, which can be roasted, mashed, pureed—just like any other root vegetable. (Be sure to check out our Parsley Field Guide.)

3. Kale

Above: Tuscan kale. Photograph by Laura Silverman for Gardenista, from Garden-to-Table Recipe from a Cook’s Garden: Eat Your Greens.

Even though kale appears on all sorts of easiest-to-grow vegetable lists, I tried to grow kale once—and failed. But that’s because I made one crucial mistake: I planted it too close to the start of summer and my kale bolted. Make sure you plant kale in early spring or in the fall; hot weather encourages kale to bolt, which renders it nearly inedible. For best results, start seeds indoors about six weeks before the last frost to ensure they can mature outdoors while the weather is still on the cool side.

Tip: Harvest the outside leaves first, keeping a few in the center to encourage continued growth. (Find our field guide on growing kale here.)

4. Arugula

Above: See more in Arugula: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design. Photograph by Marie Viljoen.

Like kale, arugula enjoys cooler temperatures, so it’s best to plant in early spring or fall. But unlike kale, it grows relatively quickly from seed, so you can sow directly in the garden. Once summer arrives, it will likely flower (bolt) and turn inedible rather quickly.

Tip: Like other leafy greens, it will grow fine in partial shade. (Find our field guide on growing arugula here.)

5. Radicchio

Above: See more in Shopper’s Diary: Leila’s Way with Fruit and Vegetables. Photograph by Kendra Wilson.

Sow seeds directly about two to three weeks before the last frost, and you’ll see seedlings as early as a week later. It takes about 80 to 90 days to mature into into a compact, baseball-sized ball. Like radishes, you’ll want to harvest them young before it turns bitter.

Tip: Radicchio also turns bitter when it doesn’t get enough water. Make sure to keep the soil moist by adding a layer of mulch and regular watering. (Go here for more growing information.)

N.B.: Featured photograph by Kendra Wilson, from Shopper’s Diary: Instant Vegetables from Rocket Gardens in Cornwall, UK.

Read more about my (mis)adventures in earlier installments of Your First Garden. See everything you need to know about planting a vegetable garden in our guide to Edible Gardens 101. And don’t miss:

• Everything You Need to Know About Edible Gardens
• Kale: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design
• The Best Vegetables You’ll Ever Taste