One myth about poinsettias that just won’t go away is the one that claims they’re poisonous – enough so to kill people. That belief apparently dates to a misdiagnosed death of a Hawaiian two-year-old in 1919. Despite numerous research reports ever since, about half of Americans still believe that poinsettias are poisonous. […]
Nothing comes close to the poinsettia as king of the Christmas plants. But lately, there’s an elegant floral queen that’s been closing the popularity gap – orchids. This large and diverse family of bloomers used to have the reputation of being expensive to buy and finicky to grow. Then mass merchants […]
We live in a part of the country where most spring-blooming flower bulbs do very well. Southern gardeners salivate to grow the kind of stunning bulb masses we can do March through May, but their winters don’t provide the chill times bulbs need in winter. Unfortunately, not a lot of us take […]
Spring-flowering bulbs are way under-used in most landscapes. Here’s a look at 10 specific ways to beef up your bulbous efforts.
Perennial gardens are hard to get blooming on all cylinders all at once. But a few tricks of the trade help them look fuller and more colorful for longer.
Flower pots, you might assume, were invented so that people without in-ground space could grow plants. While that’s the main idea, there’s no rule that says decks, porches and patios are the only places you can use pots. Plants in containers make good sense in many other spots around the yard – including in garden […]
Why stop at just one pot? Mix and match a cluster of them just as you would in landscaping a garden. Call it “containerscaping.”
Here’s a way to use annuals economically. I call it my “meadow annuals garden.”
You might be tempted to accept every last gift plant you’re offered, and you may end up with some great — and free — plants. But you also may end up with someone else’s invader. Here’s how to tell the difference…
We’ve got lots better ways to use spring bulbs than to line up six tulips soldier-style across the front of the house. Try some of these more gardener-worthy ideas…