Melinda Meservy
Plant Specialist
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Co-authored Articles (20)
How to
Grow Jasmine from Cuttings
Jasmine makes a lovely addition to your home or garden. When it blooms, it produces delicate, fragrant buds. You can easily grow jasmine from cuttings taken from a healthy plant. First, you’ll need to take cuttings fro...
When & How to Prune Lilies for Healthy, Happy Blooms
Everything you need to know about achieving perfectly pruned liliesFragrant, beautiful lilies make a lovely addition to any garden. Plus, they're super easy to prune—all you have to do is deadhead wilted flowers during...
Killing Garden Slugs with Salt: How to Use It and Not Harm Your Plants
Have you noticed shiny trails of slime in your home or on the plants in your garden? If you’re also seeing irregular-shaped holes on plant leaves, you’re probably dealing with some garden slugs. You may have heard th...
The Gardener’s Guide to Pruning Jasmine for Beautiful Blooms
The right time and best way to trim overgrown or leggy jasmine vinesJasmine is a gorgeous, fast-growing plant with sweet-smelling flowers that makes a wonderful addition to any garden. Whether you’re growing summer jas...
How to
Care for Indoor Plants
If you’ve ever had an indoor plant that’s quickly withered and wilted, you might believe that you don’t have a green thumb or you’re not cut out for growing plants. Well, we’re here to tell you that’s not the...
How to
Prune a Bonsai Tree
A bonsai tree needs regular pruning to maintain its size and to shape it to a desired style. There are two types of pruning: maintenance pruning, which keeps the tree small and encourages new growth, and structural or st...
Expert Advice to Get Rid of Snails in Your Garden or Yard
Plus, prevent future infestations with these tips Finding snails in your garden, yard, home, or aquarium can be frustrating. If left to their own devices, snails will munch on your plants, leave sticky trails everywhere,...
How to
Make Concrete Planters
If you want a sleek, modern concrete planter for your outdoor plants, why not make your own instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars? With just some simple supplies and concrete, you can make a custom planter that's t...
How to Save a Dying Bonsai Tree
A bonsai tree is a delightful bit of decor for any indoor or outdoor space. They're also a hefty gardening challenge for anyone with a serious green thumb, as they tend to be fickle and unpredictable. To keep your tiny t...
How to Grow Jade Plants at Home: Propagation & Repotting
Use this guide to keep your jade plant healthy from a cutting to a tree Are you looking for beginner-friendly plants to work that green thumb? The jade plant, or money plant, is a e type of succulent plant. It's easy to ...
How to Plant & Care for Jasmine in Containers
Learn how to plant, care for, and harvest potted jasmine Whether grown indoors or outdoors, jasmine makes for a beautiful and aromatic plant. As long as jasmine is grown in well-draining soil and with plenty of sun, humi...
How to
Grow Jasmine
A step-by-step guide for beginner gardeners to keep jasmine healthy and flourishingStarry jasmine flowers have an exotic, sweet fragrance that permeates the air on warm summer evenings. They bloom all summer on either vi...
How to
Make Concrete Flower Pots
If you're tired of expensive, flimsy pots that tip over in a windstorm and freeze in the winter, consider making your own homemade concrete pots. Once you devise a mold, you can make as many pots as you like. The sturdy ...
How to
Care for a Sansevieria or Snake Plant
Sansevieria, also known as snake plant and mother-in-law’s tongue, is a hardy plant with long, broad leaves. Because of their adaptability and tolerance, they’re often used as houseplants. Their broad leaves soak up ...
How to Start a Plant Business
Setting up a plant nursery business can be an overwhelming venture, but it can be extremely rewarding if you have a passion for greenery and a firm knowledge of how to grow and cultivate plants. There are three distinct ...
How to
Care for a Begonia
You know you've hit the flower jackpot when your plant is known for its brilliant flowers and its fancy foliage. The begonia has both of these lovely features. Begonias can be high-maintenance at times, but the end resul...
How to Protect Your Garden from Insects: 12 Ways to Keep Bugs from Eating Your Plants
If you’ve noticed that your leaves keep getting munched on or your vegetables have little nibbles on them, you might be dealing with garden insects. While it’s tough to protect your garden completely from nature, th...
How to
Care for Boston Ferns
Some people seem to naturally have a green thumb, or a gift for gardening, and their homes are filled with luscious, healthy greenery. If you aren’t one of those people, don’t worry – there are plants that even you...
How to
Care for Tiger Bark Ficus Bonsai Tree
The tiger bark ficus bonsai tree is an indoor tree that needs to be kept away from frost.
How to
Care for a Chinese Elm Bonsai Tree
The Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia), also known as the lacebark elm is among most readily available and most forgiving bonsai trees to work with, making it a great choice for beginners. To care for it properly, keep the t...