Lynn Coulter

Grow Plants That Solve Your Garden Problems
No garden is perfect. Ravenous rabbits and deer can demolish your beds and borders overnight. Hot, humid weather invites pests and plant diseases. Flowers and foliage that need rich, organic matter can struggle or die in poor...

Ugly weeds and grasses can muscle into yards and gardens, but for those who have pets, it’s risky to use weed killers made with harsh chemicals. Pets can pick up toxins through their paws and skin, or eat plants that absorb them. It’s possible to choose a pet-safe weed killer instead to protect furry family members while eliminating the invaders.
The best pet-s...

Discover the Charm of Movies Set in Small Towns
Filmmakers know small towns make great movie locations because they feel authentic. Fans who don't live in big cities like L.A. can identify with small town settings and often snap up tickets, turning movies about small-town life into blockbuster hits.
Movies set in small towns also hold down production costs for filmmakers, although some spend money to revitalize flagging downtowns. Residents benefit even more when the movies debut, tourism pic...

We're giving chaos gardening a green thumb's up. It's so easy and fun, you may decide to ditch the other garden styles you've tried.

Have you ever groaned that you kill everything you plant? Try a gardening trend that's spreading like weeds, and you'll never have to dump your failures in the compost heap again.
Trendy chaos gardening is perf...

Lynn Coulter is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who focuses on travel, gardening and lifestyles. Her work has appeared in many print and digital publications, including the Travel Channel, HGTV.com, Delta Sky and AAA Living. She’s hiked with llamas on the Rio Grande, ridden in a buffalo round-up, and mushed on a dog sled. She was a featured speaker at Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival in Orlando, where she discussed her book, Gardening With Heirloom Seeds. Currently she’s writi...

I’ve snorkeled in the clear waters of Key Largo, Florida where silvery barracudas and schools of angelfish swam around me. About 25 feet below, I saw the Christ of the Abyss statue, where it has rested on the ocean floor since 1965. Encountering this famous sculpture made me realize how much there is to see below the waves.
Many resorts and hotels promote the treasures of the deep, offer excursions and help book dives to see the barnacle-encrusted remains of trade and tourist ships. There are...

These low-light houseplants thrive without direct sunlight, so now you can have a touch of Mother Nature in every corner of your home.

Don’t Have a Lot of Natural Light?
Then you’ll want to try one of these low-light indoor plants that need very little sunlight to grow beautifully in your home. Whether you have a dim corner that’s crying out for a pretty palm or you’re craving a col...

Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) is in the same family as potatoes and tomatoes, but it certainly smells better. This woody shrub blooms all summer, opening its fragrant flowers at night. The plants tend to sprawl and re-seed freely (too freely for some gardeners). To keep fallen seeds from sprouting, mulch around the plants and rake up seedlings when you see them. Grow night-blooming jasmine in containers, as a hedge or houseplant, but keep it away from anima...

Artificial lights wash out the beauty of the night sky, but when you know where to go, you can see spectacular galaxies and constellations of stars in dark sky cities and other locations across the U.S.
Find a Dark Sky and Go Stargazing
Natural darkness is one of our natural resources, and it's at risk. Overused and badly used artificial outdoor lights can obscure the stars and threaten ecosystems that need both day and night. Light pollution can also affect humans by increasing the chance of...

It's no wonder age-old sweet peas are still a favorite Southern floral. Ornamental sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) have been around for centuries, long enough to be considered old-fashioned, but these delicate-looking flowers...

When the weather warms up, school kids — and probably their teachers and parents — get restless. Have some family fun on an incredible spring break vacation.

It's hard to beat Florida for one of the best family spring break vacations. Most breaks fall in March or April when the water's getting warm ...

Forget the pup tent and sleeping bag. Go glamping, or camping in luxury, in a furnished tent with a plush bed. Hike in the stunning scenery, stargaze, lose yourself in a good book or relax around a campfire, all while staying in a luxurious canvas tent.

There's no such thing as roughing it when you're glamping. Glamping means soft beds and indulgent touches like wine glasses and Wi-Fi in canvas...

Add trendy "Peach Fuzz" color to your garden with flowers and foliage in sunny shades like apricot, coral, melon and salmon.

Garden experts say we're growing more native plants, turning lawns into eco-friendly meadows and planting exotic fruits like persimmons. Let the 2024 garden trends they've spotted inspire you.

Garden Trends Aren't Just What's Popular

Some garden trends follow what's popular, like planting certain colors or varieties. Others emerge from what's happening around us. Take climate chang...

From gigantic, grinning goobers (peanuts) to half-size ocean liners in the Tennesee mountains, roadside attractions make us pull over to check them out — and maybe buy something while we're stopped.
Not Just Another Hole in the Wall: Hole N' The Rock, near Moab, Utah
A hole in the wall means a place that's small and ordinary. The US roadside attractions we've gathered here are anything but that. They're about history or culture, cooking, aliens, whales or beer cans — sometimes, they're just fun.