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The 15-year-old cherry tree we planted creates a dry & shady spot for planting. About fifteen years ago, I planted a little Cherry tree, and wow, did it surprise me! Now it’s a big beauty, but the ground underneath is shady, dry, and packed with roots. If you’ve got a spot like this, you know it can feel impossible to grow anything there. But here’s the fun part: lots of our native plants are actually made for these tough conditions. I’ve tried a bunch, and these are some of

​ Photo by Emily Lovallo of her beautiful hellstrip garden bed on S. Graham Street. If you live in the city, you probably know that skinny little patch of grass between the sidewalk and the street. Some folks call it the sidewalk strip, the planting strip, or even the hellstrip! If you’re lucky, maybe you have a street tree growing there (yay!), but more often it’s just a neglected spot with grass, weeds, or maybe some bricks or rocks. But here’s the fun part: if you’re look

Photo: An abandoned hummingbird nest I spotted at the Audubon Society at Beechwood Farms. The eggs (not real) are the size of a jelly bean! Hummingbirds are on their way to Pittsburgh, and it’s the perfect time to get your yard ready for these tiny visitors! The very first one was spotted in the Hill District neighborhood on April 10. I keep up with their journey thanks to some bird-loving friends who share updates from the Hummingbird Tracker at Hummingbird Central. These li