With record cold gripping much of North America this winter, many people find themselves with an abundance of fireplace ashes.

Low-water plants, native shade, and smart irrigation turn yards into cooler landscapes that save water and support local life now.

Generous rains in December and early January made for early blooming hillsides and canyons. Already, hoary-leaf Ceanothus ( Ceanothus crassifolius) is showing its ivory-white colored flowers, soon to ...

Winter heath earns its reputation the honest way: it keeps flowering when the weather refuses to cooperate. It stays reliable when nights bite. Even in cold climates, it holds pink or white blooms ...

Experts were quick to weigh in. Gardener warned after sharing photo of recent landscaping project: 'Likely to cause issues' first appeared on The Cool Down.

By JESSICA DAMIANO Shoveling in single-digit temperatures after the colossal winter storm this weekend, I dumped mounds of snow onto my garden beds, knowing it would protect my trees, shrubs and ...

Shoveling snow onto garden beds can protect plants during winter. Snow acts as a blanket, insulating the soil and preventing roots from being exposed to cold winds. As it melts, it waters ...

A typical single-family house is encircled by green, its shrubs and plants sitting just under windows and hugging exterior walls. It’s an image that California is trying to get homeowners to rethink ...