Cornell Cooperative Extension

Tompkins County
hydrangea
Image by Sandy Repp

Pink Hydrangea

Lawns & Ornamentals

Find links to resources on annuals, perennials, native plants, trees and shrubs, to help you have a more beautiful lawn and home landscape.

Cool Season grasses and broadleaf weeds in a closeup of a lawn

Sustainable Lawns

Find out how to grow a dense, vigorous lawn that will provide many environmental benefits, in these links, videos and resources from Cornell!

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coneflowers and black eyed susans (echinacea & rudbeckia)

Easy Care Perennials

Perennials offer year after year of blooms for your garden, and are a smart investment in your garden. Visit our resources to learn more.

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Japanese maple, Acer palmatum Thunb.

Trees & Shrubs

Ornamental trees and shrubs can enhance the beauty of your home landscaping. Find some suggested varieties here.

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pansies

Help Choosing Annuals

Find Cornell and other resources that will help you to choose annuals for your soil, climate and shade conditions.

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milkweed blossom

Native Plants

Native plants deserve a place in your garden, and they offer many advantages over non-native species. Find a list of suggested varieties here.

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Exotic Bush Honeysuckles

Invasive Plants

Many plants that are now considered invasive started out as popular garden ornamentals. Learn more about what plants to avoid in your garden.

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Last updated January 29, 2021

Lawns & Ornamentals

Soil Testing

Master Gardener volunteer conducts a pH soil test on a soil sample

Learn why you should test your soil and how to take a soil sample, on our Soil & Climate pages.

Find Your Zone!

2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps gardeners and growers determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.

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