Posts By

Melissa Strauss

Melissa is a writer, hobby gardener, beekeeper and homemaker. She can be found working in her extensive pollinator garden, trolling the local nurseries for unique plant specimens, and tending to the many fruit-bearing plants on her property. Melissa hopes to inspire other gardeners to delve into the rich and fulfilling world of pollinator gardening.

Wedding table decorated with gold candlesticks and elegant floral arrangements of pastel pink roses, pale peach delphiniums, pink-beige dahlias, and white flowers arranged in gold vases, showcasing our flower selection for Taylor Swift’s wedding.

Flowers

Our Dream Flower Picks for Taylor Swift’s Wedding

The princess of pop just entered her fiancée era! While we are still swooning over the engagement photos, we can't wait to see what our favorite cat lady will choose for her wedding flowers. Cut flower gardener and swiftie Melissa Strauss is dreaming of florals for Tay's big day!

A flowering magnolia tree with delicate pink four-petaled blooms grows near a charming brick house.

Trees

9 Pretty and Petite Trees You Can Grow Near Your House

Adding pretty trees can transform the appeal of your home. If you want to plant them close to the house, you'll need cultivars that won't overwhelm or cause damage. Here are some of our favorite, petite, and pretty ornamental trees to add beauty and color close to your house.

Spiny, creeping stems with deeply lobed green leaves and purple summer blooms, among the most difficult weeds to control.

Weeds

The 12 Most Difficult Weeds to Eradicate

Dealing with weeds is a frustrating, time-consuming, and inevitable part of gardening. While some are easy to get rid of, others can be a serious problem. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to identify some of the more difficult weeds to eradicate.

A large collection of jungle patio container plants with lush green leaves in different sized containers arranged on a stone patio.

Houseplants

15 Container Plants For a Lush, Jungle-like Patio

We can't all be lucky enough to live in the tropics, but you can create your own lush tropical paradise on your own patio. Florida gardener Melissa Strauss shares 15 stunning tropicals that grow well in containers, to give your patio a tropical makeover.

A woman sneezing in front of a ragweed plant with deeply lobed leaves and upright spikes of tiny green flowers, which should not be planted if prone to allergies.

Gardening Tips

Got Allergies? What NOT to Plant in Your Garden

Seasonal allergies can be a real bear with certain plants in the garden. It might surprise you to find out which plants are the biggest culprits of those allergy attacks. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss explains which types of plants you should avoid having in the garden if you're an allergy sufferer.

Gloved hands hold a large bundle of orange root vegetables and a smaller bunch of dark red ones, freshly harvested from edible shade plants with vibrant leafy green tops.

Edible

15 Edible Plants that Thrive in the Shade

Growing food can be a challenge if you are dealing with a lot of shade, but it's not impossible. You just have to choose the right plants! Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss for some tasty plants that will grow in partial and even full shade!

A collection of patio plants smells amazing in wicker baskets, featuring clusters of blue flowers, white blossoms, and tall green grass-like foliage.

Ornamental Gardens

13 Patio Plants That Smell Amazing

Adding fragrant plants to your patio is a fantastic way to add beauty and sensory delight to your outdoor living space. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss shares plants that are both beautiful and aromatic to add to your potted patio plant collection.