Simon Okafor

Simon Okafor

Head Horticulturist

Simon runs a small perennial nursery on weekends and writes our native-plant and soil-health coverage. He is happiest arguing about compost ratios and will not apologize for it.

Articles by Simon Okafor

Front Yard Makeover: A Lawn-to-Perennial-Border Case Study
Garden Design Front Yard Makeover: A Lawn-to-Perennial-Border Case Study

How one 900-square-foot front lawn was converted to a low-water perennial border over a single season, with the actual sequence and material list.

Raised Bed Layouts for Maximum Yield in a 10x12 Plot
Garden Design Raised Bed Layouts for Maximum Yield in a 10x12 Plot

A bed-and-path layout for a standard 10-by-12-foot vegetable plot that maximizes growing area while keeping every plant within arm’s reach.

Ten Native Perennials That Outcompete Weeds Without Chemicals
Native Plants Ten Native Perennials That Outcompete Weeds Without Chemicals

Dense, self-sufficient native perennials that close a planting gap fast enough to shade out weeds - no landscape fabric or herbicide required.

Why Milkweed Belongs in Every Pollinator Garden This Spring
Native Plants Why Milkweed Belongs in Every Pollinator Garden This Spring

Milkweed is the only host plant monarch caterpillars can eat - what that means for spring planting timing and which species suits your soil.

Regional Guide: Best Drought-Tolerant Natives for the Southwest
Native Plants Regional Guide: Best Drought-Tolerant Natives for the Southwest

A working plant list for Southwest gardens that need to survive on rainfall alone once established - grouped by sun exposure and bloom season.

Replacing Turf Grass With a No-Mow Native Meadow
Native Plants Replacing Turf Grass With a No-Mow Native Meadow

The realistic timeline and maintenance schedule for converting a lawn to a low-maintenance native meadow, including the one mow-down a year it still needs.

Sharpening Pruners and Shears: A 15-Minute Maintenance Routine
Tools & Techniques Sharpening Pruners and Shears: A 15-Minute Maintenance Routine

A repeatable sharpening routine for bypass pruners that takes about fifteen minutes and noticeably reduces plant stem damage on the next cut.

Drip Irrigation for Beginners: Parts List and Layout Basics
Tools & Techniques Drip Irrigation for Beginners: Parts List and Layout Basics

The five parts every drip irrigation system needs and a layout approach for a typical vegetable bed or perennial border.

Soil Testing at Home: What the Numbers Actually Mean
Tools & Techniques Soil Testing at Home: What the Numbers Actually Mean

A plain-language guide to reading a soil test report - pH, N-P-K, and organic matter - and what to actually do with each number.

When to Prune What: A Season-by-Season Cheat Sheet
Tools & Techniques When to Prune What: A Season-by-Season Cheat Sheet

A quick-reference pruning calendar organized by plant type, so spring-blooming shrubs don’t get cut at the exact wrong time.

Composting Ratios Explained: Getting Carbon and Nitrogen Right
Tools & Techniques Composting Ratios Explained: Getting Carbon and Nitrogen Right

The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio that actually drives fast, odor-free composting, translated into real kitchen and yard materials.

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