Lawn and Garden

Yard and lawn care is an important part of maintaining a home. Learn about landscaping and get yard tips and advice from the experts at HowStuffWorks.

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A cinch to plant and tend, forsythia is beloved for its vivid yellow blooms. They also mark the beginning. Here's how to grow and care for these beauties.

By Alia Hoyt

Providing a great backdrop for any sunny garden, the butterfly bush comes in many colors and attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees galore.

By Wendy Bowman

The money tree has long been a symbol of good fortune in Asia. But how did the plant get its name?

By Alia Hoyt & Kathryn Whitbourne

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Those white beads you see in potting soil are made of a volcanic glass called perlite. And that's not the only place you'll see this versatile material. So how is it made and what is it used for?

By Nathan Chandler

You know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what's your IQ on the lesser-known fruits (and veggies) of the world? Take our quiz to find out!

By Alia Hoyt

One of the oldest and most widely used materials in the world, baked clay or terracotta, can be found on roofs, in museums and in gardens all over the world.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Despite being pretty in pink, oleander is a highly poisonous plant. And now it's being touted as a cure for COVID-19. We'll break down the facts from fiction.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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This pretty flower has been known for centuries to have chemicals that can regulate your heartbeat but also poison you.

By Alia Hoyt

Sunflowers are incredibly tough and can be grown in almost any soil. Plus, it's hard not to smile when you see a field of these bright yellow rays.

By Wendy Bowman

For decades we've been told having houseplants can improve our indoor air quality. But is this true? And do you need to live in a veritable jungle to get better air quality?

By Patty Rasmussen

What vegetable is often mistaken for a fruit, has poisonous leaves but is still edible and is often harvested by candlelight? Yep, that would be rhubarb.

By Tara Yarlagadda

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These showy pink, purple, red and white blossoms dazzle through the spring and summer and are ubiquitous throughout the southern U.S.

By Wendy Bowman

Lots of trees are losing their leaves this time of the year. But evergreens keep theirs year-round. What gives?

By Wendy Bowman

Stop bagging those leaves and putting them curbside to be hauled off to the landfill. There's a better way - for your lawn and the environment.

By Patty Rasmussen

Roundup is the brand name for the chemical glyphosate, which is the most widely used weedkiller today. Some hail it, some hate it, but what does it really do?

By Chris Pollette

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And what happens if your dog pees on it?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

The cucamelon is about the size of a grape but it packs a big, tart punch. Just don't expect cucamelons to taste like cucumbers or watermelons!

By Nathan Chandler

You've probably never seen one, but it looks like a waterbed in your yard. And trust us, if you do see one, you'll have an impulse to pop it.

By John Perritano

Its blooms are lovely. But to many, the Bradford pear tree's smell and invasiveness are anything but.

By Jamie Allen

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Oh Christmas tree - how did you get your signature shape? These iconic symbols don't naturally grow into a perfect pyramid, but that doesn't stop us from expecting it.

By Laurie L. Dove

Whether you like to pile them up and jump in with abandon or rue the time of year when they fall, leaves are at the center of a heated debate.

By Laurie L. Dove

Don't be alarmed if you find a few of these funky mushrooms popping up in your yard right when the weather turns cool and wet.

By Shaun Chavis

In Victorian times, only a few plants could stand up to the fumes from coal fires and gas lamps. Now, we have a wide variety of plants to choose from.

By Alia Hoyt

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How many poinsettias have languished on high shelves so children and pets can't munch on their dangerous leaves? It may all have been for naught. The poinsettia's poisonous rep is a bit unfair.

By Colleen Cancio

Don't have much space? That doesn't mean you have to go without a garden.

By Blythe Copeland