The Charleston region is among the nation's fastest-growing areas, but it also has a longstanding reputation for being wary of outsiders.

Magnolias have long been a symbol of the South. Making a stunning magnolia leaf wreath for the holidays is both fun and easy.

The holidays — and your garden beds — require healthy boundaries.

The holidays — and your garden beds — require healthy boundaries.

Several historic homes have been preserved in the Charleston area over the past few years, but preservationists stay more work needs to be done to preserve the peninsula's most historic houses.

Several historic homes have been preserved in the Charleston area over the past few years, but preservationists stay more work needs to be done to preserve the peninsula's most historic houses.

Your houseplants may be suffering from low quality light. Of course there’s plenty of sunlight for us to read a book, but it might be insufficient for photosynthesis.

There's nothing like gathering around the fireplace on a chilly evening, but when's the last time the chimney was cleaned? A look at fireplace and chimney maintenance now that cool weather is here.

Many neighborhoods in the Charleston area seem to have at least one signature Halloween house, where the truly dedicated families spend days setting up funky, spooky and downright frightening scenes to greet trick-or-treaters and their parents on Halloween night. 

The robber bees came in like Vikings and raided the colony. They wiped it out, completely. And for the next five days, they systematically stole every drop of honey. There was nothing left. It was nature at its cruelest.

Mount Pleasant residents Chassity and Josh Evans were so smitten with Harbour Island that they decided they wanted to own their own little piece of the tiny Bahamian island. 

Seeing familiar plants made my first trip to Central America more comfortable than expected.

A year after the Emmy award-winning PBS show “This Old House” chronicled the renovations of their historic houses, two Charleston families are settling into their new abodes, where they are both homeowners and stewards of history.

While the Lowcountry may not be known as a hot spot for leaf peeping, we are fortunate to have a painters’ palette of native, fall-blooming wildflowers, shrubs, and vines that can easily be utilized in the home landscape.

When Joe and Kristin Thompson decided to build their home on Kiawah Island, they envisioned a place where they could enjoy retirement without feeling overwhelmed by too much space.

The Southern Living Plant Collection focuses on ornamentals bred and tested “to solve landscape challenges in Southern gardens.” Many of the plants have unique coloring or variegation. Some are smaller versions of tried-and-true southern shrubs.

This year, the Lowe’s Hero Project will be rehab a house in Charleston for Benjamin’s Way. The project, which will be completed in seven weeks, will house up to 15 transitioning homeless people at a time. Typically, home rehab projects require many months of work. 

Soil is the foundation of the garden. It supports plant growth by providing stability, oxygen, water, temperature modification and nutrients. In fact, improving your garden’s soil might be the single most important thing you can do to set yourself up for success.

The Preservation Society of Charleston will soon launch its fall homes, history and architecture tours, which will feature several historic residences in the area. 

A leisurely stroll through the woods can be invigorating. Reconnecting with nature can cleanse worries and settle your thoughts. Sometimes, though, nature is best viewed through the safety of a screened porch.

Wallpaper has had its ups and downs over the past few decades. But lately, homeowners are taking a fresh look at wallpaper as a decorating option, thanks to updated designs, expanded choices and new technologies.

The new pet will never replace the one you lost but they will create their own place in your home and heart.